• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2015

Increased harmful algal blooms by cyanobacteria are threatening public health and limiting human activities related with freshwater ecosystems. Phosphorus (P) has long been suggested as a critical nutrient for cyanobacterial bloom through field research in Canada during the 1970s, proposing a P-based freshwater management guideline. However, recently, nitrogen (N) has also been highlighted as an impacting nutrient on cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs). Due to the intensive and frequent observation of Microcystis, this kind of paradigm shift from P limitation to season-dependent N or P limitation has an important implication for a dual nutrient management strategy in eutrophic freshwaters. Through recent international researches, general strategies to control CyanoHABs in lakes and reservoirs are as follows: a dual nutrient (N & P) reduction, wastewater collection and treatment, pre-treatment of influent water in buffer zones, dredging of sediment, reduction of residence time, algal collection, and precipitation and flocculation of cyanobacteria. In addition, sustainable and integrative freshwater algae management should be carried out, based on the ecological aspect, because cyanobacteria are not the target organism to be eradicated, but an essential microbial member in the freshwater ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.337-354
• /
• 2017

Cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon population is widely distributed in the world, and well known as harmful algae by producing toxins and off-flavor materials, thus belonging to one of the taxa that became more interested in the field of limnoecology. In this study, the frequency, intensity, and duration of Aphanizomenon occurrence were increased with the abnormal drawdown of water level in the winter in Boryeong Reservoir, and the spatial and temporal characteristics of them are compared with each other in the perspective of hydrometeorology (1998 to 2017) and limnology (2010 to 2017). In Korea, Aphanizomenon flourished mainly in high temperature, and the appearance in the low temperature was rare in total five times. The harmful cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon was observed in the low temperature (December to February) in Boryeong Reservoir from 2014, and then reached a maximum value of $2,160cells\;mL^{-1}$ in January 2017. In addition, the period exceeding $1,000cells\;mL^{-1}$ at this time was more than 3 months. This was simultaneously associated with abnormal water level fluctuation in the low temperature ($<10^{\circ}C$). The large drawdown of water level in the winter season has the potential to promote or amplify the germination and development of harmful algae. Also, subsequent water quality and ecological impacts(e.g., algal toxins and off-flavor substances) need to be considered carefully.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.397-403
• /
• 2019

Microcystis sp. is one of the most common harmful cyanobacteria that release toxic substances. Counting algal cells is often used for effective control of harmful algal blooms. However, Microcystis sp. is commonly observed as a colony, so counting individual cells is challenging, as it requires significant time and labor. It is urgent to develop an accurate, simple, and rapid method for counting algal cells for regulatory purposes, estimating the status of blooms, and practicing proper management of water resources. The flow cytometer and microscope (FlowCAM), which is a dynamic imaging particle analyzer, can provide a promising alternative for rapid and simple cell counting. However, there is no accurate method for counting individual cells within a Microcystis colony. Furthermore, cell counting based on two-dimensional images may yield inaccurate results and underestimate the number of algal cells in a colony. In this study, a three-dimensional cell counting approach using a novel model algorithm was developed for counting individual cells in a Microcystis colony using a FlowCAM. The developed model algorithm showed satisfactory performance for Microcystis sp. cell counting in water samples collected from two rivers, and can be used for algal management in fresh water systems.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.350-357
• /
• 2014

Harmful Algal Bloom Alert System (HABAS) for drinking water supply is require to fast and accurate count as system monitoring of cyanobacterium occurrence and inducing a response action. We measured correlation between colony size and cell number including genus Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Microcystis, Oscillatoria which are targeted at HABAS, deducted from standard formula, and suggested calculation method from colony size to the number of cell. We collected cyanobacteria samples at Han River (Paldang reservoir), Nakdong River (Dalseong weir, Changnyeonghaman weir) and Geum River (Gobok reservoir) from August to October, 2013. Also, we studied correlation between colony size and cell number, and calculated regression equation. As a result of correlation of harmful cyanobacteria by genus, Anabaena spp. and Aphanizomenon spp. having trichome showed high correlation coefficients more than 0.93 and Microcystis spp. having colony showed correlation coefficient of 0.76. As a result of correlation of harmful cyanobacteria by species, Anabaena crassa, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, A. issatschenkoi, Oscillatoria curviceps, O. mougeotii having trichome showed high correlation coefficients from 0.89 to 0.96, and Microcystis aeruginosa, M. wessenbergii, M. viridis having colony showed correlation coefficients from 0.76 to 0.88. Compared with other genus Microcystis relatively showed low correlation because even species and colony size are the same, cell density and cell size are different from Microcystis strains. In this study, using calculated regression might be fast and simple method of cell counting. From now on, we need to secure additional samples, and make a decision to study about other species.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.130-141
• /
• 2017

