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.

오염지표생물로서 널리 활용되고 있는 깔따구는 잡식, 초식, 육식성 등 종에 따라 다양한 섭식형태를 보이는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그중 잡식성으로 알려져 있는 삼지창무늬깔따구 (P. scalaenum)는 국내의 다양한 하천 생태계에서 우점하기 때문에 하천 생태계 내 먹이 사슬에 있어 중요한 역할을 담당하고 있다. 그럼에도 불구하고 먹이원에 대한 자세한 정보가 부족한 실정이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 국내 4대강의 대표적인 보 (이포보, 세종보, 죽산보, 강정고령보, 달성보) 구간에 서식하는 삼지창무늬깔따구를 대상으로 소화관 내용물을 분석하여 먹이원을 파악하고자 하였다. 이포보에서 채집된 깔따구 소화관에서 동물플랑크톤의 사체 (부속지, 강모 등)가 다수 포함된 반면, 다른 4개보의 깔따구 소화관에서는 식물플랑크톤이 주를 이루고 있었다. 깔따구의 소화관 내용물과 환경에 식물플랑크톤 종 조성은 매우 유사하였으며, 정점 간 종 조성의 차이가 뚜렷하게 나타났다. 본 연구에서 수행된 삼지창무늬깔따구의 소화관 분석은 잡식성 깔따구의 섭식 특성을 파악할 수 있었으며, 특히 깔따구의 소화관 내용물 분석을 통한 주변 수환경 내 기초생산자의 종 조성 파악 연구의 가능성을 보였다.

본 연구는 4대강 보 설치에 따른 실지렁이류의 분포 특성을 파악하고자 연구를 실시하였다. 현지조사는 2018년 3월부터 10월까지 총 10회 실시하였다. 조사결과 총 18종 35,390 ind. m-2 개체가 출현하였다. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (77.1%)이 우점종, Branchiura sowerbyi (9.5%)이 아우점종으로 분석되었다. 건중량 분석결과 총 32.418 g m-2이 계측 되었으며, 각 종별 건중량과 TOC 농도와의 상관 분석 결과 실지렁이, 아가미지렁이와 TOC 농도 간 음의 상관성을 갖는 것으로 나타났다. 실지렁이류와 물리적·이화학적 요인들 간의 다변량 상관분석 결과 퇴적토 깊이, Clay 비율, Silt 비율, Cobble 비율, Pebble 비율, pH, TOC 항목과 상관성을 갖는 것으로 분석되었다 (p<0.05, p<0.01). 조사지역별 실지렁이류 개체수와 퇴적토 깊이 및 Clay의 비율과 비교·분석한 결과 퇴적토의 깊이와 Clay의 비율이 높을수록 개체 수가 많은 것으로 나타났다. 조사시기에 따른 실지렁이류의 개체수, TOC 비교·분석결과 3월부터 10월까지 개체수는 감소하는 경향성을 나타냈으며, TOC는 증가하는 경향성을 갖는 것으로 분석되었다.

본 연구는 4대강 사업에 따른 낙동강 수질의 변동성을 평가하기 위한 것으로, 낙동강에 건설된 8개 보 건설 전후의 수질을 비교, 분석하였다. 이를 위해 보에서 가장 인접한 상류 수질측정지점을 대상으로 4대강 사업전(2003년 1월부터 2008년 11월), 사업중(2008년 9월부터 2012년 4월), 사업후(2012년 5월부터 2017년 9월)까지의 3개 기간에 대해 DO, BOD, COD, SS, T-N, T-P, TOC 등의 수질자료를 수집하였다. 4대강 사업전후 자료의 유의성 검증을 위해 대응검정 T-test를 95%의 신뢰구간에서 실시 한 결과 DO, BOD, COD, T-N, TOC는 사업 전보다 사업 후 수질 농도가 높아지는 경향이 있으며, 그 중 BOD, COD, TOC의 농도가 큰 차이를 보였다. 반면에 SS, T-P는 사업 전보다 사업 후 농도값이 감소하였다. 수질인자 중 변화값이 큰 BOD, COD, TOC를 수질등급으로 나누어 공간적으로 분석 해 본 결과 사업전에 비해 사업후의 수질등급이 나빠지는 경향을 보였다.

The objective of this study was to develop an index of biological integrity (IBI) for national-level monitoring of watersheds as an ecosystem health assessment methodology for the South Korean government. A 10-metric IBI model (IBIKW) was developed for watershed management and then applied to 76 streams in four major watersheds in Korea. The model assessments showed that 32.9% of all streams were judged to be in ‘excellent-good’ condition, whereas 67.1% were in ‘fair-poor’ condition, indicating severely impaired ecological health. Nutrient analyses of stream water revealed a two- to fivefold increase in nutrient and biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in urban- and cropland-dominant streams compared to forest- dominant streams. The guild structure within the watersheds indicated that tolerant species were predominant in severely degraded regions (BOD>6 mg/L), and sensitive species were distributed in regions with BOD<2 mg/L. Factors affecting ecosystem health (IBIKW scores) included chemical water quality parameters, physical habitat parameters and land use around the stream. In particular, land use was one of the major factors influencing ecosystem health, as indicated by the strong relationships between the percentages of urban and forest streams and the IBIKW scores. The integrated ecosystem health assessment technique developed here can be applied for both regular bioassessments and post-restoration assessments.

