Bioaccumulation of Cr by the Buddleja Species and Schinus molle L. Grown with and Without Compost in a Sandy Soil Contaminated by Leather Industrial Effluents

This research aimed to assess the bioaccumulation capacity of the <i>Buddleja</i> species and <i>Schinus molle</i> L. using organic amendments to the phytoremediation of total chromium in the mid-zone of the Añashuayco Ravine, Uchumayo, Arequipa, impacted by tanneries from the Rio Seco Industrial Park. Additionally, it analyzed total chromium concentrations, soil physicochemical properties, and morphological changes in plants with and without organic matter. Samples of the <i>Buddleja</i> species and <i>Schinus molle</i> L. were distributed into groups with and without compost, along with control groups. They were monitored over 6 months, every 60 days, showing significant morphological variations. The results highlight an important finding: the remarkable bioaccumulation capacity of the species studied all exceeded 30%. The samples without compost showed a lower percentage of total chromium bioaccumulation in plants compared to the samples with the organic amendment. The <i>Buddleja</i> species demonstrated a 39.01% chromium bioaccumulation with compost compared to 37.99% without it. Likewise, <i>Schinus molle</i> L. achieved 33.99% chromium accumulation with compost and 31.84% without it. These findings emphasize the superior ability of these species to bioaccumulate heavy metals, highlighting that the <i>Buddleja</i> species has mayor bioaccumulation capacity and more remotion of total chromium in the soil.