The Shenzhen Environmental Protection Bureau recently disclosed that 22 factories and eight sewage treatment plants in the city have already set up the COD online monitoring equipment during a marine environment inspection led by State Administration of Environmental Protection and State Ocean Bureau in Shenzhen.

Ten of the factories have also set up a network for sharing information. The eight sewage treatment plants have also forged a link with the city's administration office of sewage discharge.

"The online COD system has greatly reduced untreated discharge of marine pollutants by providing more timely and accurate information for our marine environment monitoring network," said Zhao Penglin, deputy secretary-general of Shenzhen Municipal Government.

COD, the most frequently mentioned parameter in European legislation, is basically a wet incineration chemical test method that measures the total amount of oxygen that can be combined with the chemical compounds in the water sample. It is useful in monitoring and control in sewage treatment.

"Shenzhen is shaped like a long belt and maintains great momentum of industrial development, so the ocean area is subject to enterprise pollutants along the coast," said Zhao.

Since city began paying special attention to heavy polluters in 2003, it has launched 126 inspections on three major dying companies in the east coast and almost cut off all of their sources of pollutants. In 2004, the city handled 13 cases of ocean pollution, a total fine of 705,000 yuan (US$86,000).

According to Zhao, the priority for this year includes holiday resorts, hotels and restaurants along the coast. Those establishments which are not covered by the city's sewage treatment system are required to construct independent sewage treatment facilities.

(Shenzhen Daily September 28, 2005)