China is to unroll a national survey to identify heavy metal hotspots, chemicals and other toxic¹ pollutants² as it tries to rectify³ its $1tn soil pollution blight⁴.

中国将展开全国性调查，以查明重金属、化学物质和其他有毒污染物热点区域。目前中国正试图清理土壤污染，这可能需要投入1万亿美元。

After years of breakneck growth that skated over environmental concerns, the country is starting to recognise the toll⁵ on health, quality of life and agricultural productivity. Among the latest casualties, hundreds of students at an elite⁶ school in eastern China fell ill because of toxins⁷ from a former pesticide⁸ site adjacent to its new campus.

在经济多年快速增长、却忽视环境问题之后，中国开始意识到污染对健康、生活质量和农业生产率造成的损害。最新的受害者包括华东一所精英学校的数百名学生，新校区旁边一个原来生产农药的场地的有毒物质使他们患病。

Chen Jining, environment minister, said the survey would kick off a long-awaited plan for tackling soil pollution, the results of which are expected in May. But geology experts caution that the sensitivity of the issue means it may not be published, noting that an earlier one in 2014 was initially⁹ classed a state secret.

中国环保部长陈吉宁表示，这项调查将开启人们期待已久的治理土壤污染计划，预计调查结果在5月份即可出炉。但地质专家们警告称，这个问题的敏感性意味着这些结果可能不会发表。他们指出，2014年出炉的上一次调查结果最初被列为国家机密。

That survey, published three years after completion, found that about one-fifth of agricultural land is polluted. Yet according to Chen Nengchang, of the independent Guangdong Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, the survey was imprecise as it relied on soil sampling rather than detailing the worst-polluted sites.

那次调查在完成三年后才发表结果；调查发现中国大约五分之一的农地已被污染。然而，据独立的广东省生态环境与土壤研究所(Guangdong Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences)的陈能场介绍，那次调查不准确，因为它依赖于土壤取样，而不是详细排查污染最严重的地点。

Even so, it showed pollution was “worse than expected”, said Lin Jingxing of the Research Center of Earth Environmental Sciences, part of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. “For the next step, we need a clear idea of what’s beneath housing compounds and schools. Not every plot of land should be turned into a construction site.”

中国地质科学院(Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences)地球环境科学研究中心的林景星表示，即便如此，那次调查也表明污染情况“比预期更加糟糕”。“下一步，我们需要对住宅小区和学校地面下的污染情况有一个清晰概念。并不是每一个地块都应该变成建筑用地。”

This is also the most politically sensitive information, as mapping the hotspots would identify the corporations responsible for the pollution, unleash¹⁰ demands for compensation and, local officials fear, make it impossible to sell any agricultural produce or property near those sites.

这也是在政治上最敏感的信息，因为绘制污染热点将暴露哪些企业要对污染负责，引发索赔要求，同时当地官员担心，这将使污染热点附近的农产品或房地产卖不出去。

As such, Mr Lin cautioned the latest survey may never see the light of day. “The results would have too many negative implications and could cause public panic.” Even so, he said it could still be helpful in spurring government action.

有鉴于此，林景星告诫称，最新调查可能永远不会发表。“结果将有太多的负面影响，可能导致公众恐慌。”但他表示，即便如此，这些结果仍可能有助于刺激政府采取行动。

Ma Jun, head of the non-profit Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs promoting public participation¹¹ and transparency in solving China’s environmental problems, said the ideal survey would help set priorities and establish a baseline to measure the success of remedial work.

非营利组织——公众与环境研究中心(Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs)主任马军表示，理想的调查将有助于确定优先事项，并建立一个基准来衡量土壤修复工作成功与否。该组织提倡在解决中国的环境问题时促进公众参与和提高透明度。

“We hope for a more transparent¹² process,” he said. “Mitigation is costly¹³ and no one can see the results. It’s not like air pollution where the public can see whether the effort is effective or not.”

“我们希望有一个更透明的过程，”马军表示。“治理土壤污染成本很高，而且谁也看不见结果。它不像大气污染，公众可以看到治理效果好不好。”

China has invited international soil re-mediation experts, the World Bank and Chinese academics to do pilot remediation projects over the past decade but has rebuffed offers to classify the sources and distribution of soil pollution.

在过去10年中，中国已邀请国际土壤修复专家、世界银行(World Bank)和中国学者进行修复试点项目，但拒绝了对土壤污染的来源和分布进行分类的提议。