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Element Case Studies: Cobalt and Copper

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Agromining: Farming for Metals

Part of the book series: Mineral Resource Reviews ((MIRERE))

Abstract

Cobalt is economically considered a critical metal for a variety of technologies. Globally, the most important Co ore deposits occur in the Katangan Copperbelt (Democratic Republic of Congo) where a richness of Cu-Co-tolerant and accumulator plants have developed naturally. Cobalt mining there has resulted in the dissemination of large quantities of waste in the environment and is a major environmental issue. Reduction of environmental risks and Co dispersion can be performed by phytoremediation and/or agromining, using trace-element-tolerant and putative hyperaccumulator plants that originated from the biodiversity of natural Co and Cu-rich habitats. Accumulation of foliar Co to >300 μg g−1 is exceptionally rare globally, being known principally from the Copperbelt of Central Africa. This chapter highlights advances in our knowledge of Co accumulation in plants, examines potential for use of a Co-accumulator in agromining, and defines perspectives for Co agromining by designing multi-functions and services of agroecosystems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hydrogeochemistry and Soil-Environment Interactions (HydrISE), UP.2012.10.102, Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, Beauvais, France

    Michel-Pierre Faucon, Olivier Pourret & Bastien Lange

Authors
  1. Michel-Pierre Faucon
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  2. Olivier Pourret
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  3. Bastien Lange
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michel-Pierre Faucon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, Université de Lorraine-INRA, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    Antony Van der Ent

  2. Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, Université de Lorraine-INRA, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    Guillaume Echevarria

  3. School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Alan J.M. Baker

  4. Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, Université de Lorraine-INRA, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    Jean Louis Morel

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Faucon, MP., Pourret, O., Lange, B. (2018). Element Case Studies: Cobalt and Copper. In: Van der Ent, A., Echevarria, G., Baker, A., Morel, J. (eds) Agromining: Farming for Metals. Mineral Resource Reviews. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61899-9_13

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