TR’s Blog

Troy Bowers in Chengdu 2

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:03:57 -0700

We’ve returned home now and can reflect on the last part of the trip and the overall experience. This was a trip that will affect my view of life from here forward. It confirmed to me that our world is one and that the people in it are largely motivated by the same things and are genuinely caring and compassionate, for the most part, like everywhere else I’ve been. I’ve now seen where the Chinese are putting all of the steel and concrete I’ve heard about: world class high-rises, bridges, highways, subways, rail, etc. While our schedule was extremely full, we had a chance to see the heart of four cities including China’s third and fifth largest and a good view of the rural countryside. The cities are becoming modernized very rapidly and the countryside is being preserved to a great extent. While many move to the city to seek prosperity, the government is financially encouraging some to stay and maintain the agriculture. The wastewater treatment plants we visited seem to be state of the art technology and efficient. The water reservoirs we visited were in good physical condition, even those in proximity of the earthquake.

The Chinese have done a good job of responding to the earthquake. We visited two cities, a village, two refugee camps and a large dam and reservoir complex. There are good temporary heath and sanitation facilities in place to prevent disease including package treatment plants for drinking water, wastewater, and incineration of medical waste. Many of the temporary facilities were donated from both within China and through other worldwide non-profit organizations. The local environmental protection bureaus are using these facilities very effectively from what we saw. The most amazing thing was the resiliency of the people we visited and viewed as we traveled the EQ zone. People were clean, dressed well and getting on with life four months after the devastating 8.2 quake that has 80% of some cities uninhabitable. The government thinks it will take three to five years to rebuild. It is a good goal if Hurricane Katrina’s recovery is any measure. The government is paying a living allowance to those who can’t work in these areas so people can get by. It seems to be working.

It appears that the EQ recovery in the cities will be used to modernize which should be good for people and the environment as current technology should serve both efficiently. The hardest thing to see was the rural reconstruction using low quality mortar and salvaged bricks to rebuild the farm structures needed to store harvested crops. It was these unreinforced masonry structures in cities and in the country that were most heavily damaged and resulted in the most deaths and injury. You just know that once these are rebuilt in the country they will be there until they come down in the next quake, killing and injuring more. The crops must be protected though to prevent going hungry. I wish there was a better solution at hand for these good people. It was a very good feeling to be part of delivering the water testing equipment and knowing that it will make a difference in people’s lives.

Reflecting on the environmental aspect of our delegation’s mission, it is good to see Chinese environmental professionals as passionate about the environment as we are. It feels that the places we visited are now advanced to where we were in Oregon in the 1970s. They have laws in place and are starting to make progress on implementing measures with municipal wastewater, and they need the push to do more to implement industrial pollution controls, both air and water. We did tour plants where the equipment for treating industrial pollutants is being developed and built, hopefully to be installed soon at additional facilities. The government is fostering technology company incubation centers in some places that provide the profit and prestige motivation to help make a difference. We have extended our hand for collaboration and hope to work together to help solve our issues. We have learned a great deal on our trip and know that while we offer a perspective in time that is of benefit to the Chinese, we also can and will learn from our counterparts in China.

I look forward to working with our delegation as we move forward. A trip like this forges lasting bonds. I didn’t know that at the outset, but I can see it now. Our group is comprised of special people, and I’m proud to be associated with each of them. I hope they can feel the same about me.

Troy Bowers in Chengdu

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:52:50 -0700

Well, here we are in Chengdu, the 5th largest City in China, and in Sichuan Provence. We have just delivered the GC, a piece of test equipment for testing contaminants in water sources in the lab or in the field. This area is prone to earthquakes like the devastating event of May 12th 2008. The GC was warmly received and will be used for future EQ responses. We travel to a 2000 year old dam and reservoir this afternoon and to areas hit hard by the EQ tomorrow.

Guangzhou, China’s 3rd largest City was a great experience. My friend, Dr Zhu, took very good care of us. We had very good visits with more agencies and professionals, learned a great deal, made good contacts for future collaboration, and had more wonderful cuisine. It’s humbling to be so warmly welcomed by new friends like we have been.

I look forward to learning more personally and professionally. My view of the world, one world, has been forever positively affected by this experience. It’s good to be carrying forward the messages from Greg and Mary. We finished Guangzhou by departing with Jeff Barker and Sunun Setboonsarng. We are now down to three here. While busy, we miss our new friends and look forward to our reunion once back in Portland.

That’s it for now. I’ve included a few shots of moments over the past several days in Guangzhou and now here in Chengdu. Take care!

Troy

We donated the GC Today

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:34:22 -0700

I arrived in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, Wednesday afternoon with Jenny and Troy. The GC arrived safely with us, although I had some worries about the PID lamp upon inspection in my room. This morning, Thursday 9/18, we carried the GC to the laboratories of the Sichuan Institute of Environmental Protection, where its chemists can practice using the device in anticipation of its use in the province.

