Seasonal variations of organic-carbon and nutrient transport through a tropical estuary (Tsengwen) in southwestern Taiwan

This paper reports the fluvial fluxes and estuarine transport of organic carbon and nutrients from a tropical river (Tsengwen River), southwestern Taiwan. Riverine fluxes of organic carbon and nutrients were highly variable temporally, due primarily to temporal variations in river discharge and suspended load. The sediment yield of the drainage basin during the study period (1995–1996, 616 tonne km^–2 year^–1) was ca. 15 times lower than that of the long-term (1960–1998) average (9379 tonne km² year^–1), resulting mainly from the damming effect and historically low record of river water discharge (5.02 m³ s^–1) in 1995. The flushing time of river water in the estuary varied from 5 months in the dry season to >4.5 days in the wet season and about 1 day in the flood period. Consequently, distributions of nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were of highly seasonal variability in the estuary. Nutrients and POC behaved nonconservatively but DOC behaved conservatively in the estuary. DOC fluxes were generally greater than POC fluxes with the exception that POC fluxes considerably exceeded DOC fluxes during the flood period. Degradation of DOC and POC within the span of flushing time was insignificant and may contribute little amount of CO₂ to the estuary during the wet season and flood period. Net estuarine fluxes of nutrients were determined by riverine fluxes and estuarine removals (or additions) of nutrients. The magnitude of estuarine removal or addition for a nutrient was also seasonally variable, and these processes must be considered for net flux estimates from the river to the sea. As a result, nonconservative fluxes of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) from the estuary are –0.002, –0.09 and –0.59 mmol m^–2 day^–1, respectively, for dry season, wet season and flood period, indicating internal sinks of DIP during all seasons. Due to high turbidity and short flushing time of estuarine water, DIP in the flood period may be derived largely from geochemical processes rather than biological removal, and this DIP should not be included in an annual estimate of carbon budget. The internal sink of phosphorus corresponds to a net organic carbon production (photosynthesis–respiration, p–r) during dry (0.21 mmol m^–2 day^–1) and wet (9.5 mmol m^–2 day^–1) seasons. The magnitude of net production (p–r) is 1.5 mol m^–2 year^–1, indicating that the estuary is autotrophic in 1995. However, there is a net nitrogen loss (nitrogen fixation–denitrification < 0) in 1995, but the magnitude is small (–0.17 mol m^–2 year^–1).     

A preliminary risk assessment of trace elements accumulated in fish to the Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) in the northwestern waters of Hong Kong

In order to assess the potential risks associated with consumption of contaminated prey items to the Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis), fish species (Collichthys lucida, Pseudosciaena crocea, Johnius sp., Thryssa sp., Mugil sp. and Trichiurus sp.) representing the main food items of the dolphin were collected from the northwestern waters of Hong Kong, including the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, which form the main habitat of the dolphin in Hong Kong. Within these waters, there are several potential sources of pollution including significant inputs from the Pearl River catchment, several major sewage outfalls and a series of mud pits that receive contaminated dredged sediments. Concentrations of thirteen trace elements (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Se, V, and Zn) in the fish tissue were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). An assessment of the risks of adverse effects on the dolphin due to consumption of tainted fish was undertaken using two toxic reference benchmarks, namely the reference dose (RfD) and toxicity reference value (TRV). The risk quotient (RQ) calculated for each element showed that the risks from consumption of fish were generally low and within safe limits. The risks associated with arsenic, cadmium and mercury were, however, elevated. The highest calculated RQ was associated with total arsenic; however, the majority of arsenic in marine organisms tends to be in the non-toxic organic form, and the actual risk to the dolphin due to this metalloid is likely to be lower.     

Relationship between copper speciation in sediments and bioaccumulation by marine bivalves of Taiwan

This paper evaluates the relationships between copper species in sediments and accumulation by the purple clam (Hiatula diphos) and venus clam (Gomphina aeguilatera) collected from the field and culture (aquaculture) ponds in the polluted coastal area of Lukang, Taiwan. Sediment was sampled along with the molluscs, including oysters (Crassostrea gigas), purple clams (Hiatula diphos), rock-shells (Thais clavigera), venus clams (Gomphina aeguilatera), and hard clams (Meretrix lusoria), from two unique environments of Lukang during the period from August 1993 to July 1994. The data indicate that the total copper concentrations in sediments from culture ponds (185 microg g(-1)) was higher than those of the field (44.0 microg g(-1)). Copper species in sediments were analyzed by a sequential leaching technique. Results show that concentrations of various copper species in the sediments are in the range of 1.14 +/- 0.59 to 13.2 +/- 22.4 microg g(-1) and 0.36 +/- 0.24 to 133 +/- 36.7 microg g(-1) for the two environments, respectively. Also the exchangeable copper in sediment from culture ponds was 15 times higher than that from the field. In addition, the sum of exchangeable and copper carbonates had the highest percentages of copper in both the pond sediment (86.6 %) and the field sediment (50.7 %). Maximum copper concentrations (309 +/- 35.1 microg g(-1)) in oysters were much higher than those in the other benthic organisms by about 4-127 times. Similarly, the data also showed that copper concentrations in Thais clavigera were 12-32 times higher than those in other benthic organisms. Copper concentrations in various benthic organisms differed significantly (p < 0.05) from that in Thais clavigera. This capacity makes Thais clavigera a potential candidate for monitoring copper in marine sediments. In terms of copper species, the best correlation was generally obtained between copper carbonates in sediments and copper concentrations in Hiatula diphos (r = 0.886*). A strong multiple regression correlation (p < 0.05, r2 = 0.7894) also indicates that the copper carbonates may dominate as the available form of copper to Hiatula diphos from various environments in the Lukang coastal area under natural physicochemical conditions.     

