To remove from a mixture, separate out, withdraw or set apart.
In scientific terms, to sequester a mineral or molecule is to remove it from it's environment, whether that be air, soil, water or other media. Removal can be based on chemical or biological reactions and may be reversible or irreversible. However, the ultimate result is that the sequestered compound or molecule is made less available to interact with the surrounding environment.
One form of bioremediation is phytoremediation in which metals are removed, or sequestered, from the soil and accumulate in plant tissues. Sequestering of metals from soil, or chemical contaminants from water results in concentrated amounts being present in plant or animal tissues and is known as bioaccumulation.
Sequestered carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is converted chemically into other forms of carbon to generate biomass, thus the process is irreversible except through further chemical conversions or combustion of the biomass.
