China river pollution cleanup to last month

China National News (IANS) Friday 3rd February, 2012

Efforts to cleanup industrial effluents from a major river in south China will take a month, authorities said Friday.

Cadmium concentration in Liujiang river is expected to drop below the official limit Feb 28, China Daily quoted Xu Zhencheng, head of the emergency panel, as saying.

The river is a major source of drinking water in Guangxi Zhuang region.

Cleanup efforts have brought down cadmium levels from 80 times to 20 times the official limit of 0.005 milligrams per litre Thursday, said professor Zhang Xiaojian of Tsinghua University.

The contamination was first detected Jan 15. A plant belonging to Jinhe Mining Co. Ltd. is suspected to be the source of the spill. A 300-km section of the river is affected.

Seven metal production plants upstream have suspended operations.

Cadmium is a carcinogenic chemical found in industrial effluents.