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Updated Wednesday, February 8, 2012 0:03 am TWN, By Enru Lin, The China Post

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New device catches toxic bloom: EPA

The China Post-- A one-armed contraption is the best way to detect poisonous algae before they bloom in Taiwan's reservoirs, according to a seven-year survey released by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA, 環保署) yesterday.

A genus of cyanobacteria called Microcystis (微囊藻) produces a toxin that does serious harm to the human liver. Left untreated, Microcystis can grow into a blue-green bloom with a pea-soup consistency.

“When it appears in reservoirs, Microcystis increases the cost of water treatment and utilities,” said Dennis S. Wang (王世冠), division chief of the EPA's Environmental Analysis Laboratory.

Traditional testing for algae is a three-day process done by hand. The interval between tests is relatively wide due to limits on budget and human resources, so opportunities abound for algae to go undetected, said Wang.

'Business never closes': Wang

But setting up an automated monitor takes just an hour — then after that, “business never closes,” said Wang.

The monitor is a long arm with a sensor at the tip that reads chlorophyll-a concentration: an indicator of Microcystis. Chlorophyll concentration exceeding six parts per billion (ppb) will trip a yellow alert.

Lab staff then manually confirm the concentration and follow up with appropriate treatment, said Wang.

“At 6 ppb, the Microcystis is not hazardous yet,” he said. “The international threshold for response is 10 ppb. But with early detection, we've got more time to treat the water supply.

The EPA installed the first system in Keelung City's Qingshan Reservoir (青山水庫) in 2005. Systems have since trialed in a range of reservoirs island-wide, such as in Hsinchu City and Fengshan City.

“Every reservoir has a special ecosystem — unique temperature conditions, nutrient composition,” said Wang. “But at this point we have successfully completed the experimental stage.

Said Wang, EPA recommends the system to the local water industry, as a replacement for traditional methods.

“Taiwan doesn't have a serious algae problem. But prevention is the best medicine.”

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