[News & Analysis] Environmental Science: China Gets Serious About Its Pollutant-Laden Soil

A recent national survey found that 2.5% of China's arable land is too contaminated to grow food safely. The survey's details were so alarming that they were declared a "state secret." Now, the central government appears eager to tackle the problem; China's latest 5-year plan singles out five industries as egregious soil polluters and sets a target to reduce, by 2015, discharges of heavy metals by 15% from 2007 levels. Author: Christina Larson
Source: Science: This Week - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Environmental Science Source Type: research