The ability of in vitro cultured cells of black nightshade, wheat, barley, soybean, tomato, mulberry and birch to grow in the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and to metabolise them was compared. No correlation was found between the resistance of the plants and removal of xenobiotics. Up to 20% of PCBs and over 90% of PAHs were removed by wheat cells from nutrient media in two weeks.