• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.381-389
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• 2016

Jeju Eoseungsaeng lake which is a main water resource of Eoseungsaeng water treatment plant($Q=15,000m^3/d$) experienced high chromaticity(40 CU) and pH(9.46) in 2013. This could decline customer's confidence on drinking water quality unless proper identification and removal of chromaticity were implemented. To find cause of chromaticity, water monitoring on various water parameters including TOC, algal cell count, Chl-a, turbidity, SS, conductivity, etc. were implemented. Iron and manganese were excluded from the cause of chromaticity due to its low concentration (i.e., < 0.02 mg/L). Correlation among water parameters showed that relationship between algal cell count and chromaticity was the highest(R=0.43), which suggested that presumably the main reason of chromaticity occurrence in Jeju Eoseungsaeng lake was algae.

• ALGAE
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.149-151
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• 2004

Freshwater algae make up a very important portion of the autotrophic component of the aquatic food web. Therefore, the study of freshwater algal structure and biomass is central to aquatic ecosystem studies. Due to variations in cell shape and size for each species (or taxon) and survey site, cell abundance (or cell numbers per chosen volume) often leads to misrepresentation of the true importance of some species because of the great differences in size of various algae. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the freshwater algal species of a site in order to calculate the cell volume. Although direct cell counting, species volume measurement, as well as biomass calculation are time-consuming and requiring specialists in taxonomy.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.210-215
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• 2018

It is difficult to count colonial cyanobacteria Microcystis cells since the thickness of colonies is constrained by amorphous mucilage, making it impossible to estimate the number of cells. Disaggregation of Microcystis colonies into single cell is needed to improve the accuracy and precision of cell density estimation of naturally collected samples. Uultrasonic treatment method is commonly used owing to the simplicity and immediacy of the procedure. However, amplitude, frequency, and duration of ultrasonic treatment also cause cell loss during the experiment. Optimal ultrasonic treatment has not been standardized yet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate optimal ultrasonic treatment by analyzing cell density and colony numbers. We collected colonial Microcystis from Changnyeong-Haman weir area in Nakdong River during harmful algal boom period from September to October in 2017. Ultrasonic treatment method was applied to disrupt colonies into single cells to enumerate cell density. Among treatment conditions, results from continuously treated for 100 seconds were found to be the optimum to reduce colonies to a suspension of single cell without cell losses under high and low density of Microcystis cells. Lugol iodine fixed cells followed by sonication showed less negative impact of cell damage within the optimal treatment time (100 seconds). Furthermore, disaggregated cells treated by sonication enables microscopic observation more easily since gas vacuoles were collapsed to facilitate sedimentation of cells under the counting chamber for quantitative enumeration of buoyant Microcystis cells.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.373-380
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• 2023

Due to abnormal climate phenomena and climate change in Korea, overgrowth of algae in rivers and reservoirs occurs frequently. Algae in rivers are classified into green algae, blue-green algae, diatom, and other types, and some species of blue-green algae cause problems due to odor and the discharge of toxic substances. In Korea, an algae alert system is in place, and it is issued based on the number of harmful blue-green algae cells. Thus, measuring harmful blue-green algal blooms is very important, and currently, the analysis method of algae involves taking field samples and determining the cell count of green algae, blue-green algae, and diatoms through algal microscopy, which takes a lot of time. Recently, the analysis of algae concentration through Phycocyanin, an alternative indicator for the number of harmful algae cells, has been conducted through remote sensing. However, research on the analysis of the number of blue-green algae cells is currently insufficient. In this study, we water samples for algal analyses were collected from river and counted the number of blue-green algae cells using algae microscopy. We also obtained the Phycocyanin concentration using an optical sensor and acquired algae spectra through a hyperspectral sensor. Based on this, we calculated the equation for estimating blue-green algae cell counts and estimated the number of blue-green algae cells.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2019

