The spatiotemporal variation in heavy metals in China's farmland soil over the past 20 years: A meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#china #environmental-monitoring #farms #metals-heavy #risk-assessment

The spatiotemporal variation in heavy metals in China's farmland soil over the past 20 years: A meta-analysis

Ren et al., 2022 | Sci Total Environ | Meta Analysis

Citation

Ren Shuyi, Song Changqing, ... Gao Peichao. The spatiotemporal variation in heavy metals in China's farmland soil over the past 20 years: A meta-analysis. Sci Total Environ. 2022-Feb-01;806(Pt 2):150322. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150322

Abstract

Accurate information on farmland soil heavy metal elements is needed for pollution management and strategic decision making at the national level. In this paper, we review the Chinese literature on soil heavy metal elements (i.e., arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc) over the past 20 years using meta-analysis. The overall pollution status, spatiotemporal distribution patterns and driving factors of heavy metals in China's farmland soil are explored by using the geoaccumulation index, the standard deviation ellipse method and the PCA/APCS model, respectively. The results show that most heavy metals in farmland soil from the study cases are similar to the world average. Seven types of elements have increased compared with background values. Cd and Hg have become the top polluting elements in China and industrial and agricultural activities are the main sources of current heavy metal element enrichment. Regional natural-social-economic differences have led to significant spatial heterogeneity of heavy metal pollution, showing an intensity pattern unfavourable to national food security. In the time period, the overall distribution range gradually increased with the accelerated growth of regional industrial output, and there was a tendency for the gravity centre of the pollution studies to migrate inland to the northwest and southwest. Regionally differentiated environmental regulation and pollution remediation measures should be developed for pollution prevention and control in the future.

Key Findings

Regionally differentiated environmental regulation and pollution remediation measures should be developed for pollution prevention and control in the future.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • China
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Farms
  • Metals, Heavy
  • Risk Assessment
  • Soil
  • Soil Pollutants

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Review
  • Vertical: chromium

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09