SOIL POLLUTION AND REMEDIATION STRATEGIES
Keywords:
Soil Pollution, Soil Contamination, Remediation Strategies, Phytoremediation, Bioremediation, Heavy Metals, Soil Amendments, Biochar, Sustainable Remediation, Soil Health, Environmental ProtectionAbstract
Soil pollution is one of the major environmental challenges affecting ecosystem health, agricultural productivity, food safety, biodiversity, and human well-being. Rapid industrialization, urban expansion, intensive agriculture, mining, improper waste disposal, wastewater irrigation, excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides, petroleum activities, and atmospheric deposition have increased the accumulation of hazardous substances in soil. Heavy metals, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals, plastics, microplastics, and emerging contaminants can remain in soil for extended periods and may enter crops, groundwater, food chains, and human populations. Soil pollution is particularly concerning because contaminated soil can lose important ecological functions, including nutrient cycling, carbon storage, microbial activity, water regulation, and support for plant growth. Remediation therefore requires strategies that not only reduce contaminant concentrations or mobility but also restore soil fertility and ecological functionality. Recent research has increasingly emphasized sustainable remediation approaches, including phytoremediation, microbial bioremediation, biochar and other soil amendments, soil washing, immobilization, chemical oxidation, thermal treatment, and integrated remediation technologies. Sustainable remediation frameworks increasingly consider environmental impacts, economic costs, resource recovery, social acceptance, and long-term soil health rather than focusing only on contaminant removalThis research examines major sources and effects of soil pollution and evaluates contemporary remediation strategies according to their effectiveness, sustainability, limitations, and applicability. A qualitative systematic literature-review approach was adopted, using recent scholarly research published primarily between 2023 and 2026. The findings indicate that no single remediation method is universally appropriate for all contaminated soils. Biological methods are particularly attractive because of their lower environmental impact, while physical and chemical technologies can provide faster treatment under specific contamination conditions. Integrated approaches combining plants, microorganisms, amendments, and physicochemical technologies demonstrate considerable potential for complex contamination. Recent research also emphasizes advanced monitoring, artificial intelligence, life-cycle assessment, circular economy principles, and site-specific remediation planning.) The study concludes that future soil pollution management should move from simple contaminant removal toward sustainable soil restoration that protects ecosystem functions, agricultural productivity, human health, and long-term environmental security.
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