China's environment and health watchdogs will set up a system to deal with environmental emergencies that threaten public health, according to a circular released Thursday by the two government departments.

The circular, released by China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and the Ministry of Health, said that the two departments should set up special teams of officials and experts to monitor and deal with health-threatening environmental emergencies, and hold regular meetings to share information.

The circular also required the two departments to perfect relevant laws and regulations, and set up an emergency reporting system.

Environmental pollution has become one of the country's top concerns in recent years, and poses serious threats to public health.

SEPA said last year that water pollution accidents occur almost once every two days in the country.

In November 2005, a chemical plant blast in the Songhua River region in northeast China caused a 4-day water cutoff in the area, after a large amount of benzene -- a highly toxic pollutant that is known to cause cancer -- was discharged into the river.

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2007)