Heavy metals, arsenic and phosphorous dynamic in the soil-water-plant system in wetlands polluted by metal mine wastes: experiments about the effect of calcium carbonate and the hydromophic conditions

Project
National
Public Funding
Funding

MINISTERIO DE EDUCACIÓN Y CIENCIA. DIRECCIÓN GENERAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN OF SPAIN

Duration

01/10/2007 to 30/09/2011

Project Manager
Dr. José Álvarez Rogel
Staff
Dr. José Álvarez Rogel
Dr. María Nazaret González Alcaraz
Dr. María José Delgado Iniesta
Dr. Antonio María Cervantes
Consuelo Egea Nicolás
Vicente Muñoz Martínez
Partnership Entities

Universidad Politécnia de Cartagena y Universidad de Murcia

General Objectives

To study biogeochemical processes related to the mobilization-immobilization of heavy metals and phosphorus in the soil-water-plant system of wetlands contaminated by mining waste, in order to asses the risk of release of harmful substances, and to test the effect of liming on these processes of mobilization-immobilization, as well as on soil microbiology and plant growth.

Summary

According to the research priorities within the actual Spanish National Programmes, a detailed study about the soil-water-plant interactions in areas with high biodiversity is proposed. The research will be developed in two salt-marshes located in the coastal area of the Mar Menor (SE Spain). These sites are characterised by soils polluted by metal mine wastes and by eutrophicated water flowing across them. Several recent studies have showed that these marshes act as green filters, due to that they retain phosphorous from eutrophicated water and polluted mine wastes coming from nearby mining areas. As a consequence, these systems can be considered as chemical bombs of time, due to that the pollutants retained could be liberated and lead to environmental hazards. Hence, it is necessary to know the biogeochemical processes governing pollutant dynamics in order to implement the best management practices. Based in the previous considerations, the main objectives of the project are, in summary: - to establish if lime amendments can be a management practice to improve chemical, physicalchemical and biological properties in wetlands polluted by metal mine wastes and to determine their effectiveness for plant growth. - to study in detail the biogeochemical processes implied on Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cd y As and phosphorous solubility in relation to flooding and the presence of plant rhizosphere. - to obtain a first data set about the re-vegetation and restoration of salt marshes highly polluted by heavy metals.

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Project Results

PAPERS

González-Alcaraz, M.N., Conesa, H.M., Álvarez-Rogel, J. 2013. Phytomanagement of strongly acidic, saline eutrophic wetlands polluted by mine wastes: the influence of liming and Sarcocornia fruticosa on metals mobility. Chemosphere 90:2512-2519.

González-Alcaraz, M.N., Conesa, H.M., Álvarez-Rogel, J. 2013. When liming and revegetation contribute to the mobilization of metals: learning lessons for the phytomanagement of metal-polluted wetlands. J Environ Manag 116:72-80.

González-Alcaraz, M.N., Álvarez-Rogel, J. 2013. Liming and vegetation favor Fe-mobilization in eutrophic wetland soils affected by mine wastes. Ecol Eng 53:183-193.

Gonzalez-Alcaraz, M.N., Conesa, H.M., Tercero, M.C., Schulin, R., Álvarez-Rogel, J., Egea, C. 2011. The combined used of liming and Sarcocornia fruticosa development for phytomanagement of salt marsh soils polluted by mine wastes. J Hazard Mater. 186: 805-81.

González-Alcaraz, MN; Egea, C.; María-Cervantes, A.; Jiménez-Cárceles, FJ; Álvarez-Rogel, J. 2011. Effects of eutrophic water flooding on nitrate concentrations in mine wastes. Ecological Engineering ISSN: 0925-8574. 37: 693-702

PhD Thesis

Título: Dynamics of nitrogen, phosphorus and metals in eutrophic wetlands affected by mine wastes. Effects of liming on plant growth and metals mobility. Doctorando: María Nazaret González Alcaraz. Directores: José Álvarez Rogel y Héctor MIguel Conesa Alcaraz. Universidad:  Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Facultad / Escuela:  ETSIA. Fecha: 21/09/2012.

