GOOD NEWS! - Phytomining: plants are mining metal from soil

What sound like fake news is actually true. Two scientist had an revolutionary idea: plants which are mining metal. And it works. But why is Phytomining still unknown to most of us?!

No matter if it´s copper, nickel, zinc, lead or cadmium: these heavy metals can be transported by some plants from their roots up to their leaves. This way soil resources can me mined which otherwise would be very hard to get to.

In a glasshouse in Bochum, Germany, grows a plant which could help solving some of the biggest problems of humanity: environmental pollution, scarcity of raw materials, malnourishment, and even poverty and destruction of the rainforest could be fought with it.

Northern rock-cress is the name of this very special plant. It belongs to the group of hyperaccumulators. It´s not a pretty one, like a rose - but it can do something special. Its roots extract the metal from the soil at a much higher rate, transfer it more quickly to their shoots, and store large amounts of the metals in leaves and roots - compared to other non-hyperaccumulator plants.

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Why it´s not widely used in the mining industry is a mystery. Probably it´s about money, patent and the question: what does it need for a revolutionary idea to become accepted?

Two scientists named Alan Baker and Rufus Chaney developed a method where the plants being full of metal can be turned into money. A special culture of hyperaccumulators which can be harvested very easily. After burning it one can find lots or ore in the ashes, which can than be turned into metal.

The patent isn´t new. In fact it´s more than 20 years old. But the patent holder "Viridian Environmental" a Texan investment company has forbidden commercial use.

If we´ll see change in the companie´s policy and therefore see change in how we mine heavy metals only time can tell!