RT journal article
T1 Native Hyperaccumulator Plants with Differential Phytoremediation Potential in an Artisanal Gold Mine of the Ecuadorian Amazon
A1 Chamba-Eras, Irene
A1 Griffith, Daniel M.
A1 Kalinhoff, Carolina
A1 Ramírez, Jorge
A1 Gázquez González, Manuel Jesús
A2 Física Aplicada
K1 phytoremediation
K1 heavy metals
K1 Erato polymnioides
K1 Miconia sp.
K1 bioaccumulation and translocation factors
AB In tropical forests of southern Ecuador, artisanal gold mining releases heavy metals that become xenobiotic with indefinite circulation and eventual bioaccumulation. Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded mining sites represent a major ecological, technological and economic issue. In this study, we estimate the capacity of two native woody plants to accumulate cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and mercury (Hg), with the goal of developing effective strategies for phytoremediation of mining sites. Individuals of Erato polymnioides and Miconia sp., as well as their rhizospheric soils, were sampled from a natural zone (NZ) of montane cloud forest, used as a control, and a polluted zone (PZ) subjected to active gold mining. Concentrations of the four heavy metals were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Cd, Zn and Hg concentrations were higher in soils of PZ than NZ. Bioaccumulation (BCF) and translocation factors (TF) showed that Miconia sp. has potential for Cd and Zn phytostabilization, E. polymnioides has potential for Cd and Zn phytoextraction, and both species have potential for Hg phytoextraction. Despite the low productivity of these species, their adaptability to the edaphoclimatic conditions of the region and the possibility of using amendments to increase their biomass could compensate for the effectiveness of these species in reclaiming soils contaminated by mining.
PB MDPI
SN 2223-7747
YR 2022
FD 2022-05
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/27110
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/27110
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 13-nov-2026