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Sustainable Approaches for Plant Conservation under Emerging Pollutants Volume II
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Sustainable Approaches for Plant Conservation under Emerging Pollutants Volume II

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Pollution Prevention, Mitigation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 8728

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Allah Ditta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
Interests: plant conservation under emerging pollutants; phytoremediation of emerging pollutants; integrated and sustainable approaches; bioremediation; biofertilizers; composting from organic wastes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Muhammad Imtiaz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Soil and Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Interests: biofertilizer for sustainable agriculture under normal and abiotic stress conditions; biogeochemistry and remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soils
Dr. Sajid Mehmood

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, China
Interests: abiotic stress; remediation; reclamation and management of contaminated soils

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on the use of sustainable approaches for plant conservation under emerging pollutant stress. Due to urbanization and industrialization, various emerging pollutants have come to the attention of researchers around the world. These pollutants include heavy metals, antibiotics, personal care products, pesticides, microplastics, and various others. These pollutants have detrimental effects on the growth, physiological, and biochemical parameters of plants. Various studies have reported the use of organic and inorganic amendments to protect plants under the abovementioned abiotic stresses. However, these testimonials are mostly under controlled conditions. In addition, the elucidation of mechanistic coping approaches is lacking in the recent literature. Therefore, the present Special Issue will focus on the integrated novel approaches (biological, physical, and chemical) used for plant conservation under emerging pollutants. The Special Issue will also include studies involving the mechanistic elucidation of approaches used to cope with these stresses and under natural conditions. Co-contamination is a recent emerging issue which needs special attention. Reports on sustainable integrated approaches involving the abatement of co-contamination are also of interest for this Special Issue.

Dr. Allah Ditta
Dr. Muhammad Imtiaz
Dr. Sajid Mehmood
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • heavy metals
  • antibiotic stress
  • organic amendments
  • heavy metal-resistant PGPR
  • bioremediation
  • phytoremediation
  • biofertilizers
  • nanomaterials
  • biochar
  • zeolites
  • co-contamination
  • integrated approaches to combat different pollutants

