Officials in Hong Kong have ramped up their checks of vegetables imported from mainland China this week following the revelation a number of farms in Yunnan may have been contaminated with the toxic chemical chromium.
A report released last week by environmental group Greenpeace alleged a chemical factory in Qujing in Yunnan had illegally dumped 5,000 tonnes of chromium residue on roadsides and mountains in the region, which may have seeped into local waterways supplying two to three nearby vegetable farms.
The report said 77 cattle had already died as a result of the dumping, with high levels of chromium detected in the Nanping River, reported the China Daily.
Hong Kong authorities have contacted their counterparts on the mainland and asked for an investigation, according to Secretary for Food and Health York Chow.
“They `Chinese officials` will investigate whether the farms that supply vegetables to Hong Kong are being affected by the incident,” he said.
