A breakthrough technology from the University of Queensland may help to grow vegetation at sites of mining operations where the heavy metal contamination does not allow normal plants to grow. The project is being supported financially by Xstrata Technology.
The University of Queensland established a start up venture called MetalloTel Pty Ltd to develop the technology and manage its commercialization. The lead researcher at MettalooTek is Dr Laurence Rossato from the Center for Mined Land Rehabilitation within University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute.
Dr Laurence Rossato said that the technology is likely to be low cost and will be an effective tool to help rehabilitate metal contaminated mine sites. He said that rehabilitation was a vital part of environmental sustainability associated with mining. Their innovative approach has the potential to promote sustainable plant growth on soils contaminated with soluble toxic metals.
The technology was tested in 2010 in a preliminary greenhouse experiment on waste rock from a heavily contaminated mine site. The contaminated mine site soil for the trial was provided by the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation.
The Managing Director of UniQuest David Henderson said that the financial support from Xstrata Technology reflected confidence in the capacity of university research to help major economic sectors like mining address sustainability issues.