The water quality of Beijiang River
has been restored to safe drinking standards as of Tuesday, three
weeks after the river in south China was polluted by excessive
cadmium discharge from smelting works on December 15, 2005, a local
environmental authority said.
An examination showed that cadmium densities in the entire
watercourse in Guangdong Province dropped to within the national
standard of 0.01mg/L, a safe level for drinking water, 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.
Environment protection experts will continue to monitor the water
quality of the river.
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 if ingested.
(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2006)