塑膠海岸－臺灣東北海岸微小塑膠污染之研究
一、目的：1.找出基隆沿岸是否受到塑膠微小物的污染，建立塑膠成分的簡易檢定法，3.分辨所發現塑膠微小物成分，4.試圖分析其污染源，並尋求減輕汙染方法。二、結果：本研究為首篇證實東北部海岸已遭受塑膠微小物污染之本土研究。我們想出了不用昂貴儀器的位之塑膠簡易成分判別法，發現海面漂浮的油渣含有塑膠微小物，還觀察到海岸生物（藤壺）由本來附生在岸邊的石頭上轉而附著於漂浮的塑膠垃圾及漁民和釣客所使用的浮標、漁網、浮桶等。三、為減少海岸的塑膠微小物污染，建議政府立法規定業者主義塑膠原料運送中產生的問題，並提倡垃圾分類，人民本身也應自我覺醒。Taiwan is an island, and the sea is very important for us. So in this study, we tried (1) to examine the small plastics (resin pellets and plastic fragments) pollution of the northeast coast, (2) to identify the components of unknown plastics by burning, soluability in organic solvents and relative weight but without using expensive instruments, and (3) to classify the small plastics we found and to find out where were they from. Our study is the first grassroot research proving that the northeast coast of Taiwan has been polluted by small plastics. We attempt to identify the components of unknown plastics without using expensive instruments. The present study discovers that there are many small plastics in the floating oil scum. The relation between the oil scum and small plastics needs more study. We finds marine life (bamacles) growing on floating small plastics. The ecological importance of this discovery needs more study. We also make suggestions for reducing the minute plastic pollution of the coasts: (1) the government should ask big companies to be more careful on the transport of plastic pellets, (2) people should be aware of the problems caused by small plastics.
The Solution to Global Water Pollution?
The waters of the Benguela, the Atlantic Ocean off South Western African shorelines, are amongst the most productive in the world, supporting prolific marine life. However despite the abundance of animals, survival in this marine ecosystem is not always easy. Oxygen-deficient bottom water, often containing toxic hydrogen sulphide, is a feature of the northern Benguela coastal upwelling system. Here, superfluous cells from excess phytoplankton production, decay and sink to the bottom to form the oozy diatomaceous mud belt sediment off the Namibian coastline. Within this diatomaceous mud further intensified decay takes place to form toxic hydrogen sulphide in the sediment. Sporadically large amounts of the hydrogen sulphide are released into the water column, causing the deadly annual "sulphur" events, as they are locally known in Namibia, to take place. Sulphur eruptions result in the deaths of thousands of marine animals. This marine system off the Namibian coast, with its harsh natural conditions of hydrogen sulphide and low oxygen, is similar to an ecosystem suffering intensive marine pollution. These natural conditions of the Benguelan waters are closely related to the conditions of many coastal areas suffering from the global marine pollution problem, created by man all over the world, through the discharge and disposal of wastes, such as nitrate fertilisers, sewage and biological decay material. A specialsed group of bacteria known as sulphur bacteria occur within the sulphidic conditions of the sediments. Sulphur bacteria actually use some of the produced toxic hydrogen sulphide in the sediments, converting it to harmless elemental sulphur micro granules in their cytoplasm. Where no other life occurs, due to the harsh conditions unfriendly to most marine lifr, sulphur bacteria thrive. Sulphur bacteria control and decrease the amount of hydrogen sulphide, which goes from the sediment into the water, through their complex metabolic systems. The biggest and most effective sulphur bacteria, only found off the Namibian coast, were dubbed Thiomargarita namibiensis. Thio means sulphur and namibiensis refers to its occurrence in Namibia. This giant sulphur-eating microbe is the earth's biggest known bacterium, visible to the naked eye. I conclude with a personal hypothesis to suggest a solution to global water pollution by utilising this magnificent bacterium. Through bacterial cultivation and processing Thiomargarita namibiensis could be employed in tacking extent of global marine pollution. The bacteria use toxic hydrogen sulphide as "fuel" for their metabolism and nitrate as an oxidizing