Method for the determination of organophosphate insecticides in water, sediment and biota

A procedure for the determination of 13 organophosphate insecticides (OPs) in water, sediment and biota at low ppb levels is described. Samples were extracted with dichloromethane or acetone/hexane and cleaned up with micro-column silica gel chromatography. Measurements were made by dual capillary column gas chromatography using both nitrogen-phosphorus (NPD) and electron capture (ECD) detection. Recoveries from fortified water samples ranged from 76% to 102% for all sample types. Practical detection limits ranged between 0.003 and 0.029 microg/l in natural water samples, 0.0004-0.005 microg/g w.w. for sediments, and 0.001-0.005 microg/g w.w for biota using the NPD and ECD method. Losses in sediments were experienced when sulphur was removed. Precision and accuracy were not affected in sediment samples where sulphur was not removed.     

Preparation of sulfurized powdered activated carbon from waste tires using an innovative compositive impregnation process

The objective of this study is to develop an innovative compositive impregnation process for preparing sulfurized powdered activated carbon (PAC) from waste tires. An experimental apparatus, including a pyrolysis and activation system and a sulfur (S) impregnation system, was designed and applied to produce sulfurized PAC with a high specific surface area. Experimental tests involved the pyrolysis, activation, and sulfurization of waste tires. Waste-tire-derived PAC (WPAC) was initially produced in the pyrolysis and activation system. Experimental results indicated that the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of WPAC increased, and the average pore radius of WPAC decreased, as water feed rate and activation time increased. In this study, a conventional direct impregnation process was used to prepare the sulfurized PAC by impregnating WPAC with sodium sulfide (Na2S) solution. Furthermore, an innovative compositive impregnation process was developed and then compared with the conventional direct impregnation process. Experimental results showed that the compositive impregnation process produced the sulfurized WPAC with high BET surface area and a high S content. A maximum BET surface area of 886 m2/g and the S content of 2.61% by mass were obtained at 900 degrees C and at the S feed ratio of 2160 mg Na2S/g C. However, the direct impregnation process led to a BET surface area of sulfurized WPAC that decreased significantly as the S content increased.     

Residential water demand and water waste in Taiwan

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - Residential water demand has long been an important topic of empirical research. How to estimate water waste, however, has rarely been touched. Using...     

Gas permeability of biochar-amended clay: potential alternative landfill final cover material

Compacted biochar-amended clay (BAC) has been proposed as an alternative landfill final cover material in this study. Biochar has long been proposed to promote crop growth, mitigate odor emission, and promote methane oxidation in field soils. However, previous studies showed that soil-gas permeability was increased upon biochar application, which will promote landfill gas emission. The objective of the present study is to investigate the possibility of using compacted BAC as an alternative material in landfill final cover by evaluating its gas permeability. BAC samples were prepared by mixing 425-μm-sieved peanut shell biochar with kaolin clay in different ratios (0, 5, 10, and 15 %, w/w) and compacting at different degrees of compactions (DOC) (80, 85, and 90 %) with an optimum water content of 35 %. The gas permeability of the BACs was measured by flexible wall gas permeameter and the microstructure of the BACs was analyzed by SEM with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results show that the effects of biochar content on BAC gas permeability is highly dependent on the DOC. At high DOC (90 %), the gas permeability of BAC decreases with increasing biochar content due to the combined effect of the clay aggregation and the inhibition of biochar in the gas flow. However, at low DOC (80 %), biochar incorporation has no effects on gas permeability because it no longer acts as a filling material to the retard gas flow. The results from the present study imply that compacted BAC can be used as an alternative final cover material with decreased gas permeability when compared with clay.     

Microbiological risk infection assessment using QMRA in agriculture systems in Côte d’Ivoire,West Africa

Poor wastewater management that results from a lack of appropriate sanitation infrastructure contributes to increasing health risks in urban areas in Côte d’Ivoire. We assessed the health risks associated with the use of wastewater for watering salad destined for human consumption, to help local authorities in developing appropriate risk mitigation measures for Yamoussoukro, the political capital of Côte d’Ivoire. We applied a stochastic approach based on quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA), focusing on wastewater for farming activities and salad consumption at the household level. Farming activities rely on a large degree on contaminated water and are conducted without any protection. The QMRA highlights that the poor quality of watering water increased the microbiological risk of the two assessed groups of urban farmers and individual households. The annual risk of infection due to watering wastewater in the city is estimated at 0.01 per person per year (pppy) for Giardia lamblia and 0.2 pppy for Escherichia coli O157:H7. The annual risk from salad consumption is 0.01 pppy for G. lamblia and 0.9 pppy for E. coli O157:H7. Both the annual risks from farming activities and salad consumption were higher than the tolerable standard of risk of 10^?4 pppy as defined by the World Health Organization. There is a need to conduct a risk analysis and a cost-effectiveness study on intervention to improve public health and the livelihoods of the producers which are women in majority in Yamoussoukro.     

The status and distribution of PCBs along the coast of Vietnam

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), well-known as an important scientific achievement, are now considered as one of the most persistent organic pollutants...     

Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Northern Vietnam: Hanoi and Thainguyen case study using the moss biomonitoring technique,INAA and AAS

Background, aim, and scope  

The moss technique is widely used to monitor atmospheric deposition of heavy metals in many countries in Europe, whereas this technique is scarcely used in Asia. To implement this international reliable and cheap methodology in the Asian countries, it is necessary to find proper moss types typical for the Asian environment and suitable for the biomonitoring purposes. Such a case study was undertaken in Vietnam for assessing the environmental situation in strongly contaminated areas using local species of moss Barbula indica.