The role of soils in the regulation of air quality

Major and Trace Airborne Elements and Ecological Risk Assessment: Georgia Moss Survey 2019-2023

The study, carried out as part of the International Cooperative Program on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops, involved collecting 95 moss samples across the territory of Georgia during the period from 2019 to 2023. Primarily samples of Hypnum cupressiforme were selected, with supplementary samples of Abietinella abietina, Pleurozium schreberi, and Hylocomium splendens in cases of the former's absence. The content of 14 elements (Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, S, Sr, V, and Zn) was detected using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), while the Hg content was determined using a Direct Mercury Analyzer. To identify any relationships between chemical elements and to depict their sources, multivariate statistics was applied. Principal component analysis identified three main components: PC1 (geogenic, 43.4%), PC2 (anthropogenic, 13.3%), and PC3 (local anomalies, 8.5%). The results were compared with the first moss survey conducted in Georgia in the period from 2014 to 2017, offering insights into temporal trends of air quality. Utilizing GIS, a spatial map illustrating pollution levels across Georgia, based on the Pollution Load Index, was generated. The Potential Environmental Risk Index emphasized significant risks associated with mercury and cadmium at several locations. The study highlights the utility of moss biomonitoring in assessing air pollution and identifying hotspots of contamination. The findings from this study could be beneficial for future biomonitoring research in areas with varying physical and geographical conditions.

New approach to soil management focusing on soil health and air quality: one earth one life (critical review)

Soil plays a key role in ecosphere and air quality regulation. Obsolete environmental technologies lead to soil quality loss, air, water, and land systems pollution. Pedosphere and plants are intertwined with the air quality. Ionized O2 is capable to intensify atmosphere turbulence, providing particulate matter (PM2.5) coalescence and dry deposition. Addressing environmental quality, a Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) heuristic transcendental (nonstandard and not direct imitation of nature) methodology has been developed. A BGT* main focus is an enrichment of Earth's biogeochemical cycles through land use and air cleaning. An intra-soil processing, which provides the soil multilevel architecture, is one of the BGT* ingredients. A next BGT* implementation is intra-soil pulse continuously discrete watering for optimal soil water regime and freshwater saving up to 10-20 times. The BGT* comprises intra-soil dispersed environmentally safe recycling of the PM sediments, heavy metals (HMs) and other pollutants, controlling biofilm-mediated microbial community interactions in the soil. This provides abundant biogeochemical cycle formation and better functioning of the humic substances, biological preparation, and microbial biofilms as a soil-biological starter, ensuring priority plants and trees nutrition, growth and resistance to phytopathogens. A higher underground and aboveground soil biological product increases a reversible C biological sequestration from the atmosphere. An additional light O2 ions photosynthetic production ensures a PM2.5 and PM0.1 coalescence and strengthens an intra-soil transformation of PM sediments into nutrients and improves atmosphere quality. The BGT* provides PM and HMs intra-soil passivation, increases soil biological productivity, stabilizes a climate system of the earth and promotes a green circular economy.

Climate warming, but not Spartina alterniflora invasion, enhances wetland soil HONO and NOx emissions

Climate warming and invasive plant growth (plant invasion) may aggravate air pollution by affecting soil nitrogen (N) cycling and the emissions of reactive N gases, such as nitrous acid (HONO) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x). However, little is known about the response of soil NO_y (HONO + NO_x) emissions and microbial functional genes to the interaction of climate warming and plant invasion. Here, we found that experimental warming (approximately 1.5 °C), but not Spartina alterniflora invasion, increased NO_y emissions (0-140 ng N m^-2 s^-1) of treated wetland soils by 4-10 fold. Warming also decreased soil archaeal and fungal richness and diversity, shifted their community structure (e.g., decreased the archaeal classes Thermoplasmata and Iainarchaeia, and increased the archaeal genus Candidatus Nitrosoarchaeum, and the fungal classes Saccharomycetes and Tritirachiomycetes), and decreased the overall abundance of soil N cycling genes. Structural equation modeling revealed that warming-associated changes in edaphic factors and the microbial N cycling potential are responsible for the observed increase in soil NO_y emissions. Collectively, the results showed that climate warming accelerates soil N cycling by stimulating large soil HONO and NO_x emissions, and influences air quality by contributing to atmospheric reactive N and ozone cycling.

