The influence of Al on the absorption of various elements by a carrot (U.S. harumakigosun) was investigated using a multitracer technique. An uptake experiment was conducted within the range of 0.0-2.0 ppm AlCl 3 in culture solution. By the addition of AlCl 3 , uptake of elements such as Be, V, Zn and rare earth elements (REE) into roots was increased. For Be and V an approximately three-fold increase was observed. The degree of uptake enhancement of nonessential elements by AlCl 3 was generally very high, whereas some of the essential or beneficial elements exhibited a decrease in uptake with the increase of AlCl 3 concentration. This suggests that the uptake of nonessential elements might be increased through transporters with decreased selectivity due to Al. From the viewpoint of the acid rain problem, it is suggested that one of the detrimental effects of Al on plants is the imbalanced elemental absorption.