The cadmium-concentrated toxic slick in Guangdong's Beijiang River has been diluted and will return to a safe level before it reaches other cities downstream, the Southern Metropolis Daily said yesterday.

The Mengzhouba section of the river along the northeastern Guangdong city of Shaoguan has returned to normal and the quality of drinking water from the city's Nanhua Waterworks near Yingde is of high quality.

The environmental protection authorities have dumped 2400 tons of chemical dilutant into the toxic slick daily since Friday, the report said.

A total of 1,200 tons of the chemical dilutant will be dumped on the slick according to a plan drawn up by environmental experts.

"The cadmium content of the slick dropped 15 percent after the river flowed past Baishiyao dam in Shaoguan," said Xu Zhencheng, vice director of an environmental protection institute in Guangdong.

Over 54 cubic meters of water are being released per second from Nanshui Reservoir in Shaoguan, in an attempt to dilute the toxic spillage.

"The chemical level is expected to return to normal before it reaches Feilaixia Dam in Qingyuan, more than 100 kilometers downstream from Yingde," Zhang Jianjun, spokesman of Qingyuan Municipal Government, said Sunday.

The slick was caused by a spillage of more than 1,000 tons of heavy cadmium contaminated water from Shaoguan Smelting Plant Dec. 15. The accident caused huge economic losses of around 150 million yuan (US$18.75 million).

The 14 other smelting plants in Shaoguan have been closed following the accident.

Editor: Yan