This book brings together for the first time in one volume all the relevant 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).
Phytochemistry of hyperaccumulators; geobotany and hyperaccumulators; biogeochemistry and hyperaccumulators; seaweed as hyperaccumulators; hyperaccumulation of metals by prokaryotic microorganisms including the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria); phytoarchaelogy and hyperaccumulators; hyperaccumulation as a plant defensive strategy; aquatic phytoremediation by accumulator plants; revegetation and stabilisation of mine dumps and other degraded terrain; fertilisation of hyperaccumulators to enhance their potential for phytoremediation and phytomining; phytoextraction for soil remediation; phytoremediation by volatilisation; a pioneering study of the potential of phytomining for nickel; the potential use of hyperaccumulators and other plants for phytomining.