Introduction Setting of the Scene, Definitions and Guide to Volume

This introduction aims to establish the context of this volume by framing the complexities of soil remediation and outlining the subsequent volume parts and their specific focuses. The volume starts with two critical and complementary reviews of legal, policy, and economic aspects of soil pollution, taking Europe as a regional example. The first chapter provides a comprehensive soil pollution framework, while the second one examines the specificities of industrial soils. The second part in this volume examines, in a case-by-case basis for each of five chapters, remediation solutions for soils contaminated by, respectively, agriculture, urban settings, mining, military activities, and oil industry. A connection is made for each pollution source, representative pollutants, and remediation options. A detailed analysis of the state-of-the-art in nature-based solutions is performed in Part 3, which is composed by other 5 chapters that account for possible bottlenecks in bioremediation, phytoremediation and soil amendment, incorporating sustainability aspects and low-carbon approaches. The last part of this volume covers, in 2 chapters, the physicochemical processes employed in soil remediation, stressing the importance of holistic approaches integrating physical, chemical, and biological techniques, and the alignment with green and sustainable remediation principles. We conclude, in a final editorial chapter, with the lessons learnt from this journey and identify the knowledge gaps for future exploration and advancement in soil remediation.