CONGRESESS

Wetlands and salt marshes: similarities and differences. Invited talk First meeting Cost Action FA0901. 2010. Álvarez-Rogel, J. and M.N. González Alcaraz

Degradación ambiental en el Saladar de Lo Poyo: qué sabemos y cómo podríamos actuar. Invited talk I Jornada sobre Restauración de Espacios Degradados en la Región de Murcia, organizada por la Dirección General de Patrimonio Natural y Biodiversidad de la Región de Murcia. M Nazaret González Alcaraz y J Álvarez Rogel

Procesos edáficos en saladares eutrofizados y contaminados por residuos mineros en el SE de España: Una síntesis de diez años de trabajo. Invited talk Seminario sobre geoquímica y mineralogía de manglares y humedales organizado por SECS-CSIC. Madrid, Sept. 2010. M. N. Nazaret González-Alcaraz y J. Álvarez-Rogel

Primeros datos sobre los efectos de la adición de carbonato cálcico sobre el crecimiento de plantas halófitas en residuos mineros. Comunicación al congreso XXVII Reunión nacional de Suelos, SECS 09. Huesca. 2009. J Álvarez-Rogel, M N. González Alcaraz,  M C Tercero Gómez, C Egea Nicolás.

Efecto de la adición de carbonato cálcico sobre el desarrollo de especies halófitas en residuos mineros. Comunicación al XVIII Congreso Latinoamericano de la Ciencia del Suelo. San José de Costa Rica. 2009. M.N. González Alcaraz, M.C. Tercero, C. Egea, H.M. Conesa y J. Alvarez Rogel.

Contribución del sistema suelo-planta a la retención de N y P del agua en un carrizal de la Marina del Carmolí (Mar Menor, Murcia, SE de España). Comunicación al XVIII Congreso Latinoamericano de la Ciencia del Suelo. San José de Costa Rica. 2009. C. Egea, I. Párraga, F.J. Jiménez-Cárceles, M. Nazaret González-Alcaraz y J. Alvarez-Rogel.

Effects of flooding with eutrophicated water on the evolution of nitrate concentrations in carbonated and non-carbonated mine wastes with and without vegetation. Comunicación al 3rd Symposium on Wetland Pollutant Dynamics and Control, WETPOL 2009. Barcelona. M.N. González Alcaraz, A. María-Cervantes, C. Egea, F.J. Jiménez-Cárceles, J. Álvarez Rogel.

Changes in pH/Eh and Fe mobilization in polluted wetland soils under variations of the water-table: effects of liming and Sarcocornia fruticosa growth. Comunicación ORAL al Joint Meeting of Society of Wetland Scientists, Wetpol and Biogeochemistry Symposium. Praga, Julio 2011. González-Alcaraz, M.N., Álvarez-Rogel, J.

Influence of plant rhizosphere in the dynamic of soluble metals in a wetland soil polluted by mine wastes flooded for 3 months                Comunicación al Joint Meeting of Society of Wetland Scientists, Wetpol and Biogeochemistry Symposium. Praga, Julio 2011. Álvarez-Rogel, J., María-Cervantes, A., González-Alcaraz, M.N., Conesa-Alcaraz, H.M.

Condiciones físico-químicas y dinámica del Fe en residuos mineros sometidos a variaciones del nivel freático: ensayos en perfiles simulados con diferentes tratamientos de suelo y planta. IV Congreso Ibérico de la Ciencia del Suelo. Granada, septiembre 2010. J. Alvarez-Rogel, M.N. González-Alcaraz y C. Egea.

Efecto de las enmiendas calizas en la acumulación y translocación de metales pesados por el halófito Sarcocornia fruticosa. IV Congreso Ibérico de la Ciencia del Suelo. Granada, septiembre 2010. González-Alcaraz, M.N., Tercero Gómez, M.C., Conesa Alcaraz, H.M., Álvarez-Rogel, J., Egea Nicolás, C.

Sarcocornia fruticosa development in mine wastes amended with calcium carbonate. Comunicación presentada en el First meeting Cost Action FA0901. 2010. MN González Alcaraz; M C Tercero; C. Egea; HM Conesa and J. Álvarez Rogel

OTHERS

Un "filtro verde" y residuos de mármol para fijar el suelo. Difusión de los resultados del proyecto a través de los medios de comunicación: Agencia EFE. BIODIVERSIDAD Y AGUA. ESPAÑA | 28.06.2011 | 11:20 MEDIOAMBIENTE-CIENCIA

http://www.efeverde.com/contenidos/noticias/un-filtro-verde-y-residuos-de-marmol-para-fijar-el-suelo.