Scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Baños have discovered Rinorea niccolifera, a remarkable new plant species from Luzon Island that can absorb extraordinary amounts of nickel from contaminated soil without being poisoned.
Professor Edwino Fernando, the lead researcher, explains that this hyperaccumulator plant can store up to 18,000 parts per million of nickel in its leaf tissues, which is 100 to 1,000 times higher than most other plants.
The plant belongs to an exclusive group of only about 700 known hyperaccumulator species worldwide that can absorb toxic heavy metals from soil and store them safely in their tissues, making it invaluable for environmental restoration.
Plants that accumulate nickel levels of 1,000 ppm or higher in their shoots are classified as nickel hyperaccumulators, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, indicating significant potential for phytoremediation of mining-damaged areas.
This discovery offers promising applications for cleaning up contaminated soils in the Philippines' mining regions, where Rinorea niccolifera could help restore ecosystems damaged by heavy metal pollution through natural biological processes.
