Philippine E-Journals

Environmental Biomonitoring of Terrestrial Ecosystems in the Philippines: A Critical Assessment and Evaluation

JULIE S. BERAME | MELET B. MARIANO | JENNIFER P. LASCANO | Lalaine G. Sariana | MA. LOURDES MACASINAG | ZEBA F. ALAM

 

Abstract:

Environmental, biological monitoring becomes an important approach to assess the extent of environmental pollution in the current status of the ecosystem’s quality. Hence, this review paper aims to identify the most suitable biomarkers for environmental biomonitoring and determine the different bioremediation approaches. This different bioremediation approaches in the terrestrial ecosystem across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao need to be developed and promulgated. As found in the review, heavy metals like mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, and nickel are among the reported pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems including agricultural pesticides that contribute to soil pollution. Through pollutants assessment in the terrestrial ecosystem, bioindicators to human hair, lichens, and biomarker in chromosomal damage indicate genotoxicity at the chromosomal level. This apparent occurrence in environmental pollutants is associated with the degradation of environmental quality affecting biological species in the terrestrial ecosystem that requires remediation approaches to restore the air and soil quality. These phytoremediation approaches have shown evidence in the studies conducted in the Philippines’ mine tailings to identify potential tropical are phytoremediators for phytoremediation. Furthermore, immobilization techniques, soil washing, and phytostabilization approach are applicable in the country. Finally, the available literature on environmental biomonitoring of the terrestrial ecosystems in the Philippines, which focused more on biomonitoring studies and bioassessments, is still a pressing need.