Lake Sihwa Research Articles

Identification of sources and seasonal variability of organic matter in Lake Sihwa and surrounding inland creeks, South Korea

Coastal areas are subjected to significant allochthonous organic matter deposits from surrounding areas; however, limited information is available on the source and delivery of this organic matter. In this study, to assess seasonal changes in the sources of organic matter in Lake Sihwa (Korea), biodegradability, fluorescence property, and stable isotopic compositions (carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur) of the organic matter were determined. Water samples were collected from the inner lake (n = 9) and inland creeks (n = 10) in five separate events, from November 2012 to October 2013. Organic matter originating from rural, urban, and industrial areas was examined as the potential sources. The organic matter contents and biodegradability in the industrial area were the highest, whereas low concentrations and poor biodegradability of organic matter were found in the rural area, and moderate properties were observed in the urban area. In Lake Sihwa, a large concentration of total organic matter and enhanced biodegradability were observed during March and August. However, main source of organic matter differed between the sampling events. The largest contribution of organic matter, deriving from marine phytoplankton, was found in March. On the other hand, in August, the organic matter originating from the industrial area, which is characterized by high levels of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, was significantly increased. Our results could be useful to enhance the management of water bodies aimed at reducing the organic matter concentrations and improving the water quality of Lake Sihwa, and even that of the Yellow Sea.

시화호 표층퇴적물의 특성과 오염도 평가

시화호 표층퇴적물 중 지구화학적 특성과 미량금속의 오염도 평가를 위해 입도, 강열감량(IL), 화학적산소요구량(COD) 및 미량금속(As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn, Ni, Mn, Hg, Fe, Li)을 분석 하였다. 시화호 표층퇴적물의 평균입도는 2.94~6.35&#x00D8;의 범위로 분포하였으며, 퇴적상은 전반적으로 sandy silt(sZ)를 나타내었고, 이러한 표층퇴적물의 성상은 유기물 및 미량금속의 농도와 상관관계를 나타내었다 (p<0.05). 특히, 표층퇴적물 중 As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn, Fe, Hg은 평균입도와 상관성을 보일 뿐만 아니라, IL(Ignition Loss)과도 높은 상관성을 보여 이들 원소의 농도가 입도와 유기물의 영향을 받고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이에 시화호의 표층퇴적물 관리에 있어서 미량금속의 유입 뿐 만 아니라 유기물의 유입을 병행하여 조사되어야 할 것으로 판단되었다. 오염도 평가에 있어서 표층퇴적물 중 미량금속 함량의 농축계수와 농집지수는 대부분 약간 오염된 상태를 나타낸 가운데, As의 경우 농축계수와 농집지수 가 오염된 상태를 보였다. 이는 특정 중금속에 의한 농축이 여전히 해결되지 않은 것으로 나타나, 이를 해결할 수 있는 방안마련이 시급할 것으로 사료되었다. 아울러 비교적 공단지역 및 배수갑문에 근접한 지역은 오염도가 높은 반면, 시화호 중앙부분은 오염도가 낮은 경향을 보여, 지역적 편차를 고려한 지속적인 모니터링시 이 필요할 것으로 판단되었다. The purpose of this study was to understand the pollution level of the surface sediment of Sihwa Lake by assessing its geochemical characteristics and investigating the spatial distribution of trace metals and organic matter. In the surface sediment of Sihwa lake, the mean grain size was between 2.94 and 6.35 &#x00D8; and the main type of sediment was sandy silt. The concentrations of As, Co, Cr, Ni, V and Li among the metal elements in the surface sediment were correlated with the mean crust concentration (p<0.05). Based on the strong correlation between the metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) and organic matter (Ignition Loss), the concentrations of these metal elements seem to be controlled by the organic matter dilution effect. The trace metal pollution level, determined by applying the Republic of Korea Marine environmental standard and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's sediment quality guidelines, showed the pollution level of As to be either close to or in excess of the above-mentioned standards at almost all levels. The enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index of As showed that there was an incremental increase of pollution by elements other than V, Cr, Co, Fe, Al and Mn. Moreover, the nearby industrial area and dike were more polluted than the other areas, so the surface sediments in Sihwa lake should be monitored by taking into consideration the geological variations.

