Element Case Studies: Cobalt

Michel-Pierre Faucon (1, 2) , Olivier Pourret (1, 2) , Bastien Lange (1, 2)

1 UniLaSalle
2 AGHYLE - Agro-écologie, Hydrogéochimie, Milieux et Ressources

Cobalt is economically considered as a critical metal. The main known Co ore deposits are found in the Katanga Copperbelt (Democratic Republic of Congo) where a high richness of Cu-Co tolerant and accumulator plants have developed. Cobalt mining has disseminated and disseminates large quantities of wastes in the environment and becomes a major environmental issue. Reduction of environmental risks and Co dispersion can be performed by phytoremediation and/or agromining, using trace element tolerant and putative hyperaccumulator plants originated from the biodiversity of natural Co/Cu-enriched habitats. Accumulation of foliar Co to >300 μg g-1 is exceptionally rare globally, and known principally from the Copperbelt of Central Africa. This chapter highlights advances on Co accumulation in plants, examines the potential of a Co accumulator in agromining, and defines perspectives for Co agromining by designing multi-functions and services of agroecosystems by a functional plant traits approach.

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie; Ingénierie de l'environnement

Michel-Pierre Faucon, Olivier Pourret, Bastien Lange. Element Case Studies: Cobalt. Antony van der Ent; Alan J.M. Baker; Guillaume Echevarria; Marie-Odile Simonnot; Jean Louis Morel. Agromining: Farming for Metals: Extracting Unconventional Resources Using Plants, Springer, pp.385-391, 2021, Mineral Resource Reviews, 978-3-030-58903-5. ⟨10.1007/978-3-030-58904-2_18⟩. ⟨hal-03066540⟩