Vol. 36 (2026): Volumen 36
Artículos de Investigación

Phytoremediation of mine tailings with Helianthus annuus assisted by consortia of plant growth-promoting bacteria

José Carlos Mendoza Hernández
BUAP

Published 2026-03-11

How to Cite

Ortiz Pacheco, P., Mendoza Hernández, J. C., Vázquez Contreras, M. F., Santamaría Juárez, J. D., & Juárez Meneses, M. (2026). Phytoremediation of mine tailings with Helianthus annuus assisted by consortia of plant growth-promoting bacteria. Acta Universitaria, 36, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2026.4352

Abstract

Mining is crucial to Mexico's economy but has a significant environmental impact. To mitigate this impact, biotechnological techniques such as bacterial-assisted phytoremediation are employed. This study evaluated phytoremediation using Helianthus annuus with two consortia of plant growth-promoting bacteria. The first consortium, consisting of Enterobacter K131, Klebsiella Mc 173, and Enterobacter N9 showed higher bioaccumulation of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe), and better lead (Pb) translocation. In contrast, the second consortium, composed of Serratia K120, Enterobacter N9, and Enterobacter K131, exhibited lower bioaccumulation across all analyzed elements. These results suggest that the first consortium is more effective in accumulating toxic elements such as arsenic (As), iron, and aluminum, while the second is more suitable for the phytostabilization of heavy metals, making it useful for the bioremediation of mining waste.

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