EUBCE 2024 - Ana Luisa FERNANDO - Opportunities And Risks Associated With The Production Of Crambe Oil When Cultivated In Soils Contaminated With Heavy Metals

Opportunities And Risks Associated With The Production Of Crambe Oil When Cultivated In Soils Contaminated With Heavy Metals

Short Introductive summary

In this context, this work aims to assess the potential of crambe (Crambe abyssinica) for the production of oil for the bioeconomy along with the phytoremediation of heavy metals contaminated soils. Therefore, Crambe abyssinica were sowed in different soils artificially contaminated with Zn: Pb: Cd: or Ni: . This work was carried out in pots, under semi-controlled conditions, with the duration of two vegetative cycles. Over the two growing cycles, yields of Crambe abyssinica were on average 160 g/m2 and the crop presented high tolerance index to the different heavy metal contaminated soils ( 0.75). Yet, the oil content in the seed was slightly affected by the level of contamination in the soil. The reduction in the yields due to contamination, increases the production cost of the vegetable oil, which might compromise its industrial application. Yet, the introduction of a vegetative cover to the contaminated soil, improves the soil quality, namely in terms of organic matter, structure, and contaminants phytostabilization. Socially, it contributes to restore the soil ecosystem function and services, thus reducing human and environment exposure to pollutants.

M. Abias, Universidade Católica de Moçambique, Pemba, MOZAMBIQUE
J. Costa, ISEC LISBOA, Lisboa, PORTUGAL
A.L. Fernando, Universidade Nova de Lisboa - Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, PORTUGAL