ThrowForward Thursday 145: Phytomining (extracting minerals and metals from plants)

All plants extract minerals and nutrients from the soil they're growing in, but some appear to be able to extract metals as well, or at least metal ions that we can in turn extract from the plants. If we can do this at scale, we can use phytomining to get the metals we need to build the batteries we use to power our lives.

Here are some links to experiments underway on phytomining, and the promise of what this might bring in the future:

https://thebulletin.org/2024/03/the-greenest-way-to-mine-metals-for-batteries-could-be-with-plants/

https://resoilfoundation.org/en/innovation-technology/tropical-plants-contaminated-soils/

https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/metal-guzzling-plants-harvested-to-make-nanomaterials/2500240.article

All plants extract minerals and nutrients from the soil they're growing in, but some appear to be able to extract metals as well, or at least metal ions that we can in turn extract from the plants. If we can do this at scale, we can use phytomining to get the metals we need to build the batteries we use to power our lives.

Here are some links to experiments underway on phytomining, and the promise of what this might bring in the future:

https://thebulletin.org/2024/03/the-greenest-way-to-mine-metals-for-batteries-could-be-with-plants/

https://resoilfoundation.org/en/innovation-technology/tropical-plants-contaminated-soils/

https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/metal-guzzling-plants-harvested-to-make-nanomaterials/2500240.article