A pool of oil-like liquid is found in a farmer's field in Jiaxing City when he plows. (Photo/dzb.jinbaonet.com)
(ECNS) -- A grape farmer was surprised to find a pool of oil-like liquid in his field while plowing in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, local newspapers report.
Surnamed Cai, the villager was adding fertilizer to the soil when he came across the liquid in a furrow less than a meter deep.
The liquid gave off a heavy odor and the soil was darker than the surrounding land, according to the report. One villager said it looked like diesel but no one knew where it came from. There is no wastewater pipeline in the area, so it can't be leaking polluted water.
Cui Yiqing, director of the local land and resources office, said the liquid could have been deposited by a combine harvester in the past.
As investigations continue, Ding Hanfeng, a professor of organic chemistry with Zhejiang University, said crops can't be grown on the field if it's contaminated by diesel.
