The rapid conversion of Southeast Asian lowland rainforests into monocultures calls for the development of rapid methods for species identification to support ecological research and sustainable land‐use management. Here, we investigated the utilization of DNA barcodes for identifying flowering plants from Sumatra, Indonesia. A total of 1,207 matK barcodes (441 species) and 2,376 rbcL barcodes (750 species) were successfully generated. The barcode effectiveness is assessed using four approaches: (a) comparison between morphological and molecular identification results, (b) best‐close match analysis with TaxonDNA, (c) barcoding gap analysis, and (d) formation of monophyletic groups. Results show that rbcL has a much higher level of sequence recoverability than matK (95% and 66%). The comparison between morphological and molecular identifications revealed that matK and rbcL worked best assigning a plant specimen to the genus level. Estimates of identification success using best‐close match analysis showed that >70% of the investigated species were correctly identified when using single barcode. The use of two‐loci barcodes was able to increase the identification success up to 80%. The barcoding gap analysis revealed that neither matK nor rbcL succeeded to create a clear gap between the intraspecific and interspecific divergences. However, these two barcodes were able to discriminate at least 70% of the species from each other. Fifteen genera and twenty‐one species were found to be nonmonophyletic with both markers. The two‐loci barcodes were sufficient to reconstruct evolutionary relationships among the plant taxa in the study area that are congruent with the broadly accepted APG III phylogeny.

Mercury (Hg) pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a global environmental and public health concern. In Indonesia, ASGM remains widespread, yet assessments of multimedia contamination and health risks are limited. This study quantified Hg concentration in water, sediment, soil, fish, and cassava to evaluate environmental pollution and potential health risks in Waluran, Sukabumi, Indonesia. Mercury concentration in ASGM was higher than in the reference area, especially in fish (median: 4.76 mg/kg dw), cassava leaves (median: 15.7 mg/kg dw), and tailing sediments (median: 171 mg/kg dw). A remarkably high Hg concentration (9760 mg/kg dw) was detected in soil from amalgam-burning spots. An elevated Hg concentration was observed in the reference area, suggesting widespread contamination and potential for long-range dispersion. Over 85% of ASGM samples were categorized as heavily to extremely contaminated by the geo-accumulation index (I_geo). Bioaccumulation assessment indicated a high bioconcentration factor (BCF) in fish and moderate bioaccumulation factor (BAF) in cassava roots. Hazard Quotients (HQ) were greater than 1 for most exposure pathways in both adults and children, with the greatest risk deriving from cassava leaf consumption. These findings indicate severe Hg contamination within ASGM-affected communities and underscore the urgent need for public health interventions, environmental monitoring, and strengthened regulations to reduce Hg exposure in Indonesia.

Synthetic dyes are extensively used in the textile industry and represent a major source of environmental pollution due to the discharge of colored effluents into aquatic ecosystems. Conventional physical and chemical treatment methods are often ineffective in completely removing these dyes and may generate secondary pollutants or increase toxicity. Consequently, environmentally friendly and sustainable biological alternatives are required. This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and evaluate indigenous fungi from dye-contaminated environments for the decolorization of Remazol Red (RR) dye. Fungal isolates were obtained from the Cibuluh River, Cisadane River, and textile industry wastewater treatment plants. Initial screening was performed on solid media containing RR dye, resulting in 45 fungal isolates, of which 15 demonstrated strong resistance and decolorization capability at elevated dye concentrations. Five promising isolates (TB1, TB3, TB4, SB1, and SB2) were further evaluated in liquid media containing RR at concentrations ranging from 100 to 1000 mg/L. Among the tested isolates, TB1, TB3, and TB4 exhibited the highest decolorization efficiencies, achieving nearly complete dye removal at lower concentrations and maintaining substantial activity even at higher levels within five days of incubation. Visual observations and spectrophotometric analyses confirmed effective dye removal. Morphological and molecular identification based on ITS sequencing revealed that SB1 was closely related to Aspergillus tamarii, SB2 to Aspergillus awamori, TB1 to Aspergillus niger, TB4 to Trametes polyzona, and TB3 to Cladosporium cladosporioides. This study highlights the strong potential of indigenous fungi as cost-effective and sustainable agents for textile dye bioremediation.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ultra-persistent contaminants characterized by exceptional chemical stability, high mobility, and widespread environmental occurrence, posing significant challenges for remediation. Phytotechnology has emerged as a promising nature-based approach, yet its effectiveness is strongly governed by PFAS physicochemical properties and plant–soil interactions. This review provides a mechanistic synthesis linking PFAS environmental behavior with phytotechnology performance by examining PFAS sources, transport pathways, and structure-dependent properties that control persistence, partitioning, and mobility, with an emphasis on differences between short- and long-chain compounds. These characteristics determine bioavailability and influence treatment outcomes. Plant uptake mechanisms, including root absorption, xylem translocation, and tissue accumulation, are discussed alongside rhizosphere processes such as sorption, microbial interactions, and hydrological dynamics that regulate PFAS retention and redistribution. Current evidence indicates that phytotechnology functions primarily as a form of phytomanagement rather than a destructive solution, as mineralization is limited and field-scale treatment remains low. Instead, plant–soil–microbe systems reduce PFAS mobility and exposure through stabilization and sequestration. Future research should prioritize strategies for short-chain PFAS, integration with sorptive amendments, and data-driven approaches to optimize phytomanagement performance.