This work assessed the effect of soil amended with tannery sludge (0, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000mgCrkg −1 soil), Cr 3+ as CrCl 3 ·6H 2 O (0, 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000mgCrkg −1 soil), and Cr 6+ as K 2 Cr 2 O 7 (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500mgCrkg −1 soil) on wheat, oat and sorghum plants.Seed germination, seedling growth (root and shoot) and Cr accumulation in dry tissue were measured. Toxicological parameters; medium effective concentration, no observed adverse effect concentration and low observed adverse effect concentration were determined. Root growth was the most sensitive assessment of Cr toxicity (P<0.05). There was a significant correlation (P<0.0001) between Cr accumulation in dry tissue and toxic effects on seedling growth. The three Cr sources had different accumulation and mobility patterns; tannery sludge was less toxic for all three plant species, followed by CrCl 3 ·6H 2 O and K 2 Cr 2 O 7 .