Phytostabilization of Lead-Polluted Sites by Native Plants

The Cartagena–La Union Mining District in southeast Spain is an example of a lead-polluted site that exhibits a wide range of environmental problems. Risks associated with the high concentrations of heavy metals present, especially lead, and their large affected surface areas make such sites excellent candidates for phytostabilization. However, for the Cartagena–La Union Mining District, there were several factors, including the chemical and physical properties of the soil and the warm, semiarid climate, that made revegetation a very difficult task.