A preliminary study of inorganic elements in the river bank soil and plants from the River Yamuna in Delhi has been carried out. Soil at Okhla, near the Water Works plant has a high zinc content (1,215 μg g(-1) and this is reflected in the high concentration of zinc (2,029 μg g(-1)) in Eichhornia plants growing in the river at this point. Although in general the aluminium content of the soils is low in comparison with the world mean, soil near the effluent from the ash settling basins of the Indraprathsa Power Station contains elevated aluminium.Eichhornia plants growing near this effluent are stunted and unhealthy, and is suggested that, taking into account the high pH, possible causes are toxicity from aluminium or boron.