Remediation Strategies for Contaminated and Degraded Environments in Industrial and Conflict-Affected Regions

Industrial activities, resource extraction, military operations, and armed conflicts cause substantial chemical contamination and physical degradation of terrestrial and aquatic environments. Affected sites usually contain mixtures of heavy metals, petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, persistent organic contaminants, and other hazardous substances, while also experiencing soil and sediment disturbance, habitat fragmentation, altered hydrology, or disruption of ecosystem functions.Effective rehabilitation of severely contaminated or degraded environments requires approaches that consider not only contaminant removal or risk reduction, but also the recovery of ecosystem processes, soil functions, microbial communities, vegetation, and biodiversity. These approaches may include bioremediation and phytoremediation strategies, nature-based solutions, engineered amendments, novel in-situ restoration practices, or combinations of these strategies, supported by robust environmental monitoring.This Research Topic aims to bring together advances in ecological recovery of heavily contaminated or degraded environments, encompassing both industrial and conflict-affected settings. We welcome preferably Original Research articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:Bioremediation and phytoremediation pathways for persistent contaminants (heavy metals, energetic compounds, hydrocarbons) in high-stress environments.Dynamics of soil and sediment microbiomes during post-disturbance ecological succession and decontamination.Ecological restoration and re-vegetation strategies for terrain degraded by military infrastructure, trenching, or industrial waste deposition.Biogeochemical interactions between hazardous contaminants and organic amendments (e.g., biochar, composts, microbial inoculants).Ecotoxicological assessments and functional bioindicators of ecosystem recovery in post-conflict zones.Remote sensing, GIS-based spatial monitoring, and predictive modeling of contamination dispersion and habitat rehabilitation.Review articles will be considered only after a strict preliminary editorial assessment of the proposed review structure, scientific quality, relevance, and suitability for the Research Topic. Topic editors: Leonardo Martín Pérez, Olesia Havryliuk Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86543/remediation-strategies-for-contaminated-and-degraded-environments-in-industrial-and-conflict-affected-regions