Establishment and applied research on environmental sustainability assessment indicators in Taiwan

The study utilizes the method of Material Flow, Ecological Footprint Model and other related indicators to establish the Indicator System of Sustainable Development. Principal Component Analysis is used to abstract the representative factors in order to estimate the indicators of ecological sustainable development during 1998~2005 in Taiwan, as well as to make policy recommendations. The research indicates following results: (1) The Direct Material Input (DMI) of Taiwan shows constant instability and depends on heavy import activity. The annual increase of considerable greenhouse gas emission leads to a comparative growth of the Domestic Process Output (DOP). The both material consumption and inventory formation of the economy are unsteady. In addition, the Physical Trade Balance (PTB) indicates that supply exceeds demand, as well as the occasional shortage of building materials. (2) The 2005 per capita Ecological Demand footprint in Taiwan is 6.5392 hm(2), making the Ecological Deficit per capita 4.8569 hm(2). The figures reflect that productivity and life intensity of residents have exceeded the carrying capacity of Taiwan's ecological economic system. (3) The overall Synthetic Trend Indicators of Sustainable Development in Taiwan are decreasing. Therefore, if proper measures are not adopted in time, the current weak sustainability will lead into the vicious circle which departs from sustainable development.     

Organotin contamination in fishes with different living patterns and its implications for human health risk in Taiwan

Contaminated levels of butyl- and phenyltin compounds, tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), monobutyltin (MBT), triphenyltin (TPT), diphenlytin (DPT), and monophenyltin (MPT), were investigated in pelagic, demersal and cultured fish species from different seasons and locations in Taiwan. Seasonal variations were found in fishes from Wuchi and Hsingta fishing harbors for their butyltin levels (winter>summer) with the opposite trend for phenyltins in fishes from Patoutzu fishing harbor and demersal fishes from four fishing harbors (summer>winter). Fish liver contained the lowest percentage of TBT and the highest percentage of TPT among six organotin compounds. Consumption of contaminated pelagic species and fishes from Hsingta fishing harbor had the highest hazard index. However, the hazard quotients and hazard indices were all less than 1, suggesting a daily exposure at these levels of TBT, DBT and TPT may not be likely to cause any deleterious effects during lifetime in human population.     

Structural investigation of catalyst deactivation of Pt/SDB for catalytic oxidation of VOC-containing wastewater

The stability of styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer (SDB)-supported Pt (Pt/SDB) catalysts for destruction of volatile-organic-compound (VOC) in wastewater was examined. The test reaction was wet oxidation of water-containing aliphatic alcohol and formaldehyde at 140 degrees C and 90 psig for 40 h. The catalytic performance tests indicated that activity of the Pt/SDB catalysts could be maintained for VOC concentration of 3 wt.%, whereas the catalysts deactivated rapidly for 10 wt.% VOC containing wastewater. In order to investigate the nature of catalyst deactivation, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near edge (XANES) spectroscopy were used to characterize the fresh and used catalysts. After the reaction, there is no oxidation of Pt clusters observed in EXAFS and XANES spectroscopy suggesting that the oxidation reaction takes places via the adsorbed oxygen. The spectroscopy results further indicated that deactivation of the catalysts were mainly caused by the increase of Pd particle size. After the reaction, the Pt-Pt coordination number has no significant change for the 3 wt.% wastewater whereas increase from 5.6 to 6.2 for 10 wt.% wastewater. Combined with the fact that the catalysts fractured during the reactions, we suggested that Pt agglomeration was mainly caused by thermal migration of the metal clusters.     

Field depuration and biotransformation of paralytic shellfish toxins in scallop<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Chlamys nobilis</Emphasis> and green-lipped mussel<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Perna viridis</Emphasis>

Under laboratory conditions, the scallop Chlamys nobilis and the mussel Perna viridis were exposed to N-sulfocarbamoyl toxins (C2 toxin), a paralytic shellfish toxin (PST), by feeding a local toxic strain of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense (ATDP) that produced C2 toxin exclusively. The bivalves were subsequently depurated in the field, and their depuration kinetics, biotransformation and toxin distribution were quantified. Depuration was characterized by a rapid loss within the first day, followed by a secondary slower loss of toxins. In the fast depuration phase, scallops detoxified PSTs more quickly than the mussels (depuration rate constants for scallops and mussels were 1.16 day^–1 and 0.87 day^–1, respectively). In contrast, the mussels detoxified PSTs more quickly than the scallops in the slow depuration phase, and the calculated depuration rate constants (mean+SE) from day 2 to day 13 were 0.063+0.009 day^–1 and 0.040+0.019 day^–1 for mussels and scallops, respectively. The differences in the appearances of gonyautoxins, GTX2 and GTX3, and their decarbamoyl derivatives, dcGTX2, dcGTX3 and GTX5, which are all derivatives of C2 toxin, indicated active and species-specific biotransformation of the algal toxins in the two bivalves. In both species of bivalves, the non-viscera tissue contained fewer toxins and lower concentrations than the viscera-containing tissue compartment. In scallops, very little toxin was distributed in the adductor muscle. In mussels, most of the PSTs were found in the digestive gland with significant transport of toxins into the digestive gland from other tissues during the course of depuration. The toxin profiles of scallops and mussels differed from each other and from that of the toxic algae fed. A significant fraction of GTX5 was detected in the mussels but not in the scallops. Our study demonstrates a species specificity in the depuration kinetics, biotransformation and tissue distribution of PSTs among different bivalves.Communicated by T. Ikeda, Hakodate     

Evaluation of Locations for Small Wind Turbines in Costal Urban Areas Based on a Wind Energy Potential Map

The purpose of the study was to evaluate potential locations for the installation of small wind turbines in urban areas. Four study sites in An-Ping, Tainan were chosen for measurement in this empirical study. The measurement data were used to verify the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The weather information was gathered in order to understand the overall wind environment in the studied area. CFD software was used to simulate the wind environment in the study area from 16 directions. The distribution of wind environment was first presented, and then the distribution of exceedance probability in each grid, which was based on an exceedance probability assessment, was obtained. In addition to the installation heights of the turbines, the influence of surrounding buildings was taken into consideration. Finally, a wind energy potential map indicating the potential regions and non-potential regions for installing small wind turbines was illustrated by the ArcGIS system. A wind energy potential map, superimposed with locations of buildings of different floor heights, was used to evaluate the possible sites for the installment of small wind turbines at heights of 10, 20, and 30 m. The results proved that installing micro wind turbines in open spaces and on the roofs of three-, four-, and five-story buildings at a height of 20 m is relatively beneficial for coastal urban areas.     

Exposure of arc-furnace-plant workers to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs)

This study aimed to evaluate serum polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) levels in electric-arc-furnace workers according to their corresponding occupational exposure. In addition, the ambient PCDD/Fs of the work environment were measured to provide additional support for the exposure and accumulation inside the electric arc furnace. The ambient PCDD/F concentrations inside the electric arc furnace were 1.557-1.917 pg-TEQ/Nm(3), 5-24 folds higher than those outside (0.080-0.385 pg-TEQ/N m(3)). In addition, higher average serum levels were measured in the workers with high occupational dioxin exposure (24.0 pg WHO-TEQ/g lipid) than in those with lower occupational dioxin exposure (13.8 pg WHO-TEQ/g lipid). Higher PCDFs/PCDDs ratios were found in serum samples from high-exposure groups than in low-exposure groups. The higher ratio of PCDFs/PCDDs was also found in ambient samples consistent with other metallurgical processes reported previously. Our results suggest that PCDD/Fs exposure exits in the smelting process of electric arc furnace, and the occupational hygiene should be taken more seriously concern in that workplace.     

Relationship between carbonaceous materials and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the sediments of the Danshui River and adjacent coastal areas, Taiwan

Persistent organic pollutants, POPs (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls) can seriously and deleteriously affect environmental quality and human health. These organic pollutants are exhibiting high affinities to solid phases and thus, quickly end up in sediments. To better understand the role of carbonaceous materials in the transport and distributions of POPs in terrestrial and near-shore environments, concentrations of PCBs and carbonaceous materials (including total organic carbon, black carbon and total carbohydrates), were determined in surface sediments of the Danshui River and nearby coastal areas, Taiwan. Total concentrations of PCBs in the sediments ranged from non-detectable to 83.9 ngg(-1), dry weight, with the maximum value detected near the discharge point of the marine outfall from the Pali Sewage Treatment Plant. These results suggest that the sewage treatment plant has discharged PCBs in the past and the concentrations are still high due to their persistence; alternatively, PCBs are still being discharged in the estuarine and near-shore environment of the Danshui River. Organic carbon and black carbon concentrations correlated well with those of total PCBs in the sediments, suggesting that both organic carbon and black carbon significantly affect the distribution of trace organic pollutants through either post-depositional adsorption, or by co-transport of similar source materials. The field results demonstrate that black carbon and plays an important role in the general distribution of PCBs, while concentrations of some specific PCBs are affected by both black carbon and organic carbon concentrations.     

Effect of humic substance on thermal treatment of chromium(VI)-containing latosol soil

Latosol soils contaminated with chromium(VI) [Cr(VI)], which is hazardous, can be recycled as raw materials for porcelain and construction sectors if a proper thermal stabilization process is implemented. This study investigates how thermal treatment affects Cr behavior during the sintering of latosol and deorganic latosol samples; both samples are artificially contaminated with CrO3. Approaches including X-ray absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, N2-based Brunauer Emmett Teller surface analyzer, thermogravimetric analyzer/differential scanning calorimeter, and the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure promulgated by Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration are used in this study. After drying the Cr(VI)-contaminated latosol (i.e., containing 37,120 mg of Cr/kg sample) at 105 degrees C, approximately 80% of the doped CrO3 is chemically reduced to Cr(OH)3 by a humic substance naturally existing in the soil. In contrast, in the organics-free CrO3-contaminated latosol dried at 105 degrees C, only 9% of the doped CrO3 is reduced to Cr(OH)3. Heating the samples at 500 and 1100 degrees C transforms hazardous Cr(VI) into Cr(III) that is negligibly toxic; Cr2O3, which is insoluble, is detected as the most abundant Cr species. Moreover, formation of Cr2SiOs, which is suggested to relate to low Cr leaching, is only detected in the sample heated at 1100 degrees C. Surface morphology, surface area, and thermogravimetric analyzer/differential scanning calorimeter results demonstrate that thermal treatment at 1100 degrees C can incur considerable soil sintering/ melting if the humic substance in the soil has been heated off previously. Finally, Cr concentrations in the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure leachates collected from the samples thermally treated at 1100 degrees C for 4 hr are < or =0.21 mg of Cr L(-1) that are much less than the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration regulatory limit (<5 mg of Cr L(-1)); consequently, these two samples are nonhazardous, and they have the potential for resource recycling. Conversely, Cr concentrations in the leachates from all 500 degrees C and 105 degrees C samples are in the 25.6-1279 mg L(-1) range.