Paddy crops cadmium (Cd) pollution has received widespread attention. Here, we assessed levels of Cd and organic matter fractions in sediments and paddy system of 19 paddy fields that were located 20 km away from an irrigation water source in central Hunan Province, China, to determine pollution risks of Cd to human health. With the exception of a single study site, levels of Cd in irrigation water met national irrigation water quality standards (GB5084-2005). In contrast, average Cd content in paddy soil and brown rice (0.625 and 0.567 mg kg−...
