Recuperación y rehabilitación de suelos contaminados con elementos traza mediante la aplicación de enmiendas y el establecimiento de una cubierta vegetal natural o de una planta de crecimiento rápido (Paulownia fortunei)

Resum

In the present Thesis two experiments of assisted natural remediation of soils contaminated with trace elements were carried out, one under field conditions and another in outdoor containers (semi-field conditions). The main objectives of both experiments were: 1) to study effect of amendments on the chemical and biochemical properties of contaminated soils with trace elements; 2) to evaluate the effect of the amendments on the changes of the trace elements bioavailable concentrations in middle and long terms; 3) to study the effect of the amendments on the growth of spontaneous vegetation; 4) to evaluate the effect of the amendments on the development of a fastgrowing species (Paulownia foutunei) and on the quantity and quality of its biomass; 5) to study the effect of the amendments on the trace elements translocation to plant shoot. The results show that the combined use of P. fortunei and the aplication of organic amendments to trace elements contaminated soils could be a feasible strategy for the remediation of areas contaminated with trace elements under Mediterranean climate, thus promoting their economic valuation