Toxic runoff poisons Chinese river

  • 12 years ago
This is the city of Hechi in southern China.
And this is a major river nearby - laden with toxic runoff.
Officials here have warned some 3.7 million residents to avoid drinking this water after discovering it contains shockingly high levels of cadmium.
The metal, which can cause cancer, is believed to have been dumped into the river by a nearby factory, according to Chinese media.
Workers tried to neutralize the cadmium by pouring other chemicals into the river - to no avail.
Water pollution is a major problem in China, where the environment often takes a back seat to industrial growth.
Andrew Raven, Reuters

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