Alan C. Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Panic after Chinese city declares tap water toxic Nearly 2.5 million residents of a major city in west China have been ordered not to drink its tap water after the supply was contaminated with dangerous levels of a carcinogenic substance. Panic buying of bottled water broke out in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, on Friday after state media announced authorities had "detected excessive levels of benzene in [its] tap water system". Officials found 200 micrograms of benzene per litre - 20 times the acceptable "national limit" - in samples of the city's water supply, according to reports. Exposure to benzene, a colourless liquid used to make plastics, lubricants, dyes, detergents and pesticides, has been linked to leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. "Consuming foods or fluids contaminated with high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, stomach irritation, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, and rapid heart rate. In extreme cases, inhaling or swallowing very high levels of benzene can be deadly," the website of the American Cancer Society warns. It was not immediately clear how Lanzhou's water supply had been contaminated but Xinhua, China's official news agency, blamed an unnamed chemical plant. The plant had released toxic "waste water" into the city's supply, Xinhua said. The market steps in where the State fails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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