The process by which an environment or organization purifies or corrects itself (e.g., natural cleansing of a lake, or internal organizational reform).
この湖は自浄作用が弱く、雨季になると水質が悪化する。
This lake has weak self-purification, and the water quality worsens in the rainy season.
組織内部の不正を放置せず、自浄作用を働かせる必要がある。
It's necessary to let the organization correct itself and not leave internal wrongdoing unaddressed.
下水処理では微生物が自浄作用に重要な役割を果たす。
In sewage treatment, microbes play an important role in the self-purification process.