A group of nearly 100 volunteers plan to scale the peak's slopes in a bid to collect as much as possible of the estimated 615 tonnes of waste left by past expeditions, the China Daily reported.

"Much waste left behind has resulted in a worsened ecological situation there," Gao Dengyi, president of the China Association for Scientific Expedition was quoted as saying.

The expedition has not made it easy for itself and will concentrate on the upper reaches of Everest lying at least 6,500 meters (22,000 feet) above sea level, the paper said.

The staggering amount of garbage on the 8,848-meter-high (29,500-foot-high) mountain is the result of a growing human presence in the area.

Between 1921 to 1960 there were only 15 Everest expeditions, but now about 20,000 people reportedly visit the region every year.

The daily also quoted scientific research suggesting that the snow falling on Everest currently contains an alarming level of the chemical DDT and lead, but did not elaborate on the source of the pollution.

TERRA.WIRE