Soil is one of Earth’s most vital natural resources and plays a significant role in combating and mitigating climate change. At Unisa, Professor Veronica Ngole-Jeme’s research highlights the complex relationship between soil and the movement of pollutants throughout the environment.

Her work at the Department of Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences reveals how different human activities influence the levels of various pollutants and the factors that determine their behaviour in the environment.

Her research – focused on environmental soil science, environmental quality monitoring and assessment, and modelling human health risks linked to exposure to environmental pollutants – has enabled her to make significant contributions to the global body of knowledge.

Drive to research soil science

“My interest in soil is grounded in the fact that there is a close interaction between soil and both surface and groundwater resources, although most people focus on water quality. Anything that affects the quality of soils affects the quality of these water resources,” Ngole-Jeme explains.

She adds that while soils are commonly associated with agriculture or sometimes viewed simply as an engineering material, their role in influencing the behaviour and movement of environmental pollutants is often overlooked. Hence, this is the aspect of soil science she aims to shed light on.

Going further, Ngole-Jeme’s research has examined the availability and bioaccessibility of heavy metals in soils, their uptake by plants in contaminated environments, and the resulting human health risks across multiple pathways in mining-impacted areas.

She also examined how bushfires influence the movement of heavy metals in soil and assessed the effectiveness of organic amendments in stabilising these metals in fire-affected and high-temperature soils. Her impactful work led to her being recognised among the top 2% of scientists worldwide in 2023.

Prestigious accolade for research excellence

In December 2025, Ngole-Jeme received the Unisa Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research. The award recognises her studies on how heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons interact in soils along both shaded and unshaded streets, as well as her research into interactions between heavy metals and pesticides in agricultural soils.

“It is a wonderful feeling to be acknowledged for the contribution that your research is making to improve the quality of life for the present and future generations,” she says.

Ngole-Jeme continues: “Considering the size of Unisa and the excellent work that its researchers are doing, I feel highly honoured to be recognised and acknowledged through this award because it is evidence that I am making a contribution to the growth of knowledge in my field through the publications that emanate from the research, building capacity through supervision of students, and putting Unisa out there globally through these contributions.”

She adds that the award encourages and motivates her to continue her work and to explore her research further.

While soil is widely recognised as an important natural resource, Ngole-Jeme notes that its properties and characteristics are equally important to understand in a range of contexts, including landfill environments, landslide events, agriculture, cosmetics and even geophagia (the eating of soil), as she continues her research journey in environmental sciences.

* By Mpho Moloele, PR and Communications, Department of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation