Heavy metal pollution produced by human activities has now become a very serious environmental problem. In this paper, the authors briefly describe the origin and seriousness of heavy metal pollution in our environment and summarize the modes of occurrence of heavy metals in soil, water and sediments. The layer silicates and clay minerals are emphatically discussed for the purpose of preventing and controlling heavy metal pollutants, and the mechanism, possibility and current application of their functions against heavy metal pollution are also dealt with. In addition, the authors present here a new idea that layer silicates and their weathered products can serve as a carrier of harmful heavy metal elements in environmental protection.