At Least 100 Tons Of Dead Fish Hauled From Hubei River; Ammonia Concentrations 196 mg/liter [View all]

[hatrack]

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Samples taken at a water outlet from the plant on Tuesday indicated that ammonia density reached 196 milligrams per liter, a level "far in excess of the national standard," Xinhua reported, citing the provincial environmental protection department.

The World Health Organization says that natural levels of ammonia in groundwater are normally below 0.2 milligrams per liter and that surface waters can contain as much as 12 milligrams per liter.

The Hubei environmental authorities ordered the company that runs the plant, Hubei Shuanghuan Science and Technology Stock Co., to suspend operations at the plant and sort out its pollution controls, Xinhua said. CNN made repeated calls for comment Thursday, but the company's office line was busy. Its stock was suspended from trading on the Shenzhen stock exchange Wednesday.

In an update Thursday, the environmental protection department said that a recent drought in the area had "caused (a) significant drop in water level, which decreased the river's capacity to hold pollutants."

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http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/05/world/asia/china-river-dead-fish/