FIELD TRIP

There will be arranged one day (21 May 2010) and two routes for participants to visit the Blackfoot Disease (BFD) Museum and BFD endemic areas in Tainan and Chiayi Counties (southern Taiwan), and the groundwater quality monitoring wells at Budai, Chiayi County as well as the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) in Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park, Hsinchu City, northern Taiwan.

Route 1: 01. Blackfoot Disease Museum-> 02. Arsenic-affected regions and drilling sites -> 03. Chuko: Potential Arsenic Source Rock -> 04. Piyun Temple (Overview of Chianan Plain)-> 05. Water and Fire Mix Hot Spring-> 06.Quantzelin Hot Spring

Route 2: 01. Blackfoot Disease Museum-> 02. Arsenic-affected regions and drilling sites ->03. National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC)

Blackfoot Disease (BFD) Museum

The building located besides the Beimen Church of the Beimen Presbyterian Church was the black foot hospital in the old days. This hospital has an honor history that the Presbyterian Church took care of black foot patients in the Beimen area and helped many poor residents to get rid of the suffering of black foot disease. The original old hospital beds are still there and the hospital was used as the prevention and cure center during SARA period.

Blackfoot Disease (BFD) Endemic Areas

The blackfoot disease (BFD) was prevalent before 1970 in the southwest coast of Tainan, especially in Beimen, Hseuchia, Jiangjing and Yenshui Townships of Tainan County as well as Budai and Yichu Townships of Chiayi County. The BFD new cases were rarely reported since 1970 when tapewater was used for drinking instead of groundwater. Since 1990, no more BFD new cases were reported. The Budai ad Yenshui BFD endemic areas will be arranged for visit during the field trip.

Groundwater Quality Monitoring Well at Budai

The groundwater quality monitoring well (at depth of 150 m) at Budai, Chiayi County was constructed in May 2008 for research purpose by Professor Jiing-Shuh Jean (Department of Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan) under the financial support of National Science Council in Taiwan. There are one main well and ten wells at different depths in a piezometer nest, which are used for monitoring the change in groundwater quality (especially in arsenic and humic substances) in the Budai BFD endemic area.

Chuko: Arsenic Potential Sourse Rock: Black Shale

The Chuko black shale at the upstream of Pachang River is one of potential arsenic source rocks. The Chianan plain groundwater arsenic possibly came from the Chuko black shale which has long been considered to be a major factor that caused blackfoot disease (BFD) in SW Taiwan before 1990, especially prevalent during 1950s. After the erosion of the Chuko black shale at the upstream of Pachang River was taken place, arsenic-contained shale fragments were carried into Pachang River and transported to the downstream of the River, resulting in the arsenic enrichment in the aquifers of the endemic BFD areas (e.g., Budai, Yichu, Beimen, Hsuechia Townships) in Chianan plain, SW Taiwan.

Guanzihling Hot Spring

Guanziling Tourist District is famous for the hot spring, Hung Yeh Park, Ta Hsien Temple, Pi Yun Temple and Hsien Gung Temple. The hot spring is on the side of the mountain, where hotels, restaurants and spring pools can be found. The natural gas and the spring water exist together in the cave, presenting a peculiar view.

National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC)

NSRRC's mission is to operate a cutting-edge synchrotron radiation facility for pioneering scientific research. In recent years, many new research instruments have been added to the light source, Taiwan photon source (TPS), turning the center into a world-class facility with state-of-the-art research capabilities in the vacuum-ultraviolet and soft X-ray energy regions. In 1998, additionally two hard X-ray beam lines were constructed at SPring-8 light source in Japan to provide researchers from Taiwan access to hard X-rays.