2019-08-20T07:18:42Z https://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/request
oai:digital.csic.es:10261/46256 2016-08-19T09:23:42Z com_10261_15 com_10261_6 col_10261_268
Trace element and nutrient accumulation in sunflower plants twoyears after the Aznalcóllar mine spill Madejón, Paula Murillo Carpio, José Manuel Marañón, Teodoro Cabrera, Francisco Soriano, Mª Auxiliadora Junta de Andalucía Guadiamar river Heavy metals Helianthus annuus Pyrite tailings 19 pages, 3 figures, 5 tables, 36 references. The failure of a tailing pond dam at the Aznalco´ llar pyrite mine (SW Spain) in April 1998 released a toxic spill affecting approximately 4300 ha along the Agrio and Guadiamar valleys.T wo years later, we have studied yield and concentration of mineral nutrients and trace elements in sunflower plants grown in the spill-affected soil, and in an adjacent unaffected soil as comparison.The study has been carried out in plants at seedling (V4) and mature (R8) stages.Shoot and root biomass of sunflower seedlings was significantly smaller in the affected soil than in the unaffected soil, but there was no significant difference at the mature stage.Oil production was greater in the spillaffected plants.W e have not detected any ‘fertilising’ effect caused by the acid waters of the spill on the main nutrient (N, P and Ca) acquisition, as documented in 1998 for sunflower plants flooded by the spill.Sunflower plants growing in the spill-affected soil reached adequate levels of nutrients.None of the trace elements measured—As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Tl—reached levels either phytotoxic or toxic for humans or animals in seeds and the above-ground part of the spill-affected plants.W e evaluate the potential use of sunflower plants for phytoremediation. The potential for phytoextraction is very low; however, it may be used for soil conservation.The production of oil (usable for industrial purposes) may add some value to this crop. This study was carried out in the framework of the ‘Programa de Investigación del Corredor Verde (PICOVER)’, supported with funds of the ‘Consejería de Medio Ambiente’ of the Regional Government (Junta de Andalucía), Spain. Peer reviewed 2012-02-27T11:02:09Z 2012-02-27T11:02:09Z 2003-05 Artículo The Science of the Total Environment 307(1-3): 239-257 (2003) 0048-9697 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/46256 10.1016/S0048-9697Ž02.00609-5 eng http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697Ž02.00609-5 openAccess Elsevier