Guangdong leads the way in handling contaminated soil

HALF A YEAR AFTER THE STATE COUNCIL, China's Cabinet, issued a national soil pollution prevention action plan, the Guangdong provincial government in South China has published a detailed implementation plan on its website. Southern Metropolis Daily comments:

China has experienced rapid economic growth since the early 1980s, but the harmful side effects of that growth have become increasingly evident. One of those unwanted side effects is soil pollution.

Official data show that 16.1 percent of the soil nationwide is affected, of which 1.1 percent is heavily polluted. And heavy metals are major contaminants that not only harm the ecology, but also pose potential threats to the health of residents.