Microcystins (MCs) are cyano-toxins mainly produced by cyanobacteria in the genera of Microcystis, Anabaena, and Oscillatoria. The concentrations of MCs in the water bodies and fish tissues taken from the four weirs (Ipo, Gangjeong-goryeong, Baekje, and Juksan) in the four main rivers in Korea, and the health risk of human due to consumption of toxin-detected fish was examined. The maximum values of MCs concentration in the water samples were as follows: Juksan (3.261 μg L-1), Gangjeong-goryeong (1.014 μg L-1), Baekje (0.759 μg L-1), and Ipo (0.266 μg L-1) weirs. The MC-RR concentration was the highest among the MCs, and MC-YR was not detected. MCs of 0.222~9.808 μg g-1 dry weight were detected in the liver of 3 out of 215 fishes of 16 species, and below the detection limit in muscle. As a result of comparing the feeding characteristics of the collected fishes and toxin concentrations in water and fish tissue, it was concluded that the biomagnification of MCs through the food chain did not occur. It was judged that there was no health risk due to the consumption of the fish detected the toxin, based on the amount of the fish intake of the Korean people and the allowable daily intake of MCs. However, in order to reduce the health risk due to MCs, further studies should be conducted to analyze the concentration of MCs contained in fish tissues collected at various times in the area dominated by harmful cyanobacteria to obtain data on the exposure of MCs due to fish consumption. In addition, it is necessary to establish the management guidelines for MCs in fish tissues.

본 연구는 2008년부터 2016년까지 한강 지류 중랑천을 대상으로 수환경 변화에 따른 어류 군집 양상을 파악하고자 실시하였다. 조사결과, 중랑천에서 서식하는 어류는 총 9과 37종 8,421개체로 나타났으며 과별 출현 종수는 잉어과에서 23종 (62.2%)으로 가장 많은 종이 출현하였고, 생태계교란종 및 외래종은 모두 강우기 후 출현하는 특성을 보였다. 수질변화에 따르면, BOD, EC, TN, TP의 변화는 강우량의 증가에 따라 감소하는 양상을 보이는 반면, SS 변화는 증가하는 양상을 보였다. 지점간 CA결과 한강 본류와 인접한 St. 7과 St. 1, 3, 5가 어류의 출현양상 차이를 보였으며, PCA 분석결과 상류에서 하류, 강우기 전과 후의 어류 출현양상과 유기오염지표의 변화 양상을 보였다.

한강수계 남한강의 보 (강천보, 여주보, 이포보) 공사 후 수변부 여울 구간의 물리적 환경의 변화에 따른 유수성 저서동물의 군집 변화를 확인한 결과 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 첫째, 보에 의한 여울구간의 소실은 유속, 하상 등 물리적 환경의 변화를 야기하여 수질요인과는 독립적으로 수생태계에 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 둘째, 남한강 보 구간의 수변부 물리적 서식환경의 복합적인 변화는 유수성 분류군의 군집구성에 영향을 미친 것으로 판단된다. 셋째, 저서성 대형무척추동물 유수성 지표 후보종 157 분류군은 수생태계 변화의 원인 분석을 비롯한 하천 수생태계 복원 및 재자연화 등에 유용한 지표로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 넷째, 향후 유속변화에 대한 수생태계 영향을 면밀하게 파악하기 위해서는 분류군별 유속에 대한 저항성 또는 선호도를 바탕으로 한 지표연구가 필요할 것으로 사료된다.

본 연구는 하천 내 하도 자연성이 어류 건강성에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위하여, 2008~2016년 간 한강권역의 자연사행하천과 하도정비로 직강화된 하천의 수질환경요인과 FAI를 비교 분석하였다. 하도 자연성에 따른 우점종의 출현빈도를 분석한 결과, 자연사행하천에서 민감성 및 충식성 어종이 우세한 반면, 하도 직강화 하천에서는 내성 및 잡식성 어종이 우점하는 빈도가 높은 양상을 보였다. 하도 및 저수로의 직강화로 인해 하도 자연성이 감소함에 따라 FAI가 감소하는 경향을 보였으며, 특히 생태적 어류군집구조 특성이 반영된 메트릭인 민감종수 (M3) 및 충식종의 개체수 비율 (M6)의 감소와 잡식종의 개체수 비율 (M5)의 증가가 FAI 변화에 주요요인으로 나타났다. 하도 자연성 감소에 따른 연도별 FAI 하락은 BOD, TN, TP, 전기전도도, 탁도의 증가와 높은 상관관계를 보여, 하도 및 저수로의 직강화로 인한 수질변화는 물리적 서식환경의 교란과 함께 어류 건강성에 주요 영향요인으로 판단된다.

