• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.215-220
• /
• 2016

A new immobilization technique of nanoscale $TiO_2$ powder to expanded polystyrene (EPS) balls with temperature-controlled melting method was developed, and the photocatalytic activity of $TiO_2$ powder-embedded EPS balls were evaluated using methylene blue (MB) solution under ultraviolet irradiation (${\lambda}=254nm$). Based on the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and associated energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis, the components of the intact EPS balls were mainly carbon and oxygen, whereas those of $TiO_2$-immobilized EPS balls were carbon, oxygen, and titanium, indicating that relatively homogenous patches of $TiO_2$ and glycerin film were coated on the surface of EPS balls. Based on the comparison of degradation efficiencies of MB between intact and $TiO_2$-immobilized EPS balls under UVC illumination, the degradation efficiencies of MB can be significantly improved using $TiO_2$-immobilized EPS balls, and surface reactions in heterogeneous photocatalysis were more dominant than photo-induced radical reactions in aqueous solutions. Thus, $TiO_2$-immobilized EPS balls were found to be an effective photocatalyst for photodegradation of organic compounds in aqueous solutions without further processes (i.e., separation, recycling, and regeneration of $TiO_2$ powder). Further study is in progress to evaluate the feasibility for usage of buoyant $TiO_2$-immobilized EPS to inhibit the excessive growth of algae in rivers and lakes.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.326-333
• /
• 2017

The lakes and reservoirs have been reported as important sources of carbon emissions to the atmosphere in many countries. Although field experiments and theoretical investigations based on the fundamental gas exchange theory have proposed the quantitative amounts of Net Atmospheric Flux (NAF) in various climate regions, there are still large uncertainties at the global scale estimation. Mechanistic models can be used for understanding and estimating the temporal and spatial variations of the NAFs considering complicated hydrodynamic and biogeochemical processes in a reservoir, but these models require extensive and expensive datasets and model parameters. On the other hand, data driven machine learning (ML) algorithms are likely to be alternative tools to estimate the NAFs in responding to independent environmental variables. The objective of this study was to develop random forest (RF) and multi-layer artificial neural network (ANN) models for the estimation of the daily $CO_2$ NAFs in Daecheong Reservoir located in Geum River of Korea, and compare the models performance against the multiple linear regression (MLR) model that proposed in the previous study (Chung et al., 2016). As a result, the RF and ANN models showed much enhanced performance in the estimation of the high NAF values, while MLR model significantly under estimated them. Across validation with 10-fold random samplings was applied to evaluate the performance of three models, and indicated that the ANN model is best, and followed by RF and MLR models.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.38 no.2 s.112
• /
• pp.261-270
• /
• 2005

Biological control agents (BCA; algicidal bacterium Xantobacter autotrophycus) plus casitone media, strongly changed physicochemical variables, standing crops of phytoplankton and microcystin-LR phytoplankton in 100-L mesocosm constructed in a small hexagonal pond (3.5 m ${\times}$ 5 m). No M. aeruginosa showed by 8 days, and 60% of total standing crops of phytoplanktons were decreased by the BCA treatment. BCA treatment also induced a strong decline of cellular extracted microcystin-LR (MCLR) and a remarkable increase of dissolved MCLR with the decrement in standing crops of cyanobacteria. In addition, BCA strongly increased all nutrients, but new outbreak of phytoplanktons hardly showed in the experimental mesocosm. The field application of BCA to controling the cyanobacterial bloom in large lakes and reservoirs is not relevant due to high concentration of nutrients and toxins. Thus, a further study is needed to diminish the adverse effects after BCA treatment for water quality preservation.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.38 no.2 s.112
• /
• pp.188-195
• /
• 2005

