World Discovery: China Claims to Have Extracted Rare Earth Minerals from a Living Plant, in a Breakthrough That Could Change the Future of Mining

Written by Noel Budeguer

Published on 12/11/2025 at 10:14

Updated on 12/11/2025 at 10:15

Uma pessoa reagiu a isso.

Chinese Scientists Discover That A Living Plant Can Produce Rare Earth Minerals In Its Tissues, Paving The Way For A New Era Of Green And Sustainable Mining Based On Biological Processes

In an advancement that could transform the global mining industry, a group of scientists led by China has managed to extract rare earth minerals from a living plant, an unprecedented achievement worldwide. According to the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, the study marks a new chapter in the sustainable exploration of natural resources, demonstrating that certain plant species can generate valuable minerals under normal environmental conditions.

The Discovery: Monazite Inside A Living Plant

The researchers found nanoscale monazite, a phosphate mineral rich in cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium, crystallized within the tissues of a perennial fern called Blechnum orientale. This mineral is essential for the development of modern technologies, from batteries and wind turbines to electronic devices and defense systems.

According to the official statement, the finding “opens new possibilities for the direct recovery of functional materials from rare earth elements.” The research was published in the scientific journal Environmental Science & Technology and involved collaboration with Virginia Tech from the United States.

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A New Form Of Green Mining

The study demonstrated that plants can facilitate the natural mineralization of these compounds on the earth’s surface, without the need for high pressures or extreme temperatures typical of geological processes. This phenomenon is known as phytomining, an ecological technique that uses hyperaccumulator plants to extract metals from the soil and store them in their tissues.

After being cultivated in mineral-rich areas, the plants are harvested and processed to recover the metals. This method “reduces the dependence on conventional mining and mitigates the environmental and geopolitical impacts associated,” claim the authors of the study. Furthermore, it can transform vegetation into a renewable source of strategic minerals, amid a growing dispute for supply of rare earths on a global scale.

The Chemical Process Behind The Phenomenon

During the investigation, scientists collected soil and vegetation samples from natural rare earth deposits in Guangzhou. The analysis revealed a much higher concentration of these elements in the leaves of the fern, where the minerals crystallized outside the plant cells, forming a type of “natural chemical garden.”

This biological mechanism, described as a “self-organized non-equilibrium process,” acts as a detoxification method, allowing the plant to eliminate non-nutritive elements without damaging itself. “As far as we know, this is the first documented case of mineral crystallization of rare earth elements within a living hyperaccumulator,” the researchers stated.

A Circular Model For The Future

The Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry highlighted that the discovery could serve as a basis for a green circular model, combining environmental remediation and simultaneous recycling. In other words, plants could clean contaminated soils while providing strategic resources for the technology industry.

If improved, this method could allow China, already a global leader in rare earth production, to consolidate an even more dominant position in the sector, but now under a sustainable and ecological approach. The study also paves the way for the development of plant biofactories capable of generating functional minerals without relying on traditional mining.

For more technical details and access to the original study, see: He L. et al., “Discovery And Implications Of A Nanoscale Rare-Earth Mineral In A Hyperaccumulator Plant,” Environmental Science & Technology. Available at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.5c09617

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10/04/2026 07:47

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World Discovery: China Claims to Have Extracted Rare Earth Minerals from a Living Plant, in a Breakthrough That Could Change the Future of Mining

Chinese Scientists Discover That A Living Plant Can Produce Rare Earth Minerals In Its Tissues, Paving The Way For A New Era Of Green And Sustainable Mining Based On Biological Processes

The Discovery: Monazite Inside A Living Plant

A New Form Of Green Mining

The Chemical Process Behind The Phenomenon

A Circular Model For The Future

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World Discovery: China Claims to Have Extracted Rare Earth Minerals from a Living Plant, in a Breakthrough That Could Change the Future of Mining

Chinese Scientists Discover That A Living Plant Can Produce Rare Earth Minerals In Its Tissues, Paving The Way For A New Era Of Green And Sustainable Mining Based On Biological Processes

The Discovery: Monazite Inside A Living Plant

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An entire island in the Pacific wants to surround itself with a colossal barrier against the ocean to try to escape increasingly violent waves and not be swallowed by the sea in the coming decades.

After ten days orbiting the Moon, science confirms that the astronauts of the Artemis II mission return with altered bodies.

In the Saudi Arabian desert, the world’s largest green hydrogen plant is 80% complete and will use 4 gigawatts of solar and wind energy to produce 600 tons of clean fuel per day when it opens in 2027.

Brazilian cities shining from space impress in a new image from NASA that reveals São Paulo, Rio, BH, and other urban centers during the historic Artemis II mission, which also captured the Moon like never before.

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