River channel dredging and riparian development have been influenced morphology and quantity of natural river habitat. We compared distribution of riverside land and alluvial island in the Nakdong River with field survey and remote sensing analysis after the 4 Large River Project in South Korea. We digitized geomorphological elements, includes main channel, riverside land, and alluvial island by using georeferenced aerial photos taken in pre-dredging (2008) and post-dredging (2012) periods. Field survey was followed in 2012 for a ground truth of digitized boundaries and identification of newly constructed wetland types such as pond, channel, branch, and riverine type. We found that during the dredging period, riverside land and alluvial island were lost by 20.2% and 72.7%, respectively. Modification rate of riverside land was higher in the section of river kilometer 50~90, 140~180, and 210~270. Alluvial island had higher change rate in the section of river kilometer 50~70, 190~210, and 270~310. Average change rate for the riverside land and alluvial island was - 1.02±0.14 km² ·10 km¯¹ and - 0.05±0.05 km² ·10 km¯¹, respectively. Channel shaped wetlands (72.5%) constituted large portion of newly constructed wetlands.

The purpose of this study was to analyze fish fauna and species compositions along with trophic guilds, tolerance indicators, and fish community conditions before weir construction (BWC) and after weir construction (AWC) in the Yeongsan River watershed. Total 45 and 44 fish species were sampled in BWC and AWC, respectively without any distinct differences through weir constructions. Fish fauna analysis revealed that the dominant species was the same, Zacco platypus with 24.3% and 20.8% in BWC and AWC, respectively. However, the subdominant species were Carassius auratus with 8.9% in BWC but Opsarichthys uncirostris amurensis with 20.3%, almost identical that of the dominant species AWC. This phenomenon showed the distinct modification of species composition in the watershed. We sampled the 1st class endangered species, Liobagrus obesus in tributary stream as previously reported. Also Culter brevicauda was sampled in the mainstream of Yeongsan River watershed and this was the first sampled record in this watershed. One of the most important features were an increase of exotic species, such as Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus, with 3.2% BWC vs. 10.2% AWC as well as the increase in tolerant species with 49.2% BWC vs. 73.7% AWC, indicating ecological degradation through weir construction. Overall, our results indicated that fish fauna and composition analyses showed distinct ecological degradations related to increases of exotic and tolerant species AWC. Further long-term studies of fish monitoring should be conducted in the future to configure existent status of river conditions and to provide key information in order to conserve the healthy ecosystem.

General features of sediment budget for the Nakdong River before the Four Rivers Restoration Project were analyzed using surveying, dredging, and mining data for the past 20 years, as well as sediment data measured from the tributaries, and numerical modeling, etc. As a result of the sediment budget analysis of the Nakdong River before the Four Rivers Restoration Project, sediment inflow supplied from the watershed is 2,100,000 m3/yr and sediment outflow including mining and dredging volumes is 10,180,000 m3/yr. Therefore, the bed change volume estimated by the sediment budget analysis is -8,080,000 m3/yr of the bed erosion volume which is similar to the analysis result (-8,300,000 m3/yr) of natural and artificial bed changes using the surveyed data.

In this study, the effects of four major river project and Kumho River, second biggest branch of Nakdong River, were investigated to provide basic data for proper management of Nakdong River’s water quality. Daily sampling processes at three different points, Munsanri (the upper side of Kangjung-Koryung weir), Kangchang (the outlet of the Kumho River) and Samunjin (the lower side of Kangjung-Koryung weir and junction of Kumho River and Nakdong River), were conducted from May 1st 2011 to Sep. 4th 2011. Water samples were analyzed for nine factors, DO, BOD, COD, T-N, T-P, pH, turbidity, SS, and coliform. As demonstrated by the results, concentrations of BOD, T-N, T-P and coliform at Nakdong River were affected by water quality of Kumho River while SS and turbidity were affected by constructions for Kangjung-Koryung weir. Further studies, for example, affects of wastewater treatment facilities, should be followed.

To revitalize rural economy and to generate job opportunities in the Korean countryside through the specialized production of high-valued/environment-friendly farm products and the active promotion of green tourism in the farmland-remodelling project sites in 4 main riverside areas, this study developed the regionally differentiated development models of future-oriented agri-business complex. Through two rounds' expert group consulting/checking, related literatures review and similar case-projects benchmarking, a tentative model system was made and corrected, and finally, 6-development types with 24 model complexes proposed.