Soils are essential components of the environment, the basis of terrestrial ecosystems and a crossroad for biogeochemical cycles at the lithosphere-hydrosphere-biosphere interface. Therefore, soil quality must be preserved. However, the increased concentration and distribution of potential harmful substances in soils by mismanagement of industrial and mining activities, energy generation, traffic increase, overuse of agrochemicals and sewage sludge and waste disposal are causing worldwide concern, especially in the food chain affecting animal and human health. This session is focused on new data about the source, fate and behaviour of inorganic pollutants such as heavy metals and metalloids, cyanides, perchlorate, nitrogen dioxide and radionuclides (military facilities, weapon testing, nuclear power station accidents), and organic ones such as hydrocarbons, oil, asphalt, coal tar, PAH, PCB, TPH, BTEX, VCHC and others related with former gasworks, sawmills, wood preserving plants, etc. Obviously, this enormous variety of harmful substances that can produce local or diffuse soils pollution need innovative technologies of prevention, monitoring, sampling, analytical techniques, risk assessment and eco-friendly and cost-efficient remediation (bio and phytoremediation, thermal, electrokinetic, soil flushing and different containment techniques).
We welcome contributions, theoretical and applied methodologies of prevention, risk assessment, control and remediation of polluted soils from universities, research institutes, private consultants and public authorities. We also hope to publish the outcome of this session in a Special Issue of an international referenced journal.