SOIL CONTAMINATION: HAZARDOUS WASTE AND REMEDIATION

This volume offers a comprehensive exploration of soil contamination by hazardous waste, its far-reaching consequences on ecosystems, food safety, and human health, and the methodologies available for their mitigation. Bridging foundational science with emerging technologies, the book synthesizes current research and case studies on the distribution, mobility, and toxicity of metals and metalloids in contaminated environments.

Topics include advanced remediation strategies, the physical and chemical impacts of waste on soil health, and the bioaccumulation of contaminants in crops. Special attention is given to military-sourced pollutants and their environmental legacy, as well as the role of bioremediation in managing energetic compounds like RDX. Through an integrated approach, the book investigates how hazardous substances interfere with nutrient uptake in plants, posing threats to food security and public health.

By combining theoretical insights with applied examples, the book serves as a critical reference for academic researchers, environmental scientists, and professionals in waste management and environmental remediation. It is also highly suitable for graduate and advanced undergraduate students specializing in soil science, environmental toxicology, agricultural sustainability, and public health.

Dr Dharmendra K Gupta is Director (S) at India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. His field of research includes abiotic stress by radionuclides, heavy metals and xenobiotics in plants; antioxidative system in plants; and environmental pollution (radionuclides/heavy metals) remediation through plants (phytoremediation). Dr Gupta has been awarded several international awards by entities such as the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO), JAE-Doc. (Spain), TWAS-CNPq (Italy), Royal Society India Fellow (UK) and MASAV (Israel). Dr Gupta has published more than 130 International manuscripts and review articles in international and reputed journals, edited 29 books, and served as Book Series editor for 2 book series from Springer, Switzerland and 1 from World Scientific, Singapore.

Prof. Clemens Walther is a Professor at the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany and Head of the university's Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection. He has been Chair of the Nuclear Chemistry Section of the German Chemical Society and has been Head of the German Steering Board of the Competence Center Radiation Research (KVSF) since 2017. He is also a member of the German Commission for Radiation Protection (since 2015) and vice president of the German Swiss Society for Radiation Protection (since 2023). Prof. Walther's past appointments include being Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics (2019–2021), Head of the European Network on Nuclear and Radiochemistry Education and Training (2016–2022), Member of the extended governing board of the German Society for Mass Spectrometry (DGMS) (2012–2015) and Head of the mass spectrometry division of the German Physical Society (DPG) (2012–2015). Prof. Walther has published more than 175 International manuscripts and review articles in international and reputed journals, and edited 9 books.