We evaluated the field application feasibility that biologically derived substances (Naphthoquinone derivate: NQ 2-0) can be used for the eco-friendly mitigation of natural harmful cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater. We conducted a 30 ton scale mesocosm experiment to investigate the effects of NQ 2-0 on biotic and abiotic factors in water collected from Gi-heung reservoir. In the mesocosm experiments, the abundance of Microcystis sp. was continuously increased in the control. However, the Microcystis sp. cell density was sharply decreased on the $10^{th}$ day. In the treatment, NQ 2-0 showed the strong and selective algicidal activity toward the target cyanobacteria (Microcystis sp.). Accordingly, the algicidal activity of NQ 2-0 compound increased gradually until $10^{th}$, $15^{th}$ days and algal biomass was decreased to 99.4 and 100 %, respectively. NQ 2-0 compound was not only selective algicidal activity but also the growth of other phytoplankton and increased the Shannon-Wiener diversity index of phytoplankton. In the mesocosm experiments, the dynamics of biotic (bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellate, ciliates, zooplankton) and abiotic (water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, nutrients) factors remained unaffected. These results suggest that NQ 2-0 could be a selective and ecologically safe algicide to mitigate harmful cyanobacterial blooms. In addition, it is believed that NQ 2-0 will play a major role in forming a healthy aquatic ecosystem by facilitating habitat and food supply of aquatic organisms.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.52-59
• /
• 2016

This study investigated the occurrences and succession patterns of harmful cyanobacteria, as well as environmental factors, during a 3-year period (September 2012 to August 2015) in the upper region of the Nakdong River around Sangju weir. A total of 27 cyanobacterial taxa were observed in this study, and classified into 26 species and 1 variety belonging to 11 genera, 5 families, and 3 orders. Cell density ranged from 24 to 42,001 cells/ml, with a geometric mean of 33 cells/ml, during the survey period. The dominant orders differed depending on the survey year; order Oscillatoriales in 2013, Chroococcales in 2014 and Nostocales in 2015. An Aphanizomenon bloom occurred in June 2015 at which time the highest cell density of 36,873 cells/ml was detected in the upper region of the Nakdong River, where as the Aphanizomenon spp. cell density (190-1,704 cells/ml) had been low prior to that time. An Aphanizomenon bloom also occurred at around the same time downstream in the Young River, a major inflow branch of the Nakdong River. The Aphanizomenon cell density along the Nakdong River increased markedly after joining of the YoungRiver, indicating that the Aphanizomenon bloom in the YoungRiver caused a bloom in the Nakdong River. Meteorological and environmental parameters, such as very low precipitation, higher water temperature, pH, and TP concentration, and lower TN/TP ratio, in May and June of 2015 than in 2013 and 2014 exerted marked effects on the Aphanizomenon bloom in June 2015 in the Young River.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.433-445
• /
• 2019

This study was designed to develop simple tools to easily and efficiently predict the occurrence of algal bloom in agricultural lakes. Physicochemical water quality parameters were examined to reflect the phytoplankton productivity in 182 samples collected from 15 agricultural lakes from April to October 2018. Total phytoplankton abundance was significantly correlated with chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) (r=0.666) and Secchi depth (SD) (r= -0.351). The abundances of cyanobacteria and harmful cyanobacteria were also correlated with Chl-a (r=0.664, r=0.353) and SD (r= -0.340, r= -0.338), respectively, but not with total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The Chl-a concentration was correlated with SD (r= -0.434), showing a higher similarity than phytoplankton abundance. Therefore, Chl-a and SD were selected as diagnostic factors for algal bloom prediction, instead of analyzing the standing crop of harmful cyanobacteria used in algae alarm systems. Specifically, accurate diagnoses were made using realtime SD measurements. The algal bloom diagnostic tool is an inverse cone-shaped container with an algal bloom diagnosis chart that modified SD and turbidity measurement methods. Lake water was collected to observe the number of rings visible in the container or the number indicated in each ring, depending on the degree of algal bloom,and to determine the final stage of algal blooming by comparison to the colorimetric level on the diagnosis chart. For an accurate diagnosis, we presented 4-step diagnostic criteria based on the concentration of Chl-a and the number of rings and a fan-shaped algal bloom diagnosis chart with Hexa code names. This tool eliminated the variables and errors of previous methods and the results were easily interpreted. This study is expected to facilitate the diagnosis of algal bloom in agricultural lakes and the establishment of an efficient algal bloom management plan.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.658-664
• /
• 2014

