Differentiating environmental scenarios to establish geochemical baseline values for heavy metals in soil: A case study of Hainan Island, China.

Soil heavy metal distributions exhibit regional heterogeneity due to the complex characteristics of parent materials and soil formation processes, emphasizing the need for appropriate regional standards prior to assessing soil risks. This study focuses on Hainan Island and employs the Multi-purpose Regional Geochemical Survey dataset to establish heavy metal geochemical baseline and background values for soil using an iterative method. Geographical detector analysis reveals that parent materials are the primary factor influencing heavy metal distribution, followed by soil types and land use. Heavy metal geochemical baseline values are established for the island's three environments and administrative regions. Notably, a universal geochemical baseline value cannot adequately represent regional variations in heavy metal distribution, with parent materials playing a crucial role in various scenarios. Locally applicable values based on parent material are the most representative for Hainan Island. This study provides a reference framework for developing region-specific environmental baseline values for soil heavy metal assessments.