Seven detained over China river cadmium spill (BBC)
Seven chemical company officials have been detained over industrial waste that polluted a river in China's Guangxi region, state media said.
Cadmium pollutants were detected in the Longjiang River on 15 January after tests were carried out on dead fish.
The level then was 80 times the official limit, regional environment protection official Feng Zhennian said.
Teams have been putting neutralising chemicals into the river to treat the contamination.
Mr Feng, who is also a spokesman for the emergency response centre managing the spill, did not name the seven people at the press briefing on Monday.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16804833
This article also reveals that the "neutralizers" contain ammonium chloride -- how that's supposed to help is not clear. Ammonia does complex with Cd+2, so maybe they're just trying to stop the Cd from precipitating out so it will wash downstream faster. I suspect ammonium chloride is just the cheapest thing that can be plausibly claimed to accomplish anything. It certainly won't help anyone who drinks Cd-contaminated water.