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River contaminated in Shangdong: 500,000 affected

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-07 18:43

A factory in East China's Shandong province has contaminated the Nansu River with arsenic, threatening the health of half a million people, cnr.cn, the website of China National Radio reported Friday.

Related readings:  Nearly 1m in N. China suffer from water shortage  Officials sacked in tainted water scandal  Victims of water pollution get 50 yuan compensation

The feed additive producing company, the Yixin Chemical Company Ltd., apparently took advantage of flood season to secretly discharge large amount of used water at the end of July.

Local residents say they get blotches on their skin if they touch the water, and their crops would die if irrigated by it.

"The river used to be very clear, and there were fish and shrimps in it," an unnamed resident said.

Local authorities are beginning to deal with the problem.