A motorist waits during a sand storm in heavily polluted weather in Beijing on Feb. 28.
The Middle Kingdom is reeling over news that thousands of dead pigs were found in Shanghai’s main water source. The disgusting discovery has raised questions about contamination, although officials insist the pig-laden water is safe to drink. The scandal comes amid growing concerns about the safety of China’s water, air and soil (not to mention food). Only five of China’s 500 cities comply with the air-quality standard recommendations of the World Health Organization, and pollution is estimated to kill 700,000 Chinese people a year. Here are five of China’s worst environmental hellholes:
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