10% Of China's Arable Land Faces "Grave" Problems From Toxins, Pollution - AFP

[hatrack]

China's pollution problems have damaged 10 million hectares, or one tenth, of the country's arable land, said the environment watchdog Tuesday as it called for expanding grass-roots monitoring staff in the rural areas. China faces "grave" soil pollution that jeopardizes the ecology, food safety, people's health and the sustainable development of agriculture, according to the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

It is estimated that each year 12 million tons of grain are contaminated by heavy metals in the soil, causing direct economic losses of more than 20 billion yuan (around 2.5 billion U.S. dollars), the SEPA said.

Irrigated sewage, scrap metal and acid rain are blamed for contaminated crops. China has about 120 million hectares of arable land, 13 percent of its land area.

Despite the efforts of SEPA's 160,000 environmental officials, China's environmental picture shows little optimism.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/One_Tenth_Of_Arable_Land_In_China_Suffers_From_Pollution_999.html

[kurth]

1. "Don’t Shit Where You Eat"

according to the old confused saying.

[sam sarrha]

2. the major cause of death in China is Environmental Polution, 35% ofthe polutiion in LA is from China

[amandabeech]

3. China seemingly has not listened to any environmental critic

and has followed the absolutely worst practices of the west.

They have built up so much completely outdated infrastructure and have problems in so many areas, including water, that they do not look like they will survive the 21st century with anything like the population that they have.

India will probably be same, but with even more water problems.