Tao Zhengliang (55 years old) is from Shaoxing, an area that has been severely affected by water pollution. He was diagnosed with esophagus cancer, the exact causes of which are unknown. Tao had an operation in July 2011, and it has cost him over 200,000 yuan for the treatment in less than a year. Only 90,000 yuan of the medical bills were covered by medical insurance. The rest of the medical bills, along with the family's whole income, rely on his 5-acre farm. In February 2013, the Chinese government acknowledged for the first time the existence of 'cancer villages' linked to pollution from hazardous chemicals.
© Lu Guang / Greenpeace