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Arsenic Pollution in the Salween River
April 24 , 2026
14 hrs 0 min
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- The Salween River, also known as the Nu River in China, shows high arsenic contamination above safe limits.
- The Salween River is Asia’s longest free-flowing (undammed) river, stretching about 3,300 km.
- Arsenic levels exceed the World Health Organization safety limit of 0.01 milligram per litre (mg/L), reaching up to 0.554 mg/L in some areas.
- Pollution is mainly due to unregulated mining activities in Myanmar’s Shan State.
- Around 127 mining sites were identified in the basin, including rare earth and gold mining operations.
- Methane and heavy metal pollution threaten biodiversity and local communities depending on the river.
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