Phytoplankton play a vital role as primary producers in freshwater ecosystems, contributing to the nutrient cycle, energy flow, and ecological stability. To accurately assess phytoplankton diversity and community composition, this study compared traditional microscopy and environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding in six small lakes located in the Han, Geum, and Nakdong River basins in Korea. eDNA analysis identified 268 species from 161 genera, approximately 2.4 times higher than microscopy, which detected 113 species from 68 genera. The eDNA data were dominated by picocyanobacteria such as Synechococcus and Cyanobium, while microscopy primarily revealed larger taxa, including Stephanodiscus and Scenedesmus. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) based on Bray-Curtis similarity showed clear separation between the two methods, with average similarity values of 0.0326 (1st survey) and 0.0221 (2nd survey) at the species level. Only 6.8% of the 429 total species were commonly detected by both methods, while overlap at the genus level was 18.8%. Spatial heterogeneity in phytoplankton communities based on eDNA was also evident depending on the sampling location, with the centre of the surface showing the highest species richness and overlap, suggesting its suitability for biodiversity monitoring. These findings demonstrate the high resolution and sensitivity of eDNA metabarcoding in capturing phytoplankton diversity and highlight its complementary role in existing biomonitoring programmes. Further improvements in the quantitative reliability of eDNA-based assessments will require efforts such as copy number normalisation, methodological standardisation, and refinement of reference databases.

This study investigated seasonal variations in phytoplankton community composition and physicochemical water quality across 90 lakes in South Korea surveyed 2022 to 2024, and examined their relationships with environmental factors. Over the course of four seasons, a total of 952 phytoplankton taxa were identified, with Bacillariophyta (diatoms) and Chlorophyta (green algae) accounting for 64.2% of the total species richness. Diatom species such as Aulacoseira granulata, Fragilaria crotonensis, and Cyclotella meneghiniana were frequently observed regardless of season. In terms of cell density, Cyanophyta were dominant, comprising 85.1% on average, with particularly high summer densities driven by blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa and Aphanizomenon sp. In contrast, diatoms accounted for the highest relative abundance in winter (54.1%). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that Cyanophyta and Chlorophyta were positively correlated with water temperature, TP, COD, and Chl-a, whereas Bacillariophyta and Cryptophyta showed negative correlations with these variables. These results indicate that phytoplankton communities in Korean lakes are highly responsive to variations in temperature and nutrient concentrations, and that summer rainfall-driven nutrient inflow plays a critical role in triggering cyanobacterial blooms. This study provides a scientific basis for understanding seasonal ecosystem dynamics in Korean lakes and offers foundational data for eutrophication management and the development of biological water quality assessment indices.

Benthic attached diatoms (BADs), a major primary producer in lotic stream and river ecosystems are micro-sized organisms and require a highly magnified microscopic technique in the observation work. Thus, it is often not easy to ensure accuracy and precision in both qualitative and quantitative analyses. This study proposed a new technique applicable to improve quality control of aquatic ecosystem monitoring and assessment using BADs. In order to meet the purpose of quality control, we developed a permanent mounting slide technique which can be used for both qualitative and quantitative analyses simultaneously. We designed specimens with the combination of grid on both cover and slide glasses and compared their efficiency. As a result of observation and counting of BADs, the slide glass designed with the color-lined grid showed the highest efficiency compared to other test conditions. We expect that the method developed in this study could be effectively used to analyze BADs and contributed to improve the quality control in aquatic ecosystem health monitoring and assessment.

루이보스티에서 5종의 phenolic acid (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid) 와 9종의 flavonoid (procyanidin b1, aspalathin, rutin, vitexin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, luteolin, quercetin, chrysoeriol)를 UPLC-MSMS를 이용하여 동시 분석하였다. 14종 페놀릭 류를 동시 분석하기 위하여 기기조건과 유효성을 검증하였고 확립된 분석방법을 이용하여 시중에 유통중인 루이보스티 30건을 채취하여 페놀릭류를 분석하였다. 루이보스티 1 g 혹은 1티백에 뜨거운 물 100 mL을 가하여 3분, 6분, 30분이 경과 후 그리고 차가운 물 (25-30oC)에 30분 우려낸 루이보스티의 페놀릭류 함량을 구하였다. 루이보스티에서 전체 실험대상 페놀릭류 중 rutin과 aspalathin이 가장 많이 추출되어 나왔으며 각각 물질의 함량은 제품별로 달랐다. 페놀릭류 성분의 추출효율은 14종 페놀릭류의 총 합 기준으로 뜨거운 물 30분 > 6분 > 3분 > 차가운 물 30분 순으로 높았다.

Cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon population is widely distributed in the world, and well known as harmful algae by producing toxins and off-flavor materials, thus belonging to one of the taxa that became more interested in the field of limnoecology. In this study, the frequency, intensity, and duration of Aphanizomenon occurrence were increased with the abnormal drawdown of water level in the winter in Boryeong Reservoir, and the spatial and temporal characteristics of them are compared with each other in the perspective of hydrometeorology (1998 to 2017) and limnology (2010 to 2017). In Korea, Aphanizomenon flourished mainly in high temperature, and the appearance in the low temperature was rare in total five times. The harmful cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon was observed in the low temperature (December to February) in Boryeong Reservoir from 2014, and then reached a maximum value of 2,160 cells mL-1 in January 2017. In addition, the period exceeding 1,000 cells mL-1 at this time was more than 3 months. This was simultaneously associated with abnormal water level fluctuation in the low temperature (<10℃). The large drawdown of water level in the winter season has the potential to promote or amplify the germination and development of harmful algae. Also, subsequent water quality and ecological impacts (e.g., algal toxins and off-flavor substances) need to be considered carefully.

The sewage and wastewater (SAW) are a well-known major source of eutrophication and greentide in freshwaters and also a potential source of thermal pollution; however, there were few approaches to thermal effluent of SAW in Korea. This study was performed to understand the behavioral dynamics of the thermal effluents and their effects on the water quality of the connected streams during winter season, considering domestic sewage, industrial wastewater and hot spring wastewater from December 2015 to February 2016. Sampling stations were selected the upstream, the outlet of SAW, and the downstream in each connected stream, and the water temperature change was monitored toward the downstream from the discharging point of SAW. The temperature effect and its range of SAW on the stream were dependent not only on the effluent temperature and quantity but also on the local air temperature, water temperature and stream discharge. The SAW effects on the stream water temperature were observed with temperature increase by 2.1~5.8℃ in the range of 1.0 to 5.5 km downstream. Temperature effect was the greatest in the hot spring wastewater despite of small amount of effluent. The SAW was not only related to temperature but also to the increase of organic matter and nutrients in the connected stream. The industrial wastewater effluent was discharged with high concentration of nitrogen, while the hot spring wastewater was high in both phosphorus and nitrogen. The difference between these cases was due to with and without chemical T-P treatment in the industrial and the hot spring wastewater, respectively. The chlorophyll-a content of the attached algae was high at the outlet of SAW and the downstream reach, mostly in eutrophic level. These ecological results were presumably due to the high water temperature and phosphorus concentration in the stream brought by the thermal effluents of SAW. These results suggest that high temperature of the SAW needs to be emphasized when evaluating its effects on the stream water quality (water temperature, fertility) through a systematized spatial and temporal investigation.

Thermal effluent of the hot spring has long been a field of interest in the relationship between temperature gradient and freshwater algae in geology, limnology and aquatic ecology throughout the world. On the other hand, many artificial hot springs have been developed in Korea, but the research on them has not been still active. This study was performed every month from December 2015 to September 2016, to elucidate the spatiotemporal effects of thermal wastewater effluent (TWE) on the ecosystem of benthic algal assemblage in four stations (BSU (upstream), HSW (hot spring wastewater outlet), BSD1~2 (downstream)) of the upstream reach of the Buso Stream, a tributary located in the Hantan River basin. During the survey, the influencing distance of temperature on TWE was <1.0 km, and it was the main source of N·P nutrients at the same time. The effects of TWE were dominant at low temperature and dry season (December~March), but it was weak at high temperature and wet season (July~September), reflecting some seasonal characteristics. Under these circumstances, the attached algal communities were identified to 59 genera and 143 species. Of these, the major phylum included 21 genera 83 species of diatoms (58.0%), 9 genera 21 species of blue-green algae (14.7%) and 25 genera 32 species of green algae (22.4%), respectively. The spatiotemporal distribution of them was closely related to water temperature (5℃ and 15℃) and current (0.2 m s-1 and 0.8 m s-1). In the basic environment maintaining a high water temperature throughout the year round, the flora favoring high affinity to PO4 in the water body or preferring stream habitat of abundant NO3-PO4 was dominant. As a result, when compared with the outcomes of previous algal ecology studies conducted in Korea, the Buso Stream was evaluated as a serious polluted state due to persistent excess nutrient supply and high thermal pollution throughout the year round by TWE. It can be regarded as a dynamic ecosystem in which homogeneity (Summer~Autumn) and heterogeneity (Winter~Spring) are repeated between upstream and downstream.

