• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2011

This study was purposed to develop an effective LC/MS/MS method for simultaneously determining five pre-treated cyanotoxins (anatoxin-a, microcystins-RR, -YR, -LR and -LA) of cyanobacteria blooms. Cyanobacterial bloom samples were collected from 11 major lakes and three downstream areas of river around Korea during 2005~2009. Cyanotoxins were identified in 38 samples from the lakes. The validity of the method was evaluated and the recovery rates were found ranging from 83~87%. The MDL turned out to be $0.046\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ for anatoxin-a and $0.066\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ for microcystins (RR, YR, LR and LA), which indicates that the method has high sensitivity and accuracy. The most dominant genus of the cyanobacterial blooms was Microcystis, which accounted for 71% of the analysed samples. Microcystis also contained the largest amount of microcystins ($398.5\;{\mu}g\;gDW^{-1}$) among the analyzed cyanobacteria. The analysis of the five cyanotoxins showed that anatoxin-a ranged between $0{\sim}41.833\;{\mu}g\;gDW^{-1}$ and microcystins ranged between $6.311{\sim}2,148.786\;{\mu}g\;gDW^{-1}$. Among the microcystins, micocystin-RR took up 58.3%, the largest portion. Anatoxin-a was found to account for 77.8% of the samples. This study has its significance in that it allowed the establishment of toxin criteria appropriate for the Korean water systems. Further studies may be necessary to conduct for improving water treatment methods.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.347-357
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• 2011

We examined two reservoirs (Inkyung res. and Joongang res.) and two streams (Kyungan str. and Jecheon str.), all of which were eutrophic, during the 2010 warm season, to evaluate the water quality improvement activity (WQIA) of plant-mineral composite (PMC), which was previously developed to control suspended solids, including cyanobacterial bloom (Kim et al., 2010). We simultaneously measured both solid (S-MCLR) and dissolved microcystin-LR (D-MCLR), before and after PMC treatment, in the Joongang reservoir. Taking water body size and volume into account, we conducted the whole-scale experiment in the Inkyung reservoir, and mesocosm-scale experiments in the other three systems. The WQIAs of PMC were found to be comparatively high in SS (70~81%), TP (75~91%), BOD (65~91%), Chl-a (88~98%), phytoplankton (84~92%) and zooplankton (68~88%), except for the Kyungan stream, which was below 45% in all parameters. After PMC treatment, the concentrations of both SMCLR (47%) and D-MCLR (96%) decreased within two days, suggesting a mitigation possibility of hazardous chemicals such as agrochemicals and endocrine disrupters in the aquatic ecosystem. Our results collectively indicate that PMC is a useful agent to control suspended solids, including nuisance cyanobacterial bloom and their exudates, in an undisturbed water system with a long residence time.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.spc
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• pp.68-76
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• 2008

This study examined the inhibition effects of a freshwater bivalve (Unio douglasiae) and a submerged plant (Potamogeton crispus) on the cyanobacterial bloom (Oscillatoria sp.). The experiment were conducted in aquarium $(50cm{\times}65cm{\times}120cm)$ with lake sediments in the bottom of the aquarium in 10 cm thick. Before the experiments, artificial cyanobacterial bloom was induced with the addition of lake sediment and CB medium. Total 12 transparent acrylic cylinders (${\Phi}19cm$, height 40 cm) were placed in the aquarium, and within which bivalves and plants were placed in various conditions such as the control (C), plant addition (P:5 stems), mussel addition (U:2 individuals), and both mussel and plant addition (PU: the same quantity as used in each treatment). The experiment was conducted in triplicate during 7 days. pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electric conductivity (EC), salinity, cyanobacterial cell density, chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ concentration, and mussel filtering rate were monitored daily. At the end of the experiment, total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and plant height and weight were measured. Overall, a large degree of cyanobacterial growth inhibition appeared in both P and U treatments, and the effect was highest in the U treatment, followed by P and PU. The combined treatment of both U and P did not show any synergic effects compared to the effect in separated treatment. In all enclosures of the treatments chlorophyll-${alpha}$ (Chl-${alpha}$) concentration decreased until 36 hours after the additions of the plants and mussels. In contrast, Chl-${alpha}$ concentrations increased in PU enclosures after 36 hours. The same trend was shown in the cell density of Oscillatoria. pH and DO gradually decreased until 120 and 144 hours, respectively, in the P and PU enclosures. TP concentration increased in the mussel enclosures (U and PU), while TN concentration largely decreased in the plant enclosures (P and PU). Our results suggest that applied bivalve (Unio) and submerged plant (Potamogeton) seemed to have a potential effect on the growth inhibition of cyanobacteria, but their combined application may have an antagonistic effect to diminish the degree of the inhibition.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.301-309
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• 2013

