• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.553-563
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• 2011

This study investigated the effects of elevated $CO_2$ and nitrogen addition on the anaerobic decomposition mediated by microorganisms to determine the microbial metabolic pathways in the degradation of organic matters of the sediments. There were statistically significant differences(P < 0.05) in the rates between denitrification and methanogenesis upon increased $CO_2$ concentration, nitrogen addition, in the presence of plants. Based on the assumption that anaerobic degradation of organic matter mainly occurs through denitrification, iron reduction, and methanogenesis, methanogenesis is the dominant pathways in the decomposition of organic matter under the condition of elevated $CO_2$ and nitrogen addition. In addition, the altered environment increased anaerobic carbon decomposition. Therefore, it can be concluded that freshwater wetland sediments have positive effects on the global warming by the increased methanogenesiss as well as increased anaerobic carbon decomposition.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.917-929
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• 2019

Denitrification in streams is of great importance because it is essential for amelioration of water quality and accurate estimation of $N_2O$ budgets. Denitrification is a major biological source or sink of $N_2O$, an important greenhouse gas, which is a multi-step respiratory process that converts nitrate ($NO_3{^-}$) to gaseous forms of nitrogen ($N_2$ or $N_2O$). In aquatic ecosystems, the complex interactions of water flooding condition, substrate supply, hydrodynamic and biogeochemical properties modulate the extent of multi-step reactions required for $N_2O$ flux. Although water flow in streambed and residence time affect reaction output, effects of a complex interaction of hydrodynamic, geomorphology and biogeochemical controls on the magnitude of denitrification in streams are still illusive. In this work, we built a two-dimensional water flow channel and measured $N_2O$ flux from channel sediment with different bed geomorphology by using static closed chambers. Two independent experiments were conducted with identical flume and geomorphology but sediment with differences in dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The experiment flume was a circulation channel through which the effluent flows back, and the size of it was $37m{\times}1.2m{\times}1m$. Five days before the experiment began, urea fertilizer (46% N) was added to sediment with the rate of $0.5kg\;N/m^2$. A sand dune (1 m length and 0.15 m height) was made at the middle of channel to simulate variations in microtopography. In high- DOC experiment, $N_2O$ flux increases in the direction of flow, while the highest flux ($14.6{\pm}8.40{\mu}g\;N_2O-N/m^2\;hr$) was measured in the slope on the back side of the sand dune. followed by decreases afterward. In contrast, low DOC sediment did not show the geomorphological variations. We found that even though topographic variation influenced $N_2O$ flux and chemical properties, this effect is highly constrained by carbon availability.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.263-270
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• 2012

Two kinds of uranium species, oxidized uranium(VI) and reduced uranium(IV), were prepared to be interacted with goethite and montmorillonite to identify sorption characteristic of uranium species, which are very sensitive to the redox-reaction. The reduced uranium was prepared by diluting a substantial uranium(IV) that was concomitantly produced during a sulfate reduction via a sulfate-reducing bacterium. The sorption amount of uranium(IV) by the minerals was relatively lower than that of uranium(VI) because the aqueous uranium(IV) had fine colloidal forms to cause its weak adsorption onto the mineral surfaces. We found that the uranium(IV) phase has a nano-colloid character by the transmission electron microscope, suggesting that the uranium species possibly migrating with the flow of groundwater in underground environments can be the colloidal uranium(IV) as well as the ionic uranium(VI).

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.210-224
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• 2003

Sulfate reduction is a microbiological process which occurs ubiquitously in anaerobic marine environment. Sulfate reducing bacteria play a significant role in anaerobic decomposition of organic matter and regeneration of inorganic nutrients which supports the primary production in the water column (i.e., benthic-pelagic coupling) and, in special case, could be responsible for the harmful algal bloom in the coastal marine environment. Summary of the sulfate reduction rates reported in various marine sedimentary environments revealed that supply of organic substrates and presence of various electron acceptors (i.e., $O_2$, NO$_{3}$$^{[-10]}$ , Fe(III) and Mn(IV), etc.) for other aerobic and anaerobic respiration directly affect the sulfate reduction rate and relative significance of sulfate reduction in organic matter mineralization. Significance of temperature, macrophytes and bioturbation is discussed as factors controlling supply of organic substrates and distribution of electron acceptors. Finally, we suggest studies on the anaerobic microbiological processes associated with biogeochemical element cycles in the coastal environments of Korea where massive operation of organic enriched fish cage farm, frequent occurrence of toxic algal bloom and hypoxia and conservation of tidal flat are of major environmental issues.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.680-687
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• 1999

