Pearl River Delta vegetables contain excessive amounts of arsenic, other poisons

Even as worries over last month's cadmium-tainted rice revelations still linger, Guangdong residents were confronted by new concerns that as much as one-fifth of the Pearl River Delta's vegetables contain excessive amounts of heavy metals.

The widespread vegetable contamination was detailed by a provincial agriculture official last week while attempting to raise awareness about the worsening problem of farmland pollution in the province.

The official, Yu Jiane , said the spread of heavy metals used in manufacturing, such as arsenic, cadmium, copper and mercury, was a "regional problem, covering a large area" after Guangdong's decades-long industrial boom.

"As a result, about 10 to 20 per cent of vegetables grown in nine vegetable production centres, including Dongguan , Conghua and [Guangzhou's] Panyu [district], were tested to contain more heavy metals than the country's safety levels allow," Yu was quoted as saying by the Nanfang Daily, a provincial mouthpiece.

Traces of lead, chromium, zinc and nickel were also found in some vegetables. Such heavy metals can accumulate in the body over years, causing organ and nerve damage, and even cancer.

The mainland has been repeatedly beset by food safety scares, which have become a major source of public unhappiness in recent years. Last month, anger erupted online after the Guangzhou government said nearly half of rice samples collected from local markets in the first three months of the year tested positive for cadmium.

Ma Jun , director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said pollution in the Pearl River Delta was among the worst in the country due to its large concentration of electronics manufacturers, electroplating plants, and leather and textile workshops.