Water Quality Back to Safe Level in Polluted South China River

Water quality back to safe level in polluted south China river

GUANGZHOU, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) — The water quality of Beijiang River returned to a safe drinking standard as of Tuesday, three weeks after the river in south China was polluted by excessive cadmium discharge from a smelting works, a local environmental authority said.

An examination showed that the cadmium density in the entire watercourse in Guangdong Province dropped within the national standard of 0.01mg/L, a safety level for drinking, according to the provincial environmental protection bureau.

Guangdong has taken various measures, including closing 14 smelting works, adding iron or aluminium polymer into the river to induce cadmium sedimentation and discharging water to dilute the toxic pollutant and to purify the river after it was polluted on Dec. 15 in 2005.

Experts and environment protection staffs will continue to monitor the water quality of the river to ensure safe water use for riverside residents.

Cadmium, a soft, bluish-white metallic element occurring primarily in zinc, copper and lead ores, can cause liver and kidney damage and lead to bone diseases when ingested.