To understand the role of shelf sediment in phosphorus biogeochemical cycle, we carried out sequential sediment extraction (SEDEX) of P and porewater analysis on 14 core samples collected in the South Sea of Korea, SEDEX classified P-pools into 5 phases and results are grouped into two categories: reactive P (loosely sorbed-P and Fe bound-P) and refractory P (detrital inorganic-p, authigenic mineral-P and organic-P). Total P concentrations are decreased with sediment depth in all samples as a result of dissolution to porewater. Reactive P comprises about $20\~50\%$ of total P, and iron bound-P is the major form consisting $70\~80\%$ of reactive P-pool. Iron bound-P decreases sharply with depth. Depth profiles of dissolved P concentration in porewater show mirror image of iron bound-P, revealing the role of FeOOH as a regulator of reactive P supply to overlying water column. Authigenic mineral-P consists less than $5\%$ of total P, thus removal of reactive P by converting into refractory P seems inefficient in shelf sediment. This implies that continental shelf sediment sequesters P temporarily rather than permanently. Results show local variation. Nakdong estuary receiving large amount of terrigenous input shows the highest concentration of total P and reactive P. Here iron oxyhydroxides at the surface sediment control the water column flux of P from sediment. Although total P content at the surface is comparable (500$\~$600 ${\mu}g{\cdot}g^{-1}$) between the South Sea and East China Sea, the former contains more iron bound-P and less derital inorganic-P than the latter. Reasons for the difference seem due in part to particle texture, and to biological productivity which depends roughly on the distance from land.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2000

There are increasing evidences of climate change in the Antarctic and Arctic Oceans, especially elevated temperature due to the continuous burning of the fossil fuels and ultraviolet B(UV-B) flux within the ozone hole. Light-dependent, temperature-sensitive, and fast-growing organisms respond to these physical and biogeochemical changes. Polar marine phytoplankton, which are pioneer endemic species and important carbon contributors in the polar waters, are therefore highly suitable biological indicators of such changes. By virtue of light requirement, the primary producers are exposed to extreme seasonal fluctuations in temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and UV radiation. Local environmental warming and increased UV-B radiation during ozone depletion may have profound effects on the primary producers that are primary carbon producers in the polar water. Small changes in climate temperature and solar radiation may have profound effects on the activity threshold of the polar phytoplanktion. To demonstrate biological response to the environmental changes, standardized representative natural and biological parameters are needed so that replicate samples (including controls) can be taken over extended periods of time. In this paper, we review general characteristics of polar phytoplankton, their environment, environmental changes in the polar waters, the effects on the environmental changes to the polar phytoplankton, and the importance of the polar phytoplankton to understand the global environmental changes. [Biological indicators, Global environmental change, Polar phytoplankton, UV].

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.4 s.118
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• pp.435-444
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• 2006

A suite of extracellular enzyme activities involved in organic carbon decomposition were determined in three northern peatlands (a bog, a fen, and a swamp) over a 12 month period along with trace gas ($CO_2$ and $N_2O$) flux and DOC dynamics in the wetlands. The activities varied $0.008-0.066\;{\mu}mole\;g^{-1}\;min^{-1}$, $0.003-0.021\;{\mu}mole\;g^{-1}\;min^{-1}$, $0.003-0.016\;{\mu}mole\;g^{-1}\;min^{-1}$, $0.004-0.047\;{\mu}mole\;g^{-1}\;min^{-1}$, for ${\beta}-glucosidase$, cellobiohydrolase, ${\beta}-xylosidase$, and N-acetylglucosaminidase, respectively. In general, the activities were highest in the forested swamp followed by the fen and the bog. When the data from three wetlands are combined, the enzyme activities exhibited significant positive correlations with trace gas emission and available carbon. Further, the average activity of 4 enzymes explained about 20-40% of the variations of trace gas emssion and available carbon. The results indicate that enzymes related to the mineralization of organic carbon may play an important role in trace gas flux and DOC dynamics in northern peatlands.