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Phytomining

In this article, we will explore the impact of Phytomining on different aspects of society. From its emergence to the present, Phytomining has played a fundamental role in the way we interact, communicate and understand the world around us. Throughout history, Phytomining has been the subject of debate and analysis, and its influence has been felt in fields as diverse as politics, technology, the arts, and popular culture. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we will closely examine how Phytomining has shaped our experiences and perspectives, and what implications it has for the future.

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Phytoremediation through phytoextraction by a hyperaccumulator; zinc and copper are moved from the soil to the leaves of the plant

Phytomining, sometimes called agromining,[1] is the concept of extracting heavy metals from the soil using plants.[2] Unlike Phytoremediation, where extraction is used for cleaning up environmental pollutants, phytomining is for the purpose of gathering the metals for economic use.[3]

Phytoming exploits the existence of hyperaccumulator plants which naturally have proteins or compounds that bind with certain metal ions. Once the hyperaccumulation happens, the final metal, or bio-ore, needs to be refined from the plant matter.[4] A 2021 review concluded that the commercial viability of phytomining was "limited"[1] because it is a slow and inefficient process.

History

Phytomining was first proposed in 1983 by Rufus Chaney, a USDA agronomist.[5] He and Alan Baker, a University of Melbourne professor, first tested it in 1996.[5] They, as well as Jay Scott Angle and Yin-Ming Li, filed a patent on the process in 1995 which expired in 2015.[6]

Advantages

Phytomining would, in principle, cause minimal environmental effects compared to mining.[2] Phytomining could also remove low-grade heavy metals from mine waste.[4]

Commercialization

Several startups are using the process for mining surface-available heavy metals. In 2025, Genomines received 45 million dollars of Series A funding to commercialize nickel phytomining from mine tailings. [7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Dang, P.; Li, C. (2022-12-01). "A mini-review of phytomining". International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 19 (12): 12825–12838. Bibcode:2022JEST...1912825D. doi:10.1007/s13762-021-03807-z. ISSN 1735-2630.
  2. ^ a b Brooks, Robert R; Chambers, Michael F; Nicks, Larry J; Robinson, Brett H (1998-09-01). "Phytomining". Trends in Plant Science. 3 (9): 359–362. Bibcode:1998TPS.....3..359B. doi:10.1016/S1360-1385(98)01283-7. ISSN 1360-1385.
  3. ^ Linacre, J. Scott Angle and Nicholas A. (2005). Ecological Risks of Novel Environmental Crop Technologies Using Phytoremediation as an Example. Intl Food Policy Res Inst.
  4. ^ a b "Leaders of the energy transition are calling for a sustainable source of critical metals – is phytomining the answer?". smi.uq.edu.au. 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  5. ^ a b Morse, Ian (2020-02-26). "Down on the Farm That Harvests Metal From Plants". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  6. ^ US5711784A, Chaney, Rufus L.; Angle, Jay Scott & Baker, Alan J. M. et al., "Method for phytomining of nickel, cobalt and other metals from soil", issued 1998-01-27 
  7. ^ Peters, Adele (2025-09-19). "This startup grows plants instead of digging mines to extract a critical mineral". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
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