Manuscript Topics

Heavy metals are important trace elements for all organisms and are used e.g. in the active centres of enzymes, as co-factors and as electron sources and acceptors in biochemical reactions. However, depending on the organisms and heavy metals in question, even low concentrations may be harmful and at elevated concentrations all heavy metals become toxic. Heavy metal industrial, agricultural, technological as well as domestic use have led to their increased release into the environment, with possible adverse effects. Important heavy metal industrial sources include e.g. mining sites. These sites may be especially hazardous for the environment, because of possible heavy metal leakages e.g. from mill tailings ponds and waste water basins. Depending on the catchment area, these leakages may impact water bodies at considerable distance from the original leakage point. In addition, mining activities may cause severe acidification and heavy metal build-up in soils in the vicinity of the mine, leaving these areas devoid of higher life and impacting the environment for a long time. With this special issue we welcome submissions that assess the effect of heavy metals on the microbial communities of soil and aquatic ecosystems. In addition, we invite papers on heavy metal biosorption, and especially on heavy metal-plant-microbe and heavy metal-animal-microbe interactions in heavy metal impacted environments. E.g. how do aquatic and/or soil microbiota cope with elevated heavy metal concentrations? Can heavy metal polluted sites be remediated by biological means? This special issue is aimed for multidisciplinary approaches covering the latest research on the heavy metal environmental behaviour and especially heavy metal microbiota and other biota interactions in the environment. We welcome submission covering e.g. cycles and pathways both in forest and agricultural environments.

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