• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.189-204
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• 2016

Microalgal bioremediation of CO₂, nutrients, endocrine disruptors, hydrocarbons, pesticides, and cyanide compounds have evaluated comprehensively. Microalgal mitigation of nutrients originated from municipal wastewaters, surface waters, and livestock wastewaters has shown great applicability. Algal utilization on secondary and tertiary treatment processes might provide unique and elegant solution on the removing of substances originated from various sources. Microalgae have displayed 3 growth regimes (autotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic) through which different organic and inorganic substances are being utilized for growth and production of different metabolites. There are still some technology challenges requiring innovative solutions. Strain selection investigation should be directed towards identification of algal that are extremophiles. Understanding and manipulation of metabolic pathways of algae will possible unfold solution to utilization of algae for mitigation of dissolve organic nitrogen in wastewaters.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 2022

In this study, the characteristics of algae mitigation according to dam operation were quantitatively analyzed for Uiam Lake, where the Chuncheon Dam is located upstream of the main stream, Uiam Dam is located downstream, and Soyang Dam is located in the tributary stream. Nine dam operation scenarios were applied to the event of the summer of 2018 (at that time an algae alert occurred) using the EFDC model, which is capable of calculating three-dimensional hydrodynamics and water quality levels such as those associated with chlorophyll-a. The dam operation scenarios were set to generate a flushing effect via discharges in the form of pulse waves from the upstream dams and by lowering the water level at the downstream dam. At Uiam Lake, the flushing effect was different depending on the operation of the dam, and the amount of algae reduction at each point was different owing to topographic characteristics and the different base water temperatures from BukHan River and Soyang River. With regard to a point located on the left bank, it was predicted that the peak level of chlorophyll-a would be reduced by approximately 50 % or more upon pulsed discharge at 50 m³/s for three days at Soyang Dam. However, for the right bank, the amount of discharge from Soyang Dam had little effect on algae mitigation. Therefore, an appropriate dam operation could be effective for algae mitigation at specific points in the water body where large dams exist upstream and downstream, such as at Uiam Lake, in an emergency situation in which algal blooms rapidly.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.258-270
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• 2016

This study was conducted to test the green-tide mitigation technique in the lower part of the Sook Stream (Chusori) of Daecheong Reservoir from June 27 to August 24, 2014. And the effects were compared with weekly monitoring result of the watching station of the algae alert system (AAS) as well as test beds reach. The green-tide in a test bed was begun from the upstream, and it was gradually transferred and spread toward the downstream by the hydrological factors. The total amount of algae removed by algae removal device during the test period was 33,920 kg, and solids dewatered by natural gravity was 8,480 kg. Also chlorophyll-a content was 2.83 kg, the number of blue-green algae cells was equivalent to $78.6{\times}10^{14}$ cells. Compared with the results of the watching station of AAS, the pre-concentrate removal work in the outbreak waters was able to suggest the possibility of green-tide mitigation. In addition, an effective management of the green-tide was required spatial and temporal occurrence information and practical device technology. Particularly, the optimal timing of algae removal in the river-reservoir hybrid system was recommended at times before the monsoon rainy season and reached the lowest water level.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2013

Algal blooms in potable water supplies are becoming an increasingly prevalent and serious water quality problem around the world. In addition to precipitating taste and odor problems, blooms damage the environment, and some classes like cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) release toxins that can threaten human health, even causing death. There is a recognized need in the water industry for models that can accurately forecast in real-time algal bloom events for planning and mitigation purposes. In this study, using data for an interconnected system of rivers and reservoirs operated by a New Jersey water utility, various ANN models, including both discrete prediction and classification models, were developed and tested for forecasting counts of three different algal classes for one-week and two-weeks ahead periods. Predictor model inputs included physical, meteorological, chemical, and biological variables, and two different temporal schemes for processing inputs relative to the prediction event were used. Despite relatively limited historical data, the discrete prediction ANN models generally performed well during validation, achieving relatively high correlation coefficients, and often predicting the formation and dissipation of high algae count periods. The ANN classification models also performed well, with average classification percentages averaging 94 percent accuracy. Despite relatively limited data events, this study demonstrates that with adequate data collection, both in terms of the number of historical events and availability of important predictor variables, ANNs can provide accurate real-time forecasts of algal population counts, as well as foster increased understanding of important cause and effect relationships, which can be used to both improve monitoring programs and forecasting efforts.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.960-968
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• 2021

