• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2019

Background: Stoichiometry plays an important role in understanding nutrient composition and cycling processes in aquatic ecosystems. Previous studies have considered C:N:P ratios constant for both DOM (dissolved organic matter) and POM (particulate organic matter). In this study, water samples were collected in the six major rivers in Korea and were incubated for 20 days. C:N:P ratios were determined during the time course of the incubations. This allowed us to examine the changes in N and P contents of organic matter during decomposition. Results: POM and DOM showed significant differences in N and P content and the elemental ratios changed during the course of decomposition; DOM showed higher C:N and C:P ratios than POM, and the C:N and C:P ratios increased during decomposition, indicating the preferential mineralization of P over N and N over C. Conclusions: The N and P contents of organic matter in aquatic ecosystem are far from constant and vary significantly during decomposition. More detailed information on the changes in C:N:P ratios will provide improved understanding of decomposition processes and improved modeling of aquatic ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.3 s.104
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• pp.304-310
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• 2003

This study was conducted to estimate the internal dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loading from sediment in eutrophic shallow Lake Kasumigaura. Contents of water and organic carbon were about 80% and 6.3% with depth in the sediment, respectively. The highest DOC concentration in porewater (104 mg C/l) was observed in September suggesting that the porewater could play an important role as an internal loading of DOC. Results of DOC release experiments showed that the labile-DOC (L-DOC) release was not detected in the oxic condition, while refractory-DOC(R-DOC) release was detected. The L-DOC and R-DOC release rates in the anoxic codition ranged from 14.5${\sim}$ 48.6, 14.4 ${\sim}$27.3 mgC $m^{-2}$ $d^{-2}$, respectively. The current study showed that L-DOC released in the oxic condition was rapidly utilized by aerobic bacteria, in contrast, L-DOC and R-DOC released in anoxic codition were slowly utilized by anaerobic bacteria. These results suggested that L-DOC and R-DOC were closely related to sediment release and most of the R-DOC released could be an important source of DOC in eutrophic lakes during summer. Therefore, R-DOC pool should be added as one of the important energy source for microbial-based aquatic food webs in eutrophic lakes.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2017

Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), dissolved organic phosphate (DOP), and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured in the coastal sea off inland aqua farms in northeastern Jeju Island in summer 2015. The highest concentrations of DOC, DON, and DOP were revealed in the surface water off Hado-ri where the lowest salinity conditions prevailed (31.6). The concentrations of DOC, DON, and DOP in the surface water were lower in the inner stations (SH1-1, 1-2, and 1-3) near the aqua farms of the Haengwon-ri than in the outer stations. The concentrations of DOC, DON, and DOP negatively correlated with salinity. These results indicate that the contribution of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the aqua farms seems to be not significant. On the other hand, the higher concentrations of DON and DOP in the inner stations of Hado-ri (HD 1-1) seem to be attributed to excrement of migrating birds. The three components of CDOM (T, M, and C peaks) showed no relationship with salinity, perhaps due to various in situ productions by marine organisms and decomposition by ultraviolet radiation. The observed lower C:M ratio, an indicator of terrestrial source, and the higher biological index (BIX) of CDOM in the station off Hado-ri indicate that DOM is produced mainly by biological activity. Based on the higher humification index (HIX) of CDOM and the higher DOC:DON ratio off Haengwon-ri, refractory DOM in the inland aqua farms is likely transported to the coastal sea.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.595-604
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• 1997

To investigate characteristics of biogeochemical environment of the Korea Deep Ocean Study(KODOSI area in the northeast Pacific Ocean, we preferentially measured Inorganic nutrients and fluorescent organic matters. Typically. the permanent thermocline was well developed at the depth of 200~1000m In the study area. Nitrate. phosphate and silicate were low In the surface mixed layer and Increased with depth. N/P and N/Si showed 15 and 0.2 respectively In the deeper layer. Two fluorophores, biomacromolecule(protein-like) and geomacromolecule (humid-like) , were observed by three dimensional fluorescence excltatlon/ emission spectra matrix. Biomacromolecule(maximum fluorescence at $Ex_{280m}/Em_{330nm}$) ranged from 41.9 to 147.0 TU with its maximum In the surface mixed layer and minimum in deeper water, This is a same trend that has been reported for DOC in the equatorial Pacific. This suggests that biomacromolecule might be labile and converted to refractory humic substance after bacterial degradation In the deeper layer. On the contrary, geomacromolecule(maximum fluorescence at $Ex_{330m}/Em_{430m}$), ranged from 7.6 to 46.5 QSU, showed minimum in the surface nixed layer(euphotic zone) Implying photodegradation and then increased with depth at all stations. In the characteristics of vertical profiles, the relationship between biomacromolecule and geomacromolecule showed negative correlation. Such trend can be attributed to biochemical regeneration or formation of fluorescent materials accompanying oxidation and rennnerallzation of settling organic matter.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 2014

Study on effluent organic matter (EfOM) characteristic and removal efficiency is required, because EfOM is important in regard to the stability of effluents reuse, quality issues of artificial recharge and water conservation of aqueous system. UV technology is widely used in wastewater treatment. Many reports have been conducted on microbial disinfection and micro pollutant reduction with UV treatment. However, the study on EfOM with UV has limited because low/medium pressure UV lamp is not sufficient to affect refractory organics. The high intensity of pulsed UV would mineralize EfOM itself as well as change the characteristics of EfOM. Chlorine demand and DBPs formation is affected on the changed amounts and properties of EfOM. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect on EfOM, chlorine residual, and chlorinated DBPs formation with low pressure and pulsed UV treatment. The removal of organic matter through low pressure UV treatment is insignificant effect. Pulsed UV treatment effectively removes/transforms EfOM. As a result, the chlorine consumption is changed and chlorine DBPs formation is decreased. However, excessive UV treatment caused problems of increasing chlorine consumption and generating unknown by-products.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.31-39
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• 1997

