• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.1 s.93
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• pp.20-29
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• 2001

The amount, chemical composition and optical property of extracellular dissolved organic carbon (EOC) by phytoplankton were examined using axenic cultures of Microcystis aeruginosa, Anabaena flos-aquae, and Oscillatoria agardhii. The extracellular organic matter was categorized into five fractions (hydrophobic acids; AHSs, hydrophobic neutrals; HoNs, hydrophilic acids; HiAs, hydrophilic bases; HiBs, and hydrophilic neutrals; HiNs) using three adsorbent resins(XAD-8, cation, and anion). The release pattern and chemical composition of EOC varied with algal species and their growth phases. Percentage of extracellular release increased with age in all cultures. HiAs were the dominant component of EOC in all cultures, whereas the proportion of HiAs decreased with age in all cultures. In contrast, the proportions of HiBs and HiNs increased as cultures aged. In particular, the HiN fraction increased from 0% to 44% of EOC in M. aeruginosa and from 3.0% to 28% in A. flos-aquae, respectively. The proportion of AHSs was higher in the cultures of A. flos-aquae(7.5${\sim}$16%) and O. agardhii (8.7${\sim}$16%) than M. aeruginosa(0.2${\sim}$2.5%). The proportions of AHSs increased with culture age in M. aeruginosa and O. agardhii, but decreased in A. flos-aquae. The specific UV absorbance also varied among species; 1.9 Abs${\cdot}$cm$^{-1}$/mgC${\cdot}$L$^{-1}$ for M. aeruginosa, 3.7 Abs${\cdot}$cm$^{-1}$/mgC${\cdot}$L$^{-1}$ for A. flos-aquae, and 13.0 Abs${\cdot}$cm$^{-1}$/mgC${\cdot}$L^{-1}$ for O. agardhii. The results of this study indicates that DOC excreted by three blue-green algae differed with species and the growth phase.