Managing contaminants in farmed soils: case studies from China

Soil pollution has become a major concern in China, driven by rapid industrialization and urbanization, posing a substantial threat to agroecosystems and human health. Approximately 16.1% of surveyed soil sites in China, including one-fifth of its farmland, is polluted, primarily with heavy metals and metalloids, leading to serious implications for food safety and public health. This issue of soil pollution is particularly severe in southern China. In response, the Chinese government has launched initiatives such as the \"Soil Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan\" and various remediation projects to combat this problem. This chapter examines the extent of agricultural soil contamination in China, focusing on the widespread presence of pollutants like heavy metals, organic pollutants and emerging contaminants such as microplastics, and exploring ongoing efforts to implement sustainable agricultural practices, which may offer broader implications for global soil remediation and agricultural sustainability efforts.