Phytomining
Phytomining
Extracting metals from soil through hyperaccumulator plants
Phytomining, sometimes called agromining,[1] is the concept of extracting heavy metals from the soil using plants.[2] Specifically, phytomining is for the purpose of economic gain.[3] The approach exploits the existence of hyperaccumulators, proteins or compounds secreted by plants to bind certain metal ions. These extracted ores are called bio-ores.[4] The approach has little practical value ("its commercial viability is limited"[1]) because it is slow and inefficient.