• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.271-285
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• 2014

Aluminum flows into the river from the abandoned mine leachate, industrial wastewater, and sewage and is responsible for acute toxicity in aquatic organisms. Recently, the number of reports have indicated the increased toxicity in a variety of aquatic organisms' due to the aluminum toxicity. In this study, we reviewed the toxicity of aluminum on aquatic invertebrates, fishes and amphibians and suggested the guideline for management of aluminum residues in aquatic environment and strategies for aluminum toxicity evaluation. In aquatic animals aluminum complexes evoke gill dysfunction primarily, the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, disruption of endocrine function, reproductive success, metabolism and homeostasis. Notably, at environmentally relevant concentration, aluminum complex can alter the hormone levels in fish in acidic condition. Further, since the solubility of aluminum is higher in the acidic and basic conditions, thus it is likely that the toxic effects of aluminum may not only occur in acidic water near the abandoned mines but also in lakes and rivers, where pH is raised by algal bloom.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2018

We sampled vomit of black-faced spoonbills(Platalea minor) during the brood-rearing season (from June 2011 to June 2014) at the Namdong reservoir in Incheon and analyzed the food components in the vomit using microscopy and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Microscopic observations primarily helped in identifying osteichthyes (bony fishes), crustaceans, and polychaetes. In particular, species belonging to the families Mugilidae and Gobiidae among the fish, and Macrophthalmus japonicas among the crustaceans, were observed at high frequency. Results of NGS analysis revealed the predominant presence of bony fish (42.58% of total reads) and crustaceans (40.75% of total reads), whereas others, such as polychaetes (12.66%), insects (0.24%), and unidentified species (3.78%), occurred in lower proportions. At the species level, results of NGS analysis revealed that Macrophthalmus abbreviates and Macrobrachium sp. among the crustaceans, and Acanthogobius hasta, Tridentiger obscurus, and Pterogobius zacalles among the bony fish, made up a high proportion of the total reads. These food species are frequently found at tidal flats in the Songdo and Sihwa lakes, emphasizing the importance of these areas as potential feeding sites of the black-faced spoonbill. Feed composition of the black-faced spoonbill, as evaluated by analyzing its vomit, differed when the evaluations were done by microscopic observation or by NGS analysis. Evaluation by microscopic observation is difficult and not error free, owing to the degradation of the samples to be analyzed; however, NGS analysis is more accurate, because it makes use of genetic information. Therefore, accurately analyzing food components from morphologically indistinguishable samples is possible by using genetic analysis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2003

Microalgae are a diverse group of photosynthetic organisms and abundant in every ecosystem in the biosphere. They are common in aqueous environments including marine, brackish and fresh waters and in some habitats that lack eukaryotic life such as some hot springs and highly alkaline lakes. Microalgal biotechnology that is focused on the microalgae-based production of a variety of useful materials such as pharmaceutical comfounds, health foods, natural pigments, and biofuels is considered as an important discipline with the development of biotechnology. In addition, the mass cultivation of microalgae can also contribute to improving the environmental quality by reducing the concentration of $CO_2$ which is one of major gases lead to global warming. Consequently, it seems that the microalgae can be used as an efficient, renewable, environmentally friendly source of high-value biomaterials such as chemicals, pigments, energy, etc. and the microalgal biotechnology will most likely represent a larger portion of modern biotechnology.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.2 s.98
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• pp.79-91
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• 2002

A time variable modeling study was performed for seasonal variations of vertical temperature profiles in the Okjung Lake located in upstream of the Sumjin River. Based on the model structure of the US Army Corps of Engineer's CE-QUAL-W2, the lake was divided into 3 branches, 50 longitudinal segments and 49 vertical layers and vertical profiles of water temperature and current velocity were simulated over one year. The model results were calibrated and verified against vertical profiles of water temperature measured every month from March 1998 to February 1999 at 5 different locations. The model results showed a good agreement with the field measurements. The hydrologic balance during this period was validated by comparing the simulated values of surface elevation level with the measured data. There was some discrepancy in July data between the model results and the fleld measurements. This could be attributed partially to the inadequacy of the model to the highly hydrodynamic nature of water body and partially to the lack of accuracy in local atmospheric temperature data during summer monsoon period. The model results have shown that there was no seasonal over-turn in most part of the Okjung Lake, where water temperature maintained above $4^{\circ}C$ over one year. In the upstream shal-low area (depth<20 meter), however, temperature at surface layer fell below $4^{\circ}C$ and water was frozen such that slight over-turn would occur during winter period. From this study, we concluded that the Okjung Lake is oligomictic. This conclusionis significantly different from the general pattern that the lakes located from $20^{\circ}C$ to $40^{\circ}C$ latitude would be warm monomictic. From the examination of simulated current velocity distribution, it was found that the upstream inflows would infiltrate into mesolimnion of the lake during hydrodynamic summer monsoon periods due to the thermal density of water.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 2010

