Cropping hyperaccumulator plants on nickel-rich soils and wastes for the green synthesis of pure nickel compounds
Abstract
Serpentine soils are characterised by very high metal concentrations, especially nickel, chromium and cobalt, but also by low fertility. They cover large parts of the Mediterranean and the Balkan area and are mostly not used for agricultural production. Metal (hyper)accumulating plants could, however, be used to extracting and recovering metals (mostly nickel) from such soils. This technology is called phytomining and has already been demonstrated in pilot field experiments in the USA and in Albania, where it has been shown that more than 100 kg Ni ha-1 can be recovered in one year. Despite their poor value (lack of K, P and Ca and excess Mg) and the risks due to metal concentrations (i.e. Co, Cr, Ni) that ultramafic soils may cause to human health and adjacent ecosystems, this land cover can produce diverse services that are essential to human wellbeing, such as the regulation of soil and water quality, carbon sequestration, support for biodiversity and a broad range of cultural services. Moreover, good management of ultramafic landscapes and the introduction of phytomining crops can provide additional market services, e.g. nickel recovery, production of biomass for energy purposes (biofuel), etc. On serpentine soils in Austria (Lower Austria, Burgenland), a field experiment will be set up, where different plant species will be compared for biomass production and Ni accumulation. Various options (e.g. fertilisation, inoculation with beneficial microbes, intercropping with legumes, etc.) will be tested for their effectiveness to increase the phytomining efficiency. Effects on soil quality, soil metal bioavailability and local biodiversity will be assessed as well. The harvested biomass will be delivered to partners for metal recovery. Finally, AGROMINE will provide a first large-scale assessment on the feasibility of phytomining in Europe and thus contribute to the establishment of a novel agricultural technique and a novel approach of green metal mining.
keywords Phytomining heavy metals Phytoextraction serpentine soils soil quality
Publikationen
Project staff
Markus Puschenreiter
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Markus Puschenreiter
markus.puschenreiter@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91143, 91163
BOKU Project Leader
01.07.2016 - 30.06.2021
Christina Hipfinger
Dr. Christina Hipfinger
christina.hipfinger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-81817
Project Staff
01.07.2018 - 30.06.2020
Alice Tognacchini
Dr. Alice Tognacchini MSc.
alice.tognacchini@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91162
Project Staff
01.03.2019 - 30.06.2020