agent, to produce harmless sulphur granules. This explains the bacteria's effectivity in removing nitrate and hydrogen sulphide wastes, the forms most biological wastes eventually occur in, from the water. This spectacular process, as it occurs within these magnificent "sulphur pearl strings", could be the sensational answer to the regeneration of polluted marine waters on a worldwide scale. This absolutely natural treatment of the water would not bear any harmful consequences such as those artificial treatment leaves behind. Sewage treatment or denitrifying treatments applied by man on polluted water leaves chemical discharge and damage to affected ecosystems. Especially Thiomargarita could be used in the regeneration of rural and urban waters (should those survive in fresh water)and sewage schemes as well as most marine waters, due to its high effectivity in removing hydrogen sulphide from affected water. It is not the solution to global water pollution to fight chemicals with chemicals. Nature has provided an excellent and valuable resource that could enable absolute natural recovery within polluted marine ecosystems. We should dedicate ourselves towards such magnificent discoveries and help nature help itself. Research on these Sulphur bacteria(especially Thiomargarita namibiensis)is very recent and ongoing. I recently enjoyed the privilege of a 24 hour marine research ship cruise off the Namibian coast with marine biologists from the Namibian Ministry for Fisheries and Marine Resources, to obtain mud cores holding Thiomargarita namibiensis bacteria. Several chemical tests are done and biological reactions are studied to collect the necessary data concerning Thiomargarita namibiensis. The discovery of Thiomargarita namibiensis awoke worldwide scientific excitement and interest. Its application to solve the problem of global water pollution would be a spectacular scientific breakthrough for the human race.
Super Oil Absorbent Form Rubber Waste
There are three main threats that give disastrous outcomes to the ecosystem, oil spill in the open sea, non-biodegradable wrapping plastics and logging to accommodate the paper industry. The current oil absorbent available in the market nowadays are more of fibers with hydrophilic characteristics. As a result, the oil been absorbed cannot be reused and causing total lost to the oil companies. It is estimates that billions of Malaysian Ringgit(RM) lost due to this cause for the past ten years.\r The objective of this project is to produce oil absorbent that not only created from the Empty Fruit Bunch(EFB) as a recycling initiative but at the same time able to reuse back all the absorbed oil after that. On top of that to this, we also hope to produce a biodegradable wrapping paper from the same material.\r The initial step towards the production of this eco-absorbent is known as Compounding Process which involves the grinding of the EFB along with some used rubber. This is then followed by adding flour to the mixture and then cooked until it is matured. At the end of this process, the product is grinded into refined form. Based on the investigations conducted, this eco-absorbent able to absorb oil five times of its weight and using a minimal pressure, the absorbed oil can be recollected back hence use onwards without changing the oil physical or chemical properties.\r On the other hand, the eco-friendly wrapping paper made out of the same material also showed high durability and tensile index. In addition to this it also showed high flexibility folding index which enables this wrapping paper to be shaped and folded into various forms according to the customer needs. All of these positives characteristics suggest that this eco-friendly wrapping paper able to replace the conventional plastic wrapping paper available in the market nowadays.\r In conclusion, we are one step closer in reducing the environmental pollution by using the EFB to produce the eco-oil absorbent and wrapping paper that it’s not only stressed on recycling the waste materials and precious oil resources but at the same time helps to save billions of Ringgit by the oil companies.
