Mendonça, Amarilis de Varennes eGuiwei, Qu2010-11-172010-11-172009http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/2512Doutoramento em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaThis thesis focuses on the use of insoluble hydrophilic polyacrylate polymers and compost from mixed municipal solid waste to remediate long-term metal-contaminated soils. Polymers improved plant growth and soil health in a Cd-contaminated soil and in a mine soil. This resulted from microcosms formed by polymers throughout contaminated soil where roots and microorganisms could proliferate. A polymer from diapers lead to similar growth of a native plant as a polyacrylate polymer with Na+ Transport of polymers in soil columns was small, suggesting that the risk of groundwater contamination with polymers is negligible. , but shredded diapers performed less well, presumably because of the plastic and fibrous materials present. Dactylis glomerata L. led to the greatest activites of several enzymes in compost-amended mine soil compared with Erica australis L., which impaired dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase activities. The greatest improvements in the mine soil were obtained with polymer plus compost, but acid phosphatase was mainly enhanced by polymer and dehydrogenase by compost. The greatest biomass of native species was obtained in soil receiving both amendments, but species responded differently to treatment, suggesting that botanical composition could change over time.engpolyacrylate polymercompostcontaminated soilheavy metalsphytostabilizationpolímeros de poliacrilatocompostosolos contaminadosmetais pesadosfitoestabilizaçãodoctoral thesis