Organotins and imposex in the rock shell, Thais clavigera, from oyster mariculture areas in Taiwan

The amounts of organotin compounds such as butyltins [sigma BTs: tributyl- (TBT), dibutyl- (DBT), monobutyl- (MBT)] and phenyltins [sigma PhTs: triphenyl- (TPhT), diphenyl- (DPhT) and monophenyl- (MPhT)] in rock shells, Thais clavigera, from the northern (Shiangsan), central (Lukang) and southern (Chiku) Taiwan oyster mariculture areas varied with season and location. High values of sigma BTs (mainly TBT) and low values of sigma PhTs (mainly TPhT) were found during winter (January 1999) at Shiangsan, while high amounts of sigma PhTs (mainly TPhT) and low sigma BTs (mainly TBT) were found during summer (August 1998) at Lukang. The snails were also affected by imposex. Imposex at Shiangsan, Lukang and Chiku increased from 67.1, 59.3 and 36.7% in summer to 100, 100 and 80% in winter, respectively. Relative penis size indices similar trend at Chiku site. No male displayed rock shells were found at Shiangsan and Lukang in winter. Linear correlations between pseudopenis length versus TBT (r = 0.7655, P < 0.001), DBT (r = 0.4253, P < 0.05), MBT (r = 0.5865, P < 0.01) and TPhT (r = -0.6160, P < 0.01) were obtained significant. Among 200 samples, significant positive correlations between length (pseudopenis/shell) ratio of female versus TBT (r = 0.6944, P < 0.005) and sigma BTs (r = 0.6413, r < 0.01) were also observed. The weak correlations between length (pseudopenis/shell) ratio of female versus DBT (r = 0.3085) and MBT (r = 0.4240, P < 0.1) and TPhT (-0.4917, P < 0.05; negative correlation) could indicate that DBT, MBT and TPhT have little or no effect on the development of imposex in rock shells.     

APPLICATION OF THE GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR OPTIMIZING OPERATION RULES OF THE LiYuTan RESERVOIR IN TAIWAN1

ABSTRACT: A procedure to apply genetic algorithm to optimize operation rules is proposed and applied to the LiYuTan Reservoir in Taiwan. The designed operation rules are operation zones with discount rates of water supply. The first step of the procedure is to predefine the shape of boundary curves of operation zones according to reservoir storage routing. Then, relatively fewer variables are used to describe the curves, and a last genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to optimize the curves. The procedure is applied to the newly built LiYuTan Reservoir for increasing domestic water demands. Shortage index is used to evaluate the performance of operation zones. A year is divided into 36 operational periods, with each month containing three operational periods. The shortage indexes calculated in operational periods are 9.81, 8.27, and 7.13, respectively, for the reservoir without operation rules, applying operation zones optimized by GA with encoding 36 storage levels for each curve, and adopting operation zones optimized by GA with encoding the curves with predefined shape. The average deficits for the three cases are 77.2, 43.6, and 33.3 (10⁴ m³/day), respectively. The results indicate that operation zones optimized by the proposed procedure have smaller shortage indexes and lower average deficits. In addition, the optimized operation zones have less variation and thus are more practical for operation. Conclusively, the proposed procedure utilizing GA to optimize operation zones with predefined shape can provide better and realistic outcomes through limited iterations.     

Levels of PCDD/FS in ambient air and soil in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator in Hsinchu

Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were determined in twenty-one ambient air samples, eight soil samples and two stack gas samples, collected near or in a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) in Hsinchu, Taiwan. A systematic decrease of PCDD/Fs in the ambient air from the northeastern area was observed. PCDD/Fs levels measured in the ambient air range from 0.058 to 0.127 pg-TEQ/m3. Higher PCDD/Fs levels in the ambient air were found during winter. In addition, PCDD/Fs levels measured in the soil range from 0.524 to 5.02 pg-TEQ/g d.m. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) did not provide sufficient evidence that the environmental PCDD/Fs contamination was caused by emissions from the Hsinchu MSWI. An unknown PCDD/Fs source was proposed using congener profile analysis and supported by both PCA and HCA.     

The enhancement of the biodegradability of phenolic solution using preozonation based on high ozone utilization

In this research, the effects of preozonation on the biodegradability of 4-cresol, 4-nitrophenol and 2-chlorophenol solutions were investigated using a new gas-inducing reactor with high ozone utilization rate. The extent of preozonation may be monitored by determining the characteristic ozonation behaviors of preozonized phenolic solutions, such as residual phenolic concentration, ADMI value and ozone gas outlet concentration. Experimental results showed that as the initial phenolic compounds decomposed completely, the ozone gas outlet concentration rapidly increases. In addition, at pH 7, a peak ADMI value appears during the preozonation of 4-cresol and 2-chlorophenol, while for 4-nitrophenol the ADMI value decreases monotonically. Based on the characteristic ozonation behaviors and the ozone utilization rate, three characteristic times were chosen in order to have better control on the extent of preozonation. The effect of preozonation on the biodegradability of preozonized phenolic solution was studied based on these characteristic times. The intermediate products during the preozonation were also identified. The variation of BOD5 is strongly dependent on the accumulation of intermediate products. It is suggested that the best characteristic time is as the rapid increase of ozone gas outlet concentration in this study. The biodegradability (BOD5/COD) of preozonized 4-cresol, 2-chlorophenol and 4-nitrophenol solutions increase to 0.18, 0.26 and 0.33, respectively, for the best characteristic time.     

