Cadmium pollutants have been found in the lower reaches of a contaminated river in south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, local authorities said Thursday.
Excessive cadmium levels were detected in the Longjiang river, a tributary of the Liujiang river in the city of Hechi on Jan. 15, killing fish and prompting the panic buying of bottled water.
The pollution has reached the Liujiang river in the city of Liuzhou as of Thursday, said Gan Jinglin, head of the city's environmental protection bureau.
The cadmium density of water samples in the first several kilometers of the main stream downstream Longjiang River was 0.006 milligrams per liter of water on late Thursday afternoon, 20% higher than the legal limit, Gan said. But the water in a lower section which supplies drinking water for the city was still safe, he added.