"Since the pollutants won't decompose easily, it will likely take weeks to solve the problems caused by the spill," said Zhang Xiaojian, a professor at the environmental school of Tsinghua University.
Aniline, a toxic chemical widely used to manufacture pigments, pharmaceutical industry and other chemicals, can cause serious damage to internal organs, such as the kidneys and liver.
Other rivers have experienced similar contamination in recent years. In 2010, the Songhua River in northeast China's Jilin Province was polluted by chemicals that were swept into the river after floods hit warehouses owned by two chemical companies.
The Longjiang River in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was polluted with industrial waste in January 2011, killing fish and cutting off water supplies in the city of Liuzhou.
China has witnessed major pollution incidents due to local governments and enterprises' excessive pursuit of economic benefits and neglect of pollution control, said Wang Yinghui, professor with the college of environment at Guangxi University.
Girl wearing "military uniform" parade on the street to publicize the new traffic regulation
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