The approaches of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were mainly used to analyze the loess characteristics of arid farmland in northwest China, and the Tessier sequential extraction method was utilized to determine the Pb content of different chemical speciation. The results showed: that the specific surface area is 291 m2·g-1 and the silt particles account for 80.87% of total loess samples. The sample structure, composed of particles, appears on clear surface with chip thickness of 3～5 μm. The dominant mineral phase is quartz and potassium mica, with small amounts of K-feldspar and serpentine. In addition, the kaolinite and calcite are important components indicated from FTIR spectra with low content of organic matter. The content of Pb in loess sample is higher than that of Shaanxi province and nationwide, the residual speciation of Pb accounts for 64.04% of total Pb content. The achievements are significant for the remediation of polluted soil in future.