Pesticides in Soils

M. Jesús Sánchez-Martín holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Salamanca (1978), and she is currently a Professor at the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA-CSIC), Salamanca (Spain). Her main research interests focus on the dynamic of pesticides in soils, namely on the adsorption capacity of pesticides by soils and their components, the groundwater contamination by pesticides in agricultural areas, and the use of surfactants or low-cost organic wastes for the recovery of soils contaminated by pesticides or for the prevention of this contamination. She has been recently interested on agricultural practices involving the simultaneous application of organic amendments and pesticides, the effect in the dissipation of pesticides and the simulation of the transport of these compounds in amended soils. The ultimate goal of her research is to advance soil management strategies in order to maintain its functionality and biodiversity, and to achieve sustainable food production in soils susceptible to degradation.

This book reviews the occurrence and fate of pesticides in soils, their impact on soil quality and soil ecosystems, and it also provides a comprehensive overview of the latest prevention and remediation strategies of soil contamination. Chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as soil pollution monitoring, the role of dissolved organic matter on the environmental fate of pesticides in soils, the effects of pesticides on soil microbial communities, plant uptake of pesticides from soils, and nano-based pesticides. Particular attention is given to the latest physicochemical and biological technologies developed to immobilize or degrade pesticides, preventing soil and water pollution.

Given its scope, the book will appeal to researchers, professionals, including environmental chemists, engineers, ecologists, and policy-makers responsible for soil management.

Currently used pesticides' occurrence in soils: recent results and advances in soil-monitoring and survey studies.- An Overview of Recent Research on the Role of Dissolved Organic Matter on the Environmental Fate of Pesticides in Soils.- Assessing the effects of pesticides on the soil microbial community: advances, standardization of methods and the need for a new regulatory framework.- Environmental Fate of Chiral Pesticides in Soils.- Sorption/desorption, leaching and transport behavior of pesticides in soils: A review on recent advances and published scientific research.- Plant uptake of pesticide residues from agricultural soils.- Contribution of land runoff to the release of pesticides into water bodies in arable areas.- Pesticide fate in soils under different agricultural management practices.- Biopurification systems: current advances and future prospects of on-farm biodegradation of pesticides.- Abiotic and biological technologies for the remediation of phenylurea herbicidesin soils.- Bioremediation of soil ecosystems from triazine herbicides.