China - 3 Million+ Ha Arable Land Too Polluted For Crops; Largest Restoration To Date - 85 Ha
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In addition, 19.4 percent of surveyed arable land had levels of pollution higher than the national standard, according to Minister of Environmental Protection Chen Jining. That means about 3.33 million hectares of arable land are not suitable for growing crops. Soil pollution by heavy metals is especially severe in China’s central and southwestern areas, according to a 2014 report. The pollution has contaminated crops, leading to health hazards and fueling environmental concerns.
In Baiyin City in northwest China’s Gansu Province, the 38-kilometer Dongdagou River was once the biggest source of pollution on the upper reaches of the Yellow River, with tens of millions of tons of heavy metal waste pouring into the Yellow River each year.
Tests by Peking University showed that silt in the Dongdagou River contained levels of cadmium 2,200 times the national standard, while mercury was 2,000 times higher. “At first it was adults who were losing their teeth. Then it was children,” said a resident. “Soon even goats that ate the grass near the river began to lose teeth.”
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Even though the situation is bad, at least one locality is seeing good results in treating contaminated soil. Guangxi’s Huanjiang County was once home to heavily polluted soil but efforts since 2005 have seen more than 85 hectares of crop fields returned to normal in the country’s biggest soil restoration project.
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http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nation/Battle-to-clean-Chinas-soil-an-uphill-struggle/shdaily.shtml