The dynamics of the fish community in the Lake Hoengseong region, Korea, were investigated from April 2000 to November 2004. During the surveyed period 39 species belonging 10 families were collected, and there were 17 Korean endemic species (43.59%) including Rhodeus pseudosericeus. Dominant species were Acheilognathus lanceolatus (20.10%), Zacco platypus (15.94%), Z. temmincki (6.92%), Carassius cuvieri (6.33%), A. rhombeus (6.18%), Pungtungia herzi (5.13%), and Pseudorasbora parva (4.93), In the comparison community of fish according to ecotype by each studied years, benthic fished are gradually decreasing and pelagic fishes creasing. Also, according to the fish distribution, the fish community of each studied years was divided into 3 groups by UPGMA. Being based on the fish community, similarity analysis results of each artificial lakes and this lake were divided 2 groups by water system, and divided again 3 groups in the same water system. Fish Community of the Lake Hoengseong was similar with that of the Lake Chuncheon and Cheongpyeong of the Bukhan-River.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.69-79
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of metal pollution in the sediment from rivers, lakes, and streams in active gold mining districts in Ghana. Two hundred and fifty surface sediment samples from 99 locations were collected and analyzed for concentrations of As, Hg, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Mn using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Metal concentrations were then used to assess the human health risks to resident children and adults in central tendency exposure (CTE) and reasonable maximum exposure (RME) scenarios. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, and As were almost twice the threshold values established by the Hong Kong Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines (ISQG). Hg, Cu, and Cr concentrations in sediment were 14, 20, and 26 times higher than the Canadian Freshwater Sediment Guidelines for these elements. Also, the concentrations of Pb, Cu, Cr, and Hg were 3, 11, 12, and 16 times more than the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) sediment guideline values. The results of the human health risk assessment indicate that for ingestion of sediment under the central tendency exposure (CTE) scenario, the cancer risks for child and adult residents from exposure to As were $4.18{\times}10^{-6}$ and $1.84{\times}10^{-7}$, respectively. This suggests that up to 4 children out of one million equally exposed children would contract cancer if exposed continuously to As over 70 years (the assumed lifetime). The hazard index for child residents following exposure to Cr(VI) in the RME scenario was 4.2. This is greater than the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) threshold of 1, indicating that adverse health effects to children from exposure to Cr(VI) are possible. This study demonstrates the urgent need to control industrial emissions and the severe heavy metal pollution in gold mining environments.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.524-531
• /
• 2014

Korea has been trying to manage water quality of rivers and lakes in many ways. Ministry of Environment is making continuous efforts of operation control improvement such as strengthening effluent standards in sewage treatment plants and expanding Tele-Monitoring System (TMS). However, evaluation method for operations of sewage treatment plants and establishment system of effluent standards are inadequate. The objective of this study is to evaluate for operations of sewage treatment plants using statistics technique such as frequency analysis, percentile, normal distribution analysis. We used the effluent data (BOD, COD, SS) collected at 299 plants in 2012. The values were very low by comparison with standards. The Data followed a normal distribution. We think that distribution characteristics are closely related with effluent standards, especially T-P and BOD. Statistics technique attempted in this study can be used to evaluate for operations of sewage treatment plants and assess the appropriateness of effluent standards based on TBEL(Technology-based effluent limitation). And, this technique can be used to figure out the overall level of plants, the status of each plant and the favorable treatment process for each item (BOD, COD etc.). Data acquired through this method can be used to improve facilities and operation techniques and decide on a sewerage policy.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the thermal and chemical stratification in Lake Paldang 2013-2018 weekly using Schmidt's stability index (SSI) and the index of chemical stratification (IC-i). The annual average for SSI was 19.1 g cm/㎠ with the maximum value of 45.3 g cm/㎠ in the summer and the minimum value of 4.8 g cm/㎠ in fall-winter showing seasonal differences as well as increased vertical mixing in the summer. The lake stability increased higher in 2016 as compared with the other period. The most influential factors of thermal stratification were temperature and heavy rainfall. Especially, high water temperature and a prolonged residence duration caused by reduced rainfall and inflows could result in an increase of the stratification period. While decreasing inflow and outflow at the end of the rainfall, the thermal stratification was restrengthened within 7-14 days, and then stabilized rapidly before the rainfall. IC-DO increased with high air temperature in the spring and fall-winter. However increasing sunshine duration and residence time and decreasing rate of outflow caused an increase of IC-DO in the summer. Rainfall (less than 800 mm/year) and discharge (less than 200 CMS) significantly declined in 2015 resulting in IC-DO (0.77) increased more than three times over the other years and bottom water hypoxia occurred. The SSI and IC-i used in this study could be applied to other lakes to understand changes in stratification and mixing dynamics.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.131-136
• /
• 1996

