Local Plants on Pomalaa Nickel Mine Land Could Absorb Heavy Metals

Image: article cover, from Faisal et al. (2017), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

A research team from the Department of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Science at Halu Oleo University, identified 12 plant species growing naturally on the revegetated land of PT Vale Indonesia Tbk.'s nickel mine site in Pomalaa, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi. The study, conducted by Faisal, Faisal Danu Tuheteru, Asrianti Arif, and Fauzi Rajab, aimed to determine adaptive plant species and their ability to absorb nickel from the soil. The results were published in the Journal Wasian in 2017.

Of the 12 species, belonging to 12 genera and 10 families, the most frequently found tree species were Gymnostoma sumatrana, Sarcotheca celebica, Parinaria corymbosa, Timonius celebicus, Weinmannia fraxinea, and Alstonia macrophylla. Four species were classified as low accumulators: Nepenthes maxima, Cheilanthes tenuifolia, Timonius celebicus, and Sarcotheca celebica. Nevertheless, S. celebica actually recorded the highest nickel content in its leaves, at 595 mg/kg dry weight, and is therefore considered the most promising species for development as a nickel-accumulating plant.

The ability of plants to absorb heavy metals, or phytoremediation, is important for efforts to restore former nickel mine land. Soils in ultramafic areas such as Pomalaa are indeed rich in nickel and can limit plant growth. Adaptive plants proven to absorb nickel can help reduce metal content in the soil while simultaneously revegetating the land.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article Potential of Nickel (Ni) Phytoremediation of Adaptive Species on Revegetation Land, PT. Vale Indonesia (Tbk). Pomalaa Site Kolaka Regency by Faisal Danu Tuheteru Faisal, Asrianti Arif Asrianti and Fauzi Rajab Fauzi, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 4 No. 2 (2017). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Faisal, F. D. T., Asrianti, A. A., & Fauzi, F. R. (2017). Potential of Nickel (Ni) Phytoremediation of Adaptive Species on Revegetation Land, PT. Vale Indonesia (Tbk). Pomalaa Site Kolaka Regency. Jurnal Wasian, 4(2), 89–96. https://doi.org/10.62142/z842hp80

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.