Mobility, Bioavailability, and Toxicity of Vanadium Regulated by Physicochemical and Biological Properties of the Soil

Abstract

Abstract Metal pollution of the environment remains a very important topic for scientific discussion. Vanadium (V) is one of the toxic elements with the most extensive distribution in nature. Despite the vast use of V in heavy industries, its presence in the environment can be harmful to living organisms. Soil can be polluted by V released from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The high mobility of V from soil to plants directly affects humans. The current review provides an overview of the impact of certain soil biological–chemical properties on the bioavailability, mobility, and toxicity of V. Although some aspects are well documented, such as pH, Eh, or SOM, there are points that need to be analyzed and described in greater detail. An important aspect that requires further investigation is the effect of vanadium on microorganisms and, more precisely, on the soil processes they carry out. It can be assumed that, analogically to other heavy metals (e.g., Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd), it can impair certain reactions (methanotrophy, methanogenesis), which can have a negative impact on the environment. So far, there are no studies referring to this subject in the soil environment.