Soil serves as a primary construction material for roads. Chemical properties of soil, including acidity, and salinity, have the potential to erode concrete, steel structures, road furnishings, and cause land degradation in a vicinity of roads. Acid sulphate soils (ASS) are naturally found in soil sediments and contain iron sulfides, primarily in the form of pyrite. Such soils are typically located in low-lying coastal areas of Australia. Under anerobic conditions, acid sulfate soils do not pose a significant environmental risk. However, when these soils are disturbed by construction activities such as excavation, and temporary or permanent dewatering there is a possibility for the iron sulfides present in the soil to react with oxygen, leading to the generation of sulfuric acid. This acidification process can affect the landscape by lowering its pH and results in releasing of contaminants, including iron, aluminum, and other metals in harmful concentrations. These contaminants have the potential to be transported to waterways, wetlands, and groundwater. Contrary to alkaline soils, acidic soils pose a significant risk to infrastructure, particularly steel or metallic structures. There is a risk of sustained damage to infrastructure over time due to the corrosive effects of acidic water on metallic and concrete structures. Presence of acidic soil can cause decay or absence of roadside vegetation resulting in accelerated soil erosion, leading to substantial and lasting damage to the road structure.

More information is needed to fully comprehend how acid mine drainage (AMD) affects the phototransformation of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in karst water and sewage -irrigated farmland soil with abundant carbonate rocks (CaCO 3 ) due to increasing pollution of AMD formed from pyrite (FeS 2 ). The results showed FeS 2 accelerated the inactivation of ARB with an inactivation of 8.7 log. Notably, extracellular and intracellular ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) also experienced rapid degradation. Additionally, the pH of the solution buffered by CaCO 3 significantly influenced the photo -inactivation of ARB. The Fe 2 + in neutral solution was present in Fe(II) coordination with strong reducing potential and played a crucial role in generating center dot OH (7.0 mu M), which caused severe damage to ARB, ARGs, and MGEs. The center dot OH induced by photo -Fenton of FeS 2 posed pressure to ARB, promoting oxidative stress response and increasing generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ultimately damaging cell membranes, proteins and DNA. Moreover, FeS 2 contributed to a decrease in MIC of ARB from 24 mg/L to 4 mg/L. These findings highlight the importance of AMD in influencing karst water and sewage -irrigated farmland soil ecosystems. They are also critical in advancing the utilization of FeS 2 to inactivate pathogenic bacteria.

Thallium (Tl) is a highly toxic trace metal that can cause severe pollution and damage to the ecological system. In this study, a field trial was conducted in a Tl-rich pyrite-barite past-mining area to unveil the fate of Tl in agricultural practice. Tuscany kale and red chicory cultivated in soil impacted by the dismissed mine of Valdicastello Carducci (Northern Tuscany, Italy) displayed significantly different uptake behaviors of Tl. Hyperaccumulation of Tl was observed in kale leaves and its content reached up to 17.1 mg kg(- 1) whereas only <0.70 mg kg(-1) of Tl was found in leaves of red chicory. Due to the regionally polymetallic pollution, Tuscany kale grown in this area possessed a great Tl intake risk for the residents. As for the fertilization treatment, Tl in Tuscany kale leaves fertilized with mineral fertilizer (NPK) and compost were 21.4 and 12.8 mg kg(-1). The results suggested a potential remediation ability of compost in diminishing Tl in the vegetable leaves and thus may reduce its risk in the soil-crop system. Since Tl poisoning emergency may occur in agricultural fields near pastmining zones, it is critical to establish possible remediation measures to ensure food safety surrounding former mining areas likewise.