Abstract

Heavy metal pollution is a latent problem, and even more so because of the expansion of mining industrialization in recent years. As Peru is a country from which a great variety of minerals are extracted, the problem has increased, and with it the sustainable search to restore the different environmental components affected, one of these is the physico-chemical alterations caused by the dumping of mining effluents into water bodies, causing serious damage to aquatic ecosystems. The present study aims to investigate and determine the percentage of removal of heavy metals found in the Chacote River, located in the Chongos Alto District, Huancayo Province and Junín Region. The analysis was carried out at the laboratory level with samples collected from the river, and those with higher concentrations (arsenic, copper, chromium, lead, and zinc), the induction of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris was used as a method of bioadsorption of heavy metals for a period of 15 days at different applied doses (D1, D2, D3) and specific treatments for each. The final results showed to be an effective technique for removing heavy metals at higher concentrations, obtaining that Dose 3 achieving greater removal of heavy metals: Zinc at 97.07%, Arsenic at 62.49%, Lead at 65.70%, Copper at 61.64%, and finally Chromium with 43.81%. These findings play a key role for mitigating the environmental impacts caused by heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, further research is recommended to evaluate and expand current knowledge regarding the potential of microalgae as a bioremediation mechanism.