Objective  The aim was to evaluate the ecological and health risk of soil heavy metals in typical sugarcane production farmland in the border area of Yunnan Province.

  Method  A total of 281 soil samples (0 ~ 30 cm) and another 10 soil background samples were collected for the determination of 8 heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Hg and As). The geo-accumulation indices (I_geo) were calculated and the probabilistic health risk models were run to evaluate ecological and health risk, respectively.

  Result  The background values (BV) of most heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and As) in the soils of the study area were significantly lower than the corresponding provincial ones, excepting that the BV of Hg was higher than that of Yunnan Province and there was no significant difference in Pb. The variation coefficients of 8 heavy metals were at the medium variation level ranged from 27.5% to 82.5% in the soil of sugarcane field. The contents of Cd and Cr in sugarcane fields were higher than their local BV, but the average contents of 8 heavy metals were below the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land (GB15618-2018). Human activities had caused ecological risks of Cd, Cr, Ni and Cu in sugarcane field soils. The carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk of adult males, females and children caused by heavy metal exposure in sugarcane field were all at an acceptable level. The sensitivity parameters of carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk were the frequency of soil contact, soil Cr concentration and body weight, soil contact frequency, soil Ni, Pb and As concentration and body weight, respectively.

  Conclusion  In general, the evaluation of soil heavy metals reflected that the soil quality in the region was at a clean level, and it was suggested to strengthen fertilization management in the future.