Rural environmental sanitation status in Nanjing, China, 2018—2021

Objective To investigate the rural environmental sanitation status in Nanjing, China, and to provide a scientific basis for improving rural environmental sanitation quality.

Methods In 2018—2021, four villages from each of five townships by the stratified random sampling method, were selected annually at the monitoring sites of Gaochun District and Pukou District of Nanjing to conduct rural environmental sanitation survey and laboratory testing of heavy metal content in soil samples.

Results All the monitoring sites were provided with central water supply in 2018—2021. The proportions of households with sanitary latrines in the monitored villages were 98.56%(36 825/37 362), 95.88%(35 061/36 569), 97.88%(43 474/44 415), and 99.99%(47 643/47 649), respectively, with a significant difference among them (χ²= 589.57, P < 0.01). The main style of the sanitary latrines was three-cell. The percentages of the processing mode by which feces in household latrines were emptied into the sewerage system were 37.50%(15/40), 60.00%(24/40), 67.50%(27/40), and 67.50%(27/40) in 2018—2021, respectively, with a significant difference among them (χ²= 9.94, P = 0.019). The domestic sewage was discharged by sanitary sewers completely in 2021, and the percentage of the campaign of killing the four pests was significantly increased year by year (all P < 0.05). The contents of lead and cadmium were higher than the standard risk screening value of soil environmental quality for soil contamination of agricultural land.

Conclusion Rural environmental sanitation in Nanjing has been improved year by year, and vector control and soil heavy metal monitoring should be further strengthened.