In order to present the status of soil heavy metal pollution in Yinan County, Shandong Province, 4,779 surface soil samples were collected systematically in this area, and the concentration of Cd, Hg, Pb, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and pH value were analyzed. The geochemical characteristics of heavy metals and possible sources have been discussed by geostatistics, multivariate statistics, spatial analysis and other analysis methods. The results show that the Hg mean value in soil is slightly higher than the background value of surface soil in Linyi city, and the respective mean values of the other seven elements are equivalent to that of Linyi. Compared with the screening value of GB 15618—2018 (soil environmental quality risk control standard for soil contamination of agricultural land), the concentration over-standard rate of eight heavy metal elements in the research area is low. But the exceeding standard multiple of the maximum value is large, that shows local point and small pieces are seriously polluted. The concentration of 8 kinds of elements in the research area shows a three-step decline from west to east. The high concentration of Cd, Pb, Zn and As in the soil are mainly controlled by natu-ral source, parent rocks, superimposed different degrees of industrial and mining transportation and agricultural activities. Cr and Ni are almost completely controlled by parent rocks. Hg and Cu are controlled mainly by the mining and smelting activities of Yinan Jinchang and Tongjing gold mine, followed by industrial and traffic emissions, agricultural manure and pesticide application.
