Abstract:Thallium is a typical heavy metal element of acute toxicity and quite low in concentration in the background environment. With the exploration and utilization of Tl-containing mineral deposits, coal, oil and so on, Tl regional pollution and poisoning accidents occurred from time to time, posing a serious threat to public health. An introduction was presented to advancements in the study on thallium pollution, origin, distribution and migration of thallium, its harm to the ecosystem, and countermeasures. A new direction for the research on Tl-pollution was also put forward.