The seasonal and spatial changes in dissolved organic carbon(DOC) in Lake Kasumigaura, a shallow and eutrophic lake, were analyzed from October 1992 to October 1995. The proportion of T-DOC was classified by labile(L-DOC) and refractory DOC(R-DOC) on the basis of long-term incubation, fractionated the molecular weight of T-DOC by ultrafiltration. The porewater DOC were measured at sedimental surface of the central basin in order to evaluate the DOC released from the sediment. The proportion of L-DOC and R-DOC were accounted for about 15% and 85% of T-DOC in the central basin, respectively. The molecular weight(MW) distribution occupied some 60% of the low and medium MW. The horizontal variation of T-DOC concentrations trended to higher in the central basin than in the inlet of influent rivers, because of contribution by autochthonous organic carbon loading. The seasonal variation of T-DOC showed to higher summer than winter in the inlet of influent, but at the central basin it fluctuated little seasonally. During the high increase of porewater DOC in 1994 evaluated the high release possibility from the sediment surface (10cm). The present study suggests that autochthonous organic carbon loading must be controlled for improving the water quality of the eutrophic lakes.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.166-172
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the treatment ability of refractory organics in hot rolling precess waste water by redox(reduction and oxidation) reaction. Metal is oxidized in an aqueous solution to generate electron which can reduce water to generate hydroxy radical. These hydroxy radical is very effective to conduct hydrogen abstraction reaction and addition reaction to the carbon - carbon unsaturated link. The surface area of metal alloy reaction material is more than enough to get equilibrium at a single treatment. The efficiency of COD treatment by redox reaction showed maximum at mild pH of pH 7 and pH 6. But it was not effective in acidic atmosphere of pH 3, 4, 5 and basic atmosphere of pH 8 or over. Redox reaction system in much more helpful in a commercial coagulation sedimentation treatment than exclusive system.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.168-175
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• 2015

This study was conducted in autumn to determine phosphorus (P) fraction in sediments of Daechung Lake, to elucidate controlling factors for sedimentary P, and to compare with the other areas. For this study, sediment samples were collected at 6 sites only once on November 2014 using ponar grab and analyzed for solid-phase P (Loosely adsorbed, Fe-bound, Al-bound, detrital apatite, and refractory organic P) by sequential extraction. Total phosphorus (TP) was relatively high in front of Daechung Dam and Hoinam where fish farm was run until 1997. The dominant sedimentary P form was Al-bound P, followed by Fe-bound P, which could be released from sediment to water column during suboxic state. Based on principal component analysis, Al-bound P, Fe-bound, and TP were controlled by grain size of sediments. Loosely adsorbed, detrital apatite, and refractory organic P were relatively highly accumulated at the mouth of major tributaries where suspended sediments were delivered. Sedimentary P concentrations in Daechung Lake sediments were not higher than in other lake sediments. Therefore, based on these results, major controlling factors were grain size and input of suspended sediments from tributaries.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.131-141
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• 2023

In this study, the relationship between organic carbon distribution characteristics and decomposition rate classified according to the particle size and biological degradation characteristics in water was investigated for the Nam river and Geumho river. The average concentrations of TOC in the Nam river and Geumho river were 2.7±1.2 mg/L and 5.0±1.2 mg/L, respectively, but the composition ratios for each type of organic carbon were similar. An average value of 80.9% of TOC was present as DOC and 72.8% of DOC consisted of Refractory-DOC (RDOC). In addition, the change in the RDOC composition ratio according to temporal and spatial distribution was the smallest. There was no difference in the decomposition rate of organic carbon except for TOC by the site (p≥0.108, one-way ANOVA), and the decomposition rates of Labile-POC (LPOC) and LDOC were similar at 0.139±0.102 and 0.137±0.149 day^-1, respectively (p=0.110, paired t-test). The coefficient of variation (CV) of the decomposition rate of DOC (average 8.1%), which had the smallest composition ratio of organic carbon, was 1.1, showing the largest temporal variation. The TOC, POC, and DOC decomposition rates showed a significant correlation with the ratio of the initial concentration to the concentration after 25 days of decomposition (OC₂₅/OC₀) (r²=0.89~0.94, p<0.001), and the decomposition rates of LPOC and LDOC were significantly correlated with the ratio of the initial concentration to the concentration after 5 days of decomposition (LOC₅/LOC₀) (r²=0.67~0.75). This suggests that it is possible to estimate the decomposition rate through the concentration of each type of organic carbon.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 1998

This study was carried out for the purpose of industrial reuse of effluent released from activated sludge unit by $\gamma $-ray irradiation technique. The dissolved organic carbon in the effluent of an activated sludge unit is mostly refractory or inert material which are difficult to be degraded by micro organism. The effluent generated from activated sludge unit was irradiated with Co$^{60}$ $\gamma $-ray under condition of air bubbling. The effects of irradiation on the pH, COD, TOC, color, molecular weight distribution were investigated by membrane filtration and u.v.-spectrum analysis. With increasing dose, the TOC was decreased smoothly. The COD was increased at lower dose, while the COD was decreased at higher dose. The TOC and COD, however, were decreased smoothly when TiO$_{2}$ was added to the solution. It was thought that the differential decreasing trend of COD and TOC in according to the absence or presence of TiO$_{2}$ was due to the molecular weight distribution shifted from group of higher molecular weight to group of lower one which are more easy to be decomposed. The removal efficiency of color was 71.5% and it was increased to 85.7% when TiO$_{2}$ was added to the solution. The $\gamma $-ray irradiation was effective on the production of chlorine.