A fíeld experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Cu and Pb on photosynthesis and growth characteristics of oats. The plants grown on the site with elevated levels of Cu-Pb were reduced in height and biomass, compared to control plants, and appeared chlorotic while the accumulations of both Cu and Pb in the above-ground parts were in the range considered to be phytotoxic. Cu and Pb led to a pronounced reduction (47 %) of chlorophyll (Chl) (a + b) content, accompanied by proportional changes in ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCO) activity. Hence Cu and Pb effects did not result in the destruction of the photosynthetic apparatus but in its coordinated reduction. Growth at the heavy metal contaminated site resulted in a decreased (7 %) quantum yield of photochemistry in photosystem 2 (PS2), as given by the ratio Fy/Fn, measured in dark adapted leaves in the field. The half-rise time (ti/2) from the initial (Fq) to maximal (F^) Chl fluorescence was increased, suggesting that the amount of active pigments associated with the photochemical apparatus decreased and that the functional Chl antennae size of the photosynthetic apparatus was smaller compared to the control plants. Although Cu and Pb affected the photosynthetic apparatus in multiple ways, the prevailing effect was that on RuBPCO activity, which in tum must háve limited the overall photosynthetic activity.