본 연구는 섬강 수계 하천에서 하천의 형태복잡도와 부착규조류 군집 분포와의 관계를 자연지리, 토지이용도, 수리, 수질요인들과의 관계를 통해 분석하였다. 하천의 형태복잡도는 하천의 입지(고도)와 하폭 그리고 주변의 토지이용도와 밀접한 관계를 나타냈으며, 동시에 하천의 수질과도 유의한 관계를 보여주었다. 즉, 형태복잡도가 높 은 하천은 숲과 농경지의 이용도가 높았으며, 반면 형태 복잡도가 낮은 하천에서는 도시 이용도가 높게 나타났다. 한편, 형태복잡도가 높을수록 하천의 영양염의 농도가 낮 은 결과를 나타냈다. 섬강 수계에서 출현한 부착규조는 총 145 분류군(2목 3아목 8과 26속 125종 15변종 2품종 3아종)이 출현하였다. 하천의 형태복잡도 차이에 관계없 하천 형태복잡도와 부착규조류 군집 분포 119 이 부착규조류 군집의 종조성과 우점종의 차이는 크지 않 았으나 밀도와 지표종의 차이는 뚜렷하게 나타났다. 부착 규조류 지표종은 낮은 형태복잡도를 가진 지점들에서 호 오탁성종의 상대밀도가 높았던 반면, 복잡도가 높은 지점 들에서는 호청수성종의 종수와 상대밀도가 더욱 높았다. 부착규조류 생물지수(TDI, DAIpo)를 이용해 생물학적 수 질을 평가한 결과 형태복잡도가 낮은 지점들에서의 수질 이 상대적으로 불량하게 나타났다. 특히, BOD, TP, PO4-P 농도는 DAIpo와 높은 상관관계를 나타냈다. 결론적으로, 섬강 수계 하천의 형태복잡도는 부착조류 군집의 분포와 밀접한 관계를 보여주었으며, 보다 직접적으로 이들의 관 계는 형태복잡도의 차이를 결정짓는 주변 토지이용의 형 태가 하천수질에 영향을 미쳐 나타난 것으로 이해되었다.

This study was designed to investigate the formation of ethyl carbamate (EC) during the ripening of Maesil with sugar and Soju (19.5~35% alcohol contents) using a homemade method. Maesil, sugar and Soju were purchased at ordinary market in June of 2012. The preparation of sample for analysis was conducted by method of Henry et al. The analysis of GC/MS was used SIM mode (m/z 89, 74, 62). Quantification was performed in terms of the 62 ion and was based on an internal standard procedure. Good linearity was obtained with a regression coefficient (r2 = 0.993). Low detection limits (LOD) was achieved 4.31 ug/kg and recovery for alcohol was 74.8%. During 90 days, fermentation with sugar was not detected EC (under LOQ). 15 days ripened Maesil wine contained EC between non detected~32.7 ug/kg and 90 days ripened Maesil wine was 19.7~87.4 ug/kg. Higher proportion of Maesil and Soju increased EC contents. EC levels were increased 32.7 ug/kg to 87.4 ug/kg in the ratio of Maesil to 35% alcohol-Soju (1:1). In the ratio of Maesil to 35% alcohol-Soju (1:3) was increased non detected to 69.7 ug/kg. After 90 days, Maesil wine was filtered Maesil through a seive and ripened by 180 days to investigate the formation of EC compared with non filtered. Treatment of filtered, EC contents was much higher level compared with non filtered. Therefore, this result showed that alcohol contents contribute to increase EC formation more than Maesil.