AKIPRESS.COM - The Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia announced Friday that it would ban the use of all traditional wooden toilets in Special Protected Areas (SPA) beginning on June 1 in an effort to prevent soil pollution, Xinhua reported.

Citizens and entities operating in the protected areas should start converting all traditional wooden toilets into standard toilets, otherwise their licenses will be revoked.

Mongolia approved the law on SPA on in 1994 partly to preserve the specific features of natural zones and endangered plants and animals there.

Wooden toilets, which are used by the majority of Mongolia's population as well as schools and kindergartens, are reportedly having a negative impact on soil and public health.