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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium
Published on: December 17, 2018
Heavy metals concentration in plants growing on mine tailings in Central Mexico
M O Franco-Hernández1, M S Vásquez-Murrieta, A Patiño-Siciliano
1Department of Chemistry, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Biotecnología-IPN (UPIBI), Av. Acueducto, Barrio la Laguna Ticoman, CP 07340, DF México City, Mexico.
Abstract:
Metal concentrations were measured in plants growing on heavily contaminated tailings from a mine active since about 1800 in San Luis Potosí (Mexico). Viguiera dentata (Cav.) Spreng., Parthenium bipinnatifidum (Ort.) Rollins, Flaveria angustifolia (Cav.) Pers., F. trinervia (Spreng.) C. Mohr. and Sporobolusindicus (L.) R. Br. were tolerant to high As, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations. Of those, S.indicus excluded heavy metals from its shoots, while P. bipinnatifidum and F. angustifolia accumulated them. V. dentata and P. bipinnatifidum were accumulators of As, but not hyperaccumulators. It was found that V. dentata,P. bipinnatifidum, F. angustifolia, F. trinervia and S.indicus, could be used to vegetate soils contaminated with As, Cu, Pb and Zn. Ambrosiaartemisifolia could be used to remediate soils contaminated with Zn, S. amplexicaulis those with Cu and F. angustifolia and F. trinervia those with As, as they have a strong capacity to accumulate those metals.
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