phytomining

 Phytomining is the use of plants to extract valuable metals from the soil. The plants take up the metals through their roots, and the metals can then be harvested from the plant tissue. This process is an alternative to traditional mining methods, and can be used to extract metals from low-grade ores or from soils contaminated with metals.

Research into phytomining has focused on a variety of different plant species, including hyperaccumulator plants which have been identified to have the ability to extract high levels of metals from the soil. Some examples of these plants include:

Alyssum murale which extract nickel from soil

Sedum alfredii which extract zinc and cadmium

Thlaspi caerulescens which extract zinc, cadmium, nickel and lead

Phytomining has been shown to be effective in laboratory studies and some pilot scale projects, but there is still ongoing research to improve the process and make it more cost-effective on a larger scale. One of the challenges with phytomining is that the process can be slow, and the plants may not be able to extract enough metal to make it economically viable.

Despite this, phytomining has a lot of potential as a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to extract metals. It can be used to clean up contaminated soils, and can also be integrated into sustainable land-use practices such as agroforestry. Additionally, as the demand for metals continues to increase, phytomining has the potential to become a valuable source of metals in the future, especially as the traditional mining resources are depleted