Biomarkers Currently Used in Environmental Monitoring - Ecological Biomarkers: Indicators of Ecotoxicological Effects - page 398

TABLE 15.4
Water Quality Monitoring: Current Practices in Asia

Country/
Region

Nationwide Monitoring of Surface Water
(Rivers and Lakes)

Nationwide Marine Environmental
Monitoring

Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department

(EPD) regularly monitors water quality at
more than 80 sampling stations in more
than 30 rivers and streams, mostly on a
monthly basis. The monitoring covers
more than 40 parameters including
physicochemical characteristics, organic
compounds, nutrients, toxic metals and
coliform bacteria (HKEPD 2005a).

EPD marine monitoring program covers
about 90 water and 60 sediment sampling
stations for physical and chemical
parameters, including temperature, pH,
salinity, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen
measured in situ . Plus laboratory analysis
of some 40 parameters such as nutrients,
metals, organics, and coliform bacteria.
Water quality monitoring is generally
conducted once a month, whereas
sediment quality monitoring is done twice
a year (HKEPD 2005b).

China State Environmental Protection

Administration (SEPA) monitors water
quality, biology, sediments, and discharge
volumes.
Monthly—479 monitoring stations for
parameters including pH, conductivity,
DO, COD, BOD, NH 4 -N, oil, volatile
phenols, Hg, Pb
Weekly—43 automatic monitoring stations
report temperature, pH, DO, COD,
conductivity, turbidity, TOC, NH 4 -N
(POMRAC 2009).

SEPA:

(1) Seawater quality monitoring of
parameters including depth,
transparency, pH, salinity, DO, COD,
nutrients, oil, chlorophyll a
(2) Mussel watch: bivalve (mussels,
oysters, and clams) body burdens oil,
total Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, As, DDT, PCB, etc.
(Wen 2005).

South Korea Local Environmental Offices affiliated with

the Ministry of Environment (MOE) are
responsible for monitoring lakes and rivers.
(1) River water quality parameters:
•48 times per year for 16 physical,
chemical, and biological parameters
including water level, flow rate, pH,
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD),
COD, nitrate, phytoplankton
•12 times per year for 11 parameters
including phosphate, chlorophyll a ,
metals, and CN
•Once per year for 4 organic compounds
including PCBs.
(2) Lake water quality parameters:
•12 times per year for 21 physical,
chemical, and biological parameters
including water level, flow rate, pH,
BOD, COD, nitrate, phosphate,
phytoplankton, suspended solids (SS)
•4 times per year for 7 parameters
including metals and CN
•Once per year for 4 organic compounds
including PCBs.
(POMRAC 2009)

Coastal environmental monitoring of water
quality is implemented by National
Fisheries Research & Development
Institute (NFRDI) with intensive
environmental monitoring at 296 stations:

•4 times per year: general physical and
chemical parameters items including
salinity, pH, DO, COD, SS, chlorophyll a
•2 times per year: selected trace metals,
CN and organic compounds (PCB, TBT)

Plus selective monitoring of metals and
organic compounds (PCB, TBT, PAH,
PCDD/DFs) in organisms (fish, bivalves)
and sediments (Wen 2005; POMRAC 2009).