2026 Erik Smolders: Plant Science and Agronomy Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Chemistry	77	4083	3712	55	54	377	19026
Plant Science and Agronomy	78	473	436	6	6	380	18950

Research.com Recognitions

2026 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Belgium Leader Award
2025 - Research.com Chemistry in Belgium Leader Award
2025 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Belgium Leader Award
2022 - Research.com Chemistry in Belgium Leader Award

Overview

Erik Smolders is affiliated with KU Leuven in Belgium and has contributed extensively to the fields of Environmental Science and Agricultural and Biological Sciences, with a particular focus on subfields such as Plant Science, Environmental Chemistry, Pollution, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, and Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis.

Their research covers a range of topics including:

Heavy metals in environment
Phosphorus and nutrient management
Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
Radioactive element chemistry and processing
Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
Radioactivity and Radon Measurements
Radioactive contamination and transfer

Smolders has published recent papers in notable journals such as:

"Mitigating the level of cadmium in cacao products: Reviewing the transfer of cadmium from soil to chocolate bar" (2021) in The Science of The Total Environment
"Metal mining and birth defects: a case-control study in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo" (2020) in The Lancet Planetary Health
"A functional-structural model of upland rice root systems reveals the importance of laterals and growing root tips for phosphate uptake from wet and dry soils" (2020) in Annals of Botany
"Trace element concentrations in mineral phosphate fertilizers used in Europe: A balanced survey" (2020) in The Science of The Total Environment
"Re-evaluation of the existing health-based guidance values for copper and exposure assessment from all sources" (2023) in EFSA Journal

The frequent co-authors who have collaborated with Smolders include:

Mieke Verbeeck
Claudia Moens
Hester Blommaert
Eduardo Chávez
Maarten Everaert

Their work has been published predominantly in the following venues:

The Science of The Total Environment
SSRN Electronic Journal
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
European Journal of Soil Science
Geoderma

Best Publications

Plant uptake of radiocaesium: a review of mechanisms, regulation and application.

Y G Zhu;E Smolders

564
Citations
Inputs of trace elements in agricultural soils via phosphate fertilizers in European countries

Generose Nziguheba;Erik Smolders

536
Citations
Sustainability of artisanal mining of cobalt in DR Congo.

Célestin Banza Lubaba Nkulu;Lidia Casas;Vincent Haufroid;Thierry De Putter

460
Citations
Toxicity of trace metals in soil as affected by soil type and aging after contamination: using calibrated bioavailability models to set ecological soil standards.

Erik Smolders;Koen Oorts;Patrick Van Sprang;Ilse Schoeters

455
Citations
Partitioning of metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in soils: concepts, methodologies, prediction and applications ― a review

Fien Degryse;Erik Smolders;D.R Parker

443
Citations
Nitrogen availability influences phosphorus removal in microalgae-based wastewater treatment.

Annelies Beuckels;Erik Smolders;Koenraad Muylaert

387
Citations
Acute toxicity and prothrombotic effects of quantum dots: impact of surface charge.

Jorina Geys;Abderrahim Nemmar;Erik Verbeken;Erik Smolders

371
Citations
The Red Mud Accident in Ajka (Hungary): Plant Toxicity and Trace Metal Bioavailability in Red Mud Contaminated Soil

Stefan Ruyters;Jelle Mertens;Elvira Vassilieva;Boris Dehandschutter

359
Citations
Fate and Effect of Zinc from Tire Debris in Soil

Erik Smolders;Fien Degryse

332
Citations
Biodegradation: Updating the Concepts of Control for Microbial Cleanup in Contaminated Aquifers

Rainer U. Meckenstock;Martin Elsner;Christian Griebler;Tillmann Lueders

319
Citations
Metal complexation properties of freshwater dissolved organic matter are explained by its aromaticity and by anthropogenic ligands.

Stijn Baken;Fien Degryse;Liesbeth Verheyen;Roel Merckx

281
Citations
Predicting availability of mineral elements to plants with the DGT technique: a review of experimental data and interpretation by modelling

Fien Degryse;Erik Smolders;Hao Zhang;William Davison

279
Citations
Concentrations of 137Cs and K in Soil Solution Predict the Plant Availability of 137Cs in Soils

Erik Smolders;Karen Van den Brande;Roel Merckx

265
Citations
Chloride increases cadmium uptake in Swiss chard in a resin-buffered nutrient solution

Erik Smolders;M.J. McLaughlin

241
Citations
Soil properties affecting toxicity of zinc to soil microbial properties in laboratory-spiked and field-contaminated soils.

Erik Smolders;Jurgen Buekers;Ian Oliver;Mike J. McLaughlin

232
Citations
Phosphate-Exchanged Mg–Al Layered Double Hydroxides: A New Slow Release Phosphate Fertilizer

Maarten Everaert;Ruben Warrinnier;Stijn Baken;Jon-Petter Gustafsson

219
Citations
Kinetics of Zn Release in Soils and Prediction of Zn Concentration in Plants Using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films

Hao Zhang;Enzo Lombi;Erik Smolders;Steve McGrath

218
Citations
Terrestrial biotic ligand model. 2. Application to Ni and Cu toxicities to plants, invertebrates, and microbes in soil.

Sagar Thakali;Herbert E. Allen;Dominic M. Di Toro;Alexander A. Ponizovsky

218
Citations
Future trends in soil cadmium concentration under current cadmium fluxes to European agricultural soils

Leen Six;Erik Smolders

212
Citations
Labile Cd complexes increase Cd availability to plants.

Fien Degryse;Erik Smolders;Roel Merckx

207
Citations
Effect of soil solution chloride on cadmium availability to Swiss chard

Erik Smolders;R.M. Lambregts;M.J. McLaughlin;K.G. Tiller

202
Citations
Bacteria, not archaea, restore nitrification in a zinc-contaminated soil.

Jelle Mertens;Kris Broos;Kris Broos;Steven A Wakelin;George A Kowalchuk

187
Citations
Cadmium fixation in soils measured by isotopic dilution

Erik Smolders;K. Brans;A. Földi;Roel Merckx

184
Citations