Since microalgae research started on late 18 century, they have been recognized as one of the most important bioresources used in bioindustry. Owing to the large efforts paid to industrial application of this microorganisms, their importance on food/feed and bioactive compounds has been further extending into the environmental research areas including alternative energy resources, mitigation of the carbon emission, and waste-water treatment. However, despite the importance on their industrial application, the fundamental research field related to the long-term preservation of microalgae culture has not received much attention. However, a less labor intensive and cost-efficient preservation technology enabling biologically active and stable microalgae-culture provides a key success factor in the biotechnological application. Therefore, this study investigated various cutting-edge microalgae cryopreservation technologies currently developed so far, mainly targeting Chlorophyta, which occupies the largest taxon in the classification system of microalgae. In addition, for the development of successful cryopreservation technique, the key factors such as temperature control effect and preservative effect during cryopreservation of microalgae culture were investigated. In addition, the problems with current preservation technology that is being used in Korean domestic biological resource banks and the international microalgal resource banks are described. According to our investigation, currently no standard method for long-term preservation of microalgae is available due to their various morphological and physiological characteristics. To overcome such issues, much more efforts on fundamental research area on the identification of specific biomarker used for microalgae taxonomical classification and further systemic approaches based on strain-specific cryopreservation methods needed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1621-1629
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• 2008

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), commonly called red tides, are caused by some toxic phytoplanktons, and have made massive economic losses as well as marine environmental disturbances. As an effective and environment-friendly strategy to control HAB outbreaks, biological methods using marine bacteria capable of killing the harmful algae or algicidal extracellular compounds from them have been given attention. A new member of the $\gamma$-Proteobacteria, Hahella chejuensis KCTC 2396, was originally isolated from the Korean seashore for its ability to secrete industrially useful polysaccharides, and was characterized to produce a red pigment. This pigment later was identified as an alkaloid compound, prodigiosin. During the past several decades, prodigiosin has been extensively studied for its medical potential as immunosuppressants and antitumor agents, owing to its antibiotic and cytotoxic activities. The lytic activity of this marvelous molecule against Cochlodinium polykrikoides cells at very low concentrations ($\sim$l ppb) was serendipitously detected, making H. chejuensis a strong candidate among the biological agents for HAB control. This review provides a brief overview of algicidal marine bacteria and their products, and describes in detail the algicidal characteristics, biosynthetic process, and genetic regulation of prodigiosin as a model among the compounds active against red-tide organisms from the biochemical and genetic viewpoints.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.22-34
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• 2016

We developed a biologically-derived substance naphthoquinone (NQ) derivate for the eco-safe mitigation of harmful cyanobacteria blooms such as Microcystis and Dolichospermum. NQ was reacted with various substituents ($R_n$) to produce different NQ derivatives. We tested a total of 92 algicidal compounds based on the algicidal activity of Microcystis and Dolichospermum. 22 compounds of NQ were selected as candidates (algicidal activity >80% at $1{\mu}M$). Among them, NQ 40 compound showed the highest algicidal activity of 99.6% and 100% at the optimal concentration of $1{\mu}M$ on Microcystis and Dolichospermum, respectively. No algicidal effects of NQ 40 ($1{\mu}M$) were observed against non-target algae such as Stephanodiscus, Cyclotella and Peridinium. According to the results of acute eco-toxicity assessment, the $EC_{50}$ values of NQ 40 compound for Selenastrum capricornutum and Daphnia magna were 3.2 and $14.5{\mu}M$, respectively, and the $LC_{50}$ for Danio rerio was $15.7{\mu}M$. In addition, for D. magna chronic eco-toxicity assessment, no toxicity toward survival, growth and reproduction was observed. Therefore, we suggested the NQ 40 ($1{\mu}M$) compound as an alternative eco-safe algicidal substance to effectively mitigate harmful cyanobacteria blooms.