The content of heavy metals both in plants and in soils for growing agricultural crops steadily changes the state of ecological safety of the corresponding biocenosis. An increased amount of trace elements and compounds of heavy metals causes metabolic disorders in plant tissues. As a result, there is an accumulation of toxic elements in the crops, which disrupts the iocenosis in the system for both farm animals and humans. Therefore, the contamination of plant raw materials, in particular chicory, for the food industry with ions of heavy and toxic metals is a significant environmental problem
