We attempted to estimate whether mycotoxins might account for the increased risk of human esophageal cancer (HEC) in Henan province, China. Corn and wheat as staple foods were collected in 1989, 1995 and 1997 from Linxian and Shangqiu counties, the high- and low-risk areas of HEC in Henan, respectively, and analyzed for the occurrence of trichothecenes, fumonisins, zearalenone and aflatoxin B₁. Among these mycotoxins examined, fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) and deoxynivalenol (DON) were major toxins exposing populations in both areas through corn consumption. According to the risk assessment of FB₁ and DON in both areas based on their levels in the staples, the estimated probable daily intake (PDI) values of FB₁ and DON for the high-risk area were 1.6 to 1.9 and 4.9 to 9.2 times higher, respectively, than those for the low-risk area. As compared with the tolerable daily intake (TDI) values of FB₁, which is estimated 800 ng/kg bw per day based on the published toxicological data, PDI values of FB₁ especially in 1995 and 1997 for both areas were 3.0 to 6.8 times of the TDI value. The PDI value of DON for the high-risk area was above its TDI (1, 000 ng/kg bw per day) in 1989 and 1995, whereas the PDI for the low-risk area was below the TDI in three years. The results obtained in the present study hardly support the hypothesis that FB₁ contamination increases the risk of HEC in Henan province, China. Considering HEC as a multifactorial disease, however, FB₁ as well as DON may be considered to be one of factors involved in HEC.