Investigation on Contamination Source of Highly Toxic Dioxin Analogues in Taiwan

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All dioxin analogues composing of polychlorinated dibenzo-podioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar PCBs (Co-PCBs) are very toxic. Even at environmental pollution level, it is revealed that they give a hormonal damage in women, and pointed out that they will occur immunosuppression and genital function damage in human. Therefore, in recent years, U.S.A., Canada and Europe countries have actively took measures to decrease the environemental pollution level. We already revealed that sediments in the estuary and the neighboring area of 12 rivers over northern to southern Taiwan, Republic of China, were heavily polluted by Dioxin analogues.In this study, 18 surface sediment samples from over the estuary to the upper stream area of river in northern Taiwan were analyzed in order to reveal the contamination source. The sediments from urban and the neighboring areas showed high pollution levels. This result suggest that many contamination sources might exist largel … More y in urban area.Dioxin analogues are generated as by-product from various combustion processes, and they are released to the atmosphere. In order to estimate the contamination source, we surveyed the air pollution using broadleaf tree (banyan tree) as a biomonitoring indicator. Fourteen samples from urban, industrial and local areas over northern to southern Taiwan were analyzed. The contamination level was remarkably high at urban and/or industrial areas such as Hsinchu city, Chiayi city, Kaohsiung city and Taipei city. While the local areas with a small pollution density showed the lower pollution level. Thus contamination tendency was also seen in a case of Japan. In Japan, Dioxin analogues generated from burning process in municipal waste incineration. However, the combustion amount of municipal waste is small in Taiwan. Hereafter, it is necessary to determine the true contamination sources.From above results, it is concluded that our monitoring techniques are good means for the evaluation of environmental contamination to the dioxin analogues. Less