Assessment of water quality from the Blue Lagoon of El Cobre mine in Santiago de Cuba: a preliminary study for water reuse.

The creation of pit lakes is usually an acceptable solution from the landscaping point of view for voids left by discontinued open-pit mines. However, without rehabilitation, these voids represent a potential environmental risk. The aim of the present work was to assess, for the first time, the water quality, i.

Impact of organic pollutants on metal and As uptake by helophyte species and consequences for constructed wetlands design and management.

Various industrial processes and anthropogenic activities in urban areas induce a release of metals, metalloids and organic pollutants. Phytoremediation of co-contaminated waters in constructed wetlands is a promising solution for reducing the impact on natural environments. In order to improve the design and management of constructed wetlands, more knowledge is needed concerning the effect of organic pollutants on plant metal and metalloid uptake.

Selection of wild macrophytes for use in constructed wetlands for phytoremediation of contaminant mixtures.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) offer an alternative to traditional industrial wastewater treatment systems that has been proved to be efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Most of the time, CWs are planted with proliferative species such as Phragmites australis or with plants originating from nurseries, both representing a risk for the natural biodiversity conservation of aquatic ecosystems located downstream of the CWs. For the removal of metals and organic pollutant mixtures present in industrial effluents, it is necessary to select tolerant plant species that are able to produce a high aboveground biomass and to develop a healthy belowground system.