Global soil pollution by toxic metals threatens agriculture and human health

Title	Global soil pollution by toxic metals threatens agriculture and human health
Authors	Deyi Hou, Xiyue Jia, Liuwei Wang, Steve P. McGrath, Yong-Guan Zhu, Qing Hu, Fang-Jie Zhao, Michael S. Bank, David O’Connor, Jerome Nriagu
Magazine	Science
Date	04/18/2025
DOI	10.1126/science.adr5214
Introduction	Toxic metal contamination exhibits a widespread presence in soils, yet its global extent remains unquantified. This study evaluated a detailed global dataset concerning soil pollution by arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel, and lead, encompassing 796,084 sampling points from 1493 regional assessments. Advanced computational methods, specifically machine learning techniques, were employed to delineate regions where metal concentrations exceed agricultural and public health limits. The analysis identifies a significant, previously unaddressed zone of elevated metal concentration in low-latitude Eurasia, linked to prevailing climatic, geographical, and human-induced factors. This characteristic is considered an indicator of the Anthropocene epoch. The findings demonstrate that 14 to 17% of agricultural land globally experiences impacts from toxic metal contamination. Furthermore, it is projected that between 0.9 and 1.4 billion individuals reside in areas presenting elevated public health and environmental hazards.
Quote	Deyi Hou, Xiyue Jia and Liuwei Wang et al. Global soil pollution by toxic metals threatens agriculture and human health. Science. 2025. Vol. 388(6744):316-321. DOI: 10.1126/science.adr5214
Element	Arsenic (As) , Cobalt (Co) , Chromium (Cr) , Copper (Cu) , Nickel (Ni)
Industry	Agriculture , Research & Laboratory