National survey takes the lid off China pollution

By Zuo Likun (
Updated: 2010-02-09 14:29
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China has discharged 49.15 million tons of industrial solid waste and 39,400 tons of industrial hazardous waste throughout the year of 2007, according to information released in the first national survey, the China Economic Net reported.

Zhang Lijun, deputy chief of Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, revealed the latest findings of a two-year national survey on the country's pollution at a press conference in Beijing Tuesday.

During the year of 2007, in the nation's wastewater, there were 30.29 million tons of chemical oxygen demand (COD), an indicator of organic and nutrient matters in wastewater, 1.73 million tons of ammoniacal nitrogen as well as 900 tons of heavy metal pollutants.

As for the exhaust gas in China, 23.2 million tons of sulfur dioxide, 17.98 million tones of nitrogen oxides and 19.21 million tons of dusts were floating in the air by 2007.

The national survey -- focusing on industrial pollution, agricultural pollution, domestic refuses and the country's pollution control facilities -- warned the country's water pollution couldn't be solved unless agricultural pollution in rural China were heeded.