Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Overlapped Areas of Farmland and Coal Resources in Xuzhou, China.

Heavy metals (As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Hg) in soil of a typical overlapped area of farmland and coal resources (OAFCR) in Xuzhou were investigated, meanwhile the pollution levels and risks of there were discussed. The results are: Pollution Load Index (PLI) showed no heavy metals (HMs) pollution; 3.74% of soil samples were above moderately accumulated with Hg; the ecological risk (E) values followed the order: Hg > Cd > Cu > As > Pb > Cr > Zn, and there has a moderate degree of potential ecological risk (PER) with the mean PER of 184.26; the non-carcinogenic risk of all seven HMs to human beings is acceptable, and the carcinogenic risk caused by As, Cd and Cr can be tolerated; the exposure ways both of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic is: oral > dermal > inhalation, while children are suffering higher health risks than adults.