The soil degradation and loss of fertile land pose severe threats to global agriculture and environmental sustainability. Soil quality degradation and loss of arable land have become pressing environmental concerns, call for innovative, sustainable, and transformative approaches to soil management, remediation, and restoration. Nanotechnology can be a transformative approach for soil remediation and land restoration. Nanomaterials remarkable properties offers a paradigm shift in soil science and environmental restoration. With their extraordinarily high surface area, tailored reactivity, and adjustable physicochemical characteristics, nanomaterials present a profound opportunity to revolutionize our approach to soil remediation and land rejuvenation. It delves into their intricate synthesis processes, advanced characterization techniques, and the underlying mechanisms governing their actions of nanomaterials and nanocomposites within the soil matrix. Within the realm of soil remediation, nanotechnology emerges as a versatile and potent tool. It excels in adsorbing, immobilizing, and degrading contaminants, including stubborn heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and recalcitrant pesticides. Additionally, the controlled-release capabilities of nano fertilizers come to the fore, facilitating precise nutrient delivery to plants, thereby enhancing fertility of soil and promoting plant growth. Apart from contamination remediation, nano-materials have immense potential to improve soil structure by enhancing water retention, promoting aeration and facilitating nutrient diffusion. This multifaceted approach extends to the realm of bioremediation, where nanotechnology amplifies microbial-mediated processes, elevating enzymatic activities and accelerating contaminant degradation.
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The surge in human activities and technical interventions has significantly intensified the introduction of potentially harmful substances, agrochemicals and surplus of nutrients into soil (Midhat L et al., 2019). Soil, as a fundamental medium for crop growth, plays a vital role in aiding absorption of nutrients by plants (Parikh SJ et al., 2012). While agriculture is vital for human survival, its practices often disrupt natural ecosystems, creating an ongoing conflict between exploiting natural resources for benefits and practicing sustainable land management (Struik, PC et al., 2017 ; Pretty, J et al., 2014). This conflict poses a significant danger to quality of life, livelihoods, and overall sustainable development. (Martin JL et al.,2016) Consequently, preserving soil has become important amid increasing population pressure and the decreasing availability of fertile land due to technological activities (Rajput et al., 2021). Soil degradation and the decline of arable land pose substantial concerns for global agriculture and environmental sustainability (Ghazaryan et al., 2018, 2023) . As soil quality is declining and arable land minimizing, there is an urgent need for innovative, transformative and sustainable approaches for soil management, remediation, and restoration (Vardumyan et al., 2024).
In response to these challenges, nanotechnology emerges as a transformative solution capable of revolutionizing our understanding of soil science and environmental rehabilitation . It acts as a pivotal player in soil remediation, revolutionizing approaches to eliminate contaminants and enhance soil quality and fertility. The unique features of nanomaterials, particularly their high surface area specificity and reactivity causing from a small particle size, make them exceptionally effective in soil remediation processes. This facilitates enhanced adsorption and reaction capacities, allowing for more effective removal of contaminants from the soil matrix (Panpatte DG et al., 2016). Consequently, nanotechnology offers a promising solution to mitigate the adverse impacts of soil contamination arising from various human activities (Singh et al., 2022). Notably, the application of nanomaterials in soil remediation aligns with sustainable land management practices, emphasizing targeted interventions that minimizes ecological disruption (Panpatte DG et al., 2016; Galdames A 2017). The application of nanomaterials for soil remediation has opened new avenues for addressing environmental challenges with increased precision and more efficiency.
Numerous forms of nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes, magnetic nanoparticles, zerovalent iron nanoparticles, and others, have been explored for their high effectiveness in soil reclamation (Xue W et al., 2018; Kumar A et al.,2019). Each nanomaterial possesses unique properties contributing to its efficacy in remediating specific types of soil contaminants. The following sections of this book chapter is delve into the applications of these nanomaterials in soil remediation, exploring their mechanisms of action, benefits, and challenges. Additionally, understanding the potential ecotoxicological effects of nanomaterials is crucial for ensuring the sustainable and responsible use of these technologies (Klaine SJ et al., 2018; Gottschalk F et al., 2013). This book chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on nanotechnology applications in soil remediation, focusing on the functions, fate, mobility, and possible ecotoxicology effects associated with various nanomaterials. By synthesizing existing knowledge in this field, this review seeks to contribute to the development of informed strategies for the application of nanotechnology in soil remediation and land restoration.