ABSTRACT
Water and soil pollution by high dose of metals is becoming a common trouble globally which needs to be addressed. This pollution is a combined result of modern agricultural practices, mining, and industrial processes. Living beings are very susceptible to this type of contamination by heavy metals (HMs). Many conventional methods are there, but they are very costly and time consuming, while phytoremediation process is cost effective and ecofriendly. Many plant accumulators/hyperaccumulators have been known to remediate contaminated soil with toxic metals. Among plants, pteridophytes have unique characteristics of toxicant adaptation. Pteridophytes are known to accumulate HMs such as cadmium, nickel, and copper. In this chapter, phytoremediation potential of pteridophytes focuses on different methods of phytoremediation which include adaptive mechanisms and genetic, ecological strategies of ferns are discussed.