Background: Piton du Milieu (PdM) impounding reservoir is suspected to be eutrophic based on the elevated level of orthophosphate and nitrate. Water supplies from three adjacent rivers are primarily thought to contribute to the nutrient enrichment of the reservoir. It is also suspected that there is leaching of orthophosphate, nitrate and organic matter into the rivers during rainfall events and also as a result of anthropogenic activities within the catchment area. The aim of this study was to ascertain the impact of nutrient loading on the water quality of PdM water and on the population of freshwater microalgae in the reservoir. The enumeration and identification of algae from PdM were performed by differential interference contrast microscopy. Dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH were determined by electrometric methods, whereas nutrient levels, silica and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined by instrumentation techniques. Results: Annual mean orthophosphate, nitrate and total organic carbon input from the three feeders within the catchment area of PdM reached levels as high as 0.09 mg/L, 0.4 mg/L and 2.62 ppm respectively. Over a 12-month period, mean TOC concentration in the reservoir was 2.32 ppm while the mean algal cell count was 4601 cells/mL. The dominant algal species identified were Oscillatoria, Cyclotella, Navicula and Cosmarium. Conclusion: This study highlights the trophic state of the reservoir water and clearly points to the need for constant monitoring in order to avoid the occurrence of an impending harmful algal bloom.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.607-612
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• 2013

Soil ecological risk assessment requires terrestrial toxicity data based on trophic levels including plants, earthworms, nematodes, and springtails. To expand the trophic levels, it is needed to consider primary producer algae, nearly distributed in terrestrial environment, as representative terrestrial test species. In this study, we collected research cases focused on soil-related test species and exposure media from SCI papers, and analyzed exposure media, test species, test chemicals, and other test methods, for reviewing research trends of soil-related algal toxicity. Up to now, in the soil-related algal toxicity, test species were 8 cases (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus bijugatus, Chlorococcum infusionum, Scenedesmus subspicatus, Nostoc linckia, Synechococcus elongatus, and Chlorococcum sp.) and endpoints were cell count or photosynthetic pigment content. Also, 5 of exposure media were liquid medium, soil extracts, porewater, agar medium, and soil. Most of papers used algae isolated from natural soils or soil extracts. There were only one case for assessing algal toxicity in soil medium. More researches regarding algal toxicity in soil environments need to be conducted consistently.

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

• Clean Technology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2017

In this study, toxicities of seven metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, As(III), As(V), Zn, Ni) and five metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs: CuO, ZnO, NiO, $TiO_2$, $Fe_2O_3$) were evaluated based on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris. Effect on algae growth was evaluated by integrating the results of absorption, chlorophyll content, and cell count. The toxicity rankings of metals was observed as Cr ($0.7mgL^{-1}$) > Cu ($1.7mgL^{-1}$) > Cd ($3.2mgL^{-1}$) > Zn ($3.9mgL^{-1}$) > Ni ($13.2mgL^{-1}$) > As(III) ($17.8mgL^{-1}$) ${\gg}$ As(V) (> $1000mgL^{-1}$). Slightly different orders and sensitivities of metal toxicity were examined depending on endpoints of algal growth. In case of NPs, regardless of endpoints, similar toxicity rankings of NPs ($TEC_{50}$) were observed, showing ZnO ($2.4mgL^{-1}$) > NiO ($21.1mgL^{-1}$) > CuO ($36.6mgL^{-1}$) > $TiO_2$ ($62.5mgL^{-1}$) > $Fe_2O_3$ ($82.7mgL^{-1}$). These results indicate that an integrating results of endpoints might be an effective strategy for the assessment of contaminants.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.508-513
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• 2000

In an attempt to evaluate the fertilizer of sediments obtained from coastal farming areas, chemical composition, bacteriological quality and heavy metals in the sediments alkalized by quicklime and magnesium hydroxide were analyzed. The optimum conditions of alkalization were also measured. A perfect reaction was possible by the addition of quicklime of $30{\%}$ at the rate of $25{\%}$ of sediment and $100{\%}$ of livestock wastes. According to the classification standard for compost constituent by Higgins, all composts had the intermediate or high grade in $T-N, K_2O,\;CaO\;and\;MgO$, but below the low grade in $P_2O_5$, Stabilization by quicklime and magnesium hydroxide has been known to inhibit bacterial decomposition of organic matter and activity of pathogenic organisms. In this study, raising pH of stabilized sediments to 12 for 2 hours (PSRP rriteria of EPA) allowed $99.9{\%}$ of coliform group, fecal group and viable cell count to be reduced. As a result, sediments of coastal farming areas are likely to be used to produce the organic fertilizer by alkaline stabilization.