TITLE:
Spatial Distribution and Influencing Factors of Soil Heavy Metals in Honghe Prefecture Based on Geodetector
AUTHORS:
Jiacheng Shu, Li Bao
KEYWORDS:
Heavy Metal Pollution, GIS, Source Apportionment, Influencing Factors, Geodetector
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.14 No.7,
July
21,
2026
ABSTRACT: Honghe Prefecture in Yunnan Province is a typical geological high-background area, where excessive soil heavy metal contents have posed adverse impacts locally. This study adopted geodetector and spatial interpolation techniques to explore the spatial distribution and influencing factors of six soil heavy metals, namely cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As). The results showed that the average contents of the six heavy metals in the study area all exceeded the soil element background values of Yunnan Province. Spatially, high-value areas of the six heavy metals were mainly concentrated in the central part of the region. Geodetector analysis revealed that soil pH, GDP and population (POP) were the dominant factors affecting soil heavy metals. The interaction detector indicated that the interaction of various factors presented either non-linear enhancement or bivariate enhancement. The combination of soil organic matter and POP exerted the strongest interactive effect on Pb. This study clarifies the influencing factors of soil heavy metals in the region, and provides scientific assessment methods and decision support for other similar high-background areas, possessing important scientific value and practical significance.