The book presents the latest research findings and prospects on soil mineral-organic matter-microorganism interactions. It includes topics covering mechanisms of transformations, dynamics and bioavailability of heavy metals, radionuclides, biomolecules and nutrients immobilized on soil minerals, humic substances, mineral-humic complexes and microorganisms and their impact on plant, animal and human health. The book is organized into six parts.

The book presents the latest research findings and prospects on soil mineral-organic matter-microorganism interactions. It includes topics covering mechanisms of transformations, dynamics and bioavailability of heavy metals, radionuclides, biomolecules and nutrients immobilized on soil minerals, humic substances, mineral-humic complexes and microorganisms and their impact on plant, animal and human health. The book is organized into six parts.

V. 1 - Natural and anthropogenic organics; v. 2 - Metals, other inorganics, and microbial activities. General soil quality as influenced by interactions of soil minerals with organics and microorganisms: Organic-inorganic interections in soils and their effects on soil quality; Sorption phenomena between inorganic and organic compounds in soils: impacts on transformation processes; Role of aluminium and iron in the accumulation of organic matter in soils with variable charge; Sorption of ions by soil organic matter and clay-organics at low ionic strength; Water potential, soil microhabitats, and microbial development; Effect of citric acid on interlayer adsorption of hydroxy-aluminosilicate ions by montmorillonite; Microbial oxidation of pyrites in relation to its efficiency in alkali soil reclamation; Modification of gelation properties of colloidal solids from oil sands: extraction impact on fine tailings formation; Position paper of part I; Transformations of natural and anthropogenic organic compounds as affected by soil minerals and microorganisms: Natural organics; Recent advances in organomineral interactions: implications for carbon cycling and soil structure; The role of short-range ordered mineral colloids in abiotic transformations of organics components in the environment; Influence of pyrogallol on the catalytic action of iron and managenese oxides in amino acid transformation; Photochemical effect on the abiotic transformations of polyphenolics as catalyzed by Mn(IV) oxide; Potential of the supercitical fluid extraction technique for characterizing organic-inorganic interactions in soils; Dissolution and fractionation of calcium-bound and iron-and aluminium-bound humus in soils; Rhe quality of soil organic matter as characterized by soil CPMAS C-NMR, and Py-FIMS; Extracellular polysaccharides: an interface between microorganisms and soil constituents; Low-molecular-weigh aliphatic carboxylic acids in some andisols of Japan; Relationship between organic acids and microorganisms on a kong-term cropping site in southeastern Australia; Effect of the addition of plant residues on the mineralization of sulfur in Costa Rican soils; Anthropogenic organics: Sorption and biodegradation of organic contaminants in soils: conceptual representations of process coupling; The role of dissolved metals and metal-containing surfaces in catalyzing the hydrolysis of organic pollutants; The role of abiotic and biotic catalysts in the transformation of phenolic compounds; The role of abiotic interections with humic substances on the environmental impact of organic pollutants; Adsorption mechanisms and abiotic catalytic transformations of some agrochemicals by clay minerals; Interactions between manganese oxides and multiple ringed aromatic compounds; Mobility and persistence of metolachlor and terbuthylazine in field lysimeters; Soil-pesticide interactions and their impact on the volatilization process; Factors affecting the movements, reactions, and biotransformations ox xenobiotics; Effect of soil minerals on the microbial formation of enzymes and their possible use in remediation of chemically polluted sites; Position paper of part II; Effect of microorganisms on mobility of heavy metals in soils; Interactions of copper with soil humic substances; Adsorption of phosphate on variable charge minerals: competitive effect of organic ligands; Cadmium adsorption on the hydroxyaluminum-montmorillonite complex as influencend by oxalate; Influence of citrate on selenite sorption-desorption on short-range ordered aluminum hydroxides; Role of amorphous fe oxides in controlling retention of heavy metal elements in soils; Effect of natural organic matter and pH on the bioavailability of metal ions in soils; Seasonal changes of organic matter, pH, nitrogen and some metals in forest topsoils in Austria: a case study of two soils with and whithout a litter layer; Substituion of rock phosphate and legumes for commercial fertilizers; Effect of single and combined inoculation with azotobacter and VA mycorrhizal fungi on growth and mineral nutrient contents of maize and wheat plants; Position paper of part I; Interactions of clays with microorganisms and bacterial survival in soil: a physicochemical perspective; Enumeration, survival, and beneficial activities of microorganisms introduced into soil; Effects of clay minerals, oxyhydroxides, and humic matter on microbial communities of soil, sediment, and water; Activity, stability, and kinetc properties of enzymes immobilized on clay minerals and organomineral complexes; Influence of site conditions and heavy metals on enzyme activities of forest topsoils; Aluminum toxicity: a major stress for microbes in the environment; Biological response to contamination with pentachlorophenol and mercuric chloride in a high organic matter soil; Ecology of 2,4-D degradation in three palouse silt loam soils.

