Experience in handling the fish death crisis due to poisoning in China

In 2012, a toxic industrial spill polluted 120 kilometers of river in southern China, killing tens of tons of fish and threatening the health of millions of people.

A fisherman holds a dead fish due to cadmium poisoning in Ha Tri. Photo: China Daily

In January 2012, the Longjiang River in Guangxi, China was contaminated with cadmium.According to Xinhua, the toxic discharge was caused by the Duyen Ha Mining Company in Ha Tri. In addition, the Kim Thanh Giang Hong Quyen Materials Company and several other industrial companies in the city are also suspected of being involved.

Ha Tri authorities estimate that more than 40 tons of fish died between January 15 and February 2 within the city limits. The amount of cadmium discharged into the river is estimated to be 80 times the permitted level.The poisoning incident stretched more than 100 km along the Long Giang River.

Cadmium, a substance commonly used in industrial applications such as battery production, is a carcinogen that can cause kidney failure, soften bones and adversely affect the respiratory system. According to China Daily, cadmium poisoningadmium canIt results in death within two to 20 years and has no cure.

The Longjiang River is the main source of drinking water for 3.7 million people in Liuzhou.Immediately after the toxic discharge was discovered, residents of Liuzhou city rushed to buy bottled water at supermarkets for fear of contamination, leading to a shortage of water.

The water contamination incident stretched over 100km along the Longjiang River. Graphic: CCTV

Eight senior leaders from Duyen Ha Mining Company and Kim Thanh Giang Hong Quyen Materials Company were arrested.Seven government officials were fired and two others were administratively punished.

Chinese authorities dumped thousands of tons of lime, aluminum chloride and activated carbon into the Longjiang River to remove the cadmium. The local environmental bureau set up 20 monitoring teams along 200 kilometers of the river and deployed more than 200 supervisors to monitor water quality. Local authorities also suspended operations at all seven heavy metal factories upstream of the Longjiang River. Xinhua said the pollution was brought under control after two weeks of treatment.

Representatives of Greenpeace and the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs in Beijing said that dEnterprises in China are required to disclose the amount of chemical waste they generate during their operations, and where they dispose of it.Following the incident, environmentalists called for the establishment of a cadmium pollution remediation fund to help address the long-term impacts of the toxic river discharge, including environmental restoration and victim treatment.

“Disasters like this clearly show the need for change to increase transparency,” said Ma Jun, one of China’s most prominent environmental activists.

According to VNE