ABSTRACT: Due to the continuous lack of specific background values (BVs) for soil heavy metals in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in Henan province (HPHP), many researchers have used soil heavy BVs specific to Henan Province (HP) or Fluvisols of China (FC) as reference criteria to assess soil heavy metal pollution. However, spatial differences in the soil heavy metal BVs between HPHP, HP, and FC, as well as within the HPHP, remain uncertain, affecting the reliability of evaluation results. A total of 897 surface soil samples were collected from the HPHP, with 336 and 561 samples collected from the southern and northern parts of the Shaying River, respectively. According to the obtained results, the BVs of soil Hg, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ni in the HPHP were 0.064, 6.67, 0.129, 53.24, 19.67, 22.87, 64.0