In order to known the extend of contribution to the degradation of organic materials and nutrient recycling by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methane-producing bacteria (MPB) in sediment, the distribution and activity of these two groups of microorganisms were studied montly in 1994 at two sites, one littoral (Sanggulri) and the other profunndal (DAM), in Lake Soyang. In the seasonal distribution of two microorganisms, SRB were 1.07 $\times$ 10$^{3}$-2.42 $\times$ 10$^{5}$ cells/g-dry weight at Sanggulri, 2.40 $\times$ 10$^{5}$ -1.29 $\times$ 10$^{6}$ at Dam and MPB were 0.52 $\times$ 10$^{3}$ cells/g-dry weight at Sangguri and 1.44 $\times$ 10$^{3}$-6.89 $\times$ 10$^{3}$ at Dam. In these results, the density of SRB in Lake Soyang is much higher than other lakes. These high values might be due to higher sulfate concentration, 0.69-4.05 mM, than normal freshwater, 0.01-1.2 mM. And a good correlation of SRB and chlorophyll a concentration implied that the important environmental factor on distribution of SRB might be the concentration of available organic matter. In a comparison of sulfate-reducing rate and methane producing rate in 1995, the activity of SRB for the degradation of organic matter was higher than MPB by factor of 359. Conclusively SRB superior to MPB in the distribution and activity are more important annearobic bacteria in Lake Soyang sediments.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.251-257
• /
• 2008

Four potential microcystin-producing cyanobacteria were isolated from large reservoirs which act as sources of drinking water supply in Korea. Strain DC-2, YD-l, and YD-6 were closely related to Microcystis aeruginosa based on the analysis of l6S rRNA gene and mcyA gene sequences. mcyA gene sequence of YDS2-3, isolated from Yongdam Reservoir, was closed to that of M. aeruginosa, whereas l6S rRNA gene sequence was not related to the known sequences of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria indicating this strain can be a novel cyanobacterium belonging to the genus Microcystis. When mcyA gene sequences of isolated cyanobacteria were compared with the mcyA gene sequence library of two reservoirs, the sequence of DC-2 matched with the dominant ones.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.433-449
• /
• 2020

Nine fish and one clam species were collected from freshwater environments in Korea, including four lakes, two streams, and the Nakdong River, to investigate the host-associated bacteria. Hundreds of bacterial strains were isolated from the samples using a cell sorter and a dilution plating method. After identification of the bacterial strains using 16S rRNA gene sequences, 42 strains with greater than 98.7% sequence similarity with validly published species were determined to be unrecorded bacterial species in Korea. These strains were phylogenetically diverse and assigned to four phyla, six classes, 17 orders, 27 families, and 32 genera. At the genus level, the unrecorded species were classified as Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Mycolicibacterium, Gordonia, Williamsia, Modestobacter, Brachybacterium, Sanquibacter, Arthrobacter, and Mycolicibacterium of the class Actinobacteria; Empedobacter, and Flavobacterium of the class Flavobacteriia; Fictibacillus, Psychrobacillus, Cohnella, Paenibacillus, Rummeliibacillus, Enterococcus, and Vagococcus of the class Bacilli; Aquamicrobium, Paracoccus, and Sphingomonas of the class Alphaproteobacteria; Achromobacter, Delftia, and Deefgea of the class Betaproteobacteria; and Aeromonas, Providencia, Yersinia, Marinomonas, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas of the class Gammaproteobacteria. The 42 unrecorded species were subjected to further taxonomic characterization using gram staining, cellular and colony morphological determination, biochemical analyses, and phylogenetic analyses. This paper provides detailed descriptions of the 42 previously unrecorded bacterial species.