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)