In the present study, as already mentioned, some plant defence mechanisms against metal toxicity were triggered due to higher amount of copper in aboveground structures. When bioaugmentation was applied and copper levels increased even more these mechanisms were also activated.In fact, in leaves of plants exposed to sediment with copper and microbial consortium addition,although chlorophylls and carotenoids levels were identical to those in leaves of plants without bioaugmentation, the higher amount of copper in aboveground tissues induced an increase in total thiols compounds levels.