From April to October 2008, fish fauna was surveyed at 25 sites in Lake Ganwol and Lake Bunam watersheds. There were 32 species of 25 genera and 10 families belonging to 5 orders. Among them, Zacco platypus (relative abundance was 28.0%) was dominant, followed by Hemiculter eigenmanni (24.3%), Carassius auratus (19.3%), and Pseudorasbora parva (10.8%). In comparison of specific frequency in fish community between two lakes, Z. platypus (36.6%) was dominant and P. parva (15.7%) subdominant in Lake Ganwol, whereas H. eigenmanni (35.2%) and C. auratus (30.4%) were dominant in Lake Bunam. Eight species including Acheilognathus chankaensis were known to be Korean endemic species, and exotic species was Micropterus salmodes. Biological indices of fish community indicated mostly similar values in 25 sites. Specific similarities of fish community in the sites were largely divided into two groups: a group of the Waryong Stream and the Dodang Stream where water flows throughout the year, and the other group of watersheds at Lake Ganwol and Lake Bunam where water was static. Fish fauna and structure of fish communities have some differences between Lake Ganwol and Lake Bunam watersheds, and also can be distinguished to the environmental factors of habitats in same watershed.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.207-216
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• 1979

Environmental pollution or contaminations caused by various kinds of pollutants have become one of most serious problems of our time. Environ mental pollution is the unfavoralble alteration of our surroundings, through direct or indirect effects of changes in energy patterns, rediation levels, chemical and physical constitution and abundances of organisms. These changes may affect humans directly or through their supplies of water and of agicultural and other biological products, their physical objects or possessions, or their opportunities for recreation and appreciation of nature. Pollutants that meet the criteria of this definition of environmental pollution are numerous: gases (such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) and paniculate matter (such as smoke particles, lead aerosols, and asbestos) in the atmosphere; pesticides and radioactive isotopes in the atmosphee and in waterways; sewage, organic. chemicals, and phosphates in water; solid wastes on land; excessive heating (thermal pollution) of rivers and lakes; and many others. Some of these pollutants are introduced into the environment naturally, others by human actions, and most in both ways. Our major concer is with environmental pollution resulting wholly or largely as a by-product of human activities, because these can be controlled most readily. Environmental pollution cannot be solved by science and technology alone. It should be handled by an interdisciplinary approach with combined methods of science and technology as wen as social science disciplines for the better solution of this critical problem. In this respect, introducing "Environmental Science," a new scientific approach for the solution of environmental problems, which is now widely accepted by most developed countries of the world will be very helpful for systematization of theoretical basis for a new scientific approach to environmental pollution. Environmental science is "the study of all systems of air, land, water, energy, and life that surround Man. It includes all sciences directed to the system-level of understanding of the environment, drawing especially upon such disciplines as meteorology, geophysics, oceanography, and ecology, and utilizing to the fullest knowledge and techniques developed in such fields as physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering as well as many social science disciplines, such as economics, such as economics, law, political science and public administration." The components of this discipline are not new, for they are drawn from existing areas of science within biology chemistry, physics, and geoscience. What is really new about environmental science, however, is it siewpoint - its orientation to global problems, its conception of the earth as a set of interlocking, interacting systems, and its interest in Man as a part of these systems.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.181-195
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• 2015

Algal blooms in lakes are one of major environmental issues in Korea. A three-dimensional, hydrodynamic and water quality model was developed and tested in Lake Euiam to assess the performance and limitations of numerical modeling with multiple algal groups using field data commonly collected for algal management. In this study, EFDC was adopted as the basic model framework. Simulated vertical profiles of water temperature, dissolved oxygen and nutrients monitored at five water quality monitoring stations from March to October 2013, which are closely related to algal dynamics simulation, showed good agreement with those of observed data. The overall spatio-temporal variations of three algal groups were reasonably simulated against the chlorophyll-a levels of those estimated from the limited monitoring data (chlorophyll-a level and cell numbers of algal species) with the RMSEs ranging from 2.6 to $17.5mg/m^3$. Also, note that $PO_4-P$ level in the water column was a key limiting factor controlling the growth of three algal groups during most of simulation period. However, the algal modeling results were not fully attainable to the levels of observation during short periods of time showing abrupt increase in algae throughout the lake. In particular, the green algae/cyanobacteria and diatom simulations were underestimated in late June to early July and early October, respectively. The results shows that better understanding of internal algal processes, neglected in most algal modeling studies, is necessary to predict the sudden algal blooms more accurately because the concentrations of external $PO_4-P$ and specific algal groups originated from the tributaries (mainly, dam water releases) during the periods were too low to fully capture the sharp rise of internal algal levels. In this respect, this study suggests that future modeling efforts should be focused on the quantification of internal cycling processes including vertical movement of algal species with respect to changes in environmental conditions to enhance the modeling performance on complex algal dynamics.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.309-319
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• 2015

