Scattered literature is harnessed to critically review the possible sources, chemistry, potential biohazards and best available remedial strategies for a number of heavy metals (lead, chromium, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, copper, mercury and nickel) commonly found in contaminated soils. The principles, advantages and disadvantages of immobilization, soil washing and phytoremediation techniques which are frequently listed among the best demonstrated available technologies for cleaning up heavy metal contaminated sites are presented. Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils is necessary to reduce the associated risks, make the land resource available for agricultural production, enhance food security and scale down land tenure problems arising from changes in the land use pattern.

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Heavy Metals in Contaminated Soils: A Review of Sources, Chemistry, Risks and Best Available Strategies for Remediation

Heavy metal removal from water/wastewater by nanosized metal oxides: a review.

http://www.eedu.org.cn/Article/UploadFiles/200906/2009061916001277.pdf

Health risk from heavy metals via consumption of food crops in the vicinity of Dabaoshan mine, South China.

https://repository.hanyang.ac.kr/bitstream/20.500.11754/110830/1/Heavy%20metals%20in%20food%20crops%20Health%20risks%2c%20fate%2c%20mechanisms%2c%20and%20management.pdf

Heavy metals in food crops: Health risks, fate, mechanisms, and management

http://www.jlakes.org/config/hpkx/news_category/2016-03-24/1-s2.0-S0160412015000021-main.pdf

Impacts of soil and water pollution on food safety and health risks in China

Health risks of heavy metals in contaminated soils and food crops irrigated with wastewater in Beijing, China

Instability mechanisms and early warning indicators for mesophilic anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste.

The performance of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) in the preparation of activated carbon-containing phosphorus species (P-species) using rice husk residues as feedstock was studied. In the activation process, the consequent pretreatments by NaOH and HCl, respectively, remove the silica and ash thoroughly, which led to cracks and pore opening. While H3PO4 acting as activation regent interacted with the phenolic and carbonyl groups of activated carbon, forming P-containing carbonaceous species (such as C–O–P), which further promoted the development of micropore of the activated carbon and then increased the surface area, H3PO4 also acted as catalyst to adjust and control the texture properties and structures of activated carbon. The activated carbon (PC-2.5) prepared at 500 °C for 2 h using H3PO4-treated carbon residue with acid/carbon mass ratio of 2.5 (g/g) achieved the maximum surface area of 1365 m2/g. Interestingly, the P-species formed in the activated carbon exhibited high-efficiency catalytic effects for the treatment of municipal waste landfill leachate to a disposable quality, where the removal rate of pollutant from landfill leachate over 90% and a high removal of TN (84%), COD (82%) and NH4+–N (100%) were obtained.

Qin Cao

Papers

Health risks of heavy metals in contaminated soils and food crops irrigated with wastewater in Beijing, China

Instability mechanisms and early warning indicators for mesophilic anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste.

The performance of phosphoric acid in the preparation of activated carbon-containing phosphorus species from rice husk residue

Instability diagnosis and syntrophic acetate oxidation during thermophilic digestion of vegetable waste.

Hydrothermal pretreatment on the anaerobic digestion of washed vinegar residue