Jie Zhou: Heavy Metal Pollution in China

Heavy Metal Pollution in China

In the sense of environmental pollution, heavy metals are described as metals & metalloids which are distinctively toxic to organisms and environment. Cadmium, lead & mercury are commonly cited as being of the greatest public health concern.

China’s 12^th 5-year-plan which is passed earlier this year has a concentration on tackling heavy metal pollution. According to the plan, there are 14 provinces and autonomous regions severely polluted by heavy metals, and are critical to take action immediately. Most of them are located in the southern part of China.

There are two origins of heavy metal. Geological background level of heavy metal is low in China. Most of the natural resource contains some sort of heavy metal itself. While generation of heavy metal through human activities is high, causing pollution to air, soil, and water from 3 sources:

Industry emission is the main source of heavy metal pollution in China. The emission of heavy metals is from smelting, coal burning, purification of metals, fuel burning, and tire wear.

Wastewater irrigation is another main source of heavy metal pollution. During the development of mining, zincification, stabilized compounds of dye and plastics, colorants in oil paint and the tire manufacturing industry, they produce tons of wastewater, either merge into rivers, or penetrate soil in farmlands. Wastewater irrigation is very common in China, especially in the northwestern area, where there is a lack of water resources.

The third source of heavy metal is Solid Waste referring to fertilizing sludge, usage of the chemical fertilizer, and agro-chemicals increased heavy metal pollution; wasted electronic equipment also generates emissions of different kind of heavy metal, which harm human health.

A very basic Strategy to prevent public health from heavy metal pollution is to curb the pollution source. The Chinese government has made regulations in controlling the emission of heavy metal. Corporations which have not undergone the related assessment, for example, will be forced to discontinue production until they can meet such requirements.

Controlling and improving contaminated resource is also important. Methods for contaminated soil are in 4 categories: Physical, Biological, Chemical, and Agricultural method.

China’s State Council recently passed the “Twelfth Five-year Plan to Combat Heavy Metal Pollution” requiring that pollution from heavy metal emissions in critical areas be reduced by 15 percent, compared to 2007, by the year 2015. For all other areas, the pollution levels from heavy metal emissions should not exceed the levels reached in 2007.