• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.467-472
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• 2004

Cyanobacterial toxins, microcystins which exist in korean lakes show strong toxicity to fish, cattles and human. In this study, we tried to degrade microcystin LR using various chemical oxidants, Chlorine, Potassium permanganate and Hydrogen Peroxide. The detection method for the concentrations of microcystin LR in water samples was Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method using the monoclonal antibody of microcystin. Chlorine degraded microcystin LR effectively at the concentration of 800 pg/mL microcystin LR and 12 ppm chlorine. The reaction took 40 minutes at pH 7. Potassium Permanganate also degraded microcystin LR successfully at the concentration of 2000 pg/mL microcystin LR and 1.2 ppm chlorine. The degradation reaction took 60 minutes at pH 7. In the case of hydrogen peroxide, the degradation rate of microcystin LR was very slow because of the slow reaction rate.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.331-339
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• 2009

This study evaluated the potential human health risk on the basis of the level of bioaccumulation and EDI (Estimated Daily Intake) of microcystin-LR, one of hepatotoxic, in organs, including liver, muscle, viscera and gill, of fish from Lake Yeongeheon and Lake Daecheong when the cyanobacterial water-blooms broke out. The result has confirmed that Carassius cuvieri from Lake Yeongcheon contains higher level of microcystin-LR in its organs including liver. In Lake Daecheong, omnivorous Hemibarbus labeo and phytoplanktivorous Carassius cuvieri have shown high microcystin-LR level on average, especially higher for viscera, and Carassius cuvieri has appeared to contain higher level of microcystin-LR in the liver and the gill compared with other species. As a result of comparison between EDI of microcystin-LR from each organs and TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) of WHO (Chorus and Bartram, 1999) to evaluate human health risk, the EDI levels from Carassius cuvieri's organs except museles have exceeded TDI level at the both lakes. Consequently, the study has proved that microcystin was bioaccumulated in the various parts of fish, and it can be ingested by human resulting in risking human health. Continuous monitoring and reducing consumption of fish, especially Carassius cuvieri, during the cyanobacterial water-blooming period will be needed to protect human health.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.524-531
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• 2001

Micro-HPLC/IS/MS after solid phase extraction has been employed to enhance the accu-racy in the determination of toxic microcystins, such as microcystin-LR, -YR and -RR. The absorbance at 238 nm in HPLC/UV and characteristic spectra of 135 m/z and $[M+H]^+$ m/z in MS have been widely monitored to identify those microcystin-LR, -YR and -RR. In this study, new lines at 507 m/z for LR, 520 m/z for RR and 532 m/z for YR have been additionally detected in the micro-HPLC/IS/MS spectrum, corresponding to double charge. The micro-HPLC/IS/MS methodology has been applied to investigate the presence of the toxic microcystins in Taecheong lake.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.67-73
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• 2015

The microcystin is a cyclic heptapeptide from metabolites of cyanobacteria in the genera mycrocystis, anabaeba as a result of eutrophication. It has been known that microcystin-LR is a potent inhibitor of the catalytic subunits of protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1) as well as powerful tumor promoter. The active site of microcystin actually has two metal ions $Fe^{2+}/Zn^{2+}$ close to the nucleophilic portion of PP-1-microcystin complex. We report the isolation and purification of this microcystin-LR from cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) obtained from Daechung Dam in Chung-cheong Do, Korea. Microcystin-LR was extracted from solid-phase extraction (SPE) sample preparation using a CN cartridge. The cyanobacteria extract was purified to obtain microcystin-LR by HPLC method and identified by LC/MS. The detail structural studies that can elucidate the possible role of monovalent and divalent metal ions in PP-1-microcystin complexation were carried out by utilizing molecular dynamics. Conformational changes in metal binding for ligands were monitored by molecular dynamic computation and potential of mean force (PMF) using the method of the free energy perturbation. The microcystin-metal binding PMF simulation results exhibit that microcystin can have very stable binding free energy of -10.95 kcal/mol by adopting the $Mg^{2+}$ ion at broad geometrical distribution of $0.5{\sim}4.5{\AA}$, and show that the $K^+$ ion can form a stable metal complex rather than other monovalent alkali metal ions.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.345-362
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• 2017

