• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.238-253
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• 2017

The sewage and wastewater (SAW) are a well-known major source of eutrophication and greentide in freshwaters and also a potential source of thermal pollution; however, there were few approaches to thermal effluent of SAW in Korea. This study was performed to understand the behavioral dynamics of the thermal effluents and their effects on the water quality of the connected streams during winter season, considering domestic sewage, industrial wastewater and hot spring wastewater from December 2015 to February 2016. Sampling stations were selected the upstream, the outlet of SAW, and the downstream in each connected stream, and the water temperature change was monitored toward the downstream from the discharging point of SAW. The temperature effect and its range of SAW on the stream were dependent not only on the effluent temperature and quantity but also on the local air temperature, water temperature and stream discharge. The SAW effects on the stream water temperature were observed with temperature increase by $2.1{\sim}5.8^{\circ}C$ in the range of 1.0 to 5.5 km downstream. Temperature effect was the greatest in the hot spring wastewater despite of small amount of effluent. The SAW was not only related to temperature but also to the increase of organic matter and nutrients in the connected stream. The industrial wastewater effluent was discharged with high concentration of nitrogen, while the hot spring wastewater was high in both phosphorus and nitrogen. The difference between these cases was due to with and without chemical T-P treatment in the industrial and the hot spring wastewater, respectively. The chlorophyll-a content of the attached algae was high at the outlet of SAW and the downstream reach, mostly in eutrophic level. These ecological results were presumably due to the high water temperature and phosphorus concentration in the stream brought by the thermal effluents of SAW. These results suggest that high temperature of the SAW needs to be emphasized when evaluating its effects on the stream water quality (water temperature, fertility) through a systematized spatial and temporal investigation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.198-206
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• 2017

From June 2007 to May 2008, seasonal variations of bacterial abundance and heterotrophic nanoflagellate (HNF), together with environmental factors, were investigated at weekly and monthly intervals in Kyeonggi Bay. During the study period, the water temperature and salinity varied from $1.9^{\circ}C{\sim}29.0^{\circ}C$ and 31~35.1 psu, respectively. The concentration of ammonia, nitrate+nitrite, phosphate, and silicate ranged from 0.01 to $3.22{\mu}M$, 2.03 to $15.34{\mu}M$, 0.06 to $1.82{\mu}M$, and 0.03 to $18.3{\mu}M$, respectively. The annual average concentration of Chl. a varied from $0.86{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ to $37.70{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$; the concentration was twice as much at the surface than at the deeper layers. The abundance of bacteria and HNF ranged from $0.29{\times}10^6$ to $7.62{\times}10^6cells\;mL^{-1}$ and $1.00{\times}10^2$ to $1.26{\times}10^3cells\;mL^{-1}$, respectively. In particular, there were significant correlations between bacteria and HNF abundance (p<0.05), and then the high abundance of HNF was frequently observed with an increase of bacterial abundance in summer (p<0.001). Our results therefore indicate that bacterial abundance in the bay was mainly controlled by resources supplied as organic and inorganic substances from Lake Shihwa due to the daily water exchange after dike construction. Also, the bacterial abundance was significantly controlled by HNF grazing pressure (top-down) in the warm seasons, i.e. excluding winter, in the Kyeonggi Bay.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.61-71
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• 2007

