In the aftermath of the algae outbreak at Taihu Lake,
authorities in Zhejiang Province have announced the launch of a
120-million-yuan research project to help prevent similar problems
arising in the future.
Shen Weiqiang, an official with the provincial government's
science and technology department, said the two-year project will
seek to find the causes of the pollution in the lake, which
contains high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, which yield
algae.
The research team will include experts from top academic
institutes such as Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of
Sciences and Zhejiang University, Shen said.
"The experts will work as a team and use key technologies and
research methods to find a solution."
The project's budget of 120 million yuan (US$15.9 million) will
cover all laboratory expenditure and some pollution-treatment
facilities, he said.
"We will take a down-to-earth approach to make sure our effort
pays off," Shen said.
Chen Lujun, a professor with the Yangtze Delta Region Institute
of Tsinghua University, said the project team was working on
certain bacteria to digest the nitrogen and phosphorus in the
lake.
The bacteria might also help dispose of some heavy metals and
helminthes present in the muds and sludge, which have been
discharged into the lake by local factories, Chen said.
Shen said the project will also look at ways to provide an
emergency water supply in the event of any future algae outbreaks,
and include experiments on sewage disposal.
(China Daily July 20, 2007)