Traditional and new POPs in environments along the Bohai and Yellow Seas: An overview of China and South Korea

Rapid economic growth during the past two decades in the region surrounding the Bohai and Yellow Seas has resulted in severe pollution. Large amounts of monitoring data on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in various environmental media have been accumulated, which allows us to conduct a fairly comprehensive assessment of the region around the Bohai and Yellow Seas to elucidate spatial patterns of pollution on a regional scale. This review summarized distributions of traditional and new POPs, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), in various environmental media. In general, due to their physico-chemical properties (poor solubility in water), OCPs and PCBs were mainly detected in sediments, PBDEs and HBCDs were mainly detected in sediments and soils. PFASs, which have greater solubility, were mainly detected in the hydrosphere. For conventional POPs, such as OCPs and PCBs, Bohai Bay and Haihe River in China, Gyeonggi Bay and Lake Sihwa in South Korea were found to be most polluted areas. While for new POPs, such as PBDEs, HBCDs and PFASs, some areas were heavily polluted due to local production and applications. Estuarine and coastal areas of the Bohai Sea were more severely contaminated by POPs than coastal regions of the Yellow Sea. Overall, the present review will guide identification of key areas for strengthening risk assessment of POPs and management practices.

Hard science is essential to restoring soft-sediment intertidal habitats in burgeoning East Asia

Intertidal soft-sediment ecosystems such as mangrove, saltmarsh, and tidal flats face multiple stresses along the burgeoning East Asia coastline. In addition to direct habitat loss, ecosystem structure, function, and capacity for ecosystem services of these habitats are significantly affected by anthropogenic loss of hydrologic connectivity, introduction of invasive exotic species, and chemical pollution. These dramatic changes to ecosystem structure and function are illustrated by four case studies along the East Asian coast: the Mai Po Marshes in Hong Kong, the Yunxiao wetlands in Fujian, China, and the Lake Sihwa and Saemangeum tidal flats in Korea. While investment in restoration is increasing significantly in the region, the lack of key basic knowledge on aspects of the behaviour of intertidal soft-sediment ecosystems, particularly those in Asia, impairs the effectiveness of these efforts. The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function for relatively species-poor mangrove, seagrass, and saltmarsh systems has implications for restoration targeting monospecific plantations. The trajectory of recovery and return of ecosystem function and services is also poorly known, and may deviate from simple expectations. As many introduced species have become established along the East Asian coast, their long-term impact on ecosystem function as well as the socio-economics of coastal communities demand a multidisciplinary approach to assessing options for restoration and management. These knowledge gaps require urgent attention in order to inform future restoration and management of intertidal soft-sediment ecosystems in fast-developing East Asia.

The Intertidal Restoration and Relationship with Water birds According to Before and After Operation of Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant1a

The Intertidal Restoration and Relationship with Water birds According to Before and After Operation of Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant1a

조력발전소 가동 후 시화호 내 조간대의 면적 변화

− The intertidal area in Lake Sihwa formed after operation of Sihwa-Lake tidal power plant and the change of the area in Lake Sihwa by period were analyzed. For computation of the intertidal area, remote sensing techniques were applied and high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was generated with root mean square (rms) error 14.4 cm. The intertidal area was 165.1 km in 1910s, 115.2 km in 1991 before completion of Sihwa dyke, 5.6 km in 2010 during the period on operation of sluice gate, and 20.3 km in 2013 after operation of Sihwa tidal power plant. Intertidal in Lake Sihwa was nearly dissipated after completion of Sihwa dyke, but significantly increased with operation of Sihwa tidal power plant from April 2012 as developing a regular tide environment and increasing of sea water flux. The re-formation of tidal flat of Sihwa Lake is an uncommon case. This study that precisely analyzed on the area of artificially formed Sihwa tidal flat would be applicable for management and making conservation plan.

