The objectives of this project were to (1) collect sediment and fish samples from ten major Taiwanese rivers, (2) determine concentrations of toxic substances (i.e. endosulfan, nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), phthalate ester, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organic and inorganic arsenic) in sediments and fish of 10 rivers in Taiwan; (3) apply the investigation results for making control suggestion on management of toxic substances; (4) plan and propose to the future work on survey of toxic substances; (5) establish online database searching system for environmental distribution of toxic substances in Taiwan; and (6) to update the concentrations of toxic substances on the handbook of investigation achievements on the distribution of toxic substances in Taiwan. There were 60 sediment and 30 fish samples collected in this year. Two thousand and four hundred ninety data were analyzed and collected including 1740 data from sediment samples and 750 data from fish samples. In sediment samples, the mean concentration and concentration range of analyzed toxic substances was 116 (6.62-2,324) ug/kg dw for NP, 10.5 (<0.200-83.1) ug/kg dw for BPA,0.622 (<0.06-5.94) ug/kg dw for a-HBCD, 0.710 (ND-7.09) ug/kg dw for b-HBCD, 1.15 (ND-7.02) ug/kg dw for r-HBCD, <0.050 (ND-0.274) ug/kg dw for a-Endosulfan, <0.050 (ND-0.230) ug/kg dw for b- Endosulfan, 0.067 (ND-0.789) ug/kg dw for Endosulfan sulfate, <0.05 mg/kg dw or ND for DMP, <0.05 (<0.05-0.08) mg/kg dw for DEP, <0.05 (<0.05-0.10) mg/kg dw for DIBP, <0.05 (<0.05-0.15) mg/kg dw for DBP, 0.09 (ND-1.00) mg/kg dw for BBP, 1.29 (<0.05-8.24) mg/kg dw for DEHP, <0.05 (ND-0.07) mg/kg dw for DNOP, 2.03 (ND-9.79) mg/kg dw for DINP, 1.58 (ND-9.95) mg/kg dw for DIDP, 17.4 (0.221-200) ug/kg dw for PBDEs, 0.033 (ND-0.208) mg/kg dw for As(III), 0.045 (ND-0.189) mg/kg dw for As(V), <0.016 (ND-0.046) mg/kg dw for DMA, <0.016 mg/kg dw or ND for MMA. For fish samples, the mean concentration and concentration range of analyzed toxic substances was 49.0 (0.893-967) ug/kg ww for NP, 1.10 (ND-4.87) ug/kg ww for BPA, 0.084 (<0.015-0.509) ug/kg ww for a-HBCD, <0.015 (ND-0.038) ug/kg ww for b-HBCD, 0.027 (ND-0.060) ug/kg ww for r-HBCD, <0.025 (ND-0.098) ug/kg ww for a-Endosulfan, 0.032 (ND-0.119) ug/kg ww for b-Endosulfan, 0.026 (ND-0.136) ug/kg ww for Endosulfan sulfate, <0.01 mg/kg ww or ND for DMP, DEP, DIBP, DNOP, <0.01 (<0.01-0.02) for DBP and BBP, 0.15 (<0.01-0.33) mg/kg ww for DEHP, <0.625 (ND-1.37) mg/kg ww for DINP, <0.625 (ND-1.67) mg/kg ww for DIDP, 1.70 (0.167-10.5) ug/kg ww for PBDEs. Analysis of investigation results and policy-making on distribution of toxic substances was completed. The future work on the survey of distribution of toxic substances was proposed. “The database searching website for environmental distribution of toxic substances” was established. The “handbook of investigation achievements on the distribution of toxic substances in Taiwan, version 103” was published.

Toxic substances;Environmental distribution;River;Sediment;Fish