LAUSR

Heavy metals can accumulate in nearby farmland soil through leakage of tailings and suspended dust, thereby posing a threat to local agriculture and human health. This study measured the heavy metal content (mercury, Hg; copper, Cu; zinc, Zn; lead, Pb; cadmium, Cd; selenium, Se; manganese, Mn) of farmland soils and wheat from twelve villages near a tailing dam in Baotou, China to evaluate the potential risks to the local ecosystem and human health. The results of the Contamination Factor ( C f ) and Geo-accumulation Index ( I geo ) indicated serious soil Hg, Se, and Cu contamination. Nemerow Composite Index ( NCI ) values showed that ±75% of the total sampling sites suffered heavy metal pollution. Soil Potential Ecological Risk Index ( IRs ) to the west of the tailings exceeded those to the southwest, demonstrating higher levels of Hg and Cd. The Hazard Quotient ( HQ ) of Mn for adults and children exceeded 3.0, whereas the HQ of Cu for children exceeded 1.0; the Hazard Index ( HIs ) for both adults and children exceeded 2.0. The results indicate that long-term consumption of wheat grains contaminated with heavy metals in the study area may result in adverse non-carcinogenic health risks, in particular among children. The accumulation of Cd posed carcinogenic risks to human health in two villages (>1 × 10 −4 ). There is an urgent need to regulate the pollution of farmland soil near the tailings dams to mitigate risks to human health.