Toxic arsenic levels found in east China rivers

HEFEI, Dec. 10 (Chinese media) -- A river channel in two provinces in east and

central China has been closed off and environmental authorities are building

dams to prevent its arsenic polluted water from running downstream.

The Dashahe River's Zaoji section in Henan Province showed excessive levels

of arsenic as a result of waste water illegally dumped by chemical factories in

Shangqiu City.

On Wednesday, Su Mingsheng, a Bozhou City Environmental Protection Bureau

official, said no residents or livestock had been poisoned.

Four branches of the Huaihe River in Bozhou City, Anhui Province, which

link to the Dashahe River, had also been polluted by the chemical.

A sluice has been closed to prevent the pollution from spreading. Su said

dams had also been built.

So far, about three million cubic meters of arsenic polluted river water

had been dammed. Environmental authorities said they are working on absorbing

the chemical from the water.

According to the Bozhou City government, drinking water was safe. No

arsenic was detected in wells 50 meters from the Xiaohonghe River in Bozhou, the

city's environmental monitoring station said.

Arsenic is a toxic chemical. If digested, it can lead to vomiting,

diarrhea, as well as kidney, liver and lung problems. In extreme cases people

can die.