Mekong arsenic levels 'safe'Listen to this articleBUENG KAN: Recent water quality tests have confirmed the Mekong River is safe, with arsenic levels within acceptable standards, a senior local environmental official said. The tests followed an August report by Regional Environmental Office 9 in Udon Thani, which found arsenic levels at one monitoring point in Bueng Kan had reached 0.019 mg/L, exceeding the safety threshold. A test in September showed arsenic levels had fallen below standard limits. He said Bueng Kan has no industrial plants or mining concessions that use arsenic in their production processes. While the source of the earlier contamination remains unclear, media reports have pointed to mining activities in Myanmar's Shan State.

Source: Bangkok Post December 21, 2025 00:16 UTC