After the donation ceremony, in which I introduced the device, I had a few hours to work with the young chemists who will be using the GC. I was surprised to find that they had no PID in the lab - this was to be the first. I was pleasantly surprised that the PID lamp was working properly. It took a while for me to remember how to manipulate the operating program, but once we had made one test run it was clear that these young chemists are ready to take control of the device. I waived goodbye to the chemists and the GC, then headed off to the earthquake epicenter.

The epicenter of the May 12th earthquake was about 100 km from Chengu, near a small village named Dujiangyan City. Troy and I saw many, many destroyed buildings. We drove to the famous Dujiangyan Irrigation System and then to a reservoir above to view damage to the roadway adjacent to the reservoir. Be sure to look at the photos I posted of today’s GC donation and excursion.

We arrived in xiamen today

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 12:56:45 -0700

We arrived in Xiamen today, Sunday, and I was relieved to see that the GC arrived with us, apparently unscathed. We won’t know if it was damaged from shipping until we fire it up in Chengdu. If anything was damaged it most likely will be a cracked PID lamp. That contingency is one reason I insisted on purchasing a back-up lamp.

I asked Jenny to forward a message to the Sichuan Institute alerting them that we will need a fairly high wattage transformer to operate the GC on the Chinese power grid. Representatives of the Institute said they did not have a transformer, but they will try to find one in Sichuan. Barring that, the Fujian EPB has offered to help us purchase a transformer in Fuzhou.

I had intended to have the Fujian EPB forward the GC to Chengdu, but Jenny convinced me that it would be safer to maintain possession of the device throughout our travels to Fuzhou and Guongzhou. She does not believe that the Chinese shippers would be especially careful about the device, or that it would not be stolen. So, it is sitting in my hotel room. We are often told to not leave unattended valuables in our room. Therefore I have decided to set a watch. Troy and I have not yet decided the penalty for sleeping or intoxication on watch, Jenny refuses to participate in the discussion.

WE ARE ON Our WAY TO CHINA!

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 12:15:40 -0700

Troy, Jenny and Thomas are on their way to Chengdu now with the other members of the OFSSA Environmental Delegation. The delegation will spend a week in Fujian Province before the trio goes on to Sichuan Province. United Airlines accepted the GC without any additional charge even though it was well over the weight limit of 50 pounds.

The Sichuan Institute for Environmental Sciences forwarded a letter that will allow us to get the GC through customs and the Fujian Environmental Protection Bureau will meet us at the airport in Xiamen to receive and forward the device to Chengdu. We asked the Institute to locate a 1500 watt transformer, necessary because the GC runs on 220 VAC and China has a 110VAC system. Such a transformer is heavy, but should not be expensive. We may have to purchase one in Xiamen or Fuzhou and bring it with us to Chengdu.

I packed in my suitcase the analytical standards that Marsha Fooquari of the Portland Water Bureau purchased for Sichuan Province. We are carrying standards for not only the most prominent petroleum contaminants but also for two compounds that might show up in water reservoirs impacted by decomposing bodies. Those compounds are called “cadaverine” and “putrescine”. I packed the analytical standards well, but having them break or burst from depressurization while we are in the air is now one of my many worries. Eewww!

The gc is back from the Water Bureau

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:36:42 -0700

For the past week the SRI Model 8610 Gas Chromatograph (“GC”) has been at the Portland Water Bureau drinking water laboratory. Marsha Farooqui, a PWB chemist, has been running standard solutions to learn more about the device’s sensitivity and accuracy. We were not disappointed.

The GC is equipped with two detectors in series, first a Photo-Ionizing Detector and then a Flame-Ionizing Detector. The two detectors operate on different principles and therefore can detect different classes of chemical compounds, although the ranges of chemical compounds that can be detected by the PID and FID do overlap to a great extent. PIDs and FIDs are often used in tandem to add versatility and reproducibility to drinking water monitoring devices.

At the PWB laboratory, Marsha Farooqui and Thomas Benke worked together during three sessions of several hours each to set up and test the device. Marsha ordered standard solutions of common chemical contaminants, allowing us to compare our results with the manufacturers for the same compounds at similar concentrations, generally a mixture of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylenes o-/ p- (aka BTEX). Marsha also ordered two standards for two compounds commonly associated with putrefaction in disaster areas and developed protocols for assessing whether putrefaction has impacted a drinking water resource. These new protocols, developed specifically by the PWB for the portable GC, will be introduced to officials in Sichuan Province who are responsible for ensuring drinking water quality among displaced populations in the disaster stricken region.

We cranked-up the gc today!

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:32:31 -0700

Marsha Fooquari, analytical chemist at the Portland, Oregon Water Bureau drinking water laboratory, began today to run our new Gas Chromatograph (“GC”) through its paces. The GC (an SRI Model 8610C) is equipped with two detectors (photo- and flame-ionizing) capable of detecting a broad range of drinking water contaminants to below drinking water standards. The GC will remain at the PWB laboratory for the remainder of the week and will be evaluated against multiple standards in advance of shipping to Sichuan Province.

The portable GC will be useful “in the field” (as a mobile laboratory) for real-time assessment of drinking water resources.