Experts urge action on soil pollution  

(ECNS) -- Experts in China are calling for a soil environment protection law amid the deteriorating soil condition in the country.

The exposure of rice tainted with cadmium, and vegetables tainted with heavy metals in China have spurred public concerns over the grave soil condition in the country.

"Our soil is sick!" said Chen Nengchang, a researcher at the Guangdong Institute of Eco-environment and Soil Sciences, adding that "China is facing a grave situation in soil pollution, with problems such as expanding arable land affected by pesticides and heavy metals."

According to media reports, China now is home to 150 million mu (100,000 hectares) of polluted arable land, which accounts for 8.3 percent of the total farmland in the country.

Soil pollution is both chronic and severe,which can pose a threat to the country's food security and safety, said Qian Guanlin, vice director of the population, resources and environmental committee under the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

To improve the soil quality, all stakeholders should join hands in soil protection by strengthening controls on polluting sources and conducting soil remediation, according to Hu Dinghuan, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

A full-fledged environment law is also needed to protect the soil from pollution, said Chen.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is now pushing for a draft of China's first soil environment law, according to an official from the ministry.

Experts hope penalties for soil pollution can be increased under the new legislation.