AN OVERVIEW OF PHYTOMINING: A METAL EXTRACTION PROCESS FROM PLANT SPECIES

Metals are extracted from the hyper accumulated plant species having high biomass through the process of Phytomining. The phytomining process is a most liable, cheap and easy method to extract minerals from the soil. Many plant species works as hyper-accumulators which can accumulate a large number of minerals in it and helps to extract those minerals from the smelting process. Many plant species can accumulate a large amount of Nickel in it and does not even cause any damage to the plant as well. Berkheya coddii is one of the highest mineral accumulating plant species which favours in the accumulation of Nickel in it. This paper aims to do an overview of phytomining which shows the extraction of metals like Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Gold (Au). Advantages and disadvantages of this process are also discussed. These metals are important in human day to day life because of the increase in commercialization, industrialization process. Phytomining process is environmentally friendly which results an increasing demand for minerals now-a-days and further encourages to develop a preferred Phytomining process.