시화호 상류 기수역에서 입자성유기물에 대한 조류영향

시화호 상류 기수역에서 입자성유기물에 대한 조류영향

Runoff characteristics of non-point pollutants caused by different land uses and a spatial overlay analysis with spatial distribution of industrial cluster: a case study of the Lake Sihwa watershed

To characterize a runoff pattern of non-point pollutants in relation with different land uses in a watershed, a monitoring activity and field measurements were carried out and data points were recorded during the rainfall events for 2 years. The study area includes industrial, urban, and rural sectors, which can represent a model case for the runoff study. Each sector was monitored with methodology and parameters including partial event mean concentration, first flush effect, mass first flush ratios, and correlation analysis. The Banwol Industrial Outfall No. 4 (4TG), an industrial area, showed a strong first flush effect, indicating that pollutants such as suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus, were discharged at the early stage of a storm. An MFF30 analysis of the runoff revealed a mean pollutant load was over 50 %. In the Ansan Stream, an urban area, a strong first flush effect did not appear; however, the concentrations of pollutants reached a peak some time later during a storm event. Then, the concentrations of pollutants quickly reduced. On the other hand, Jangjunbo and Munsan Stream, rural areas, did not exhibit the first flush effects, and when considering the value of MFF30, 30 % or fewer pollutants on average were discharged at the initial stage of a storm. This means most of pollutants were streamed out at the later time of a storm event. The monitoring results found that the runoff characteristics of non-point pollutants in industrial, urban, and rural areas were distinctly different and site-specific. Therefore, each watershed management plan should be prepared to meet its own characteristics. Also, this kind of data can be an important base in designing and sizing a regional wastewater treatment facility to treat pollutants from a contaminated watershed.

시화호에서 보름달물해파리 Aurelia aurita (s.l.)의 개체군변동

We investigated the population dynamics of Aurelia aurita in Sihwa Lake from April to October in 2009. Salinity ranged from 5.9 to 30.7 psu at the surface. Abundance of mesozooplankton ranged from 3 to 111,874 indiv. m -3 . Ephyrae occurred from April to May with the peak in abundance occurring on 17 April. Maximum density of ephyrae was observed near the power transmission towers that are known to be habitats of polyps. Mortality of ephyrae was lower than in other areas because of the abundant prey concentration and the absence of predators. Young medusae occurred from April to July with the peak in abundance occurring on 8 May. Adult medusae occurred from May to July with the peak in abundance on 25 June and they disappeared before the rainy season. Planula occurred only in May and June with the peak in abundance on 25 June. Growth rates of Aurelia aurita ranged from .0.06 to 0.34 d -1 , and decreased rapidly after May. The period in which adult medusa occurred was restricted, compared with those in other area in Korea (e.g., Masan Bay) and Japan (e.g., Tokyo Bay). In the period of this study, the available food was limited in June and salinity decreased to ca. 20 psu in May because of the beginning of the wet season. We assumed that the exceptionally short period of occurrence of the medusa may be a response of adults to changes in temperature, salinity or food limitation which leads to the precocious maturation of young medusa and the release of planula and that the brief occurrence of medusa was caused by an abrupt decrease in activity after the release of planula.

