ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Mycorrhizal bioremediation

Okay kiddo, have you heard about the tiny little living things called fungi? They are like the superheroes of the soil that help in cleaning up the mess created by humans. Mycorrhizal bioremediation is a fancy word for how these fungi can be used to clean up contaminated soil.

Now, imagine that there's a big spill of harmful chemicals in the ground and plants cannot grow there. That's really bad for the soil, because plants are like tiny cleaners that help absorb all the bad stuff from the soil. But worry not, the fungi come to save the day!

You see, the fungi like to live in the soil and they have this amazing ability to form a special relationship with the roots of plants. They give the plant all the nutrients it needs to grow and in return, the plant gives them food made through photosynthesis. Together, they make a powerful team that can solve our problem.

These fungi have a special ability to break down or remove harmful chemicals from the soil. They basically act like little vacuum cleaners by sucking in all the bad stuff from the soil and breaking it down into less harmful things. This process is called bioremediation.

So, scientists use these fungi to help clean the soil that is contaminated with harmful substances. They add the fungi into the soil and let them do their job. Over time, the fungi clean up the soil and make it safe for plants to grow again.

Overall, mycorrhizal bioremediation is just a fancy way of saying that we can use fungi to help clean up soil that has bad stuff in it. These tiny little superheroes help us to create a safe and healthy environment for us and all the other living things around us.
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