Tolerancia y acumulación de metales pesados y As en diferentes especies de Cistus L.

In this study the tolerance of five species of Cistus on the presence of heavy metals in two polluted soils of the Sierra Minera de La Union were analysed. The results indicated that the soil 1 provoked a high toxicity in Cistus species due to its high content of heavy metals and salinity. The soil 2 contained lower concentrations of total metal that soil 1 and an acidic pH and therefore, the mineral elements were more soluble and available in the soil. The results indicated that Cistus plants could be used for the recovery of contaminated soils since these plants accumulated high concentrations of metals. However, due to their slow growth, it is necessary to design new strategies which allow their use in phytostabilization processes.