A CCTV grab shows the arm of a sick student.

BEIJING, April 18 -- China's Ministry of Education on Monday sent an inspection team to east China's Jiangsu Province after media reports claimed that pollution near a school is threatening students' health.

The ministry has launched an emergency inspection in the city of Changzhou, where the school is located, and the inspectors will keep the pubic well-informed in a timely manner and work to protect students' physical and mental health, the ministry said in a statement.

Chinese media have reported that blood samples taken from students of Changzhou Foreign Languages School showed abnormal readings. Many students have suffered from dermatitis and some have more serious illnesses.

The abnormalities are suspected to be linked to soil contamination near the school at the site of several former chemical plants.