The potential sources and health risks associated with 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 16 samples of topsoil collected from the banks of Minjiang river in Fujian Province, China, analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) are discussed. The results indicate the total concentrations of the 16PAHs ranged from 70.70 to 1667.83 μg/kg, with the mean of 480.28 μg/kg. The distribution of the PAHs along the Minjiang River revealed a W-shaped pattern, with the higher concentrations of PAHs detected in the soil of urban districts, and lower concentrations detected in the suburbs. The dominant compounds were 2~3 ring PAHs, with the highest concentrations relating to naphthalene. Diagnostic ratios including the proportions of PAHs, their principle components and multiple linear regression analyses indicate that the sources of the PAHs in soils were most likely a mixture of fossil fuels and combustion residues, namely 41.45% from the combustion of petroleum fuel, 49.34% from the combustion of biomass and petroleum sources, and 9.21% from the combustion of coal. The concentration of the toxic benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (TEQ_BaP) varied from 3.10 to 121.15 μg/kg (mean, 36.71 μg/kg), and in total, 37.50% of the sample sites exceeded Dutch agricultural soil standards(33.00 μg/kg), suggesting the soil is polluted by PAHs. The incremental lifetime cancer risk values (ILCRs) fluctuated from 10^-8 to 10^-6, indicating a lower carcinogenic risk to residents.