This tree soaks up toxic mercury from old gold mine soil
Sommer N, Guo Y, Rasche F, Hagemann MH, Zörb C
Phytoremediation
If you've ever wondered whether trees can undo industrial damage to soil, this study shows a fast-growing legume tree pulling mercury out of contaminated ground without getting sick from it.
Small-scale gold mining often dumps mercury into the soil, leaving land unusable and dangerous. Researchers planted four tree species on contaminated soil to see which ones could pull the mercury out through their roots, and one, called Acacia mangium, absorbed the most mercury while staying perfectly healthy. Adding helpful fungi to the soil didn't boost how much mercury the trees soaked up, but it did help the trees handle the toxic exposure with less stress.
Key Findings
Acacia mangium had the highest mercury uptake among four tested legume trees and showed no signs of toxicity
Gliricidia sepium absorbed moderate mercury but suffered significant physiological damage, while Leucaena leucocephala resisted mercury but accumulated little
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation did not increase mercury uptake but reduced physiological stress from mercury exposure
chevron_right Technical Summary
One tree species stands out for cleaning up mercury-polluted soil left behind by small-scale gold mining, offering a low-cost way to restore abandoned mine land in places like Ghana.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
The potential of four legume trees for mercury phytoremediation and the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in low- and middle-income countries often lacks adequate safety measures, leading to significant health risks and environmental mercury pollution. Phyto...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Acacia mangium is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to northeastern Queensland in Australia, the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, Papua, and the eastern Maluku Islands. Common names include black wattle, hickory wattle, mangium, and forest mangrove. Its ...