World Soil Day 2026

Soil, often overlooked, is one of nature's most incredible assets. A single handful contains more microorganisms than there are humans on Earth. This diverse ecosystem under our feet supports life in myriad ways, from growing the food we eat to acting as a natural filtration system. World Soil Day, observed every December 5th, is a global call to recognize the indispensable role of soil in our lives and the urgent need to protect it.

The Indispensable Role of Soil

This chapter focuses on various nanomaterials including metal-based nanomaterials, metal oxide nanomaterials, biochar-supported nanomaterials, and their potential applications in removal of heavy metals from wastewater.

This book chapter advances SDGs 15 and 11 by reviewing the anthropogenic activities worldwide that have caused ecological degradation resulting in the need to mitigate damage to essential ecosystem services in rural and urban areas.

The pollution of the marine environment by solid wastes, either directly introduced into the sea or discharged into the oceans from rivers or pipelines, is considered from the perspective of both their impacts and their regulation. The waste materials covered include dredged material, particulate wastes from sand/gravel extraction, and land reclamation, and industrial wastes including mining wastes, munitions, and plastics/litter.

World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources for a food-secure future. In support of this year's theme - 'Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity' - Elsevier presents a curated, open access collection of over 60 journal articles to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy soil ecosystems.

Explore in-depth analysis on microplastic pollution in soil, its ecological risks, and innovative analytical methods for managing this emerging challenge.