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Rats were given a semipurified diet supplemented with phytate (10 g/kg) or calcium (6 g/kg) and lead (200 mg/kg) or cadmium (5 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. Addition of phytate or calcium reduced the accumulation of lead in bone (P less than 0.001) and in blood and liver samples (P greater than 0.05). The greatest inhibition of tissue lead retention was evident when phytate and calcium were fed together. Cadmium accumulation was measured in the liver and kidney and was increased (P less than 0.05) by the addition of calcium. Phytate inhibited the increase in tissue cadmium promoted by calcium supplementation but did not otherwise influence tissue cadmium levels. In a further experiment, weanling rats were given diets supplemented with cadmium (5 mg/kg) or lead (200 mg/kg) for 4 weeks, and the accumulation of these elements in the body tissues was estimated in some animals. A phytate-supplemented (10 g/kg) or phytate-free semipurified diet (free of lead and cadmium) was then given to the remaining rats for 4 weeks. Phytate supplementation was found to have no significant effect on the rate of loss of lead or cadmium from tissues.