Plants that Hyperaccumulate Heavy Metals
Edited by R R Brooks, Department of Soil Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Pub Date: January 1998
Hardback
384 pages
Readership
Plant physiologists, plant ecologists, environmental and soil scientists, geochemists.
Main Description
Plant species which can accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals have been known for over one hundred years. However, until the last twenty years their potential went largely unnoticed by scientists. The term hyperaccumulation was first introduced by the author (and colleagues) in 1977. This renewed interest, together with heightened environmental awareness and the discovery of the phenomenon in many more species has since stimulated research into a number of novel scientific and commercial uses.
This book brings together for the first time in one volume all the relevant ecological information on hyperaccumulators and describes the new disciplines, methods and uses for them which continue to be explored. These include the removal of heavy metal pollutants from soils and waters (phytoremediation), the identification of ancient human settlements (phytoarchaeology), mineral exploration, the revegetation of degraded land and the exciting possibility of the commercial extraction of heavy metals from crop plants (phytomining).
This book is essential reading for plant ecologists and physiologists who have an interest in hyperaccumulators, environmental consultants specialising in land restoration, and exploration geochemists. It will also be of great interest to professionals, lecturers and advanced students in environmental science, geology and soil science.
Main Contents
• General Introduction, R R Brooks
• Phytochemistry of Hyperaccumulators, R R Brooks
• Geobotany and Hyperaccumulators, R R Brooks
• Biogeochemistry and Hyperaccumulators, R R Brooks
• Seaweeds as Hyperaccumulators, C E Dunn, Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
• Hyperaccumulation of Metals by Prokaryotic Microorganisms Including the Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria), T J Beveridge, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Canada
• Phytoarchaeology and Hyperaccumulators, R R Brooks
• Hyperaccumulation as a Plant Defensive Strategy, R S Boyd, Auburn University, USA
• Aquatic Phytoremediation by Accumulator Plants, R R Brooks and B H Robinson, Massey University, New Zealand
• Revegetation and Stabilisation of Mine Dumps and Other Degraded Terrain,R R Brooks, A Chiarucci, Universitΰ degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy and T Jaffrι, ORSTOM, Noumιa, New Caledonia
• Fertilisation of Hyperaccumulators to enhance their Potential for Phytoremediation and Phytomining, F A Bennett, E K Tyler, R R Brooks, P E H Gregg, and R B Stewart, Massey University, New Zealand
• Phytoextraction for Soil Remediation, S P McGrath, IACR-Rothamsted, Harpenden, UK
• Phytoremediation by Volatilisation, R R Brooks
• A Pioneering Study of the Potential of Phytomining for Nickel, L J Nicks, Retired Researcher, Fernley, USA and M F Chambers, Retired Researcher, Reno, USA
• The Potential Use of Hyperaccumulators and Other Plants for Phytomining, R R Brooks and B H Robinson, Massey University, New Zealand