The Working Group M.O. (Interactions of soil minerals with organic components and microorganisms) (WGMO) of the International Soil Science Society (ISSS) was founded in 1990 at the 14th World Congress of Soil Science (Kyoto, Japan), with Professor P.M. Huang being the Chairman. Since then, the Working Group M.O. has served as a forum to bring together soil chemists, soil mineralogists, soil microbiologists, soil biochemists, soil physi cists and environmental, ecological, and health scientists. The objective of the Working Group M.O. is to promote research, teaching, and also the exchange of technology concerning the knowledge and the impact of the interactions between minerals-organics and microorganisms on environmental quality, agricultural sustainability, and ecosystem "health". This group is first a scientific group as defined just previously, but it also intends to develop exchange and transfer between scientists and engineers. The first International Meeting organized by Professor P. M. Huang, was held in Edmonton, Canada, in August 1992, where 87 papers were presented by scientists from 20 countries. Following this meeting, a two volume book was edited by P. M. Huang, J. Berthelin, J.-M. Bollag, W. B. McGill, and A. L. Page, entitled "Environmental impact of soil component interaction" : Volume I "Natural and anthropogenic organic-volume II "Metals, other inorganic and microbial activities", and published by c.R.C. Lewis Pub lishers (1995).

Soil Mineral-Organic Matter-Microorganism Interactions and Ecosystem Health presents up-to-date information on the dynamics, transformations and bioavailability of xenobiotics in soil and their impact on ecosystem health, the ecological significance of interactions of metals and metalloids with soil colloids, enzymes and microbial biomass and the role of minerals-organic matter - soil biota interactions in the restoration of perturbed ecosystems. The title comprises two volumes: Volume A: Dynamics, Mobility and Transformation of Pollutants and Nutrients. Volume B: Ecological Significance of the Interactions mong Clay Minerals, Organic Matter and Soil Biota. This title could serve as a basic reference for students, teachers, and researchers by providing in-depth knowledge of the current state of the art in a particular area of soil science.

623435-28b.gif Volume B covers the ecological significance of the interactions among clay minerals, organic matter and soil biota. Soil is a dynamic system in which soil minerals constantly interact with organic matter and microorganisms. Close association among abiotic and biotic entities governs several chemical and biogeochemical processes and affects bioavailability, speciation, toxicity, transformations and transport of xenobiotics and organics in soil environments. This book elaborates critical research and an integrated view on basic aspects of mineral weathering reactions; formation and surface reactivity of soil minerals with respect to nutrients and environmental pollutants; dynamics and transformation of metals, metalloids, and natural and anthropogenic organics; effects of soil colloids on microorganisms and immobilization and activity of enzymes, and metabolic processes, growth and ecology of microbes. It offers up-to-date information on the impact of such a processes on soil development, agricultural production, environmental protection, and ecosystem integrity.