Remediation of soils contaminated by toxic metals: a review of sources, impacts and analytical techniques
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv11n7-014Keywords:
toxic metals, soil contamination, remediation, analytical techniques, spectrometryAbstract
The contamination of soils and sediments by toxic metallic elements, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, and arsenic, constitutes a persistent environmental problem, intensified by industrial, agricultural, and mining activities. These elements, due to their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation capacity, pose direct risks to human health and compromise the integrity of ecosystems. This study aimed to review the literature on detection and assessment strategies for contamination by these contaminants, with an emphasis on modern analytical techniques such as ICP-MS, AAS, and XRF, as well as to explore the importance of physicochemical parameters pH, total carbon, organic carbon, and labile carbon that influence their mobility and bioavailability in sediments. The bibliometric analysis conducted with the VOSviewer software allowed for the identification of the most recurring themes and highlighted methodological gaps, especially in tropical and semi-arid regions. The results reinforce the need for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate geochemical data, multielement analysis, and statistical tools, aiming for a more precise environmental diagnosis and the development of sustainable remediation strategies, with a focus on vulnerable areas such as the Salgado River basin in the Cariri region of Ceará.
References
AKBAR ELSAGH, Hamidreza; JALILIAN, Mohammadreza; GHADERI ASLSHABESTARI, Mohammadreza. Avaliação da poluição por metais pesados em sedimentos costeiros de Bandar Abbas, Golfo Pérsico, Irã: Poluição por mercúrio e índices geoquímicos ambientais. Marine Pollution Bulletin, v. 167, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112353
AL-KHOUD, A. et al. Metal contamination – a global environmental issue: impacts on soil fertility, water quality, food safety, microbial diversity, vegetation, and aquatic fauna. RSC Advances, v. 15, p. 1–15, fev. 2025. doi:10.1039/D4RA04639K
ALMEIDA, P. H.; FREITAS, R. A.; SOUZA, M. T. Application of spectrometric and chromatographic techniques in the detection of toxic metals in river sediments. Environmental Chemistry Letters, v. 21, n. 1, p. 97-105, 2023.
BASTI, S. et al. Impact of organic carbon forms on heavy metals of river sediments and aquatic ecosystems: a review. Environmental Earth Sciences, 2024.
BASTI, S. et al. Impact of organic carbon forms on heavy metals of river sediments and aquatic ecosystems: a review. Environmental Earth Sciences, v. 83, 2024.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-024-11248-6
BRAGA DA ROSA, M. D.; KIST, L. T.; MACHADO, Ê. L. Aplicação de processo fotocatalítico homogêneo para degradação de fenóis em amostra aquosa. Revista Jovens Pesquisadores, v. 3, n. 2, 2013. Disponível em: https://online.unisc.br/seer/index.php/jovenspesquisadores/article/view/4093.
CAMESELLE, C.; GOUVEIA, S. Electrokinetic remediation for the removal of organic and inorganic contaminants in soils: Fundamentals and applications. Chemosphere, v. 183, p. 537-547, 2018.
CAMPOS, T. L. et al., Remediação de áreas contaminadas por hidrocarbonetos utilizando processos fotocatalíticos in situ. Journal of Environmental Science, v. 54, p. 112-121, 2021.
CHU, L.; WANG, Y.; ZHANG, J.; HUANG, R. Chronic exposure to cadmium and its associations with renal, endocrine and carcinogenic outcomes: insights from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, v. 13, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1597321
CUKROV, N.; DURN, G.; TERZIĆ, S.; NIKOLIĆ, N. Metal contamination of the Krka River estuary sediments: Anthropogenic impacts and diagenetic processes. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, v. 31, n. 5, p. 4561-4574, 2024.
DONG, Wen; WANG, Ruichen; LI, Huaien; et al. Effects of chelating agents addition on ryegrass extraction of cadmium and lead in artificially contaminated soil. Water, v. 15, n. 10, p. 1929, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15101929
Environmental Organic Chemistry. 3. ed. Hoboken: Wiley, 2018.
FERNANDES, A. R.; SILVA, M. L.; MOREIRA, J. B. Eficiência de fotocatalisadores dopados com cromóforos na degradação de herbicidas em áreas agrícolas. Environmental Advances, v. 3, p. 100-110, 2022
FESZTEROVÁ, M.; KOWALSKA, M.; HUDEC, M. Assessing the Impact of Soil Humic Substances, Textural Fractions on the Sorption of Heavy Metals (Cd, Pb). Applied Sciences, v. 14, n. 7, art. 2806, 2024. DOI: 10.3390/app14072806
GARCIA JUNIOR, G. C.; BOTTER, E. de A.; MARANHÃO, F. L. Avaliação da durabilidade de processos fotocatalíticos aplicados como pós-tratamentos em substratos de argamassa. Ambiente Construído, v. 15, n. 4, p. 307–320, 2015. Disponível em: https://seer.ufrgs.br/ambienteconstruido/article/view/42072.
