Nearly one fifth of China's soil contaminated, report says

Nearly one fifth of the soil in China is reportedly contaminated, an official study released by the country's Environmental Protection Ministry has revealed.

The study, conducted between 2005-2013, found that 16.1 percent of China's soil and 19.4 percent of its arable land showed contamination, the BBC reported.

The conclusion was made after sampling an area of 6.3 million square kilometres, which accounts for two-third of China's land area.

The report specifically named three chemical elements namely cadmium, nickel and arsenic as top pollutants in the Chinese soil.

The ministry said in the statement that the survey showed that it is hard to be optimistic about the state of soil nationwide.

It added that due to long periods of extensive industrial development and high pollutant emissions, some regions have suffered deteriorating land quality and serious soil pollution.

Meanwhile, the Ministry assured that adequate measures will be implemented, including a "soil pollution plan" and better legislation in wake of the grim situation.