This study collected past sampling data on total concentrations of 12 heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, Zn, Cu, Ni, Al, Fe, Mn, As, and Co) in surface water bodies, i.e., 168 rivers and 71 lakes, from 1972 to 2017. The intent was to investigate the levels and sources of heavy metal pollution across five decades and five continents. Mean heavy metal concentrations in global river and lake water, and the number of heavy metals with concentrations greater than the published threshold limits as per the standards of both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection...
