Impact of intensive greenhouse cultivation on soil health: implications for synergistic management of nutrients and contaminants

Under long-term greenhouse vegetable production, intensive nutrient inputs enhance crop yields but also lead to the accumulation of antibiotics and heavy metals in greenhouse soils, posing potential risks to crop productivity and soil health. However, studies examining the trade-offs between nutrient inputs and soil contamination remain limited in terms of quantitative assessment of contamination risks. In this study, greenhouse soils with different cultivation histories (<1 year, 5 years, and >10 years) were investigated. The risk quotient (RQ) and a multi-factor heavy metal pollution index (Pt) were used to quantitatively assess the potential risks of soil antibiotics and heavy metals (HMs) contamination to crop growth and soil health, identify key drivers of risks accumulation, and predict contamination risks under different nutrient levels through scenario analyses. The results showed that RQ exhibited “pseudo-persistence” during long-term cultivation and tended to accumulate in lower soil layers, whereas Pt increased continuously with cultivation duration and was predominantly retained in the plow pan layer. Soil nutrients were identified as the key drivers of antibiotic contamination risk, while soil texture played a dominant role in explaining heavy metal contamination risk. Scenario predictions indicated that further increases in nutrient inputs would substantially intensify soil contamination risks; notably, a 10 % increase in soil nutrient levels could elevate antibiotic contamination risk by more than 50 %. This study provides scientific evidence for the coordinated management of nutrient inputs and contamination risks in greenhouse agricultural systems. • Long-term greenhouse cultivation accumulates antibiotics and heavy metals in soil. • Antibiotics risk shows pseudo-persistence in soil, accumulating in deeper layers. • Heavy metals risk accumulates over time and peaks at the plow pan layer. • Soil nutrients drive antibiotics risk; soil texture drives heavy metals risk. • 10 % more nutrients can elevate antibiotics risk >50 %, worsening soil contamination.