PurposeIrregular　e-waste　dismantling　has　induced　serious　soil　pollution　of　combined　contaminants.　The　application　of　lime　to　paddy　soils　effectively　prevents　the　accumulation　of　Cd　from　soil　to　rice　grains.　However,　its　applicability　for　rice　safety　production　in　the　Cd　and　As　contaminated　paddy　soils　has　not　been　well　clarified.MethodsLime　was　applied　to　three　randomized　fields　across　various　villages　and　years　to　evaluate　its　applicability.　High-throughput　sequencing　was　used　to　analyze　soil　bacterial　and　protist　communities.　Random　forest　analysis,　variance　partitioning　analysis,　and　structural　equation　modelling　were　employed　to　reveal　the　underlying　mechanisms　in　the　regulations　on　Cd　and　As　accumulation　in　rice　grains.　Besides,　economic　benefit　analysis　of　input　and　output　was　performed　to　compare　the　applicability　of　technologies.ResultsIn　general,　lime　incorporation　with　the　XS14　(a　rice　variety　with　low　accumulation　of　heavy　metals)　substantially　reduced　Cd　and　As　content　in　the　polished　rice　grains,　and　met　the　Chinese　food　safety　standard　limits.　Statistical　analyses　illustrated　soil　abiotic　variables　mainly　drove　Cd　variances,　while　soil　biotic　variables　predominantly　affected　As　contents,　in　the　unpolished　grains.　Particularly,　soil　protist　communities　played　essential　roles　in　Cd　and　As　content　in　the　unpolished　grains,　which　was　affected　by　soil　pH　after　lime　application.　Moreover,　the　output　/　input　ratio　was　significantly　increased　by　lime　addition　through　rice　safety　production.ConclusionLime　incorporation　with　the　XS14　overcome　the　difficulties　of　the　coordinated　reductions　of　Cd　and　As　in　rice　grains　and　has　strong　applicability　in　combined　polluted　paddy　soils.