Beijing, Jan 31 (IANS) Seven people were detained in southern China on charges of polluting a river that threatened people’s health.

The chemical plant executives were accused of releasing Cadmium, an industrial waste, into the Longjiang river. The pollutants were first detected Jan 15.

Cadmium concentration near the Lalang reservoir was 80 times higher than the official limit of 0.005 milligrams per liter, China Daily quoted Feng Zhennian, an official with the regional environment department, as saying Tuesday.

Environmental protection workers have been dumping neutralizers, made from dissolved aluminum chloride, at six locations along the river to dissolve the contaminants.

The source of the pollution was reportedly contained Saturday, as cadmium concentration at Lalang reservoir, where the pollution was first detected, had returned to normal.

The pollution belt was now near the downstream Luodong hydropower station where the cadmium concentration levels were still 25 times higher than the official limit.

He said the pollutants were flowing downstream and were close to a major drinking water source for Liujiang city, home to 1.5 million people.