The photosynthetic characteristics and primary production by phytoplankton in open waters of two wetlands (the Banwol and the Donghwa wetland) of Sihwa Constructed Wetland with different water chemistry were investigated to provide the information for the wetland management considering the water treatment efficiency. During the study period (from March to October, 2005) the primary productivity in open waters ranged from 481 to 11,275 mgC $m^{-2}$ $day^{-1}$, which is very high compared with the eutrophic level of 600mgC $m^{-2}$ $day^{-1}$. From the analysis of the photosynthesis-irradiance (P-I) model parameters, the photosynthetic characteristics may be affected by different concentration and ratio of nutrient (N and P) between two wetlands. Assimilation number (AN) was higher in the Donghwa wetland (average AN: 8.5gC $gChl^{-1}$ $hr^{-1}$) with high P and low N/P ratio than the Banwol wetland (average AN: 5.8gC $gChl^{-1}$ $hr^{-1}$) with high N and high N/P ratio. This result indicates that AN may be concerned with phosphorus than nitrogen and low NIP ratio. Positive correlation (R=0.81) was observed between the initial slope and AN, implying that AN was high in case of phytoplankton having more active photosynthesis ability under low light. On the other hand, maximum photosynthesis (Pmax) was related positively with chlorophyll a concentration showing correlation coefficient of 0.47. In this study, considering the high primary production through phytoplankton photosynthesis in open waters of Sihwa Constructed Wetland, the produced organic matter by phytoplankton may affect the water quality within wetland and its efficiency of water treatment. Also, the photosynthetic characteristics may be affected by different nutrient enrichment (especially phosphorus) of wetlands. This study suggests that the production by phytoplankton and its characteristics in open water of constructed wetland for water treatment should be considered to improve the removal efficiency of organic matter.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.428-436
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• 2010

This study was to evaluate water quality characteristics and ecological health using a mulimetric fish model in Taehwa-River watershed during May~September 2009. The ecological health assessments were based on the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) using fish community and the multimetric model of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). For the study, the models of IBI and QHEI were modified as 8 and 11 metric attributes, respectively. We also analyzed spatial patterns of chemical water quality over the period of 2000~2009, using the water chemistry dataset, obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea. Values of BOD and COD averaged $1.7\;mg\;L^{-1}$ (scope: $0.1{\sim}31.8\;mg\;L^{-1}$) and $3.6\;mg\;L^{-1}$ (scope: $0.4{\sim}33\;mg\;L^{-1}$), respectively during the study. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) averaged $2.8\;mg\;L^{-1}$ and $96.8\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, respectively, indicating an eutrophic-hypertrophic state. Also, TN and TP showed longitudinal increases toward the downriver reach. In the watershed, QHEI values varied from 67.5 (fair condition) to 164.5 (good condition) by the criteria of US EPA (1993). There was a abruptly decreasing tendency from T9 site in the QHEI values. According to 1st and 2nd surveys of Taewha River, multimetric model values of IBI was averaged 26.1 (n=14) with "good" condition (B) and the spatial variation was evident. Our results suggest that the mainstream sites was getting worse health condition along the river gradient due to inputs of the point and non-point sources from the urban (Ulsan city). Overall, dataset of IBI, QHEI, and water chemistry indicated that the ecological river health showed a downriver decline and the pattern was closely associated with habitat degradations and chemical pollutions as the waters pass through the urban region.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.318-326
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• 2007

Characteristics of organophoshhorus pesticides (OPs) distribution were investigated in Shingu Reservoir, as a shallow eutrophic agriculture reservoir in Korea. In August 2006, IBP, DDVP and dyfonate were detected in the water column of Singu Reservoir, ranging from 1340.7 to 16030.1 ng $L^{-1}$, 58.7 to 127.6 ng $L^{-1}$ and N.D. to 20.3 ng $L^{-1}$, respectively, However, in September 2006, mevinfos, ethoprofos, phorate, chlorfenvinfos, and methidathion were also found in addition to IBP (202.5${\sim}$213.2 ng $L^{-1}$), DDVP (100.7${\sim}$340.6 ng $L^{-1}$) and dyfonate (N.D.${\sim}$25.0 ng $L^{-1})$. Maximum concentrations of OPs were observed at the middle depth in August, which might be related with photo-oxidation. On the other hand, IBP and DDVP among the OPs were detected in suspended particles, suggesting the relatively active adsorption reactivity. The composition of OPs varied temporally on account of the influence of inflow water from its surrounding areas. In the present study, the observed OPs concentrations seem to be not acute toBic levels to aquatic organisms in Shingu Reservoir, considering the standard monitoring levels of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Japan Ministry of Environment.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.259-266
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• 1998

