Society

Chemical-tainted water affects second province

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-01 14:48

ZHAOYUAN, Heilongjiang Province - Tests show that chemical-tainted waters of a major northeast China river has flowed into Heilongjiang Province from Jilin where some 7,000 chemical barrels were initially swept into the river by floods last Wednesday, a senior local official said Sunday.

The affected waters of the Songhua River entered Heilongjiang at about 7 pm Saturday, Du Jiahao, executive vice governor of Heilongjiang, told reporters at Guqia port, Zhaoyuan City, where the river crosses the border of Jilin and Heilongjiang.

Related readings:  4,260 chemical barrels retrieved from Songhua River  Water of Songhua River declared safe to drink  Jilin plans sewage treatment plants along Songhua River

Officials said none of the barrels, some filled with 170 kilograms of flammable liquid, have entered Heilongjiang but water quality tests indicate that abnormal amount of chemicals, suspected to be caused by leaks of the barrels, were found in the water.

Previously, the water quality tests conducted in Jilin have shown that "a very small quantity" of hexamethyl disiloxane was found in the water.

But Sun Lili, deputy general engineer with the Design and Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology in Jilin, said the amounts "posed no threat" and the impacts "can be negligible."

The results conducted in Jilin also showed the pH reading in the river water remained within the normal range.