ANÁLISIS DEL CICLO DE VIDA DE LA FITORREMEDIACIÓN EN VERTEDEROS INDUSTRIALES

Abstract

Industries are one of the main residues generators. Most of these residues have big amounts of complex contaminants as heavy metals. To date, the majority of the actions carried out in landfills were limited to dump and seal non-usable materials, generating lixiviates that must be normally treated during decades after its closure. Recently, new methods have been developed based in the capability that some live elements have of acquire certain materials, specifically metals. Like that, plants eliminate contaminants of soil accumulating them in their parts. However, in a global point of view, it is possible that this sorption cause a bigger problem due to the fact that chop and prune residues, leaves, etc., of these kind of plants are residues with a bigger concentration of contaminants that the own residue. That is, it is necessary to evaluate globally the life cycle of these plants, establishing plantations shifts, care and withdrawal operations and the processes to carry out with the residues coming from each one of these phases. Specifically in this communication it is assessed the utilization of herbaceous for acquire heavy metals in steel slag, evaluating the real sustainability of the system. Keywords: life cycle assessment; phytoremediation; recovery of degraded areas; industrial wastes