Biomarkers Currently Used in Environmental Monitoring - Ecological Biomarkers: Indicators of Ecotoxicological Effects - page 403

Development has been managing the COMAPS in collaboration with the Ministry of
Environment and Forests since 1991.
15.4.6 Other Asian Countries
In other Asian countries and regions, such as Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Cambodia, the official guidelines
for monitoring water quality in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and coastal waters mainly rely
on the analysis of physicochemical analyses such as dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen
demand, pH, electrical conductivity, nutrients, oil, and trace metals, etc. Total coliform
and fecal coliform bacteria are often the only biological parameters included (NEA 2002;
WEPA 2009; EPA Taiwan 2010a, b). There is no information on the use of biomarker-based
monitoring techniques.
In Taiwan, the Department of Environmental Monitoring and Information Management
has the responsibility for all national environmental water monitoring for river and reser-
voir water. Since 2002, coastal waters have been divided into 19 regions and 104 sampling
points, which are monitored once a season.
In Malaysia, the Department of Environment (DOE) started its monitoring program in
1978 to establish baselines and detect water quality changes in river water quality. Water
samples are collected at regular intervals from designated stations for in situ and labora-
tory analyses (WEPA 2009). The DOE started a marine monitoring program in 1978 for
Peninsular Malaysia and in 1985 for Sabah and Sarawak, followed by the Island Marine
Water Quality Monitoring Programme in 1998.
In the Philippines, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and its regional
offices conduct regular water quality monitoring throughout the country. The EMB has
monitored a total of 39 bays and coasts in the Philippines regularly since 1996 (WEPA
2009). Biological parameters such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthos have also
been monitored in selected water bodies (DENR-EMB 2007), but biomarkers are not used
for monitoring water quality.
In Thailand, the Pollution Control Department, under the direction of Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment, has been monitoring water quality in rivers since
1983 (Boonsoong et al. 2010), and preliminary rapid bioassessment studies on the water
quality of streams (using benthos) have been conducted in northern and northeastern
Thailand (Morse et al. 2007). However, there is no information on the use of biomarker
based monitoring techniques in Thailand.
In Vietnam, water monitoring of surface waters (rivers, ponds, and lakes) at the national
level is undertaken by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MoNRE) and
other ministries/departments. The monitoring locations are concentrated mainly in envi-
ronmental hot spots and sensitive areas. A monitoring station system along the coast of
Vietnam in general, and north Vietnam in particular, has been established and is managed
by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment to monitor coastal water quality.
However, owing to limited budgets, monitoring activities have not covered all of the des-
ignated stations and the intensity designed into the program has not been met; a regular
and routine water quality monitoring program is only now being established (World Bank
2006).
In Lao PDR, public agencies carry out water quality monitoring, laboratory analysis, and
other functions (WEPA 2009). In Myanmar, there is a lack of appropriate monitoring facili-
ties, proper and systematic keeping of records, regular monitoring, and surveillance data
for water quality control and basic standards of water quality (WEPA 2009).