20% Of Wastewater Entering 3 Gorges Has Been Treated In Any Way - AFP

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Rising pollution levels in China's Three Gorges reservoir are increasing the risk of an ecological and public health disaster, a leading national scientist said in comments published Thursday.

"After water started to accumulate in the reservoir, the flow rate of the (Yangtze) river dropped, resulting in a decreased ability of the river to clean itself," the China Business Times quoted environmental expert Shu Weiqun as saying. "Because of this, the reservoir area, with its 31 million people, has become a high ecological and public health risk area."

Shu, a professor at the environment and sanitation research institute of the People's Liberation Army's Third Medical Hospital, was last week awarded a national environmental protection award for his research into the water quality of the Three Gorges reservoir.

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Since water began accumulating in the reservoir in 2003, the government has invested more than four billion yuan (500 million dollars) for at least one water treatment plant in every county surrounding the body of water, the paper said. "But at present only 20 percent of the polluted water (flowing into the reservoir) is being treated," Shu said. Shu also said that state water quality standards were far from adequate, as they only required the monitoring of 35 items, including only four known organic pollutants.


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http://www.terradaily.com/2006/060427054710.ufw7lloc.html