Guangzhou: Chinese scientists have announced a groundbreaking discovery in which they successfully extracted rare earth minerals from a living plant, a development that could pave the way for more environmentally sustainable metal extraction methods. Researchers believe this could be the first instance of such an achievement, offering a potential shift towards greener mining practices.
According to Anadolu Agency, the study was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology and involved collaborative efforts from researchers at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry in China and Virginia Tech in the United States. The research team collected samples from hyperaccumulator plants, which are known for their ability to store high levels of metals, along with soil samples from their surroundings. Through this analysis, scientists discovered nanoscale monazite-a phosphate mineral usually formed under extreme conditions-present within the plants. Notably, the highest concentration of monazite was found in the pinna of the plant, followed by the root system and leaf stalk.
The researchers noted that these hyperaccumulator plants can concentrate heavy metals and metalloids at levels significantly higher than those found in the surrounding soil. This discovery underlines the potential of phytomining-a process that employs plants to extract valuable metals from soil. The researchers suggested cultivating these plants on metal-rich lands and subsequently harvesting rare earth elements from the plant material.
The study's authors highlighted the dual benefits of this approach, stating, "By planting hyperaccumulator plants, high-value rare earths can be recovered from the plants while remediating polluted soil and restoring the ecology of rare earth tailings, thus realizing a green circular model of 'remediation and recycling at the same time.'" Furthermore, the extracted monazite holds potential applications in various fields, including coatings, lasers, luminophores, diffusion barriers, ionic conductors, and radioactive waste management.