High levels of benzene found in water supply

Excessive levels of benzene in tap water have affected more than 2.4 million people in downtown Lanzhou, Gansu province, provincial authorities said on Friday.

Tests at a water plant at 8:30 am on Friday showed that the tap water contained 160 micrograms of benzene per liter, far beyond the 10 micrograms per liter national limit, according to the city's environmental protection office.

The local government warned citizens not to drink tap water for the next 24 hours. Benzene is a colorless chemical used to manufacture plastics that is known to cause cancer.