Metallicolous Plants Associated to Amendments and Selected Bacterial Consortia, to Stabilize Highly Polymetallic Contaminated Mine Deposits

Metal(loid) contaminated soils are a big issue worldwide due to their negative effects on the environment and human health. Phytoremediation, using plants and their associated microorganisms, can reduce the toxic impacts of these soils on the environment and human health. The success of phytoremediation will depend on the plant species. Metallicolous ecotypes are good candidates due to their tolerance towards the pollutants present in the soil. Moreover, microorganisms, and especially bacteria, can influence phytoremediation by affecting plant growth and pollutant mobility and bioavailability. Finally, due to the extreme soil conditions, amendments are often required to improve soil fertility (compost, manure) and reduce pollutant mobility (biochar, red mud). This chapter will show the potential of various metallicolous plant species found on metal(loid) polluted sites, which were associated with amendments and/or bacterial consortia, isolated from the soil and selected based on their tolerance towards particular metal(loid)s, for the stabilization of mine deposits.