ENTEROBACTERIACEAE IN SOILS AND ATMOSPHERIC DUST AEROSOL ACCUMULATIONS OF MOSCOW CITY

The topsoils and atmospheric dust aerosols of the various areas of the city of Moscow were studied. Most of the dust samples contained a considerable number of particles enriched in phosphorus - a sign of contamination by feces. A variety of Enterobacteriaceae species, including opportunistic and pathogenic species, were isolated from the topsoil and dust samples and identified using 16S rDNA nucleotide sequences: Enterobacter aerogenes, E. agglomerans, E. cloacae, E. kobei, E. nimipressuralis, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter europaeus, Klebsiella granulomatis, K. grimontii, K. oxytoca, K. quasipneumoniae, K. variicola, Kluyvera ascorbate, Kluyvera intermedia, Leclercia adecarboxylata, Salmonella enterica and Trabulsiella guamensis. The greatest diversity of pathogens was isolated from spring soil and dust samples immediately after spring snowmelt. Antibiotic resistance of the isolated E. coli strains was tested using disks with a wide range of antimicrobial drugs: Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Meropenem, Pefloxacin, Streptomycin, Ticarcillin+clavulanic acid, Fosfomycin, Ceftibuten, Ciprofloxacin. Resistance was observed in more than 22% of E. coli strains. The traffic area had a significant number of antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains, clearly indicating a high health risk from soil and dust exposure.

The role of soils in the regulation of hazards and extreme events

The frequency and intensity of natural hazards and extreme events has increased throughout the last century, resulting in adverse socioeconomic and ecological impacts worldwide. Key factors driving this increase include climate change, the growing world population, anthropogenic activities and ecosystem degradation. One ecologically focused approach that has shown potential towards the mitigation of these hazard events is the concept of nature's contributions to people (or NCP), which focuses on enhancing the material and non-material benefits of an ecosystem to reduce hazard vulnerability and enhance overall human well-being. Soils, in particular, have been identified as a key ecosystem component that may offer critical hazard regulating functionality. Thus, this review investigates the modulating role of soils in the regulation of natural hazards and extreme events, with a focus on floods, droughts, landslides and sand/dust storms, within the context of NCP. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.

The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People

This theme issue provides an assessment of the contribution of soils to Nature's Contributions to People (NCP). The papers in this issue show that soils can contribute positively to the delivery of all NCP. These contributions can be maximized through careful soil management to provide healthy soils, but poorly managed, degraded or polluted soils may contribute negatively to the delivery of NCP. Soils are also shown to contribute positively to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Papers in the theme issue emphasize the need for careful soil management. Priorities for soil management must include: (i) for healthy soils in natural ecosystems, protect them from conversion and degradation, (ii) for managed soils, manage in a way to protect and enhance soil biodiversity, health, productivity and sustainability and to prevent degradation, and (iii) for degraded soils, restore to full soil health. Our knowledge of what constitutes sustainable soil management is mature enough to implement best management practices, in order to maintain and improve soil health. The papers in this issue show the vast potential of soils to contribute to NCP. This is not only desirable, but essential to sustain a healthy planet and if we are to deliver sustainable development in the decades to come. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.

Soil-derived Nature's Contributions to People and their contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

This special issue provides an assessment of the contribution of soils to Nature's Contributions to People (NCP). Here, we combine this assessment and previously published relationships between NCP and delivery on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to infer contributions of soils to the SDGs. We show that in addition to contributing positively to the delivery of all NCP, soils also have a role in underpinning all SDGs. While highlighting the great potential of soils to contribute to sustainable development, it is recognized that poorly managed, degraded or polluted soils may contribute negatively to both NCP and SDGs. The positive contribution, however, cannot be taken for granted, and soils must be managed carefully to keep them healthy and capable of playing this vital role. A priority for soil management must include: (i) for healthy soils in natural ecosystems, protect them from conversion and degradation; (ii) for managed soils, manage in a way to protect and enhance soil biodiversity, health and sustainability and to prevent degradation; and (iii) for degraded soils, restore to full soil health. We have enough knowledge now to move forward with the implementation of best management practices to maintain and improve soil health. This analysis shows that this is not just desirable, it is essential if we are to meet the SDG targets by 2030 and achieve sustainable development more broadly in the decades to come. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.