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.

Waste piles lie outside a plant of Taizhou Suqi Batteries Co in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, on March 24. Some 138 people have been found to have excessive lead levels in their blood because of pollution from the plant. [Provided to China Daily]

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.