​Nanthi Bolan

​University of Newcastle​
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Professor Nanthi Bolan’s teaching and research interests include agronomic value of manures, fertilisers and soil amendments, soil acidification, nutrient and carbon cycling, pesticide and metal pollutants interactions in soils, greenhouse gas emission, soil remediation, mine site revegetation, and waste and wastewater management. Nanthi is a Fellow of American Soil Science Society, American Society of Agronomy and New Zealand Soil Science Society, and was awarded the Communicator of the Year award by the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Sciences.  He has supervised more than 50 postgraduate students, and was awarded the Massey University Research Medal for excellence in postgraduate students’ supervision. He has published more than 400 book chapters and journal papers, and is one of the Thomson Reuters Highly cited researchers for 2018.
Workshop Précis

Harnessing Hyperaccumulator Plants to Phytoremediate Contaminated Mining Sites

Over the past 20 to 25 years, hundreds of plant species have been used to remove contaminants from soil and water. Hyperaccumulator (HA) plants can take up huge amounts of metals in their shoots without showing any toxicity impacts on the plants. For metals, these plants are capable of accumulating metals above the threshold concentrations of 10,000 mg/kg dry weight of shoots for Zn and Mn, 1,000 mg/kg for Co, Cu, Ni, As, and Se, and 100 mg/kg for Cd. Phytoremediation using HA plants is an exciting and promising biotechnology because of the following features: relatively inexpensive; considered an eco-friendly and sustainable technology; aesthetically pleasing; and ability to achieve complete breakdown of toxic materials. The objective of the workshop is to provide participants with the theory and practical skills on how to use phytoremediation to cleanup mining sites that are contaminated with metals.

Who should attend?

Regulators, consultants, decision-makers, NGO practitioners, and post graduate students
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This is a basic introductory course. No prior knowledge is required.
Conference Speakers
Workshop Convenors
​Wednesday:
Stream 1 - Pathways to relinquishment and opportunities to transition to productive alternate land uses Stream 2 - ​Understanding Acid Mine Drainage / Acid Rock Drainage and the implications for rehabilitation and closure Stream 3 - ​Harnessing Hyperaccumulator Plants to Phytoremediate Contaminated Mining Sites Stream 4 - Issues in Tropical Forest Rehabilitation Post Mining​