The present study was conducted from August to December 2016 in a cylindrical water tank with a diameter of 1 m, a height of 4 m and a capacity of 3,000 L. The field water and sediment from the Nakdong River were also sampled for the experimental culture (field water+sediment) and control culture (field water), respectively. In this study, we aimed to investigate phytoplankton succession pattern using the phytoplankton functional group in the enclosed culture system. A total of 50 species in 27 genera including Chlorophyceae (30 species), Bacillariophyceae (11 species), Cyanophyceae (7 species), and Cryptophyceae (2 species) were identified in the experimental and control culture systems. A total of 19 phytoplankton functional groups (PFGs) were identified, and these groups include B, C, D, F, G, H1, J, K, Lo, M, MP, N, P, S1, TB, W0, X1, X2 and Y. In particular, W0, J and M groups exhibited the marked succession in the experimental culture system with higher biovolumes compared to those of the control culture system, which may be related to the internal cycling of nutrients by sediment in the experimental culture system. The principal component analyses demonstrated that succession patterns in PFG were associated with the main environmental factors such as nutrients (N, P), water temperature and light intensity in two culture systems. In conclusion, the present study showed the potential applicability of the functional group for understanding the adaptation strategies and ecological traits of the phytoplankton succession in the water bodies of Korea.

We collected fishes at the 12,873 sites in stream order (1~7) from 2008 to 2016. In the results, two populations (Zacco platypus and Zacco koreanus) represented distributional differences in the stream order gradient, and correlation analysis showed that the two populations had a potential competitive relationship. The ecological characteristics of the fish except for the Z. platypus and the Z. koreanus, according to the gradient of stream order showed a pronounced gradient in the species such as intermediate species, sensitive species, carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. The two populations showed a high correlation between intermediate species, sensitive species of the tolerance guild and omnivores, insectivores of the trophic guild. Fish assessment index (FAI) was negative relation with stream order. According to the stream order gradient, the two populations showed different correlations with FAI.

Overwintering and succession of phytoplankton community with physicochemical and biological characteristics were investigated in pilot culture system. Water and phytoplankton samples were collected twice a week from February 23 to June 28, 2016. A total of 17 overwintering taxa including cyanophyceae, chlorophyceae, bacillariophyceae were identified in the experimental group in winter (February), and these overwintering species showed a marked succession pattern along with environment changes. In the process of phytoplankton succession, a total of 56 species in 28 genera were identified in two (experimental, control) pilot culture system. In the experimental group, 52 phytoplankton species in 24 genera were identified, and the number of taxa was highest in chlorophyceae (35 species), followed by Bacillariophyceae (9 species), Cyanophyceae (5 species) and others (3 species). In the control group, 25 phytoplankton species in 14 genera were classified and these taxa consisted of 17 chlorophyceae, 3 cyanophyceae, 2 Bacillariophyceae and 3 others. The standing crops ranged from 40 to 325,450 cells mL-1 in the experimental group, and from 900 to 37,100 cells mL-1 in the control group, respectively. The dominant species were represented by Monoraphidium minutum, Microcystis aeruginosa, Rhodomonas lacustris, Ankyra judai and Chlorella vulgaris in the experimental group; and M. minutum and Coenochloris cf. pyrenoidosa in the control group. In conclusion, overwintering and succession of predominant phytoplankton species developed due to interactions of internal environmental factors (physicochemical and biological factors) in the pilot culture system.

This study was conducted to investigate whether the presence of mcy gene and microcystin production are related to morphological characteristics of Korean Microcystis species. We isolated 6 different species of Microcystis (M. aeruginosa, M. ichthyoblabe, M. flos-aquae, M. novacekii, M. viridis and M. wesenbergii) from drinking water supply dams (Yeongchun, Ankei, Gachang), and used microscopic method for morphological identification, molecular method for amplifying a partial region of mcyB gene and ELISA method for microcystin analysis. In the present study, 80% of M. aeruginosa strains contained mcy gene, followed by 45% (10 strains) of M. icthyoblabe, 33% (1 strain) of M. wesenbergii, and 11% (4 strains) of M. flos-aquae. Each percentage of mcy gene in Microcystis morphospecies was similar to that of microcystin production in Microcystis morophospecies. In conclusion, the present study shows that molecular method using mcy gene primers can be used as an indirect indicator for the monitoring of toxic cyanobacteria (Microcystis).