Across the world, landscapes bear the scars of the metals economy. Mining remains one of the most environmentally destructive activities humans carry out, carving through mountains and river systems in pursuit of the metals and minerals that shape and power our gadgets and machines. Yet there are other ways to gather these metals and so-called critical minerals from the ground. Certain plants, known as hyperaccumulators, have evolved the remarkable ability to absorb unusually high levels of certain metals without harming themselves.

These vegetal metal-collectors sit at the heart of phytomining, ...

 

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