Abstract: The accumulation and distribution of Cr³⁺ and Cd²⁺ in hydroponic cultured different tea cultivars including Mingshan131, Mingshan213 and Fudingdabaicha and their toxic symptoms to these plants had been studied. The results indicated that the inhibitory effects and toxic symptoms of Cr³⁺ and Cd²⁺ on tea plants new shoots and new shoots of tea plants changed with different stress concentration, time and tea cultivars under Cr³⁺(20~100 mg/L), Cd²⁺（1~5 mg/L）stress. The concentrations of Cr and Cd in tea plants increased with the increasing of Cr³⁺ and Cd²⁺ stress or the prolonging of treated times. The total content of chromium and cadmium in all organs of tea plant was significantly positively correlated with the chromium, cadmium concentrations and the distribution order of Cr in the tea plants was: fine roots> main root> main stem> branches> old leaves>new shoots (one bud two leaves) while that of Cd was: fine roots> main root>main stem>new shoots (one bud two leaves)> branches> old leaves. Chromium and cadmium elements absorbed by roots were fixed in the fine root and the proportion of transport to upper was low, but the activity and transfer ability of cadmium in tea are stronger than that of chromium. Cadmium transported to the ground and could easily be migrated to new shoots. The order of Cadmium content in different leaf location of new shoots was: the bud> the second >the third >the fourth leaves. Cadmium had an obvious upward trend. The absorption, accumulation and migration ability of chromium and cadmium in tea plants changed with the different tea cultivars.

Key words: chromium, cadmium, tea plant, accumulation, the toxic symptom