Abigael L. Balbin, Ian Dominic F. Tabañag, Jundy D. Lozano
Phytoremediation is an environment-friendly technique that uses plants to extract contaminants like metals from soil. This has found application in waste management and possibly in future mining through phytomining. This studywanted to evaluate the metal accumulation of plants, thriving in a nickel laterite mine for Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn anddetermine their potential for phytoremediation or phytomining. The metal accumulation in crops is also highlighted fortheir possible harmful effects to humans. Samples of soil, roots, stems, leaves, and fruits were gathered. The plants wereevaluated based on their metal accumulation in the above-ground part, leaf-to-root ratio, bioaccumulation coefficient(BAC), and translocation factor (TF). The plant Leucaena leucocephala, Pennisetum polystachion, Casuarinacunning hamiana, and Mimosa pudica shows significant accumulation. The crops showed substantial amounts of metalwhich can be harmful to humans. The planting of hyper accumulator plants is recommended for future phytomining application but planting crops is highly discouraged due to possible accumulation of metals which can be harmful for humans. © 2024, IEICES/Kyushu University. All rights reserved.
School of Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines; College of Engineering and Geosciences, Caraga State University, Ampayon, Butuan, Philippines; Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development, Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCIEERD), Taguig, Bicutan, Philippines; Global College of Engineering and Technology, Muscat, Oman