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the risk of various disease outcomes due to exposure to cyanobacteria toxin (microcystin-LR) through drinking water in a Korean watershed. In order to determine the risk in a more quantitative way, the risk assessment framework developed by the National Research Council (NRC) of the United States (US) - hazard identification, dose-response relationship, exposure assessment, and risk characterization - was used in this study. For dose-response relationships, a computer software (BenchMark Dose Software (BMDS)) developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was used to fit the data from previous studies showing the relationship between the concentration of microcystin-LR and various disease outcomes into various dose-response models. For exposure assessment, the concentrations of microcystin-LR in the source water and finished water in a Korean watershed obtained from a recent study conducted by the Ministry of Environment of Korea were used. Finally, the risk of various disease outcomes due to exposure to cyanobacteria toxin (microcystin-LR) through drinking water was characterized by Monte-Carlo simulation using Crystall Ball program (Oracle Inc.) for adults and children. The results of this study suggest that the risk of disease due to microcystin-LR toxin through drinking water is very low and it appears that current water treatment practice should be able to protect the public from the harmful effects of cyanobacteria toxin (microcystin-LR) through drinking water.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.20 no.2 s.56
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• pp.1-11
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• 2005

Cyanotoxin, microcystins commonly produced by cyanobacterial affect various aquatic organisms and even human health. Kinds, structures, measurement analysis, toxicity and removal of Microcystin-LR were explained and discussed.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.173-179
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• 2018

Microcystin-LR, one of algal toxins induced by the eutrophication of a reservoir, is known to be harmful to human by adversely affecting our liver and brain. Hypochlorous acid is very efficient to remove Microcystin-LR in a clear well. The previous researches showed that CT, pH and temperature affected removal rate in batch tests. It was noted that hydrodynamic properties of clear well could also influence its removal rate. A mathematical model was built using an axial dispersion reactor model and software was used to simulate the removal rate. The model consisted of the second order differential equations including dispersion, convection, Microcystin-LR reaction with chlorine. Kinetic constants were obtained through batch tests with chlorine. They were $0.430{\times}10^{-3}L/mg/sec$ and $0.143{\times}10^{-3}L/mg/sec$ for pH 7.0 and 8.1, respectively. The axial dispersion reactor model was shown to be useful for the numerical model through conservative tracer tests. The numerical model successfully estimated the removal rate of Microcyctin-LR in a clear well. Numerical simulations showed that a small dispersion number, low pH and long hydraulic retention time were critical for higher removal rate with same chlorine dosage. This model could be used to optimize the operation of a clear well during an eutrophication season.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 2013

A microcystin-degrading bacterium was isolated from Daechung reservoir, Korea. The isolated bacterium was identified as Microbacterium sp. by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, and designated as Microbacterium sp. MA21. This strain degraded cyanobacterial hepatotoxin, microcystin-LR, over 80% when incubated at $30^{\circ}C$ for 12 hr in R2A medium. Two unknown metabolites of microcystin were also identified during the degradation process. Although only Sphinogomonas and Actinobacteria have been known to degrade microcystin previously, this is the first report that Microbacterium sp. MA21 could degrade microcystin.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.1 s.93
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• pp.45-53
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• 2001

Transport of cyanobacterial toxins (microcystin-LR, -RR, -YR) were assessed from a eutrophic lake, Lake Suwa, through the outflowing river, the Tenryu River, and its irrigation channel branch. Temporal variation of phytoplankton species composition in the river coincided with those of the lake; Microcystis ichthyoblabe dominated from June to July, and M. viridis dominated from August to September. When cyanobacterial bloom occurred, microcystins were continuously detected at the concentration of $0.3{\sim}3.2\;{\mu}g/l$ even at 32 km downstream. The change of the content of three microcystin variants were related both with the total cell density of Microcystis and with the change of Microcystis species composition. When Microcystis ichthyoblabe dominated during July, only microcystin-RR (MC-RR) and -LR (MC-LR) were detected, while when Microcystis viridis dominated between August and October, microcystin-RR,-YR (MC -YR) and -LR were detected. Along 29 km flowing distance (flow time 11 hours) between site 2 and site 5 in the Tenryu River, cyanobacterial density and microcystin concentration were reduced by 73% and 72%, respectively, which is mostly contributed by the dilution effect of tributary waters (61% and 57%, respectively) . In the artificial irrigation channel microcystins and cyanobacterial cells were decreased less than in the natural river. The results indicate that cyanobacterial toxins can be transported far downstream without much removal and give hazards to water usage in downstream of eutrophic lakes with cyanobacterial blooms.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.11b
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• pp.148-148
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• 2002

This study is to characterize the microscopical and ultrastructural changes in chronic exposure of Microcystin-LR (MCLR), a cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxin, comparing to those in acute lethal toxicity. Female ICR mice were injected intraperitoneally with 10, 20, 30,$\mu\textrm{g}$/kg of MCLR every 3 day for 27 days.(omitted)