sustainability Article Implications of the Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contamination of Soils and Wild Plants in the Industrial Area of Haina, Dominican Republic Agripina Ramírez 1, Gregorio García 2,* , Olaf Werner 3 , José Navarro-Pedreño 4,* and Rosa M. Ros 3 1 Instituto de Innovación en Biotecnología e Industria, Santo Domingo, Calle Oloff Palme esquina Nuñez de Cáceres, Urb. San Gerónimo, 10135 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;
[email protected] 2 Departamento de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, ETSIA, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain 3 Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
[email protected] (O.W.);
[email protected] (R.M.R.) 4 Departamento de Agroquímica y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Avd. de la Universidad s/n, 03202 Elche, Spain * Correspondence:
[email protected] (G.G.);
[email protected] (J.N.-P.); Tel.: +34-968-325755 (G.G.) Abstract: The study evaluates pollution by Pb, Zn, and Cr, and a possible sustainable solution through phytoremediation technologies, in the surroundings of Haina, a very polluted area of the Dominican Republic. Soils and plants were analyzed at 11 sampling points. After sample processing, the elemental composition was analyzed by ICP-OES. Soil metal concentrations, contaminating factors, pollution load indexes, and the Nemerow pollution index were assessed. Soil metal concentrations showed Pb > Zn > Cr, resulting in very strong Pb pollution and medium-impact Zn pollution, with Citation: Ramírez, A.; García, G.; an anthropogenic origin in some sites. This means that some agricultural and residential restrictions Werner, O.; Navarro-Pedreño, J.; Ros, must be applied.