해상송전철탑 구조물의 주기점검을 통한 경년열화 변화특성

해상송전철탑 구조물에 있어서 구조 및 재료 손상에 대해 주기적으로 안전점검을 실시하고, 그 결과를 이용한 수명관리(life management)의 시행은 적극 추천되는 일이다. 본 연구에서는 영흥도 시화호 내에 있는 총 6개의 해상송전철탑에 대해서 강재부재에 대해 3가지, 콘크리트 기초에 대해 5가지, 해수 중 강관파일 및 해수 자체에 대해 4가지 형태의 열화점검을 각각 수행하였다. 강재에 대한 점검 항목들은 외관조사, 부재두께, 도막상태 등에 대한 것이고, 콘크리트 기초에 있어서는 균열형상, 압축강도, 중성화깊이, 염화물 함유량 등에 대한 항목, 그리고 해중 강관파일에 있어서의 전위 및 양극조사에 따른 부식정도, 동영상 촬영 및 해수의 수질환경성 평가 등에 대한 항목이다. 이와 같은 정기적 열화점검은 연속 3년 동안 매년 10월경에 동일위치에 대해 평가하였다. 결과적으로 본 연구에서는 이러한 자료를 체계적으로 활용함으로써 해상송전철탑 안전성 유지관리에 유익하게 적용될 수 있는 새로운 열화지표를 개발하였다. In electric power transmission tower structures on offshore, implementation of life management using the event data of regular safety inspections for structural and material damages is strongly recommended. In this study, six tower structures in Sihwa Lake around Yeoungheung island were target bodies for the safety inspections. safety inspections for deterioration about each of six towers were performed about three items for steel member, five items for concrete foundation, and four items for steel-pipe pile in seawater and seawater itself. Safety inspections for steel members included the visual observations of surface appearances, the measurements of member thicknesses, and the checks of painting states. Also safety inspections for concrete foundations comprised the estimation of crack features, the evaluation of non-destructive compression strengths, and the measurements of neutralization depths and chlorides contents. For steel-pipe piles in seawater the inspections comprised the surveys of corrosion states in accordance with potential levels tests and anode tests, the analyses of photos taken on surfaces of the piles as well as the evaluation of seawater quality. A set of deterioration inspections was performed at the same positions around october of each year for three consecutive years. As a result in this study, Newly developed deterioration indexes have been applied profitably to maintain structural safety for electric power transmission towers by utilizing these event data systematically.

Estimation of the minimum food requirement using the respiration rate of medusa of Aurelia aurita in Sihwa Lake

We examined the respiration rate of Aurelia aurita medusae at 20 °C and 28 °C to evaluate minimum metabolic demands of medusae population in Sihwa Lake, Korea during summer. While weight specific respiration rates of medusae were constant and irrespective to the wet weight (8–220 g), they significantly varied in respect to temperatures (p<0.001, 0.11±0.03 mg C g−1 of medusa d−1 at 20°C and 0.28±0.11 mg C g−1 of medusa d−1 at 28 °C in average, where Q 10 value was 2.62). The respiration rate of medusae was defined as a function of temperature (T, °C) and body weight (W, g) according to the equation, R=0.13×2.62(T-20)/10 W 0.93. Population minimum food requirement (PMFR) was estimated from the respiration rate as 15.06 and 4.86 mg C m−3 d−1 in June and July, respectively. During this period, increase in bell diameter and wet weight was not significant (p=1 in the both), suggesting that the estimated PMFR closely represented the actual food consumption in the field. From July to August, medusae grew significantly at 0.052 d-1, thus the amount of food ingested by medusae population in situ was likely to exceed the PMFR (1.27 mg C m−3 d−1) during the period. In conclusion, the medusae population of higher density during June and July had limited amount of food, while those of lower in July and August ingested enough food for growth.

The Construction of a Tidal Power Plant at Sihwa Lake, Korea

The western and southern coasts of Korea are ideal locations for developing tidal current energy due to geographical features, such as ria coasts and strong tides. In order to develop techniques for harnessing tidal energy, field measurements, numerical modeling, and estimations of potential tidal energy were conducted in Lake Sihwa Bay prior to the construction of a tidal power plant. The construction of a 1 MW pilot plant was initiated in April 2006 and completed in 2007. An ongoing study is focused on the commercialization and industrialization of tidal current energy in Korea. Construction of additional power plants is planned at several proposed sites after this technology has been established.

Transformation from Conflict to Collaboration Through Multistakeholder Process: Shihwa Sustainable Development Committee in Korea

Multi-Stakeholder Process (MSP) is a very sophisticated and complex process where many diverse stakeholder representatives deliberate and negotiate to solve public problems together. While MSPs have been suggested as good governance mechanism in both developed and developing countries, its ideals still obscure than clarify. It is not clear how a MSP can be initiated given power imbalance and lack of trust in a society. It is more challenging for the members of the process to manage complex, volatile, and conflicting situations that are inherent in multiparty negotiations.The Si-Hwa case in Korea provides many interesting implications as a relatively successful multi-stakeholder process aimed at balancing development and environment around regional development plans. A long-term multi-stakeholder forum (2003-current) involving the government bodies (central and local), state-owned corporations, local politicians, non-governmental organizations has made collective decisions regarding environmental management and regional development projects, and transformed the almost dead Si-Hwa Lake into a lively lake.The process could be successful mainly because people could transform conflicting countervailing powers into collaborative countervailing ones before and during the process. The sources of collaborative powers are the will of the government to incorporate stakeholder participation due to its poor BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), bottom-up initiative from local NGOs, detaching themselves from central NGOs. They have built trust by making the process transparent through its own webpage, establishing consensus-based decision rule, and conducted joint fact-finding process. More interestingly, the members managed the complex process without any help of professional neutrals.

