"Soil pollution may directly damage residents' health while it would also affect food, crops and underground water to pose a danger to health. The public has the right to know about soil pollution," Ma said. He said that compared with other pollutions such as air and water, soil pollution is much more difficult to judge by members of the public, which is one reason why the ministry should publish the information to keep them informed.

"The country has never made public any information about soil pollution. Questions such as what buildings are set up above polluted earth or what crops are still being cultivated in polluted soil may spark panic among residents," said Ma. "But this should not be a reason for the ministry refusing to publish."

Ma called on the ministry to publish at least part of its survey result with explanations of how pollution came about and what measures should be taken to prevent it in future.

So far, there has been no response from the ministry.

Air and water pollution in China raised concerns recently after a map was widely circulated online showing that China had at least 247 "cancer villages" throughout the mainland.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Environmental Protection admitted the existence of such villages and said pollution was to blame for high cancer rates among their residents.

Related

• China to contain increasingly severe soil pollution
• Chinese gov't vows to curb soil pollution
• Soil pollution poisons more than farmland

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)