奈米複合材料與空氣分子的愛恨情仇-探討奈米碳管對空氣滲透率之影響
本實驗使用聚醚亞醯胺溶液製備基本薄膜，由於玻璃態高分子薄膜過於緻密，一直是高分子薄膜在應用上的一大限制，為了在薄膜上製造缺陷，又不會使薄膜之選擇性降低，因此選擇將酸化之奈米碳管(孔徑10~20nm) 加至聚醚亞醯胺薄膜中。本實驗主要為探討添加不同濃度的酸化奈米碳管對聚醚亞醯胺薄膜的滲透率與選擇率的影響，藉由添加0.5 wt%、1 wt%、1.5 wt%、3 wt%、4 wt%等不同濃度的酸化奈米碳管至15 wt% 的聚醚亞醯胺溶液中，並製作薄膜，測試其基本性質與五種氣體(H2、CO2、O2、N2、CH4)的滲透率及不同空氣分子之間的選擇率。我們總共測試了三種薄膜的性質，分別是表面特性、熱穩定性及結晶型與層間距，薄膜的表面性質，能觀察到奈米碳管在薄膜中製造奈米孔隙結構，增加氣體滲透的孔道，能有效增加氣體的滲透率。增加奈米碳管的量，能有效升高第一階段熱裂解的溫度，雖然熱裂解在本實驗中沒有很大的差異，但是還是可以從熱重分析圖中推測不同量的奈米碳管會影響熱穩定性。在X 光繞射實驗中，添加奈米碳管的薄膜與純聚醚亞醯胺薄膜，在結晶相上都屬非結晶型薄膜，添加了奈米碳管的高分子複合薄膜的層間距明顯增大。在氣體滲透實驗中，我們比較了不同氣體或濃度不同的奈米複合薄膜的氣體滲透率，在不同氣體時，氣體的滲透率會隨著奈米碳管濃度增加有明顯的提升，五種氣體滲透率大致依照H2>CO2>O2>N2>CH4 這個趨勢增減。奈米碳管對1.5%增加到3%或4%的奈米複合薄膜滲透率的影響卻減小，由此可以推斷奈米碳管對空氣滲透率並非無限制的增加，在1.5%以後就漸漸趨近最大值。H2為14.89barrer，CO2 為9.51barrer，O2為6.34barrer，N2為6.48barrer， CH4 為3.75barrer 。本研究總共比較了三組氣體的選擇率，分別是CO2/CH4，O2/N2，H2/CH4，分離率最高的是H2/CH4 的，兩分子的粒徑大小差對分離率有極大影響，差愈大，其分離率也愈高。奈米碳管的量改變並不會使薄膜的氣體選擇率明顯增加或減少，但是加入太多奈米碳管其選擇率會變低。在五片薄膜中，1.5%的薄膜有最好的選擇率，奈米碳管的添加量超過1.5%選擇率就會開始下降。綜合滲透率及選擇率可以分析出，添加1.5%奈米碳管的高分子奈米複合薄膜有較高的滲透率，又不會降低選擇率，在利用上比其他濃度的奈米複合薄膜在有害氣體過濾及空氣的分離回收方面產生更好的效果。;This experiment uses Polyetherimide polymers solution to make basic membranes. Because glassy polymer membranes are too dense for gas permeations, it is one of the limitations in their applications. To increase gas permeability and maintain air selectivity, I made some nanogaps on the surface of the membranes by an acidification multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs, kinetic diameter 10~20nm) in the PEI membranes. We mainly want to find if it has some influence between the consistency of acidification MWNTs and gas permeability or selectivity. We mixed 0.5wt% 、1wt%、1.5wt%、3wt%、4wt% acidification Carbon nanotube in 15wt% PEI solution, made membranes and tested the character, five kinds of gas permeability (H2、CO2、O2、N2、CH4) and the selectivity between different gases. We have tested the three nature of membranes, including surface characteristic, TGA and XRD. We can see some nanogapes made by carbon nanotube in the membranes. It could availably increase gas permeability. Mixing more carbon nanotube in the membranes could increase the temperature of the first heat-decomposition. Though the heat-decomposition in this experiment didn’t change a lot, we could say that different percent nanotube would affect the membranes’ heat-decomposition. By the experiment of XRD, the membranes with carbon nanotube and the pure PEI membranes attach to amorphous membranes. Nanocomposite’s de-spacing is bigger than pure membranes. In the experiment of air permeability, we compared different kinds of gas or different percent carbon nanotube of nanocomposite if they have some change of permeability. The conclusion is that air permeability increase as the quantity of nanotube increase. The five kinds of permeability the direction：H2>CO2>O2>N2>CH4.The influence of permeability will decrease when the quantity of carbon nanotube increase from 1.5% to 3% or 4%. We can get the conclusion that the increment of gas permeability isn’t limitary. It drifts towards maximal about 1.5%. H2 is 14.89barrer. CO2 is 9.51barrer. O2 is 6.34barrer. N2 is 6.48barrer. CH4 is 3.75 barrer.This experiment totally compared three groups of air selectivity. They ’re CO2/CH4, O2/N2 and H2/CH4. The maximum of selectivity is H2/CH4. The difference of kinetic diameter affects air selectivity a lot. The quantity of nanotube doesn’t associate with the air selectivity, but mixing too much nanotube will decrease air selectivity. The 1.5% nanocomposite has the highest selectivity. If the consistency of the membranes is higher than 1.5%, the air selectivity will decrease. Depend on the gas permeability and the air selectivity, the 1.5% nanocomposite has higher permeability and constant air selectivity. That shows the 1.5% nanocomposite has a better effect on air selectivity and recycling.
