Potential of phytomining for the sustainable recovery of Ni and other critical elements from abandoned mine wastes

Abstract

Phytomining is an environmentally-friendly green technology for obtaining industrially relevant trace elements from natural metal-enriched soils or metal-contaminated soils or wastes. In mine-affected soils, this technique could provide a secondary source of Ni while at the same time contributing towards soil remediation. A three-year field study was conducted in a serpentine quarry in Galicia evaluating the performance of different Ni hyperaccumulating plant species and its optimisation using soil amendments and bioaugmentation. Secondly, bioprospecting activities were conducted in two abandoned mine areas in the NW Spain to study the plant-bacteria-soil system in soils enriched in critical or strategic elements with the view of develop phytomining techniques for the recovery of these valuable elements.