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1966 KiB  
Article
Reducing Chromium Toxicity in Chinese Cabbage through Synergistic Effects of Silicon and Selenium: A Study of Plant Growth, Chromium Content, and Biochemical Parameters
by Xiuxian Fu, Sajid Mehmood, Waqas Ahmed, Wenjie Ou, Penghui Suo, Qinwen Zhang, Xiuhao Fu, Zhongyi Sun and Weidong Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5361; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065361 - 17 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1589
Abstract
Silicon (Si) and selenium (Se) have been found to reduce chromium (Cr) toxicity in plants, which is important for crop production and human health. However, there is limited understanding of the interaction between Si and Se in mitigating Cr toxicity and its mechanisms. [...] Read more.
Silicon (Si) and selenium (Se) have been found to reduce chromium (Cr) toxicity in plants, which is important for crop production and human health. However, there is limited understanding of the interaction between Si and Se in mitigating Cr toxicity and its mechanisms. This study investigated the impact of Si and Se on Cr-treated Chinese cabbage growth, Cr content, and biochemical parameters in a hydroponic experiment. The results showed that both Si and Se effectively alleviate Cr toxicity and have a strong synergistic effect. They reduced Cr content in cabbage by 73.99% and increased photosynthetic pigments by 62.50% and 47.51%, respectively. Antioxidant enzyme activity increased by 28.20 and 21.37%, while non-enzyme antioxidants such as proline and GSH decreased by 27.44 and 28.51%. It was observed that the addition of Si and Se to Chinese cabbage under Cr stress resulted in a 29.58 and 134.37% increase in soluble protein and soluble sugar, respectively, as well as improved nutrient contents (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg). This suggests that Si and Se can improve the physiological ecology of Chinese cabbage, reducing the effects of Cr stress and contributing to the global control of heavy metal pollution in food crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches for Plant Conservation under Emerging Pollutants Volume II)
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14 pages, 2502 KiB  
Article
Alginate-Based Sustainable Green Composites of Polymer and Reusable Birm for Mitigation of Malachite Green Dye: Characterization and Application for Water Decontamination
by Nida Iqbal, Sami A. Al-Hussain, Fozia Batool, Amina Mumtaz, Ali Irfan, Sobia Noreen, Muhammad Mustaqeem and Magdi E. A. Zaki
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3194; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043194 - 9 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1530
Abstract
Environmental sustainability appraisal of adsorption for exclusion of the malachite green toxic dye was the center of attention in this work. The influenced goals were to analyze the consequences of novel composites fabricated by sodium alginate with guar gum and birm (SA@GG@B composites) [...] Read more.
Environmental sustainability appraisal of adsorption for exclusion of the malachite green toxic dye was the center of attention in this work. The influenced goals were to analyze the consequences of novel composites fabricated by sodium alginate with guar gum and birm (SA@GG@B composites) by ion gelation. This work not only explains the feasibility of the sorbent and its application for the removal of dye stuff but also proclaimed various effects of different parameters affecting the removal efficiency. Adsorption processes were carried out in the batch process. The composite was characterized by SEM, which revealed that the irregular surface of composites has pores present for high adsorption, FTIR (for functional groups detection) reveals the presence of –OH group which provides attachment sites for dye, and BET (surface analysis) with a surface area of 5.01 m2/g shows that it has a wide surface area for greater adsorption process. Adsorption was performed on synthetic composites by varying different parameters like contact time, the concentration of sorbent and sorbate, and pH. Maximum adsorption was achieved (92.7%) at 100 ppm initial concentration, 120 min interaction time, and pH 9. Adsorption isotherms (Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubnin, and Elvoich isotherm) were applied in this work and evaluated the adsorption phenomenon and nature of adsorption. Freundlich adsorption capacity KF (9.45) reveals effective adsorption of dye by the proposed adsorbent. The kinetics models show that it was better with the pseudo-second-order reaction. Effective removal of malachite green by synthesized composites reveals their importance for the industrial water purification from hazardous dyes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches for Plant Conservation under Emerging Pollutants Volume II)
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14 pages, 2985 KiB  
Article
Interspecific Variability in Growth Characteristics and Phytoremediation of Cu by Free-Floating Azolla Macrophytes
by Muhammad Shahbaz Akhtar, Sohaib Aslam, Allah Ditta, Bedur Faleh A. Albalawi, Yoko Oki and Yoshitaka Nakashima
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010497 - 28 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1686
Abstract
The phytoremediation potential of aquatic plants, particularly for Cu, is scarcely reported in the pertinent literature. In this regard, differential growth behavior and phytoaccumulation ability of three free-floating Azolla species (A. japonica, A. pinnata, and A. hybrid) were evaluated [...] Read more.
The phytoremediation potential of aquatic plants, particularly for Cu, is scarcely reported in the pertinent literature. In this regard, differential growth behavior and phytoaccumulation ability of three free-floating Azolla species (A. japonica, A. pinnata, and A. hybrid) were evaluated in a climatically controlled (a temperature of 25/20 °C, light/dark 16/8 h, a light intensity of 60 µmol m−2 s−1, and a relative humidity of 65%) microcosm study. Azolla plants were exposed to solutions having three Cu concentrations (0, 3, and 6 mg L−1) under two incubation periods (4 and 8 days). Different Cu treatments significantly reduced Azolla biomass during both incubation periods and A. pinnata was the most sensitive species. Azolla plants grown in aqueous solutions showed substantial variations in Cu removal capacity. Higher bioconcentration values displayed by Azolla plants indicated that these plants can be deployed as potential plants for Cu removal from Cu contaminated water. Nevertheless, the plants exposed to higher Cu concentrations displayed color changes and root detachment due to Cu phytotoxic effects which may also ultimately lead to plant death. Significant correlations between Cu removed from the aqueous solutions and Cu contents of plant biomass indicated that Cu phytoremediation by Azolla plants was due to the phytoaccumulation mechanism because the removed Cu from aqueous solutions was accumulated in plant biomass. Introduced Azolla species, i.e., A. hybrid, displayed comparable Cu removal efficiency with naturally grown Azolla species, i.e., A. japonica and A. pinnata. Tested Azolla species proved to be suitable candidates to remediate Cu contaminated water and can be deployed for phytoremediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches for Plant Conservation under Emerging Pollutants Volume II)
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16 pages, 1931 KiB  
Article
Straw Incorporation in Contaminated Soil Enhances Drought Tolerance but Simultaneously Increases the Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Rice
by Rizwan Ahmad, Fazal Hadi, Amin Ullah Jan and Allah Ditta
Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10578; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710578 - 25 Aug 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1594
Abstract
Heavy metals (HMs) and drought stress are worldwide issues of concern because of their adverse effects on the growth and productivity of rice. Straw burning causes air pollution via greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and it requires sustainable management. The introduction of HMs into [...] Read more.
Heavy metals (HMs) and drought stress are worldwide issues of concern because of their adverse effects on the growth and productivity of rice. Straw burning causes air pollution via greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and it requires sustainable management. The introduction of HMs into the food chain poses a major health risk to humans. In this regard, straw incorporation into the soil could reduce air pollution and drought stress. However, its simultaneous impact on HMs’ uptake and drought stress tolerance in crops is unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of rice straw incorporation in soil on HMs (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Fe) availability, accumulation, and drought stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown in pots under glasshouse conditions. The soil samples were collected from a non-contaminated agricultural field (control) and the contaminated field, irrigated with industrial effluent and treated with straw. Straw (1% w/w) was mixed in soils and control plants without straw application were grown under both contaminated and normal soil conditions. The results showed that straw incorporation in soils significantly enhanced the accumulation of HMs in rice grain and other vegetative parts of rice as compared to control. Moreover, straw application harmed chlorophyll and carotenoids. Straw application significantly increased proline in leaves (274.0 µg mL−1) as compared to the control (166.8 µg mL−1). Relative water contents were higher in straw-treated plants, thereby increasing drought stress tolerance. Straw application increased the accumulation of HMs and consequently reduced the biomass of the plant. In conclusion, straw incorporation enhanced drought stress tolerance but simultaneously elevated the accumulation of HMs under contaminated soil in Oryza sativa L. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches for Plant Conservation under Emerging Pollutants Volume II)
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29 pages, 7988 KiB  
Article
Acidified Carbon with Variable Irrigation Sources Impact on Rice Growth and Yield under Cd Toxic Alkaline Soil Conditions
by Niaz Ahmed, Ali Raza Shah, Subhan Danish, Khadiga Alharbi and Rahul Datta
Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10086; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610086 - 15 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1172
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the potential carcinogenic toxins for humans, plants, and animals. Higher uptake of Cd in plants causes a significant reduction in productivity that can be remediated using organic amendments. Biochar can absorb Cd and decrease its toxicity. However, the [...] Read more.
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the potential carcinogenic toxins for humans, plants, and animals. Higher uptake of Cd in plants causes a significant reduction in productivity that can be remediated using organic amendments. Biochar can absorb Cd and decrease its toxicity. However, the high pH of biochar minimizes its adaptation as an amendment in alkaline soils. As Cd is highly soluble in water, its uptake in rice is a major issue. That is why the current experiment was conducted to examine chemically produced acidified carbon (AC) effectiveness in alleviating Cd-induced stress in rice. There were three levels of Cd (0, 4, and 8 mg kg−1 soil) applied with three levels of AC (0, 0.5, and 1%) for the cultivation of rice irrigated with ground water (GW) and waste water irrigation (WW). Results confirmed that applying 1% AC improved plant height, spike length, and 1000 grains weight over 0% AC under GW and WW irrigations at 8 mg Cd kg−1 soil (8Cd) toxicity. A significant increase in photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance by 1% AC validated its effectiveness in alleviating 8Cd stress in rice under GW and WW. Overall, 1% AC is an effective amendment in alleviating Cd toxicity in rice irrigated with GW and WW at 8Cd. More investigations are recommended at the field level to declare 1% AC as the most effective application rate for mitigating Cd stress in rice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Approaches for Plant Conservation under Emerging Pollutants Volume II)
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