Pollution Turns China River System Red

Pollution Turns China River System Red
Globe and Mail
Associated Press (Anita Chang)
Date of Article: February 27, 2008

Andrea Sousa (207530405)

In the Globe and Mail there is this article called Pollution Turns Central China River System Red. Just the title alone caught my attention: how can a vast amount of water just turn red? And where is all this pollution coming from? Apparently, this is not just one large accident that occurred over night but rather many incidents over time. The pollution was discovered Monday February 25, 2008 (so does that mean the water was of a normal colour before it was discovered?) by a water plant worker from Jinali County which Dongjing river is a tributary of the Han. The water had apparently turned red and foamy. They tested the water and showed high levels of amnonia, nitrogen and permanganate, which is a chemical used in metal cleaning, tanning and bleaching. The source of the pollution is unknown as of right now. Since the pollutants have leaked into China’s water system, many people are without tap water. Roughly, 200,000 people had there water supply cut and are relying on water from fire engines and bottled water. China’s water supply is already facing a critical water shortage which is partially due to chronic pollution and chemical accidents. Majority of china’s waterways are severly targetd by industrial, agricultural and household pollutants. The pollutants from a large scale of places are accumulating quickly and are being dispersed in China’s water ways which then is spread at a much rapid pace. There are 200,000 people affected by this over a large space. In addition, even Russia has been affected by China’s polluted waters. Something must be done in order to control waste disposal and management or there will loose their most important natural resource which is essential for sustaining life.