More than a month after Zijin Mining's latest toxic spills, people from villages near the company's copper and gold smelters in Fujian say they are still living in fear of mounting health risks.
They have good reason to be worried. An analysis of the water and soil samples taken by the South China Morning Post shows abnormal levels of heavy metals in the soil and water in villages near Zijin Mountain.
A high concentration of cadmium - extremely toxic even in tiny amounts - was found in five out of six samples of drinking water and soil, in test results from the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences. The samples were taken in Meixi and nearby Jingmei villages in Shanghang county last month shortly after the spills occurred.
The cadmium level in one of two soil samples exceeded the national environmental watchdog's safety standard by nearly 30 per cent, according to the laboratory results.
Cadmium, a soft, bluish-white metal, is known to cause cancer and failure of the nervous system and lungs. It not only accumulates in soil but also contaminates the food chain through farm produce. Once absorbed into the body, its harmful effects can last for up to 35 years, according to studies by the World Health Organisation and Fudan University's School of Public Health.
Dai Tagen , a professor at Central South University's School of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering in Changsha, Hunan , said cadmium pollution was often seen near mines and smelting plants.
'Cadmium can be traced in the processing of nonferrous metals and industrial waste, and cadmium poisoning has become a serious problem across the country,' he said.