CC BY 4.0TapiaY SalazarO SeguelO Suazo-HernándezJ Urdiales-FloresD AponteH UrdialesURDIALES FLORES CRISTIAN GERARDO2025-06-052025-06-052024https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12740/22628Copper mining drives economic growth, with the global demand expected to reach 120 million metric tons annually by 2050. However, mining produces tailings containing heavy metals (HMs), which poses environmental risks. This study investigated the efficacy of phytoremediation (Phy) combined with electrokinetic treatment (EKT) to increase metal uptake in Carpobrotus aequilaterus grown in tailings from the Metropolitan Region of Chile. The plants were exposed to varying voltages and treatment durations. In the control (no EKT), the root metal contents were Fe (1008.41 mg/kg) > Cu (176.38 mg/kg) > Mn (103.73 mg/kg) > Zn (30.26 mg/kg), whereas in the shoots, the order was Mn (48.69 mg/kg) > Cu (21.14 mg/kg) > Zn (17.67 mg/kg) > Fe (27.32 mg/kg). The optimal EKT (15 V for 8 h) significantly increased metal uptake, with roots accumulating Fe (5997.24 mg kg(-1)) > Mn (672 mg kg(-1)) > Cu (547.68 mg kg(-1)) > Zn (90.99 mg kg(-1)), whereas shoots contained Fe (1717.95 mg kg(-1)) > Mn (930 mg kg(-1)) > Cu (219.47 mg kg(-1)) > Zn (58.48 mg kg(-1)). Although EKT enhanced plant growth and biomass, higher voltages stressed the plants. Longer treatments were more effective, suggesting that EK-Phy is a promising method for remediating metal-contaminated tailings. C1 [Tapia, Yasna; Salazar, Osvaldo; Seguel, Oscar] Univ Chile, Fac Ciencias Agron, Dept Ingn & Suelos, Santiago 11315, Chile. [Suazo-Hernandez, Jonathan] Univ La Frontera, Ctr Plant Soil Interact & Nat Resources Biotechnol, Sci & Biotechnol Bioresource Nucl BIOREN UFRO, Ave Francisco Salazar, 01145, Temuco, Chile. [Urdiales-Flores, Diego] Univ Lausanne, Inst Earth Surface Dynam, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. [Aponte, Humberto] Univ OHiggins, Inst Agrifood Anim & Environm Sci ICA3, Lab Soil Microbial Ecol & Biogeochem, San Fernando 3070000, Chile. [Aponte, Humberto] Univ OHiggins, Ctr Syst Biol Crop Protect BioSaV, San Fernando 3070000, Chile. [Urdiales, Cristian] Univ Atacama, Sede Vallenar, Ave Costanera 105, Vallenar 1612178, Chile. C3 Universidad de Chile; Universidad de La Frontera; University of Lausanne; Universidad de O'Higgins; Universidad de O'Higgins; Universidad de Atacamainfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessenvironmental remediationremediation efficiencyelectrochemical treatmenthyperaccumulator plantsMediterranean climate-typesEnvironmental Sciences & Ecology; ToxicologyArticulo de revista10.3390/toxics12120860