A specific database concerning the number of sites suitable for phytoremediation, i.e., those sites that contain contaminants
in moderate concentrations in near-surface groundwater or in shallow soils, is not available in Portugal and field application
of phytoremediation is practically nonexistent. However, there are some projects that have used this remediation technology
and suggest its possible benefits concerning environmental pollution. For example, in a former gold mine a small-scale field
trial has been carried out since 1998 to test a variety of inexpensive mineral amendments for the in situ inactivation of trace metals on the fine-grained spoils, allowing a better restoration of the vegetation cover.
Phytoremediation will have more success if appropriate stress-adapted plants are associated with efficient microbial isolates
that can tolerate pollution. Additional research is needed if technologies based on the combined action of plants and the
microbial communities they support within the rhizosphere are to be adopted in large-scale remediation actions.
Key Words Phytoremediation – heavy metals – mycorrhizae – mine spoil – constructed wetlands