Hyper-accumulators are plants capable of absorbing and accumulating high concentrations of heavy metals and other toxic elements from the soil into their tissues. These plants can thrive in contaminated environments, making them valuable for phytoremediation, a process used to clean up polluted sites. By extracting harmful substances from the soil, hyper-accumulators help restore ecosystem health and reduce metal toxicity in the environment. Examples include species like Thlaspi caerulescens and Alyssum murale.
Certain types of spiderwort are used to detect radioactivity. Specifically the Ohio spiderwort, Tradscantia ohiensis can show low levels of radioactivity when the stamen hairs, which are normally blue, grow pink as a result of genetic mutation.
The world is running out of rich copper ores. Research is being carried out to find new ways to extract copper from the remaining low-grade ores, without harming the environment too much. This research is very important, as traditional mining involves huge open-cast mines that produce a lot of waste rock.Some plants absorb copper through their roots. As a result of this they concentrate these compounds as a result of this. The plants can be burned to produce an ash that contains the copper compounds. This process is known as photomining.