Nine ministries on Monday launched a year-long campaign to rein in illegal lead-acid battery makers in the wake of a string of heavy-metal pollution scandals.

In a village near Taizhou city in coastal Zhejiang province, 138 people have been found to have excessive lead levels in their blood because of pollution from a nearby battery plant.

"The plant is virtually in the neighborhood, because the plan to relocate the residents was never implemented," said Zhang Lijun, vice-minister of environmental protection, adding that such illegal practices are quite common in the lead-acid battery industry.

Most of the small and medium-sized battery makers failed to run their pollution treatment facilities regularly, nor did they treat hazardous wastes properly, said Zhang, citing the latest inspections of 388 battery plants in 11 provinces the ministry conducted this month.

As well, most plants don't follow the rules about keeping a safe distance from residents, Zhang said.

Every year, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the National Development and Reform Commission, and other related government departments carry out a campaign to tackle illegal polluting enterprises.

However, Zhang said that 110 out of the 388 battery makers were left out in last year's inspection, suggesting that scrutiny is far from thorough.

All provinces are required to release to the media a list of lead-acid battery makers, assemblers and recyclers by the end of July for public scrutiny, said Zhang. Any plants violating environmental regulations will be closed down.

In a separate move, the ministry said it will carry out an intensified soil pollution survey in key production areas for grain, vegetables and fruits, as well as heavily polluted regions near mining sites, to better manage environmental risks.

The country conducted a nationwide land survey in 2007, collecting more than 210,000 soil samples and 5 million items of data, which helped to provide a comprehensive picture of the scale and scope of soil pollution problems, said Li Ganjie, vice-minister of environmental protection.

But the survey needs to be intensified in key food production areas, Li said.

The country will also set up archives to register soil quality for agricultural lands to better avoid pollution and ensure food safety.