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Evolution and Future Path of Global Farmland Soil Pollution Remediation Over the Past Five Decades
Summary
This research review analyzed 50 years of studies on cleaning up polluted farmland and found that scientists are increasingly focused on three major threats: heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and newer contaminants like microplastics in soil where our food grows. The study shows that while we're getting better at removing heavy metals from farmland, microplastics and other emerging pollutants are becoming bigger research priorities because we're still learning how they might affect the safety of our food supply. This matters because contaminated farmland can lead to pollutants ending up in the fruits and vegetables we eat.
The control and remediation of farmland soil pollution represent a significant global concern. Isolated studies alone, however, are insufficient to comprehensively identify research hotspots and emerging trends. This study addresses these gaps by collecting and screening relevant literature from the past 50 years and then comprehensively evaluating publication trends, keyword distributions, and other metrics. The results reveal an S-shaped growth in annual publications, indicating maturation of the field. A robust international collaborative network has formed, with major agricultural nations including China, the United States, and India as core participants. Thematic analysis identifies three persistent core research themes over the past decade: remediation technologies for heavy metals, sources and risks of heavy metals and organic pollutants, and the environmental behavior and ecological effects of emerging contaminants. Further analysis of keyword evolution from 2015 to 2024 delineates three typical trends: high-intensity and high-growth topics (e.g., microplastics (MPs), ecological risk) approaching mainstream prominence; high-intensity but declining topics (e.g., soil leaching, phthalic acid esters (PAEs)) facing bottlenecks; and low-intensity but high-growth topics (e.g., random forest, microbial remediation) showing significant breakthrough potential. Future research should pursue full-chain innovation, encompassing everything from mechanistic exploration and intelligent modeling to engineering implementation. By integrating data science, soil chemistry, and environmental engineering, it will deepen our understanding of the toxicity mechanisms underlying complex soil contamination, and develop a technical framework for intelligent decision-making and context-specific customization. These research directions promise to further advance the translation of laboratory findings into field applications, thereby providing guidance for soil remediation and risk management strategies in farmland.
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