Spatial distribution and risk assessment of copper in agricultural soils, China

High Cu contamination in agricultural soil can cause toxicity, leading to ecological damages. Thus, we need to understand the concentration level, contaminated area, and spatial distribution of Cu in agricultural soils on a regional or national scale. This paper reviewed the studies on Cu concentrations throughout Chinese agricultural soils, based on relevant 482 published papers from 2004 to 2017. The results showed that the average Cu concentration was 29.85mg/kg, higher than its background of 22.60mg/kg, indicating that Cu has been introduced into soil from exterior sources. A large high spatial cluster was observed in southern China, including Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi provinces, while low spatial clusters were mainly found in Chongqing and Shandong provinces. About 3.08% of the agricultural areas faced a high Cu risk, higher than the pollution rates of the whole land uses, based on the spatial distribution of Cu concentrations throughout China. The remaining areas were within the ranges of moderate and low Cu risks.