Officials found serious pollution during a recent special check in Zhengzhou, Henan province, according to an announcement released by the Environmental Protection Ministry on Thursday.

The inspection found five types of problems, the biggest being that staff members from local factories refused or tried to prevent the inspection team from entering their factory or taking photos.

Serious pollution issues were also found during secret checks. Many of the construction sites, coal yards and sand yards were exposed to the open air, with no devices to prevent dust.

Many factories did not use any dust collection measures, not even chimneys. Smoke and dust were released straight from the workshops, making the surrounding air smell heady.

Even in those factories with environmental devices to help collect dust, many were found to be out of order, said an official from the ministry's Department of Environmental Protection in North China Center for Environmental Inspectors, the organization that conducted the inspection.

Contact the writer wuwencong@chinadaily.com.cn