phytomining; Extraction of heavy metals by plants
Phytomining is a new environmental technology that uses plants to absorb and store heavy metals such as copper from soil or mineral tailings.
The headquarters for the development of advanced materials and manufacturing technologies, this headquarters, which was established in February 2014 with the aim of organizing and helping to improve the state of production, commercialization, development of technology and infrastructure related to this field, in the vice president of science, technology and knowledge-based economy,Now it deals with the direction, development and support of priority technologies and so far dozens of technology development projects from various laboratory to semi-industrial levels have been supported by the headquarters and the results of many of these projects have been commercialized in the form of creating knowledge-based and technological companies, and some are in the process of being absorbed. capital or entering the international market.
In its latest report, this headquarters has addressed the issue of phytomining and investigating whether plants can be used to extract copper from mine tailings.
Phytomining is a new environmental technology that uses plants to absorb and store heavy metals such as copper from soil or mineral tailings. This green solution is especially useful for areas where the content of metals in the soil is low and extraction using conventional methods is not economical, or for rehabilitating lands contaminated with heavy metals.
Phytomining is an environmental technology that uses plants to extract valuable metals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, gold and even lead from the soil. This process is based on the ability of certain plants to absorb heavy metals from the soil and store them in their tissues.
Principles and mechanism of phytomining
Phytomining works based on the use of plants that are called hyperaccumulators. They have the ability to absorb large amounts of heavy metals from the soil. These plants absorb metals such as copper from the soil through their roots and store them in their tissues. After sufficient growth, these plants are harvested and burned or otherwise processed as part of the mining process to recover the extracted copper.These plants can absorb heavy metals such as copper, nickel, zinc and even gold from the soil and store them in their leaves,stems and roots.
Phytomining process is generally divided into three stages, first; Absorption of metals by plants that hyperaccumulating plants absorb metals from the soil through their roots. These plants have the ability to absorb high concentrations of metals and store them in plant tissues(especially leaves and stems).
Second; The growth and accumulation of metals after the plant absorbs the metal from the soil, these metals accumulate in the plant. Plants absorb metals during the growing season and store them over time.
third; Harvesting and Processing Once the plants have accumulated enough metals, they are harvested and typically burned. The ash left after burning plants is rich in heavy metals. This ash is then purified using chemical or electrochemical methods to extract metals.
Phytomining implementation steps
Choosing the right plant; Certain plants that have the ability to absorb heavy metals from the soil are known as hyperaccumulators. Each metal may be well absorbed by certain plant species. For example: for extracting nickel, species of plants from the Brassicaceae family are suitable. For extracting copper, some species of ferns and brassicas have the ability to absorb it.
land preparation and planting; Contaminated lands or those with low metal content should be prepared according to soil conditions and plant needs. Accumulating plants are planted in these lands and begin to grow and absorb metals from the soil.
growth process and monitoring; Plants must grow in optimal conditions to be able to absorb more metals. This stage may last several seasons and depends on the type of plant and the amount of metal in the soil.
harvesting and processing plants; When the plants have absorbed a significant amount of metal, they are harvested. These plants are often burned and the remaining ash, which contains a high concentration of metals, is collected. The metal is then extracted from the ash by chemical or physical processes such as sublimation or electrolysis.
extraction and refining of metals; After collecting the ash, a purification process is carried out to separate the metals. Treatment methods may include dissolving the ash in acid and then separating the metals from the solution.
hyperaccumulating plants; They play a key role in the phytomining process. These plants naturally have the ability to absorb large amounts of heavy metals that are harmful to other plants.
Advantages and disadvantages of phytomining
One of the advantages is that they are environmentally friendly. Phytomining does not directly harm the environment and uses plants instead of heavy drilling or using dangerous chemicals.
Rehabilitating contaminated lands is the second advantage that, in addition to extracting valuable metals, phytomining helps clean soils contaminated with heavy metals and improves soil quality and restores the environment.
Suitability for low quality soils is the third advantage of this method. In areas where the soil has small amounts of metal and traditional extraction is not economical, phytomining can be an efficient solution.
Income generating capacity is also the fourth advantage of this technology and in lands that have no other use, phytomining can be used to produce metals and generate income.
The time-consuming process that the absorption of metal by plants may take years and depends on the speed of plant growth and the amount of metal in the soil is one of the first disadvantages of phytomining, and the low efficiency compared to conventional extraction methods is also considered as another disadvantage.
Phytomining applications
Extraction of metals in low-grade soils: Phytomining is particularly cost-effective in soils with low metal content, as conventional extraction is not economical in these areas.
Restoration of contaminated land: In areas where soils are contaminated with heavy metals due to industrial or mining activities, phytomining can help reduce pollution.
Recycling of metals from mineral tailings: this method can be used to extract the remaining metals in mineral tailings that cannot be recovered conventionally.
Reducing the environmental effects of mining: the use of phytomining can help reduce environmental degradation and improve the sustainability of mineral resources.
The future of phytomining
Phytomining is being developed as a new method in the extraction of metals, and with scientific advances in the field of plant genetics and biotechnology, there is a possibility of improving its efficiency. Scientists are researching genetic modification of plants to improve their ability to absorb metals.
In addition, this technology could be adopted as a sustainable and economical alternative to mining globally in the near future due to its lower energy requirements and lower costs than traditional mining methods.
sourse/madan24
Monday ۲۱st of October ۲۰۲۴ 35
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