River characteristics in South Korea has been affected by seasonal climatic variability due to climate change and by remarkable land cover change due to rapid economic growth. In this regard, the roles of river management is getting more important to eco-system and human community in watersheds of South Korea. Understanding river characteristics including direct runoff and baseflow, the first step of river management, can give a significant contribution to sustainable river environment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to quantify the contributions of the direct runoff and baseflow to river streamflow. For this, we used the BFLOW and WHAT programs to conduct baseflow separation for 71 streamflow gauge stations in Han River system, South Korea. The results showed that baseflow index for 71 stations ranges from 0.42 to 0.78. Also, gauge stations which have baseflow index more than 0.5 occupied 76% of a total stations. However, baseflow index can be overestimated due to human impacts such as discharge from dams, reservoirs, and lakes. This study will be used as fundamental information to understand river characteristics in river management at the national level.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2003

Microbial Fe(III) reduction is an important factor for biogeochemical cycle in anaerobic environments, especially sediment of freshwater such as lakes, ponds and rivers. In addition, the Fe(III) reduction serves as a model for potential mechanisms for the oxidation of organic compounds and the reduction of toxic heavy metals, such as chrome or uranium. Shewanella putrefaciens DK-1 was a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic Fe(III) reducer and used ferric ion as a terminal electron acceptor for the oxidation of organic compounds to $CO_{2}$ or other oxidized metabolites. The ability of reducing activity and utilization of various electron acceptors and donors for S. putrefaciens DK-1 were investigated. S. putrefaciens DK-1 was capable of using a wide variety of electron acceptor, including $NO_{3}^{-}$, Fe(III), AQDS, and Mn(IV). However, its ability to utilize electron donors was limited. Lactate and formate were used as electron donors but acetate and toluene were not used. Fe(III) reduction of S. putrefaciens DK-l was inhibited by the presence of either $NO_{3}^{-}$ or $NO_{2}^{-}$. Further S. putrefaciens DK-1 used humic acid as an electron acceptor and humic acid was re-oxidized by nitrate. Environmental samples showing the Fe(III)-reducing activity were used to investigate effects of the limiting factors such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus on the Fe(III) reducing bacteria. The highest Fe (III) reducing activity was measured, when lactate as a carbon source and S. putrefaciens DK-1 as an Fe(III) reducer added in untreated sediment samples of Cheon-ho and Dae-ho reservoirs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.599-607
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• 2000

In this research, ${NH_4}^+-N$ and ${PO_4}^{3-}-P$ in wastewater were removed by crystallization. Nitrogen and phosphate have been regarded as key nutrients in the eutrophication of rivers and lakes. Struvite, $MgNH_4PO_4{\cdot}6H_2O$, is insoluble in alkaline solutions. Fertilizer industry wastewater contains organic and nitrogen concentration of 330 mg/L and 550 mg/L, respectively. Nitrogen in this wastewater cannot be treated by conventional biological treatment without physicochemical pretreatment, because nitrogen concentration is relatively high compared to organic concentration. Magnesium ions used in this study were from bittern and commercial magnesium salts of $MgCl_2$ and $Mg(OH)_2$. Bittern obtained as a by-product of seasalt manufacture contains $8,000mg\;Ca^{2+}/L$ and $32,000mg\;Mg^{2+}/L$. Optimum initial pH was 10.5~11.0 and the reaction was complete or done in 2 min. Nitrogen removal efficiency using bittern, $MgCl_2 $ and $Mg(OH)_2$ (as source of $Mg^{2+}$) was 71 %, 81% and 83%. respectively. Phosphate removal efficiency was 99%, 98% and 93%, respectively. Therefore, bittern, $MgCl_2$ and $Mg(OH)_2$ can be efficiently used as $Mg^{2+}$ source for crystallization of nitrogen and phosphate. However, bittern is economically favorable $Mg^{2+}$ source for removing nitrogen and phosphate in wastewater.