Hi all –
QUESTION: I would like to locate a water testing service for rivers in Japan. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would like to perform 2 different types of water tests.
* Water quality – capture tubes of water.
* DNA (Protein and Peptides) from syringe to filter. See Example photo of “syringe to filter” to capture enviromental DNA.
[https://www.sinsoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Probennahme\_Filter\_durchdruecken.jpg](https://www.sinsoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Probennahme_Filter_durchdruecken.jpg)
I live in the Shikoku mountains of a tiny 4000 person town. I have been living in the town for about 8 years. During this time each summer the river rocks get covered in a brown / red moss, slippery goo. We have had a bunch of large typhoons and the river gets clean. Not even 5 days after the last storm the rocks changed from clean and rough (you can feel the texture of the rocks) to this brown algae moss and the shore line is covered in a white chalky film.
My suspicion is that old homes in the area have all the grey water running into the river. Also the farmers use pesticides and fertilizers which run into the river. And lastly is the health of the Cedar trees which should not be in Japan as they are not indigenous.
I would like to do some water checks and with the results present the results as well as potential solutions to the Mayor and local government.
Thank you!
5 comments
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/topics/bukyoku/kenkou/suido/suishitsu/02.html
has a list of organizations under 検査機関 so probably contacting one near you is a good start.
The brown goo is likely algae. (not sure without a picture) Not sure what the white chalky film could be though.
Ooo, water quality, my field of study. Not sure exactly where you are on Shikoku, but you can contact an engineering firm [like this one](https://www.yonkei.co.jp/technology/analysis/entry-349.html). If you just want to sample yourself and have them do the tests, they can provide the materials. If you want something a little more, erm, scientifically/legally robust, I’d have the company do the sampling for you. I say this because if you want to use the results in any legal way, you will need a representative sampling location, proper sampling methods, and a chain of command with a qualified person doing the sampling and timely delivery to an accredited lab.
I think common tests like pH, solids, biological and chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, coliforms, and what not are probably pretty reasonably priced, but once you get into heavy metals, pesticides, and toxins, expect that number to jump. Most tests need to be done within a certain time from sampling, so keep that in mind.
I’ve worked public and private, and have never been asked to sample surface water for DNA… I guess it would more in the field of biology, so I can’t help you with that, but it looks interesting!
What do you mean by “cedar”? The English term isn’t particularly precise.
If you’re referring to Cryptomeria (japonica), that most certainly *is* native to Japan.
The large-scale deaths of algae and fish suggest that the water quality may have undergone eutrophication. Based on my previous experience in environmental water quality analysis, eutrophication typically occurs when pollutants such as animal waste, chemical fertilizers, or detergents are discharged in large quantities into the water . This leads to excessive algae growth, which consumes a significant amount of oxygen in the water, resulting in fish mortality. Given the clues you provided (algae, animal waste, fish deaths), I believe eutrophication may be a concern.