GARDEA-TORRESDEY, Jorge L.; GAMEZ, Gonzalo; GÓMEZ, Edgar; et al. Recent advances in the analysis of heavy metals using spectrophotometric methods. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, v. 35, n. 4, p. 123–145, 2020.
GIGER, Walter; SCHWARZENBACH, René P.; HOLLIGER, Christof. GOMES, L. et al. Application of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for monitoring heavy metals in contaminated river sediments. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, v. 27, n. 5, p. 10245-10258, 2020
GUO, G.; ZHOU, Q.; MA, L. Q. Long-term impacts of metal contamination on microbial communities in soils: Molecular evidence from field studies. Science of the Total Environment, v. 774, 145768, 2021.
HOU, J.; LIU, X.; ZHANG, J. Enhanced photocatalytic performance of TiO₂ doped with chromophores: Applications in water treatment. Journal of Environmental Sciences, v. 85, p. 1–10, 2019.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134496
HU, Jianlong; WANG, Yuxuan; CHEN, Jun; et al. Removal of heavy metals from sewage sludge by chemical leaching with biodegradable chelator methyl glycine diacetic acid. Chemosphere, v. 300, p. 134496, 2022.
KAFIZI, A.; OHTANI, B.; KUDO, A. Photocatalytic activity of visible-light-responsive TiO₂ doped with chromophores. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, v. 128, p. 1–10, 2012.
KHAN, Muhammad Iqbal et al. Impact of heavy metal toxicity on plant growth and metabolism: Advances in understanding and practical applications. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, v. 25, n. 6, p. 5316-5332, 2018. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0426-3.
KHAN, S.; AFZAL, M.; IQBAL, S.; KHAN, Q. M. Plant–bacteria partnerships for the remediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils. Chemosphere, v. 204, p. 99-110, 2018.
LIU, G. et al., Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants over TiO₂-based photocatalysts: A review on recent progress. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, v. 147, p. 1–10, 2013.
LIU, J.; ZHAO, Q.; LI, Y.; JIN, H. Enhancing phytoremediation of heavy metals in soils through the combined use of hyperaccumulators and natural chelating agents. Journal of Environmental Management, v. 240, p. 328-334, 2019.
LUO, L.; MA, Y.; ZHANG, S.; WEI, D.; ZHU, Y. G. An inventory of trace element inputs to agricultural soils in China. Journal of Environmental Management, v. 218, p. 386-392, 2018.
MIMURA, Aparecida M. S.; OLIVEIRA, Marcone A. L.; CIMINELLI, Virgínia S. T.; SILVA, Júlio C. J. Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of Cr, Cu, Zn from sediment, followed by FAAS and GFAAS analysis. Journal of AOAC International, v. 99, n. 1, 2016.
NAWAR, Sawsan; EISSA, Fawzy. Rapid, accurate and non-destructive multi-elemental analysis of soil samples by portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment,v.192, 2020.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8136-2
NIAZI, Nabeel K.; CHAUDHRY, Muhammad T.; AKHTAR, Muhammad S.; et al. Mechanistic insights on the efficiency of biochar-based metal chelation: Spectroscopic evidence. Science of the Total Environment, v. 724, p. 138173, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138173
OLIVEIRA, A. S. et al. Microrganismos no sedimento de margens opostas do estuário do rio Coreaú em Camocim/CE. Acta Ambiental Catarinense, v. 18, n. 1, p. 216–228, 2021.
OLIVEIRA, J. P. et al. Heavy metal contamination in river sediments: Industrial discharges and agricultural practices impact. Journal of Environmental Geochemistry, v. 25, n. 3, p. 198-212, 2021.
PEPLINSKA, B. et al. Distribution and bioavailability of heavy metals in bottom sediments: The role of organic matter and grain size. Science of the Total Environment, v. 712, 2020.
PEPLINSKA, B. et al. Distribution and bioavailability of heavy metals in bottom sediments: The role of organic matter and grain size. Science of the Total Environment, v. 712, 2020.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136376
PROTANO, Giuseppe; NANNONI, Francesco. Influence of ore processing activity on the contamination and speciation of Hg, As and Sb in soils in a former mining area (Monte Amiata district, Italy). Chemosphere, v. 199, p. 320–330, 2018.
