Abstract
Effects of toxic effluent from some industries on plants were investigated. The three industries were The West African Batteries Limited, Top Safety Glass Factory and the Nigerian Bottling Company, all in Ibadan. Plant and soil samples were collected at distance 50m, 100m and 150m from effluent outlet of each factory. Inorganic nutrients such as K, Mn, Fe, P, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, Cu, and Pb were determined, Mid-day xylem pressure potentials and soil water potentials were determined on selected leaves of the plants. Stomata conductance and transpiration were determined. Large scale pollutants from the industries enter the soil regularly. This has led to the high concentration of toxic substances in the soil and plants. However, increasing availability of essential nutrients reduced the toxic effect of toxic metals, for example, the toxicity of Mn was suppressed by the presence of Zn. The low level of Ca could not prevent the absorption of toxic Pb. It was concluded that current and future environmental regulation should provide a strong incentive to minimum waste.