千金難買「蚤」知道
我們的研究重心是設計簡便的裝置來檢測生活周邊的用水 · 利用生物對於環境污染的生理特徵、活動力、忍受極限 … 等變化，作觀察、實驗之後，將紀錄結果分析、做成表格，進而形成明確、簡易的指標，以供給一般人更容易的了解用水的品質。本實驗不必使用昂貴的儀器來檢測河水與用水，成本低廉的水生生物為本實驗的最佳選擇 · 可於任何地點完成，作為大及化的檢測方法，本實驗參考水樣急性檢測方法一水蚤靜水式，以水蚤在不同眾屬離子、酸鹼值溶液中的實驗結果，用以做為分析水質的標準，佐證我們生活圈附近的水質現況。Our point of study is design the simple and convenient device to measure the water with peripheral life. Utilize the living beings to the physiological characteristic , energy of the environmental pollution, stand limit. Wait for and change, after making observation , experiment. noting down the result will be analysed , make into the form , and then form the clear , simple and easy index , in order to supply common people with the quality of easier understanding water. This experiment needn’t use the expensive instrument to measure river and water . the best choice of the experiment that the cost is based on living beings cheap aquatically. Can finish in any place , as the popular detection method. This experiment consults the acute detection method of water sample — Water flea’s quiet ability of swimming. with the experimental result in different metal and ion sour soda value solution of water flea, use the standard taking making as water quality of analysis, prove the present situation of water quality of adjacent place of our life range.
黏質色拉雷菌(Serratia marcescens)發光重組菌偵測環境中含酚環之毒性化合物之?
A pair of bacterial two-component system RssB-RssA was cooperated into Serratia marcescens for toxicity phenolic compound detection. First step of this study, E coli was used to accept the plasmid and certified by fluorescent. Then transfer the system from E coli into Serratia marcescens. Finally, 7 kinds of chemical, included phenol, benzene, toluene, xylenes, 4-chlorotoluene, 2-nitrotoluene, and kerosene, were used to check the sensitivity of this gene modified Serratia marcescens line. The results showed that this gene modified Serratia marcescens line had good performances and responses to those chemicals. 本實驗是以一受到二元訊號傳遞系統調控的發光基因重組質體，送入黏質色拉雷菌中，並以製備好的菌株進行毒性化合物之測試。在實驗的第一階段，我們將重組質體送入大腸桿菌內，並以其發光的有無來判斷是否達到送入的目的，其後再以電泳法確認各基因片段是否正確。第二階段再以相同的方法將選殖好的重組發光質體送入黏質色拉雷菌。第三階段，以發光重組菌針對酚、苯、甲苯、二甲苯、4-氯甲苯、2-硝基甲苯及煤油進行發光測試。結果方面，我們發現黏質色拉雷菌發光重組菌對於這一系列的酚環類化合物的確具有相當高的敏感度。