Bioindicadores de la calidad del sueloherramienta metodológica para la evaluación de la eficacia de un proceso fitorremediador
- Alcorta Calvo, Itziar
- Epelde Sierra, Lur
- Becerril Soto, José María
- Garbisu Crespo, Carlos
ISSN: 1697-2473
Year of publication: 2007
Volume: 16
Issue: 2
Type: Article
More publications in: Ecosistemas: Revista científica y técnica de ecología y medio ambiente
Abstract
Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants and their associated microorganisms to depollute soils, air, sediments and waters. This phytotechnology is based on the capacity of some plant species to tolerate, absorb, accumulate and degrade pollutants. The ultimate goal of a phytoremediation process must be not only to remove the contaminant from the polluted soil but to restore soil quality, i.e. its capacity to function sustainably. Biological indicators of soil quality, especially those related to the biomass, activity and biodiversity of soil microbial communities, have great potential as monitoring tools for the assessment of the efficiency of a phytoremediation process. These bioindicators are particularly useful for the assessment of the effect of metal phytoextraction processes on soil quality.