REPORT SAYS ONE QUARTER OF PEARL RIVER DELTA SOIL IS POLLUTED

GUANGDONG - The Guangdong Land and Resources Bureau has reported that approximately 28% of soil in the Pearl River Delta is polluted by heavy metals. The Delta makes up 14% of the province and contains the urban centres of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Much of the polluted soil was marked as Level III or worse, meaning it poses serious health hazards. Guangdong is the first province to release data on soil pollution, following a public outcry earlier this year when cadmium-tainted rice was discovered in Guangdong.