Pollution Density In North China River 'Sharply' Down: Report

FROTH AND BUBBLE

AFP photo of a man fishing in the Songhua River, in the aftermath of the accident.

Beijing (AFP) Dec 10, 2005
The pollution density in north China's Songhua river, hit by a devastating toxic slick, is "sharply" down, state media reported Saturday.

The announcement was made by Zhou Shengxian, the newly-appointed leader of the nation's environmental watchdog who had flown in to see the extent of the damage in person, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Widespread contamination prevention efforts have been underway in China and Russia since an explosion on November 13 at a PetroChina chemical factory in the northeast Chinese province of Jilin.

The accident led to the spillage of 100 tonnes of the carcinogens benzene and nitrobenzene into the Songhua River, one of China's longest waterways and a source of water for millions.

The Songhua flows into the Heilong river which is connected by waterways to a river on the Russian side.

As of early Saturday, the maximum nitrobenzene density at Jiamusi, a major city on the river, measured 0.173 milligrams per liter, but shortly afterwards fell to 0.162 milligrams per liter, according to the agency.

The density of the toxic slick will continue to fall as it moves downstream and eventually crosses into Russia, Xinhua said.

Source: Agence France-Presse

FROTH AND BUBBLE

Mercury In Atmosphere Could Be Washed Out More Easily Than Believed

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 09, 2005
Scientists for years have been at a loss to explain unexpectedly high levels of mercury in fish swimming the rivers and streams of areas like eastern Oregon, far away from industrial sources of mercury pollution such as coal-fired power plants.

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