Use of Genus Cistus in Phytotechnologies: Application in a Closed Mercury Mine

Araceli Pérez-Sanz, Rocío Millán (), María José Sierra, Thomas Schmid and Gregorio García ()
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Araceli Pérez-Sanz: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Food Science, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain
Rocío Millán: CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
María José Sierra: CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Thomas Schmid: CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Gregorio García: Agronomical Engineering Department, Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT), 30203 Cartagena, Spain

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: The Almadén mining district is known to be one of the richest mercury areas in the world. Despite the high concentrations of this metal, this territory has well-established vegetation that provides a wide range of mercury-tolerant plants that can be used as ecosystem services. This is the case of some species of Cistus that grow wild and spontaneously as part of the natural flora of Almadén. The objective of this study was to evaluate if there were differences between the absorption and distribution of Hg of five species of the genus Cistus in spontaneous growth and to evaluate their potential application in phytotechnologies. The work has been carried out with plant samples collected under field conditions in the “Fuente del Jardinillo” located in the old mining area of Almadén (Ciudad Real). The experimental plot was divided into three previously characterised subplots to ensure that all the sampled plants had grown in similar soil conditions (pH, organic matter content, EC, CEC, total Hg and available Hg). Additionally, the experiment was carried out in triplicate. The results showed that despite the homogeneity of the soil, the absorption of Hg in the aerial part of the plants showed significant differences related to Cistus species. The values in the bioaccumulation of mercury in the aerial part were also different. Based on the uptake of mercury by the plants sampled in this study, its potential use in phytotechnologies was established, classifying them as phytoextractors ( Cistus albidus , C. ladanifer and C. monspeliensis ) and phytostabilisers ( C. crispus and C. salviifolius ).

Keywords: phytoremediation; soil pollution; ecosystem services; Almadén; mercury; intragenus; Cistus (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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