Courses : Forest Ecology Lecturer :Frischa Adellia Semester : 4thSemester, 2022/2023 Session Definition of Phytoremediation Phytoremediation is a technique in the field of bioremediation that uses plants to clean, degrade, or absorb pollutants from a polluted environment, be it soil, water, or air. The basic principle of phytoremediation is to use the ability of plants to absorb, accumulate and convert pollutants into less toxic or non-toxic forms. In phytoremediation, the plants selected for use usually have several beneficial properties, such as: 1. Accumulation ability: Plants used in phytoremediation are able to absorb pollutants from the environment and accumulate them in plant tissue, especially in the roots, stems or leaves. 2. Tolerance to pollutants: Plants must be able to survive and grow well in environments polluted with certain concentrations of pollutants without experiencing significant damage. 3. Recovery ability: Some plants have the ability to degrade or convert pollutants into less harmful forms through processes such as phytodegradation or phytovolatilization. Phytoremediation can be divided into several techniques, including: 1. Phytostabilization: Plants are used to reduce the mobility of pollutants in soil or water by reducing the movement of pollutants to other environmental media. 2. Phytovolatilization: Plants use pollutants as a substrate for their growth, which are then converted into gas and excreted through the process of transpiration. 3. Phytodegradation: Plants utilize the ability of microorganisms in their roots to degrade pollutants into simpler, less harmful forms. 4. Phytouptake: Plants absorb pollutants from soil or water into their tissues, which can then be harvested and removed from the environment. The advantages of phytoremediation include its ability to be an environmentally friendly solution, relatively low cost, and can be applied in various environmental conditions. However, the success of phytoremediation depends on a number of factors, including the type of plant selected, the type of pollutant present, and environmental and climatic conditions. The main function of phytoremediation is to clean or reduce environmental pollution caused by dangerous pollutants, such as heavy metals, organic compounds and other toxic chemicals. Following are some of the important functions of phytoremediation: 1. Pollutant absorption: Plants used in phytoremediation have the ability to absorb pollutants from the environment, be it from soil, water or air. Pollutants can be absorbed through the roots, stems and leaves of plants. 2. Accumulation and bioaccumulation: Plants accumulate absorbed pollutants in their tissues. This process can reduce the concentration of pollutants in a polluted environment, as well as help in the waste recovery and management process. 3. Pollutant detoxification: Some plants have the ability to degrade or convert pollutants into less toxic or non-toxic forms through complex biochemical processes. This helps reduce the negative impact of pollutants on the environment and human health. 4. Stabilize soil or water: Plants can help maintain soil stability and prevent erosion, as well as reduce the movement of pollutants in ground or surface water. 5. Improving environmental quality: Through the process of absorbing and detoxifying pollutants, phytoremediation can help improve overall environmental quality. This includes improving soil, water and air quality, as well as supporting biodiversity. 6. Environmentally friendly: One of the advantages of phytoremediation is that it is an environmentally friendly and sustainable method of dealing with environmental pollution. This is because it does not use dangerous chemicals and can occur naturally. Thus, phytoremediation has an important role in cleaning and detoxifying environments polluted with harmful pollutants, as well as helping in the restoration of disturbed ecosystems. Although the process may take longer than conventional remediation methods, phytoremediation offers a more environmentally friendly and sustainable approach to addressing environmental pollution problems. In conclusion, phytoremediation is a bioremediation technique that uses plants to clean an environment polluted by dangerous pollutants. With the ability of plants to absorb, accumulate and even degrade pollutants, phytoremediation offers an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach to solving environmental pollution problems. Some important points that can be concluded about phytoremediation are: 1. Use of plants: Phytoremediation uses plants as primary cleaning agents, exploiting their special properties to absorb and reduce pollutants in the environment. 2. Detoxification of pollutants: Plants used in phytoremediation have the ability to detoxify pollutants by converting them into less harmful or harmless forms through biochemical processes. 3. Environmental stabilization: Apart from cleaning pollutants, phytoremediation also helps in maintaining environmental stability, such as preventing soil erosion and reducing the movement of pollutants in ground or surface water. 4. Environmental quality : Phytoremediation contributes to improving overall environmental quality by reducing pollutant concentrations and supporting natural processes in the recovery of disturbed ecosystems. 5. Environmentally friendly and sustainable: Phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly approach because it does not use dangerous chemicals and relies on natural processes to clean polluted environments. Although phytoremediation may take longer than conventional remediation methods, this approach offers an effective and sustainable solution in addressing environmental pollution problems. With a proper understanding of the types of plants used, environmental conditions, and the specific pollutants encountered, phytoremediation can be a powerful tool in maintaining environmental sustainability and human health.