Prenatal diagnosis of 49,XXXYY

The first prenatally diagnosed case of 49,XXXYY is reported. The pathological findings of the fetus included bilateral clinodactyly, decreased carrying angles (OO), and hypertelorism, slightly low set ears and mildly prominent forehead. A minimum of two independent non- disjunctional events are postulated for this polysomy to arise.     

A study of silicon carbide synthesis from waste serpentine

There are 60000 tons of serpentine wastes produced in year 2004 in Taiwan. This is due to the well-developed joints in the serpentine ore body as well as the stringent requirements of the particle size and chemical composition of serpentine by iron making company. The waste also creates considerable environmental problems. The purpose of this study is reutilization of waste serpentine to produce a high value silica powder after acid leaching. These siliceous microstructure products obtained from serpentine would be responsible for high reactivity and characteristic molecular sieving effect. In this study, the amorphous silica powder was then synthesized to silicon carbide with the C/SiO(2) molar ratio of 3. The experiment results show that silicon carbide can be synthesized in 1550 degrees C. The formed silicon carbide was whisker beta type SiC which can be used as raw materials for industry.     

A feasibility study on the predictive emission monitoring system applied to the Hsinta power plant of Taiwan Power Company

The continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) can monitor flue gas emissions continuously and instantaneously. However, it has the disadvantages of enormous cost, easily producing errors in sampling periods of bad weather, lagging response in variable ambient environments, and missing data in daily zero and span tests and maintenance. The concept of a predictive emission monitoring system (PEMS) is to use the operating parameters of combustion equipment through thermodynamic or statistical methods to construct a mathematic model that can predict emissions by a computer program. The goal of this study is to set up a PEMS in a gas-fired combined cycle power generation unit at the Hsinta station of Taiwan Power Co. The emissions to be monitored include nitrogen oxides (NOx) and oxygen (O2) in flue gas. The major variables of the predictive model were determined based on the combustion theory. The data of these variables then were analyzed to establish a regression model. From the regression results, the influences of these variables are discussed and the predicted values are compared with the CEMS data for accuracy. In addition, according to the cost information, the capital and operation and maintenance costs for a PEMS can be much lower than those for a CEMS.     

Study on hydrogen production with hysteresis in UASB

This paper uses a 10-l UASB (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket) bench-scale reactor to treat the esterification wastewater of a polyethylene terephthalate manufacturing plant. Two organic loading rates are used to evaluate the effect on H2 production of temperature gradually step-down and step-up in the range of 11-25 degrees C. Experimental results show that H2 production is positively related to temperature. H2 production increases with temperature at the higher organic loading rate (4.5 kg COD m(-3)d(-1)). However, the H2 produced does not go back to its original concentration but rather follows a hysteresis curve. This hysteresis also occurs in the corresponding concentrations of COD, acetate, propionate and butyrate. As in the H2 profiles, these parameter curves return clockwise during the temperature step-up. At the lower organic loading rate (2.2 kg COD m(-3)d(-1)), no obvious hysteresis is observed for H2 curve. The pattern of other parameters, except for the propionate, returns counterclockwise resulting in the hysteresis phenomena.     

Metal Concentration in Oyster,Crassostrea Gigas,and Sediment in Ann-Ping Mariculture Ground,Taiwan

Abstract

This study was to assess the metal contamination in oyster tissue grown in the Ann-ping mariculture ground in Taiwan. the information generated from this work also revealed general metal pollution problem for Taiwan's oyster farmers. Oysters, Crassostrea gigas, and surficial sediments collected from ten locations in Ann-ping mariculture ground in Taiwan for metals concentration (Cu, Zn, Pd, Cd, Fe and Mn) were performed. Analytical results indicated that the yearly averaged oyster copper concentrations (μg g^?1, wet weight) in oyster soft parts from Ann-ping increased from 21.3±4.1 in 1993; 24.1±6.8 in 1994; 36.8±11.9 in 1995 to 43.9±23.1 μg g^?1, wet weight, in the 1996 raising season. the mean oyster copper concentration reached a level of 50 μg g^?1, wet weight, in December 1996. This increasing trend of metal concentration in oyster tissue indicates a potential pollution source which may pose a potential disaster as green oyster incidence, which occurred on the Charting coast in 1986, in Taiwan. Sediment samples in Ann-ping mariculture ground were also collected and examined. the seasonal variation of the copper concentration in surficial sediment from Ann-ping did not show an increasing trend as observed in oyster tissue.