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Nicotiana glauca Graham, is the only perennial shrub growing in a solid waste contaminated site in the Negev desert of Israel. The concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cd and Pb) in the upper soil layer was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in non-contaminated desert soil. In root and shoot of N. glauca, growing in the site, the concentration of Cu, Zn and Fe was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in plants of a non-contaminated site.

In a controlled experiment, the concentrations of Zn and Cu in root of plants grown, in a mixture of contaminated and non-contaminated soil (1:1) was 9.5 and 4.7 higher than that of plants grown in non-contaminated soil, respectively. While Zn was accumulated in shoot of plants grown in contaminated soil (531 mg kg(-1)) in significantly higher concentration than in plants grown in non-contaminated soil (56 mg kg(-1)), no significant differences were found in Cu accumulation. Growth of N. glauca was inhibited on contaminated soil, but no other obvious stress symptoms were apparent. Therefore, long term experiments under controlled conditions are planned to study the mechanism of heavy metal tolerance and accumulation in N. glauca. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.