The content of nitrobenzene in northeast China's Songhua River, which suffered serious pollution after a blast at an upstream chemical plant last November, will not exceed national standards this spring, China's environmental watchdog said on Tuesday.

The State Environment Protection Administration (SEPA) told a press conference that the amount of nitrobenzene in the ice on the river has decreased and the amount that sank to the riverbed is limited.

As a result, the chemical content in the river should not exceed state standards for water quality when the river thaws in spring, the SEPA said.

The SEPA added that fish from the Songhua River and fish from pounds along the river are now edible, their nitrobenzene content deemed to be within China's food safety standards.

(Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2006)