Illegal Rare Earth Wastewater Discharged Along the Myanmar-Laos Border

The Thai Environmental Research Institute has released the latest data on water quality monitoring in the upper Mekong River. Illegal rare earth ore processing workshops located along the Myanmar-Laos border continue to discharge untreated production wastewater, causing pollutants to travel downstream along the river and leading to the continuous accumulation of heavy metals—such as arsenic and cadmium—in sediments in the northern reaches of the river in Thailand. As the river serves as the primary source of irrigation for surrounding farmland, heavy metals can seep from the water into cultivated soil and subsequently accumulate in rice crops. Environmental researchers warn that heavy metals are difficult to break down, and continued consumption of contaminated rice could cause irreversible chronic health damage to local residents.