Rapid industrialization in the 1960s caused heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) to severely pollute soil in Japan. The Agricultural Land Soil Pollution Prevention Law was enacted in 1970 to cope with the heavy metal pollution. Cd, in particular, has been recognized as one of the most detrimental elements in Japan because of the so-called “itai-itai” disease caused through Cd uptake. Recently, the...

background soil pollution due to toxic metals released by industrial activities such as cement production is a serious problem from the standpoints of the environment and public health, because they tend to persist, circulating indefinitely and, eventually, accumulating throughout the food chain. objectives this paper presents the results of the first research study into the distribution of cad...

Cadmium (Cd), as a widespread metal pollutant, readily accumulates in the food chain due to its easy absorption and high mobility. The endophytic fungi are cosmopolitan microorganisms that occur widely in association with plants in a heavy metal stress environment. A current pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of Piriformospora indica, as a root endosymbiotic fungus, on the b...

Heavy metal contamination around the National Iranian Lead and Zinc Company (NILZ) in Zanjan province was evaluated in this paper. Collected data were used to appraise the degree of soil contamination and also the source of pollution in the study area based on geoaccumulation index (Igeo), and enrichment factor (EF). The levels of Fe, Zn, Cd and Pb in the samples exceed those reported in litera...

During the last few decades, the industrial production and use of Cd resulted in the release of significant quantities of Cd into the environment. Concern about health risks of human exposure to this toxic metal, which may be contained in soil and other environmental compartments, has increased significantly in recent years. Soil ingestion is a potentially important pathway of exposure to soil-...

Soil contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in agricultural lands, in part, is responsible for limiting the crop productivity and the food chain contamination. The objective of this study were to asses the limiting of crop productivity by cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), the potential transfer and bioaccumulation of these PTEs in plants, and ultimately the food chain contamination to e...

Contamination of soils with cadmium (Cd) is a serious global issue due to its high mobility and toxicity. We investigated the application of insoluble polyacrylate polymers to improve soil and plant health. Sorghum was grown in a Cd-contaminated sandy soil. Polyacrylate polymers at 0.2% (w/w) were added to half of the soil. Control soil without plants was also included in the experiment. Growth...