PUBLISHED: 7 Apr 2024 at 07: 23
The Mekong River on the Chinese side of the border is being monitored for hydrochloric acid pollution.
The chemical hole, which is expected to reach Thailand next year, has also been issued to residents of seven creek regions.
A vehicle carrying more than 30 kilograms of the acids overturned in a highway crash on Wednesday, which caused the contaminants to enter the Nam Khan River, which flows to the Mekong.
Following the accident, the Office of the National Water Resources issued an alert to the seven regions along the Mekong River: Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, and Ubon Ratchathani.
Between April 8 and April 10, the company anticipates the chemical to pass through Loei’s Chiang Khan area.
Supamas Isarabhakdi, the Minister of Higher Education for Science Research and Innovation, stated that she had given the Department of Science Service’s emergency response team instructions to help with efforts to monitor the seven provinces ‘ river water quality and examine any potential effects on the environment.
Dr Rungruang Kitphati, chairman- general of the division, said hydrochloric acid is a caustic substance, detrimental to the skin, e indeed, teeth, and lungs. A prolonged exposure may cause blindness and also death.
He claimed that Thai regulators have contacted Thai officials to send water from the Xayaburi dam to Laos to diluted the substance in the river to lessen the effects on the downstream water quality in Thailand.
He claimed that health officials are now teaching residents in the seven creek regions how to protect themselves from the chemical’s harm, and that they are advised to see physicians right away if they come into contact with the contaminated water.
According to Paitoon Suthamma, director of the Provincial Waterworks Authority’s Nakhon Phanom office, an initial inspection of the Mekong River’s quality determined that the water was still safe and had n’t been contaminated.
The company will continue to monitor the waters quality and keep citizens informed of the situation. ” The production of water supply ]from the Mekong River ] has not been affected. The quality of water also meet security standards,” he said.
Although procedures have been taken to avoid an incident, he added, the accident’s location is far from Nakhon Phanom.