Evaluación de riesgos para la salud humana y riesgos ecológicos por la presencia de contaminantes elementales y radiactivos en suelos y plantas autóctonas alrededor de la zona industrial de Puchuncaví-Ventanas, Chile

Nuestro trabajo se ha centrado en la optimización y validación experimental de estrategias para la evaluación de riesgos ecológicos y riesgos para la salud humana, derivados de la exposición a contaminantes ambientales, específicamente elementos traza y radioisótopos, presentes en suelos y plantas autóctonas como resultado de la deposición de emisiones atmosféricas desde diferentes fuentes, especialmente desde fuentes industriales. La mayor parte de la tesis se dedica a la investigación de riesgos ambientales en la comuna de Puchuncaví (región de Valparaíso, Chile), fuertemente impactada por emisiones industriales desde los años sesenta del siglo XX, pero se ha estudiado también la presencia de isótopos de uranio y plutonio en lugares seleccionados del hemisferio sur.Our work has been focused on optimization and experimental validation of strategies for human health and ecological risk assessment derived from exposition to environmental pollutants, specifically trace elements and radioisotopes, occurring in soils and native plants as the result of deposition of atmospheric emissions from different sources, especially of industrial origin. Most of the thesis is devoted to the investigation of environmental risks at the Puchuncaví area (Valparaíso Region, Chile), heavily impacted by industrial emissions from the beginning of the 1960s (industrial complex of Puchuncaví-Ventanas), but we have also studied the presence of natural radiation and of uranium and plutonium radioisotopes in selected southern hemisphere locations

Trace Element Levels in Native Plant Species around the Industrial Site of Puchuncaví-Ventanas (Central Chile): Evaluation of the Phytoremediation Potential

The present work investigates the uptake of selected trace elements (Cu, Sb, As, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cr, Mn, Ni, V, and Co) from soil and their accumulation in the biomass samples (leaves and flowers) of three selected native plants (namely Oenothera picensis, OP; Sphaeralcea velutina, SV; and Argemone subfusiformis, AS) around an industrial area (Puchuncaví-Ventanas) located in the Puchuncaví valley, in the central region of Chile. Primary emission sources in the area come from a copper refinery, coal-fired power plants, and a set of 14 other different industrial facilities. Trace element measurements in the native plants of this area and the ability to transfer of these pollutants from soil to plants (transfer factor) have been assessed in order to identify the potential use of these plant species for phytoremediation. Preliminary results showed a high concentration of trace elements in the OP, SV, and AS samples. The concentration of these elements in the plants was found to be inversely correlated to the distance of the primary emission sources. Moreover, the high concentrations of trace elements such as Cu, As, Cr and V, upon the toxic limits in the native plant species, suggest the need for continuous monitoring of the region. The OP species was identified as the plant with the highest capacity for trace elements accumulation, which also showed higher accumulation potential in whole aerial parts than in leaves. Transfer factor values suggested that these native plants had phytoremediation potential for the elements Cu, Pb, As, Ni, and Cr. This study provides preliminary baseline information on the trace element compositions of important native plants and soil in the Puchuncaví-Ventanas area for phytoremediation purposes