Abstract:Tungsten has been listed as an emerging contaminant by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Tungsten can accumulate in soils through multiple avenues, creating potential damages to soil and biological ecosystems. However, our understanding of the occurrence, biogeochemical cycling and ecological risk of soil tungsten are limited. Based on previous research progresses and our experimental data, this paper systematically summarizes the content levels of tungsten in typical soils, tungsten’s environmental interface behaviors, as well as its accumulations and health risks to biological ecosystems. Finally, we highlight scientific problems and key research directions for future studies and call for more attention on the (i) ecological and environmental risks, (ii) biogeochemical processes, and (iii) risk management and remediation of soil tungsten.