Integrated assessment of soil quality and contaminant risks in salinized farmland adjacent to an oil-exploitation zone: insights from the Yellow River Delta.

ABSTRACT: Intensified industrial activities significantly threaten farmland soil integrity, particularly in salinized regions. However, comprehensive evaluations of soil fertility and contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) remain limited. In this study, we assessed soil quality in China's Yellow River Delta (YRD) by quantifying 13 indicators of soil physicochemical and biological properties, along with 11 PAHs. Our findings reveal that the minimum data set approach provides a robust and comprehensive representation of overall soil fertility. Salinity emerged as the primary limiting factor, with strong correlations between salinity and key ions, highlighting its adverse effects on soil structure and function. Additionally, significant PAH contamination was detected, particularly fro

SUBMITTER: Xie X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11599568 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature