This project was to (1) determine concentrations of 28 toxic substances in water, sediments and fish of 10 rivers in Taiwan; (2) apply the investigation results for policy-making of toxic substance management; and (3) update the database of environmental distribution of toxic substances. There were 60 water and 60 sediment and 30 fish samples collected this year. In water samples, the mean concentrations and concentration ranges of analyzed toxic substances were ND-0.00367 mg/L for formaldehyde, ND for carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene and 1,2-dichlorobenzene, ND-<0.001 mg/L for 1,2-dichloroethylene and chloroform, respectively. In sediment samples, the mean concentrations and concentration ranges of analyzed toxic substances were <0.001 (ND-0.00964) mg/kg ww for chloroform, ND for 1,2-dichlorobenzene and 1,2-dichloroethylene, ND-<0.001 mg/kg ww for chlorobenzene, 0.397 (ND-8.07) mg/kg ww for As3+, ND-<0.002 mg/kg dw for chlordane, <0.002 (ND-0.009) mg/kg dw for toxaphene, 0.081 (0.011-0.726) mg/kg dw for total mercury, <0.05 mg/kg dw for DMP and DEP, 0.053 (ND-0.411) mg/kg dw for DBP, <0.05 (ND-0.257) mg/kg dw for BBP, 1.03 (ND-17.7) mg/kg dw for DEHP, ND-<0.05 mg/kg dw for DNOP, ND-<0.053 mg/kg dw for TBT, <0.038 (ND-0.133) mg/kg dw for DBT, <0.053 (ND-0.379) mg/kg dw for MBT, <0.060 (ND-0.199) mg/kg dw for MPhT, ND for DPhT and TPhT, 350 (1.98-7,380) ug/kg dw for NP, 11.4 (ND-144) ug/kg dw for BPA, and 67,201 (157-954,547) ng/kg dw for total PBDEs. For fish samples, the mean concentrations and concentration ranges of analyzed toxic substances were <0.001 (ND-0.009) mg/kg ww for chlordane, 0.002 (ND-0.012) mg/kg ww for toxaphene, 0.043 (0.018-0.111) mg/kg ww for total mercury, <0.025 mg/kg ww for DMP and DEP, 0.057 (<0.025-0.502) mg/kg ww for DBP, <0.025 (<0.025-0.066) mg/kg ww for BBP, 0.084 (<0.025-0.607) mg/kg ww for DEHP, ND-<0.025 mg/kg ww for DNOP, ND-<0.013 mg/kg ww for TBT, <0.010 (ND-0.051) mg/kg ww for DBT, <0.013 (ND-0.020) mg/kg ww for MBT, <0.015 (ND-0.039) mg/kg ww for MPhT, <0.010 (ND-0.050) mg/kg ww for DPhT, 0.027 (ND-0.236) mg/kg ww for TPhT, 85.4 (3.15-687) ug/kg ww for NP, 3.46 (ND-28.8) ug/kg ww for BPA, ND-<0.001 mg/kg ww for chlorobenzene and 1,2-dichlorobenzene and 1,307 (132-4,967) ng/kg ww for total PBDEs. The database searching system for concentrations of regulated toxic substances also has been updated with the investigation results this year.

Toxic substances;Environmental distribution;River;Water;Sediment;Fish