Spatial interpolation of cadmium contamination of agricultural soils in Changhua County, Taiwan

[[abstract]]A robust spatial model to interpolate topsoil cadmium concentrations monitored by Taiwan EPA was constructed for assessment of health risks posed by this contamination in Changhua County, Taiwan. kriging methods, using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS), were used to estimate the range and severity of topsoil contamination. Optimised Kriging models and geostatistical analyses revealed that much of the farm topsoil in the catchment area was polluted above the levels established for human health. Cadmium hotspots (10–600 mg/kg) are identified in a highly populated region in the County