The increase of bacterial community tolerance to Cu, and of cotolerance to the antibiotics tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC), was studied in three soils spiked with six different Cu concentrations (resulting in 0, 125, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg kg−1 into soils) in a laboratory experiment, after 42 days of incubation. The results show significant increases of bacterial community tolerance to the metal when soil Cu concentrations were between 125 and 500 mg kg−1. Moreover, Cu soil pollution also caused cotolerance to the three antibiotics studied but for higher Cu concentrations (1000 mg kg−1).