The major purpose of these experiments was to determine if Pb uptake by plants was significantly increased by chelating agents used in plant nutrition. The interaction of Pb with some other elements in barley plants (Hordeum vulgareL. C.V. Atlas 57) and bush bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL. C.V. Improved Tendergreen) was studied in a glasshouse with different rates of Pb in solution culture and in amended (control, S, CaCO3, MgCO3) Yolo loam soil with and without the chelating agent DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid). In a solution culture experiment, 10‐3MPb significantly decreased bush bean yields in both control and DTPA treatments. The CaCO3added to nutrient solution decreased the concentration of Pb in leaves, stems, and roots and prevented the toxicity of 10‐3MPb++. At high Pb levels, interactions between Pb and Mn and Pb and Fe were observed, except with CaCO3. In the soil experiment, the yields of barley and bush bean were influenced only slightly by Pb. The Pb concentration in barley shoots and bush bean leaves and stems was increased considerably in the presence of DTPA, however. In the absence of DTPA, the effect of added Pb was very small in the control and S amended soil treatments and almost negligible in the CaCO3and MgCO3amended soil treatments. Application of DTPA facilitated the translocation of Pb, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn to shoots. The effect was dependent upon soil pH. Particularly, the Fe was increased by DTPA at low pH while the effect was negligible at high pH. This was opposite the effect on Pb. The DTPA resulted in considerable Pb transport to leaves and stems at high soil pH. The uptake pattern of Zn and Cu was similar to that of Pb. It can be expected that chelating agents can increase the migration of Pb to plants andincrease its uptake by plants, and hence, entry into food chains.