Many heavy metals are found naturally in the Earth's crust and are needed in small quantities by all organisms for normal biological processes. All of them in excessive concentrations have a negative impact on human health. Heavy metals such as copper, zinc, nickel and mercury most commonly occur in excessive concentrations and come from an anthropogenic source. Many of these sources have made significant transformations in the aquatic and marine environment. The development of human civilization is facing serious problems of contamination of drinking water with heavy metals. Heavy metals enter the environment and accumulate in it. They are not easily degradable in nature, but are transmitted through food chains. Intake of food contaminated with heavy metals leads to kidney damage, allergic reactions, problems with the respiratory and gastrointestinal system. A lot of methods have been developed to reduce the concentration of heavy metals. They can be natural such as phytoremediation, phytoextraction, phytostabilization and phytofiltration, but also those carried out in the laboratory such as ion exchange, chemical precipitation, coagulation and flotation. All methods are implemented to enable a healthier life for humans and animals.