Between May and August 2012, a massive cyanobacterial bloom with Anabaena has been occurred throughout the North Han River. Sampling was conducted at one station on each lake, L. Uham, L. Cheongpyung, and L. Paldang, where occurred a dense bloom, in 13 July. According to the microscopic examination, the blooms was dominated by one specific filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena and other phytoplankton. Morphologically, previous literature proven that this Anabaena species is A. crassa (Lemmermann) Komark.-Legn. & Cronberg. However, identification of species in a mixed population is complicated due to limited morphological differences. Therefore, with live sample including trichome, akinete and heterocyst, the sequences of 16S rRNA gene of Anabaena isolates were cloned and analyzed, and three 16S rRNA gene sequences of 1188~1520 bp in length were obtained. It was shown from the homologous analysis results that the obtained 16S rRNA sequences were highly homologous to the relevant sequences of A. crassa in GenBank. The 16S rRNA sequences of 63 species were retrieved from GenBank, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed by using these sequences.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.657-667
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• 2015

Cyanobacteria frequently dominate the freshwater phytoplankton community in eutrophic waters. Cyanotoxins can be classified according to toxicity as neurotoxin (Anatoxin-a, Anatoxin-a(s), Saxitoxins) or hepatotoxin (microcystins, nodularin, cylindrospermopsin). Microcystins are present within cyanobacterial cells generally, and they are extracted by the damage of cell membrane. It has been reported that cyanotoxins caused adverse effects and they are acculmulated in aquatic oganisms of lake, river and ocean. In natural, microcystins are removed by biodegradation of microorganisms and/or feeding of predators. However, in process of water treatment, the use of copper sulfate to remove algal cells caused extraction of a mess of microcystins. Microcysitns are removed by physical, chemical and biological methods according to reports. The reduction of nutrients (N and P) inflow is basic method of prevention of cyanobacteria bloom formation. However, it is less effective than investigation because nutrients already present in the eutrophic lake. In natural lake, cyanobacteria bloom are not formed because macrophytes invade from coastal lake by eutrophication. Therefore, a coastal lake has to recover to prevent of cyanobacteria bloom formation.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.3 s.113
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• pp.420-428
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• 2005

Effects of three biological control agents such as Xanthobacter autotrophycus, Tanichthys albonubes and Oryzias latipes on the morphology and growth of cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa were studied. The experiments were consisted of six treatments of living organism (LO) and culture filtered water of three organisms (CFW). Three LOs effectively decreased the density of M. aeruginosa, and then cyanobacteria hardy showed in the microscopic field after 5 days of cultivation. All LO and CFW agents induced the colonial formation of cyanobacterium M. aeruginosa, although there were little differences in colony formation according to the kinds, density and type of treatment. In particular, the higher density treatment of fish CFW induced effectively the colony formation of cyanobacteria, compared to the bacterial LO and CFW. Thus, the application of bio agents to control the cyanobacterial bloom is needed to the further study to diminish the adverse effects such as the enhancement of colony formation towards on the new bloom against the aquatic ecosystem.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.40-48
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• 2009

Unusual bloom of toxic cyanobacteria in water bodies have drawn attention of environmentalists world over. Major bloom of Anabaena, Microcystis in water storage reservoir, rivers and lake leading to adverse health effects have been reported from Australia, England and many part of the world. These cyanobacterial cells can release intercellular matter like toxin in water and these intercellular matter can increase the concentration of organic matter. Cellysis can occur when algal cells meet the disinfectants like chlorine in water treatment plant and the resultant rising up of DOC(Dissolved Organic Carbon) or TOC(Total Organic Carbon) can increase the formation of disinfection by products. Disinfectants that kill microorganisms react with the organic or inorganic matter in raw water. In general disinfectants oxidize the matter in raw water and the resultant products can be harmful to human. There are always conflict about which is more important, disinfection or minimizing disinfection by products. The best treatment process for raw water is the process of the lowest disinfection by products and also the the lowest microorganism. In this study the cultured cells, Microcytis Aeruginosa(MA), Anabaena Flos-aquae(AF), Anabaena Cylindrica(AC), and the cells obtained in Daechung Dam(DC) whose dominant species was Anabaena Cylindrica were subjected to chlorination. Chlorination oxidizes inorganic and organic compounds and destruct live cells in raw water. Chloroform was analyzed for the cultured cells which were treated with $20mg/\ell$ dose of chlorine. In general chloroform is easily formed when dissolved organic matter react with chlorine. The cultured cells contributes the concentration of dissolved organic carbon and also that of total organic carbon which might be potent precusors of chloroform formed. The correlations of the concentration of chloroform, DOC and TOC were investigate in this study.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.257-270
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• 2019

Followingthe Four Rivers Project, cyanobacterial blooms have been frequently observed in the upstream of the installed weirs. The aim of this study was to characterize the major environmental factors that are associated with the cyanobacteria dominance in Baekje Weir (Geum River) and Juksan Weir (Youngsan River) based on intensive experiments and systematic data mining methods. The factors related to the cyanobacteria dominance include7-days cumulative rainfall (APRCP7), 7-days averaged flow (Q7day), water temperature (Temp), stratification strength (${\Delta}T$), electronic conductivity (EC), DO, pH, $NO_3-N$, $NH_3-N$, TN, TP, $PO_4-P$, Chl-a, Fe, BOD, COD, TOC, and $SiO_2$. The most highly correlatedfactors to the dominant cyanobacteria were found to be EC, Temp, Q7day, $PO_4-P$ in theBaekje Weir. On the other hand, those dominant in the Juksan Weir were ${\Delta}T$, TOC, Temp, EC and TN. The EC showed a strong correlation with cyanobacteria dominance in both weirs because a high EC represents a persisted low flow condition. The cyanobacteria dominance was as high as 56 % when the EC was equal or greater than $418{\mu}S/cm$ in Baekje Weir. It was as high as 63% when the ${\Delta}T{\geq}2.1^{\circ}C$ in the Juksan Weir. However, nutrients showed a minor correlation with cyanobacteria dominance in both weirs. The results suggest that the cyanobacteria dominate in astate where the water flow rate is low, water temperature is high and thermal stratification is strengthened. Therefore, the improvement of flow regimes is the most important to prevent persistent thermal stratification and formation of cyanobacteria bloom in theBaekje and JuksanWeirs.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.447-454
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• 2018

Although flotation techniques are often used for the removal of algal particles, the practicality of algae-harvesting technologies is limited owing to the complex and expensive facilities and equipment required for chemical coagulation. Here, we examined the feasibility of an approach to separating algal particles from water bodies without the need for chemical coagulants, depending on the condition of the algae, and to determine the optimal conditions. Using Anabaena sp., a cyanobacterium causes algal blooms in lakes, we stimulated auto-flocculation in algal particles without coagulants and conducted solid-liquid separation experiments of algal particles under various conditions. The six cultivation columns included in our analysis comprised four factors: Water temperature, light intensity, nutrients, and carbon source; auto-flocculation was induced under all treatments, with the exception of the treatment involving no limits to all factors, and algal particles were well-settled under all conditions for which auto-flocculation occurred. Meanwhile, flotation removal of auto-flocculated algal particles was attained only when nutrients were blocked after algae were grown in an optimal medium. However, no significant differences were detected between the functional groups of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) of floated and settled algal particles in the FT-IR peak, which can cause attachment by collision with micro-bubbles.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.251-254
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• 2000

In this study, we investigated vertical distribution and seasonal changes of phytophlankton community in the Hae-Dong Reservoir from March 1999 to Feburary 2000. This reservoir is relativly small (surface area, 2.7 $km^2$) and is the source of drinking water supply to the eastern part of Pusan City. Samples were collected at 2 sites (1, 3, and 6 m; site 1, in front of the dam; site 2, inlet). The dominant group was Bacillriophyceae at both sites (over 63%), and other groups exhibited seasonal changes (high cyanobacterial density in summer; green algal communities in winter). Chrysophyceae and Dinophyceae were maintained lower level during the study period. Along the water depth, all classess of phytoplankton did not show distintive vertical distribution at both sites except during the blue-green algal bloom in the middle of July and late September. The phytoplankton community dynamics in the Hoe-Dong Reservoir was strongly affected by the hydrological factors such as concentrated precipitation and short retention time.