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Markers, Indicators of Soil Pollution

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Environmental Indicators

Abstract

As an interface between the earth’s crust, atmosphere, and hydrosphere, soil is a non-renewable resource that has multiple functions: biomass production, storage, filtration, and transformation of organic and mineral matter; source of biodiversity, habitats, species, and genes; environment for humans and their activities; and source of raw materials. Impact of pollution on soil quality has increased due to population growth and extensive exploitation of natural resources. Soil pollution destroys the physical, chemical, and biological balance, which ensures soil fertility. Soil pollution can inhibit enzyme activity, reducing the diversity of fauna and flora. The degree of retention of pollutants is influenced by the presence of other pollutants and their concentration, quantity of oxygen, humidity, temperature, pH, nutrients, bioaugmentation, products of co-metabolism, and so on.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry and Vegetal Biochemistry, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “Regele Mihai I al României” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, Timisoara, Timis, 300645, Romania

    Monica Butnariu

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Correspondence to Monica Butnariu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Civil and Environmental Engineering, Israel Institute of Technology Technion, Haifa, Israel

    Robert H. Armon

  2. Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

    Osmo Hänninen

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Butnariu, M. (2015). Markers, Indicators of Soil Pollution. In: Armon, R., Hänninen, O. (eds) Environmental Indicators. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9499-2_22

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