Advances in Soil Pollution Research: Ecosystem Processes, Functioning and Management

Soil ecosystems provide essential services, including nutrient cycling, water filtration, carbon sequestration, and habitat provision. However, industrial activities, intensive agriculture, mining, urbanization, and waste disposal have led to widespread accumulation of contaminants in soils globally. From legacy pollutants such as potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)—such as micro- and nanoplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, and antimicrobial resistance determinants—soil contamination poses a growing threat to terrestrial biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and planetary health.While extensive research has documented contaminant concentrations in soils, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding how pollutants alter fundamental belowground ecosystem processes and soil functioning. Contaminant mixtures, dynamic environmental conditions, and climate change stressors (such as temperature extremes and prolonged droughts) alter contaminant bioavailability, bioaccumulation pathways, and ecotoxicological impacts on microbial communities and soil fauna. Furthermore, developing scalable, cost-effective, and ecologically sound remediation and management strategies requires a deep mechanistic understanding of soil-pollutant interactions.This Research Topic aims to bring together original research, comprehensive reviews, and methodological advances focused on the sources, distribution, ecological impacts, and sustainable management of soil pollutants. We encourage interdisciplinary contributions that link physical and chemical pollutant characterization with plant responses, ecosystem function assessment, and novel remediation frameworks.We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Methods, and Perspectives addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:Distribution, fate, and speciation of legacy and emerging contaminants in soil systems.Ecotoxicological impacts of pollutants on soil microbiomes, enzymatic activity, plants, and soil organismsDisruption of soil ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycles (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics) under pollution pressure.Bioavailability, trophic transfer, and soil-to-plant contaminant accumulation.Ecotoxicological assessment of multi-pollutant mixtures and interactions with climate stressors.Innovative and nature-based remediation technologies (e.g., bioremediation, phytoremediation, biochar amendment, green immobilization).Risk assessment frameworks, threshold development, and policy-relevant guidelines for soil health and contamination management. Topic editors: Oliver Matthias Wiche, Carla Ferreira, Lyudmyla Symochko Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86591/advances-in-soil-pollution-research-ecosystem-processes-functioning-and-management