Proper selection of plant species resistant to heavy metals and accumulating them in large quantities would promote phytoremediation methods in the reclamation of contaminated areas. Among species capable of taking up harmful elements and producing high yields are Jerusalem artichoke, maize, Sida hermaphrodita Rusby, amaranth and industrial hemp. Investigations carried out in 1997–1999 as a pot experiment in a plant house were aimed at analysing the effects of soil contamination with heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) on the yield of the examined plants and the level of the metals they contained. The results showed that with increasing concentration of heavy metals in the soil their uptake by plants rose successively and depended on the plant species.

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