Abstract:A hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of low level Cd on the growth and accumulation of nutrient elements in Chinese cabbage cultivars with different Cd tolerance at the seedling stage. The results indicated that low Cd concentration stimulated the growth of the high-tolerant cultivars but inhibited that of low-tolerant ones. 5 μmol/L Cd enhanced the accumulation of S and Cu in the roots, increased by 22.0% ~ 58.0% and 45.9% ~ 116.0% compared with CK, respectively, but inhibited the transport of them to the shoots. Cd inhibited the accumulation of K, P, Ca, Mg, Mn and Zn in shoots, and the inhibition degree differed among different cultivars.