Phytomining: how to mine a tree

By 2022-04-25T08:59:00

An illustration of scientists working with plants that extract metal ores from the ground

Source: © Sam Vanallemeersch/Kolchoz via Debut Art

Useful metals can be extracted from contaminated soil using plants

If you drew a picture depicting mining, what would it look like? People holding pickaxes and wearing dirty overalls and hard hats in a dark tunnel? What about a field of plants? But maybe you should have since scientists around the globe are currently working on making the idea of using plants to mine metals a reality. Rare plants, called hyperaccumulators, absorb metal compounds from the soil and scientists are working on ways to extract the metals from the plant biomass on a commercially viable scale.

This article is accompanied by a set of differentiated classroom resources including a sequencing activity, interactive cloze and a storyboard template, suitable for classroom use with 14–16 learners, studying for GCSEs, Junior Cert or National 5.

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