A little-known technique allows small amounts of gold to be extracted from certain plants through an environmentally friendly mining process. The idea that a plant can produce gold seems like something out of a fairy tale. However, behind this almost magical idea lies a real scientific field known as phytomining. A group of researchers has discovered that some plant species do not produce gold, but have the incredible ability to absorb it from the soil and concentrate it in their tissues, paving the way for a new type of environmentally friendly mineral extraction.
How to extract gold from a plant?
The process is based on a natural principle. It all starts with soils that already contain gold particles, often in concentrations so low that extraction by traditional methods is impractical and economically unviable. This is where the biology of some plants becomes an innovative solution for the extraction of this precious metal, which would otherwise be lost. Scientist Chris Anderson, a key figure in this field, has demonstrated that plants such as eucalyptus and Indian mustard are particularly effective at this task.
To facilitate the process, scientists introduce a chemical agent into the soil that dissolves the gold particles, making them assimilable by plant roots. The dissolved gold is then absorbed along with water and other nutrients. Once inside the plant’s organism, it acts as a kind of biological pump. The gold moves through the vascular system and accumulates in the form of nanoparticles, mainly in the leaves and stems. The plant is not damaged in this process; it simply stores the metal throughout its life cycle as a natural bioaccumulator.
Contrary to the idea of harvesting gold nuggets directly from the branches, the last step requires an industrial process. Once the plants have accumulated a significant amount of metal, they are harvested and then burned. The resulting ashes contain concentrated gold, which must then be separated and purified using traditional metallurgical methods to obtain pure gold.
Advantages of phytomining
Phytomining is a technique that requires very specific conditions: soil with gold content, the use of chemicals for its dissolution, and infrastructure for large-scale collection and burning. Its true value lies in its potential as a more sustainable and less invasive alternative to open-pit mining. The biggest advantage of this method is its environmental impact. It can be used to extract precious metals from contaminated land or mining industry waste, contributing to the clean-up of the environment while also bringing economic benefits.
In addition to gold, the ability of other plants to accumulate platinum, palladium and other rare metals is being investigated, which could change the way strategic resources are extracted. So, while there is no magic plant that creates gold out of thin air, science has found a way to use nature to extract it from the ground. Phytomining is a promising bridge between botany and metallurgy, a technology that opens up more ecological and sustainable prospects for the future of the mining industry.
