One magic pteridophyte ( Pteris vittata L.): Application in remediating arsenic contaminated soils and mechanism of arsenic hyperaccumulation

Abstract

One pteridophyte, Pteris vittata L., was found to be a suitable plant used in phytoremediation of the soils contaminated with excess arsenic. In this paper, literature on this fern’s potential in remediating soils contaminated with arsenic, its possible detoxification strategies, and the measures facilitating its practical application in phytoremediation were reviewed. Some of the unresolved questions about this fern in both detoxification and phytoextraction of arsenic (As) were also listed. The aim of this paper was to introduce this magic fern to more researchers focusing on a wider field of discipline and make it more useful in both macroscopic and microcosmic science world.

Key words： pteridophyte; fern; arsenic; soil; Pteris vittata L.