RAFIQUE, Uzma; NAZIR, Rabia; IQBAL, Mehwish; et al. Challenges and advancements in sustainable remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils using chelating agents: A review. Environmental Research, v. 206, p. 112578, 2022.
SANTOS, E. R.; RIBEIRO, C. F.; LOPES, G. A. Environmental remediation in the Salgado River: Sediment composition and adsorption of heavy metals. Applied Geochemistry, v. 47, p. 402-411, 2022.
SATHYANARAYANAN, M. et al. Seasonal Geochemical Analysis of toxic metal contamination and ecological risks: relevance of heavy metals, TOC and pH in sediments. Journal of Environmental Quality, 2024.
SATHYANARAYANAN, M. et al. Seasonal geochemical analysis of toxic metal contamination and ecological risks: relevance of heavy metals, TOC and pH in sediments. Journal of Environmental Quality, 2024.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20438
SENN, D. B.; BANK, M. S. Environmental geochemistry of trace metals: linking biogeochemistry and ecotoxicology. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, v. 31, n. 9, p. 1951–1956, 2012.
SHARMA, Sunita; RANA, Seema; SHARMA, Ramesh K. Chelation therapy and its applications in the removal of toxic metals from soil and plants: A review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, v. 401, p. 123382, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123382
SILVA NETO, I. F.; SOUZA, M. N. C.; ALMEIDA, S. C. X. Degradação de corantes por processos fotocatalíticos no tratamento de efluentes industriais: uma revisão integrativa. BIOFARM - Journal of Biology & Pharmacy and Agricultural Management, v. 16, n. 4, p. 365–373, 2023. Disponível em: https://revista.uepb.edu.br/BIOFARM/article/view/2220.
SILVA, A. B. et al. Aplicação de compostos para redução de metais pesados no solo. In: Congresso Brasileiro de Ciência do Solo, 2024, São Paulo. Anais eletrônicos... São Paulo: Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, 2024.
SILVA, A. L.; COSTA, R. P.; MELO, T. C. Geochemical analysis of sediments in the Salgado River basin: Sources and environmental implications. Journal of Geochemistry and Environment, v. 35, n. 3, p. 128-136, 2021.
SILVA, F. C. et al. Chemical analysis of soils, plants, and fertilizers. 2nd ed. Brasília: EMBRAPA Informação Tecnológica, 2019.
SRADHANJALI BASTI; SAHU, C.; PATI, S.; SAHU, S. K. Sediment organic carbon influence heavy metal speciation in Hirakud reservoir: case of a Ramsar site in India. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, mar. 2025.
TCHOUNWOU, Paul B. et al. Heavy metal toxicity and the environment. EXS, v. 101, p. 133-164, 2012. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7643-8340-4_6.
WEI, X.; WEI, Z.; FENG, J.; GUO, Y. Sources and risk assessment of heavy metals in soil from a typical industrialized city in central China. Science of the Total Environment, v. 737, 139532, 2020.
YANG, J.; LIU, W.; ZHANG, Z.; ZHANG, J. Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils by enhanced washing with biodegradable chelating agents. Journal of Hazardous Materials, v. 378, 120741, 2019.
ZHANG, C. et al. Speciation and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of small urban rivers in China. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, v. 16, p. 2360–2369, 2014.
ZHANG, L. et al., Photocatalytic remediation of heavy metals: The role of modified TiO₂. Chemical Engineering Journal, v. 384, p. 123–136, 2020.
ZHANG, W.; LI, Y.; CHEN, J. Photocatalytic remediation of heavy metals in industrial wastewater using TiO₂ doped with organic chromophores. Water Research, v. 234, p. 118-126, 2023.
ZHAO, J.; ZHANG, H.; WANG, S. Advanced methods for detecting heavy metal contamination in soils and their potential applications in phytoremediation research. Environmental Science and Technology, v. 56, n. 10, p. 5872-5883, 2022.
ZHAO, Yaping; LI, Wei; TIAN, Rui; et al. Determination of trace elements in soils using ICP-MS after ultrasound-assisted digestion: Optimization and application. Microchemical Journal, v. 162, p. 105837, 2022.
ZHOU, Y.; XU, Y.; SUN, J.; ZHAO, S. Sustainable approaches for the remediation of heavy metal-polluted soils: A review of current research and future directions. Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 268, 122138, 2020.
