VLADIVOSTOK, December 24 (RIA Novosti) - The concentration of nitrobenzene in the Amur River near Khabarovsk, in Russia's Far East, is within safe levels, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Saturday.
Samples from the Amur, which supplies the 600,000-strong city with water, have been regularly taken for tests following the spill of nearly 91 metric tons of poisonous chemicals into a river upstream in China's northeast.
The toxic spill was caused by an explosion at a petrochemical plant near the city of Harbin November 13.
The bulk of the 110-mile slick of benzene, nitrobenzene and other toxins is expected to reach Khabarovsk within days, emergency officials said. It will be passing by the towns of Amursk January 2-3 and Komsomolsk-on-Amur January 4-5.
Tap water in Khabarovsk and nearby population centers is being cleansed with carbon filters, and is so far safe to use, officials said.
