Risk Identification of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils from a Typically High Cd Geological Background Area in Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River

This study adopted two risk assessment models to estimate the potential risk of heavy metals (HMs) in agricultural soils from a high Cd geological background area. Results were as follows: HMs posed an extremely high potential ecological risk (PER) (PER = 2051 1200) ascribed to Cd contribution. The overall non-carcinogenic risk (HI) of HMs for children (HI 1) was unacceptable. Contributions of HMs to HI generally decreased in the order of Cr As Pb Cd Ni Cu Zn. The total carcinogenic risk (TCR) value for adults (2.1 × 10