A new metal-munching plant that can absorb metal without poisoning itself and dying has been discovered by scientists in the Philippines.

The plant came from a species named Rinorea niccolifera which scientists say could be helpful in cleaning soils that have been polluted by harvesting metals.

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It is also among the 450 known species of hyperaccumulator plants. The plant is also among 300,000 species known as vascular plants that are able to take in large amounts of metal through their roots.

University of the Philippines Professor Edwino Fernando led the research on the new plant and was also the author of the study.

Professor Fernando said that the Rinorea niccolifera’s leaves can take in up to 18,000 parts per million of nickel. This is a thousand times more than what any other known plant species can safely absorb.

Professor Fernando is joined by Dr. Marilyn Quimado and the rest of their team in examining and showing the details of the newest metal-munching plant discovery in PhytoKeys, an open access journal.

The researchers said during a press conference that the new species were found in an area in the western part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. The area has been known for its soils containing heavy metals.

The plant has relevant environmental credentials as well as being an interesting new scientific discovery.

Rinorea niccolifera can remove huge amounts of hazardous metallic metals in ecosystems that are deemed to be polluted. The discovery of the new plant also plays a significant role for those who are in the mining industry.

Aside from absorbing metals, the plants can also be harvested for the metals they have taken in.

University of Melbourne’s Augustine Doronila, the co-author of the study, said the Hyperaccumulator plants show great potential in the development of green technologies, including phytoremediation and phytomining.

The term Phytoremediation is used to describe a plant removing heavy metals found in soils that are heavily contaminated. Phytomining is a process where hyperaccumulator plants are grown containing metals in their shoots and are commercially harvested.

Tagsmetal-munching plant, Rinorea niccolifera, hyperaccumulator plant, Professor Edwino Fernando, Dr. Marilyn Quimado, Augustine Doronila, Soil pollution