China cadmium spill threatens drinking water

Cadmium runoff from a mining company has polluted two rivers in southern China, threatening the drinking water of millions of people, Reuters reported. Officials warned 3.7 million people in the city of Liuzhou, Guangxi province, to avoid drinking water from nearby rivers after cancer-causing cadmium was first detected two weeks ago, triggered bouts of panic buying of bottled water. Local officials have opened four upstream dams to dilute the toxins and poured hundreds of tons of neutralizers into the river. Officials blamed the Guangxi Jinhe Mining company for the spill but did not clarify how much toxic waste had been released, or for how long. Liuzhou’s environmental chief, Gan Jinglin, has said the rivers’ water was safe for drinking according to national standards. However, the government has continued to look for alternative sources of water in the event the pollution spreads further.