A Comprehensive Review on Ecological Buffer Zone for Pollutants Removal

Abstract

The issue of agricultural non-point source pollution has attracted global attention. A buffer zone is an effective, eco-friendly, and economically feasible remediation ecosystem to reduce the impact of agricultural non-point source pollution on water bodies. They can effectively remove pollutants in agricultural drainage through physical processes (infiltration, filtration, deposition, etc.), plant absorption and assimilation, and microbial processes, improving the water quality of water bodies. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current studies on using buffer zones to remediate agricultural non-point source pollution, with a focus on the key affecting factors for pollutant removal efficiencies. The main factors included buffer zone width, vegetation type, slope, seasonal variation, soil variation, and vegetation density. The influencing mechanisms of these factors on the pollutant removal efficiencies of buffer zones were also discussed. This review can serve as a reference for a deep understanding of buffer zones and help optimize their design and management in real ecological remediation projects.