20% of China’s farmland polluted
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A fifth of China’s farmland is polluted, according to an offical report based on the results of an extensive survey. Soil pollution has long been a concern in China due to the country’s rapid industrialization and the report carried on the website of theMinistry of Environmental Protection confirms the extent of the problem. The report states that pollutants in more than 16% of Chinese soil exceeds national standards and that figure rises to 20% for arable land.
It describes the situation as “not optimistic” and said said that the quality of farmland is worrying while deserted industrial and mining land is seriously polluted. The main causes of soil pollution are industry and agriculture, according to the report. Cadmium, nickel and arsenic are the top three pollutants found.