MESQUITE, PINE SAWDUST, AND ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI: A STRATEGY FOR CYANIDE PHYTOREMEDIATION

<p><strong>Background</strong>: Heavy metals and cyanide compounds are common pollutants derived from mining activities. Cyanide can transform into hydrogen cyanide, a highly toxic substance for humans, and inhibits the growth of plants and microorganisms. If mining areas used as waste repositories remain without vegetation, pollutants remain exposed and can spread to other areas through wind or water. There is limited information on solutions that use plants and microorganisms to remediate cyanide-contaminated sites. <strong>Objective</strong>: To propose a strategy to adapt <em>Prosopis </em>sp<em>.</em> (mesquite) in a mining waste contaminated with 155 mg kg<sup>-1</sup> of cyanide, using pine sawdust and an inoculant of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). <strong>Methodology</strong>: An experiment was conducted using 50 mL polypropylene tubes with the following treatments: mining waste (MT) and mining waste with 20% sawdust (MTS) as controls, along with the same treatments inoculated with mycorrhizae (MT-AMF and MTS-AMF). The experiment lasted for 60 days. pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and the number of bacteria in the substrate were measured, as well as the dry weight of the plants and the presence of mycorrhizal colonization.<strong> Results</strong>: Treatments that included pine sawdust and AMF showed healthy plants, decreased pH (from 7.82 to 7.15), reduced EC (from 6.25 to 4.71 mS cm<sup>-1</sup>), and significantly increased the number of bacteria.<strong> Implications</strong>: The combination of pine sawdust and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may facilitate the adaptation of <em>Prosopis </em>sp<em>.</em> in cyanide-contaminated mining soils, suggesting its potential as a bioremediation strategy. <strong>Conclusion</strong>: Pine sawdust and AMF can aid in adapting <em>Prosopis </em>sp<em>.</em> and represent a promising alternative for the recovery of cyanide-contaminated areas.</p>