A study on the biological and chemical characteristics in the middle last Sea of Korea was carried out at 31 stations in October $11\~18$, 1995 on board the R/V Tam-Yang. The chlorophyll a concentration, new and regenerated production, and the vertical diffusion of nitrate from the thermocline structure were investigated. From the vertical distribution of chlorophyll a, subsurface maxima were observed near the thermorline at most stations including the frontal zone, except at the southern stations where the maximum chloropyll a concentration occurred at the surface, The nanophytoplankton was the most dominant fraction comprising $83.5\%$ of total phytoplankton cell numbers, but netphytoplankton were common at the southern stations where the dominant species were Rhizosolenia sp. Nitrogenous new production and regenerated productions were measured using the stable isotope $^{15}N$ nitrate and ammonia uptake method. The vertically integrated nitrogen production varied between 8.470 and $72.945\;mg\;N\;m^{-2}\;d^{-1}$. The f-ratio, which is the traction of new production from primary production, waried between 0.03 and 0.72, indicating that $3\%$ to $72\%$ of primary production was supported by the input of nutrients from below the euphotic zone and the rest are supported by ammonia recycled within the euphotic layer. This range of f-ratio encompasses from extremely oligotrophic to eutrophic area characteristics. The differences in productivity and f-ratio among stations were related to frontal structure and the bottom topography. The values were high near the frontal zone and low outside of it, and the station near Ulleng Island showed the highest f-ratio. Vertical diffusion coefficients were calculated from both the water column stability (Kz-1) of King and Devol's equation (1979) and new nitrogen requirement (Kz-2). The values of Kz-2 ($0.11\~0.55\;cm^2/s$) were relatively low compared to the values reported previously.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 1997

Distribution of bacterial abundance and production was investigated during October, 1995-August, 1996 in Lake Shiwha constructed artificially in 1994. Its water column was distinguished by two layers: the brackish surface layer with salinity ranged from 6 to 20‰ and the saline hypoxic/anoxic bottom layer with salinity of 17 to 27‰ Except for samples collected in March, 1996 (on average 13 ${\mu}g\;l^{-1}$), chlorophyll a concentration ranged from 27.6 to 249.5 ${\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ in the euphotic zone, indicating the hypertrophic condition of Lake Shiwha during most of the studied period. In this study, bacterial productions measured by $^3H$-thymidine incorporation method were similar to those by $^{14}C$-leucine incorporation method. In hypertrophic, surface waters of Lake Shiwha, bacterial abundance and production ranged from 1.4 to $19.5{\times}10^9\;cells\;l^{-1}$ and from 1.6 to $126.5{\times}10^7\;cells\;l^{-1}\;h^{-1}$ respectively; 2 to 4 fold and 2 to 30 fold higher than those in eutrophic coastal waters outside of Lake Shiwha, respectively. Turnover times of bacterial community in the surface layer of Lake Shiwha ranged from 0.2 to 8.9 day, indicating that bacteria in the lake seemed to adapt to the hypertrophic condition. In the hypoxic bottom layer, bacterial abundance and production was up to 3 fold and 20 fold lower than those in the surface layer, and showed slow bacterial growth. Significant correlations between the bacterial abundance, production, and community turnover time with water temperature indicate water temperature was the important factor controlling distribution and growth of bacteria. However, during summer season, bacterial production seemed to be regulated by supply of substrates.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.4 s.109
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• pp.411-422
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• 2004

A limnological survey was conducted in a reservoir, Lake Hoengsung located in Kangwondo, Korea, from July 2000 to September 2001 on the monthly basis. Phosphorus loading from the watershed was estimated by measuring total phosphorus concentration in the main tributary. Secchi disc transparency, epilimnetic (0-5 m) turbidity, chlorophyll a (Chl-a), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen(TN) and silica concentration were in the range of 0.9-3.5 m, 0.1-8.5 NTU, 0.3-32.4 mgChl $m^{-3}$, 5-46 mgP $m^{-3}$, 0.83-3.55 mgN $L^{-1}$ and 0.5-9.6 mgSi $L^{-1}$, respectively. Green algae and cyanobacteria dominated phytoplankton community in warm seasons, from July through October, 2000. In July a green alga (Scenedesmus sp.) was dominant with a maximum cell density of 10,480 cells mL. Cyanobacteria (Microcystics sp.) dominated in August and September with cell density of 3,492 and 295 cells mL ,respectively. Species diversity of phytoplankton was highest (2.22) in July. The trophic state of the reservoir can be classified as eutrophic on the basis of TP, Chl-a, and Secchi disc transparency. Because TP concentration was high in flood period, most of phosphorus loading was concentrated in rainy season. TP loading was calculated by multiplying TP and flow rate. The dam managing company measured inflow rate of the reservoir daily, while TP was measured by weekly surveys. TP of unmeasured days was estimated from the empirical relationship of TP and the flow rate of the main tributary; $TP=5.59Q^{0.45}\;(R^2=0.47)$. Annual TP loading was calculated to be 4.45 tP $yr^{-1}$, and the areal P loading was 0.77 gP $m^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$ which is similar to the critical P loading for eutrophication by Vollenweider's phosphorus model, 0.72 gP $m^{-2}\;yr^{-1}$.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.129-138
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• 2012