In this study, Uiam-sediment(US) and Gongji-sediment(GS) were incubated to analyze the formation of phytoplankton community and occurrences of odorous compounds from benthic cyanobacteria. For the phytoplankton, 45 and 40 taxa were found in GS and US, respectively. The phytoplankton species detected in the harmful algae included Microcystis, Anabaena and Oscillatoria. As a result, a standing crop of phytoplankton appeared to be in the range of $0.9{\sim}71.8{\times}10^3$ cells/mL in GS, $0.8{\sim}51.2{\times}10^3$ cells/mL in US, and as the incubation progressed, benthic cyanobacteria was increased. The highest number of akinetes was shown in the initial incubation, and akinetes was reduced by 10% on day 4 of incubation start. After reduction of akinetes incubated for 4 days in US and 15 days in GS, Anabaena appeared from the surface water. Benthic cyanobacteria such as Oscillatoria tenuis, O. limosa and Lyngbya hieronymusii was dominant in GS (max. $3.96{\times}10^6cells/cm^2$) and US (max. $5.77{\times}10^6cells/cm^2$), forming cyanobacterial mats in sediment surface. Cyanobacterial mats were suspended after 10~12 days incubation in GS and US. Before and after the suspension of cyanobacterial mats, the concentration of geosmin was the highest in GS(115 ng/L) and US(175 ng/L). In the second suspension of cyanobacterial mats in GS, the concentration of 2-MIB was increased to the range of 22~92 ng/L.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
• /
• 2006.11a
• /
• pp.285-289
• /
• 2006

In screening of algicidal bacteria, we isolated a marine bacterium which had potent algicidal effects on harmful algal bloom (HAB) species. This organism was identified as a strain very close to Bacillus subtilisby 16S rRNA gene sequencing. This bacterium, Bacillus sp. SY-1, produces very active algicidal compounds against the harmful dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides. We isolated three algicidal compounds (MS 1056, 1070, 1084) and identified them by amino acid analyses, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), $^1H$, $^{13}C$, and extensive two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) techniques including $^1H-^{15}N$ HMBC analysis. One of them, MS 1056, contains a b-amino acid residue with an alkyl side chain of $C_{15}$. MS 1056, 1070, and 1084 showed algicidal activities against C. polykrikoides with an $LC_{50}$ (6 hrs) of 2.3, 0.8, $0.6\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. These compounds also showed significant algicidal activities against other harmful dinoflagellates and raphidophytes. In contrast, MS 1084 showed no significant growth inhibition against various organisms coexisting with HAB species in natural environments, including bacteria, eukaryotic microalgae, and cyanobacteria, although it inhibited growth of some fungi and yeasts. These observations imply that algicidal bacterium Bacillus sp. SY-1 and its algicidal compounds could play an important role in regulating the onset and development of HABs in the natural environments.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.286-294
• /
• 2015

Temporal and spatial characteristics of cyanobacterial communities at the monitoring stations for Harmful Algal Bloom Alert System (HABAS) in Nakdong River and Lake Dukdong were investigated for two years (2013 to 2014). A total of 30 cyanobacterial species from 14 genera were found at the survey stations. Microcystis sp. showed maximum cell density in the total cyanobacterial community in August, 2014 at ND-2 and in September, 2013 at ND-3 station. Lynbya limnetica and Geitlerinema sp., non-target species for alert criteria showed maximum cell density at ND-1 (August, 2013) and Dam station of Lake Dukdong (September, 2014), respectively. Total cyanobacterial cell density and the relative abundance of four target genera (Microcystis, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon and Oscillatoria spp.) for alert criteria was relatively lower in the mesotrophic Lake Dukdong than at the eutrophic riverine stations of Nakdong River, indicating cyanobacterial density and the RA of target genera is affected by the trophic state of the monitoring stations. Simulating the alert system using phycocyanin concentration as an alert criterion resulted in the longer period of alert issued compared to the period of alert issued using the current criterion of harmful cyanobacterial cell density due to the influence of phycocyanin concentration from non-target cyanobacterial species.