A team of 20 environmental protection experts are on their way to quake-hit Yushu prefecture to assist local authorities in monitoring environment and quake relief work, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The ministry sent the team after it set up an emergency response leading group, headed by its minister Zhou Shengxian, and launched an emergency preplan for environmental protection following Wednesday's quake in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The ministry said no potential sources of pollution had been detected in the quake-hit area and water quality there was normal.

The ministry had also sent environment monitoring personnel and instruments to the quake area such as two portable instruments, one for determining heavy metal and the other for determining bio toxicity, to help with monitoring efforts in quake areas.

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2010)