Leafy green vegetables could be used to extract toxic metals from contaminated soil for use in electronics and medical technologies, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia have used advanced scanning techniques to show how kale accumulates trace amounts of the heavy metal thallium from polluted soil.
Brassicaceae – which include kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts – are hyperaccumulators of thallium. They extract the metals through their roots and shoots, accumulating it in a crystallised form in their leaves and stems.
Thallium is a highly toxic heavy metal fatal to humans and animals. Before the 1970s it was commonly used in rat poisons and insecticides, but has since been recognised as a major environmental pollutant. Despite its high toxicity, it still has widespread use across multiple applications from specialised electronics such as semiconductors to medical scans and optical lenses.
Amelia Corzo-Remigio, a geochemist at the University...