We investigated an ecological impact of drought simulated by discharge depletion on the water quality and benthic diatom community in the indoor experimental channel. As artificial substrates slide-glass was installed in acrylic channel for 16 days. Channels were supplied continuously with eutrophic lake water with a discharge rate of 6 L $min^{-1}$ in duplication during the colonized period. And then during the discharge depletion period, three discharge rates were provided: NDF (No depletion of flow rate (Control): 6 L $min^{-1}$), LDF (Low depletion of flow rate: 3 L $min^{-1}$) and HDF (High depletion of flow rate: 1 L $min^{-1}$). Environmental factors in the water, such as suspended solid, Chl-$a$ and nutrients concentration, were measured with periphytic algae including AFDM (ash free dry matter), Chl-$a$ concentration and cell density at 1-day intervals. Light intensity increased significantly with discharge depletion (F=229.5, p= 0.000). $NH_4$-N concentration was highest at HDF. Suspended solid in outflowing water decreased at HDF (88%), LDF (97%) and NDF (99%), compared to inflowing water (100 %). Chl-$a$ in substrates increased more than two times at LDF and HDF than NDF (F= 8.399, p=0.001). Also AFDM and benthic diatom density increased significantly at LDF and HDF than NDF (F=9.390, p=0.001; F=6.088, p=0.007). In all experimental groups, $Aulacoseira$ $ambigua$, $Achnanthes$ $minutissima$ and $Aulacoseira$ $granulata$ were dominant species accounting for greater than 10% of benthic diatom density. The most dominant species, $A.$ $ambigua$ was highest at LDF, followed by HDF and NDF (F=8.551, p=0.001). In conclusion, the effect of drought simulated by discharge depletion in an artificial stream ecosystem caused significant changes on water quality and benthic diatom biomass. This result provides a useful data to understand the effect of draught on stream ecosystem in situ.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.551-560
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• 2013

Environmental factors and epilithic diatom communities in the lower streams near the harbor region of South Korean peninsula were examined during no monsoon period in May 2013. The sampling of water and epilithic diatoms was conducted at both streams, 19 regulated streams (RS) that there are one or several dams constructed in the river system, and 19 un-regulated streams (US) that there are no dams within the river. A cluster analysis based on the number of species and abundance of epilithic diatoms through the stations, divided into three groups such as groups I (mainly US), II (mixed with US and RS) and III (mainly RS), respectively. Group I showed that water quality is good and high diversity of diatom, while Group II and III was water quality is relatively poor, but not differed in biomass of diatom from Group I. In addition, Group II that had high conductivity, nitrogen and phosphorus, was the lowest in diatom diversity among them. Dominant species were Nitzschia palea (17%) and Navicula seminuloides (11%) in Group I, Nitzschia inconspicua (19%) and Navicula perminuta (9%) in Group II, and Nitzschia inconspicua (15%) and Nitzschia palea (14%) in Group III, respectively. These taxa were widely distributed in brackish water, and not closely related with specific water quality, like eutrophic water. However, the groups II and III belonged to RS, had not only little biomass, but bad water quality such as high concentrations of nutrient and chlorophyll-a. Therefore, to determine the effect of dam construction on the lower water ecosystem, the planktonic algae, which can occur algal bloom in the estuary, also was considered to be a parallel investigation.