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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