ABSTRACT
Heavy metals, being noxious in nature, enter the food chain and result in toxicity of plants and animals. With the expansion of industries, the pollution of these toxic metals is increasing at a very fast pace. The removal of these heavy metals by natural means is the need of the hour. The toxication of soil by these metals can be removed through phytoremediation, mycoremediation, and microbial remediation. One such way of microbial remediation includes application of siderophores, which are synthesized naturally by microbes and are helpful in forming complexes with heavy metals. Siderophores have been used mostly for clinical studies but have the potential to play a critical role in the cleaning of the environment. This chapter provides insight into the importance of siderophores in heavy metal detoxification and the cleaning of the environment by natural means.
