A Preliminary Estimation on Carbon Footprint of Raw Water from the Reservoirs for Domestic Use in Taiwan.

This study aims to evaluate the carbon footprint of raw water from reservoirs for domestic use in Taiwan. It also provides a preliminary measure and reference database for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of reservoir systems in Taiwan. Four reservoirs, Feitsui (F.T.) and Liyutan (L.Y.T.) in subtropical zone and Nanhua (N.H.) and Tsengwen (T.W.) in tropical zone, were selected as the cases to be examined for carbon footprint inventory, including the GHG emission from the water body and from human activities. Carbon footprint inventory followed PAS 2050 (2011 Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services). GHG emission from water body followed the instruction of UNESCO guidelines. The boundary of this inventory covers the water intake works, impoundment region, the dam, the affiliated hydroelectricity power plant, the administration center and other facilities. In this study, the floating chambers with gas chromatography (GC) were chosen to measure the GHG flux from the water body. For the emission of CH4 and N2O from the water body, there are no significantly difference between the fluxes during the daytime and nighttime. For carbon dioxide, the instantaneous flux during the nighttime is higher than the daytime flux. The two reservoirs in tropical zone emit more CO2e from the water body than those in subtropical zone. Summarizing the direct and indirect GHG emission, for the four reservoirs, the annual emission quantities ranged from 653 ton of CO2e to 23,146 ton of CO2e. The carbon footprint of water supply for domestic use ranged from 0.002 kg CO2e/m3 to 0.028 kg CO2e/m3. Roughly speaking, the total GHG emission quantity of the 24 main reservoirs in Taiwan was estimated to be around 121,800 ton of CO2e with the total yield of 4.35 billion m3 of water annually using the highest carbon footprint 0.028 kg CO2e/m3.

A survey of Gnathostoma larvae in fresh water fish in the valley of the Yangtze River and morphological characteristics of the recovered larvae.

Investigations of the prevalence of larval gnathostomes in fresh water fishes were carried out at the southeastern Yangtze Valley, People's Republic of China, in the periods of October 1989 and November 1990. Fishes were collected from Shanghai, Chenchiang, Nanching, Chiuchiang and Nanchang districts in 1989. Additional sampling in Shanghai district was done at Kunshan, Tien-shanfu, Chingpu and Nanhui. Species of fishes collected were Channa argus (110), Siniperca chuatsi (24) and Silurus asotus (2). Muscle tissue of the fishes was dissected into small pieces, sliced and then examined under a dissecting microscope. The viscera were pooled by species in groups of 4 or 5 individuals, homogenized, and were then digested overnight in artificial gastric-juice at 37 degrees C. Four encysted larvae were recovered from the muscle tissue of four C. argus. Thirty-four larvae were obtained from digestion of viscera. A total of 38 larvae were recovered. Eighteen of 38 larvae were examined morphologically and they were able to be divided into three types by their body length; 5 early third-stage larvae (0.58-0.86 mm), 12 third-stage larvae (1.12-2.61 mm), and one advanced third-stage larva of 4.86 mm. Light and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the former two types had characteristics of Gnathostoma hispidum and the last one had those of G. spinigerum. In 1990, we investigated fish near Hongtze-hu and Tai-hu lakes. A total of 553 fishes belonging to 12 genera and 12 species were examined. Seventeen larvae were recovered from the viscera of G. argus and Monopterus albus. These larvae were identified as G. hispidum.

Japanese encephalitis virus surveillance in the Taipei area, Taiwan in 1978.

Attempts were made to isolate Japanese encephalitis virus from mosquitoes collected with three light traps operated twice a week at three sentinel pigpens in the Taipei area from May to Oct. 1978. A total of 6,549 mosquitoes trapped alive were processed in 283 pools. Suspensions were inoculated into Aedes albopictus cell cultures and into suckling mice. A total of 19 JE virus isolates were made; 12 from pools of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, 6 from Cx. annulus and one from Cx. quinquefaciatus. Sindbis virus was isolated for the first time in Taiwan from a pool of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus. More isolates were made from mosquito cell cultures (20) than by mouse inoculation (6). Positive isolations of JE virus by mouse inoculation were all from the mosquitoes obtained during an 11 day period from 20 to 30 June 1978 when all six sentinel pigs were viremic. This study shows the decided advantage of the use of mosquito-cell cultures over that of mice.