In this episode, we discuss overexploitation and alternative extraction methods.
Historical overuse of copper-rich ores has led to a scarcity of these resources. As a result, scientists have developed alternative methods to obtain copper from less concentrated sources.
Phytomining uses plants to absorb copper from polluted land, while bioleaching employs bacteria to extract copper from low-grade ores.
Although these innovative techniques allow access to previously unusable resources, they are considerably slower than traditional mining practices.
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