As part of their studies in the Environmental Engineering program, our students engaged in regular fieldwork for this project, focusing on water quality monitoring of the rivers that flow into Shimen Reservoir. They collected water samples from four inflow rivers (Dahan River, Sanmin River, Gaorao River, and Nanzaigou River) to investigate potential causes and changes related to the eutrophication of the reservoir. Their research culminated in a master’s thesis titled “Temporal and Spatial Distribution, Composition, and Correlation of Microplastics in Surface Water of Shimen Reservoir and Inflowing Rivers in Taiwan.”

Building on the findings and methodologies from this investigation, the next student team conducted further sampling downstream from Shimen Reservoir, analyzing microplastics in the surface water, middle layer, and at the downstream purification plant. Their work resulted in a master’s thesis titled “Temporal and Spatial Distribution, Composition, and Correlation of Microplastics in Surface Water, Middle Layer Water, and Downstream Purification Plant of Shimen Reservoir in Taiwan.”