Phytomining, sometimes called agromining, is the process of extracting heavy metals from the soil through hyperaccumulators, whether natural or induced. Specifically, phytomining is for the purpose of economic gain.
These extracted ores are called bio-ores.
History
Phytomining was first proposed in 1983 by Rufus Chaney, a USDA agronomist. He and Alan Baker, a University of Melbourne professor, first tested it in 1996. They, as well as Jay Scott Angle and Yin-Ming Li, filed a patent on the process in 1995 which expired in 2015.
Advantages
Phytomining causes minimal environmental effects compared to mining; erosion is lessened. Bio-ores are more compact than standard ores.
Phytomining can extract ores from soils with low levels of it. Phytomining can remove low-grade heavy metals from mine waste.