The content of nitrobenzene in northeast China's Songhua River, which suffered serious pollution after a blast at an upstream chemical plant last November, will not exceed standards in spring, China's environmental watchdog said Tuesday.

The State Environment Protection Administration told a press conference that the amount of nitrobenzene in the ice on the river has decreased and the amount that sank into the riverbed is limited.

As a result the chemical content in the river will not rise above the state standards for water quality when the river thaws in spring, the SEPA said.