When talking of a typical mineral mine, people will probably think it's underground. It's unlikely that the picture of plants and soft greenery would cross their minds. Now, new explorations into phytomining may change that viewpoint. Instead of traditionally mining metals like nickel, iron or cobalt from rocks, phytomining uses plants as an alternative source (来源) for these minerals. Using plants to extract (提取) metals can have significant environmental benefits over rock mining.
Phytomining was first studied in 1983, but it hasn't yet been adopted by the metals industry. In 2004, Indonesian soil scientist Aiyen Tjoa from Tadulako University in Central Sulawesithe took her research to Sorowako, a small town in Indonesia with one of the largest nickel mining areas, to look into plants that continued to live after years of mining. She brought samples back to her lab and found that these super plants were more than just surviving—they were growing.
The plants were absorbing and storing nickel from the soil. Large quantities of metals kill most plants, but these, known as hyperaccumulators, were learning to adapt. If these plants were storing metals, that meant that science could find a way to extract the minerals for use and quite frankly, scientists easily did. When the shoots are harvested and burnt, the metals are separated from the plant material in the ashes.
Tjoa returned to Sorowako and spent years searching for new hyperaccumulator species. After a plant is considered a possibility, there's a simple test paper that turns pink when placed against the leaf of a hyperaccumulator plant. Two local Indonesian plants, sarcotheca celebica and knema matanensis, were found but there are many others still to be validated.
Tjoa's research caught the attention of Satria Bijasksana, a professor of rock magnetism. Together, they designed an experiment to understand magnetic susceptibility (磁化率) when plants accumulate more nickel. Their research led to the discovery of two new species of hyperaccumulators. Besides, this research serves as the basis for the potential that plants can give to the mining industry, offering great advantages to our ecosystem and towards building a more sustainable (可持续的) future.
【小题1】Why did Aiyen Tjoa go to Sorowako in 2004?A.To work with the local government. | B.To study the plants surviving mining. |
C.To improve the soil in the small town. | D.To research into underground mining. |
A.They are rich in metals. | B.They are free of minerals. |
C.They are very easy to discover. | D.They are too fragile to survive. |
A.monitored | B.preserved |
C.confirmed | D.adapted |
A.A New Creative Mining Way Meets Challenges |
B.Many Plants Can Act as Sources of Many Metals |
C.Now Scientists Can Extract Minerals from Plants |
D.Phytomining Will Take the Place of Traditional Mining |