Changes of the Avifauna in Sihwa Lake according to the Blackish Water Circulation and Agricultural Land Reclamation

This study was conducted between October of 2004 and November of 2006 in the region of Lake Sihwa (Sihwaho) in order to study the area's avifauna and bird community change according to the seawater mixing and agricultural development. A total of 178,061 birds of 158 species were observed, with the Common Pochard as the dominant species. The avifauna of the Lake Sihwa region showed a high level of inhabiting species during the wintering season and the spring-fall migratory season, and the summer season showed a temporarily low number of species. Among the diving duck species, the Common Pochard and the Common Goldeneye showed stable wintering pattern, and in the case of the Greater Scaup and the Tufted Duck, there was low usage level during early winter and late winter passing period. Dabbling ducks displayed lower usage level in February and March, which is included in the late winter period, when compared to that of fall and early winter. Low water level correlated with high avian density, and such region included a high level of aquatic plants of the desalinated area. A total of 754 birds of 28 government-protected species were observed, alongside a total of 125 birds of 6 Class-I endangered species. The avifauna of the Lake Sihwa region has changed from the dominance of dabbling ducks, waders and plovers to the dominance of the diving duck community. Such change has been caused by the spread of aquatic plants (Chara spp.) during the desalination process of select areas under agricultural development and is also assessed to be the result of environmental changes following the seawater mixing into Lake Sihwa.

광역 기온자료를 이용한 국지 수온 추정오차 비교 분석

미래 기온변화 정보를 제공하는 General Circulation Model (GCM) 자료, 즉 광역 기온자료를 이용하여 우리나라의 국지 수온변화를 추정하는 연구를 수행하였다. 국지수온 추정은 마산만, 시화호, 낙동강 하구를 대상으로 Two-step 접근방법과 One-step 접근방법을 적용하여 각각의 추정오차를 비교 분석하였다. Two-step 추정방법은 광역 기온으로 국지기온을 추정하는 제1단계에서는 선형회귀분석 기법을 적용하였으며, 모든 지점에서 결정계수가 0.98~0.99 정도로 매우 높게 나타났다. 그리고 국지기온으로 국지수온을 추정하는 제2단계에서는 S-형태함수의 비선형 회귀분석기법을 적용하였으며 이 경우 RMS(Root-mean squared) 오차는 마산만에서 2.07 (온도 증가시기), 1.93 (온도 감소시기), 시화호에서는 2.59, 낙동강 하구에서는 1.58로 파악되었다. 반면 동일한 S-형태함수를 이용한 비선형 회귀분석기법으로 광역기온자료로부터 바로 국지 수온을 추정하는 One-step 접근방법을 적용한 경우, RMS 오차는 마산만이 2.28 (온도증가시기), 1.89 (온도감소시기), 시화호에서는 2.55, 낙동강하구는 1.52로 Two-step 접근방법과 비슷한 수준의 오차를 보이는 것으로 파악되었다. 따라서 광역 기온자료를 이용하여 국지 수온을 추정하는 경우에는 One-step 접근방법도 유용하고 실용적인 것으로 판단된다. A local or site-specific water temperature is downscaled from the nation-wide air temperature that represents simulation by General Circulation Model (GCM). Both two-step and one-step method are tested and compared in three sites: Masan Bay, Lake Sihwa, and Nakdong River Estuary. Two-step method uses a linear regression model as the first step that converts nation-wide air temperature into local air temperature, and the corresponding coefficient of determination is in the range of 0.98~0.99. The second step that converts air temperature into water temperature uses a nonlinear curve, so called S-curve, and the corresponding root mean squared error (RMSE) is 2.07 for rising limb in Masan Bay, 1.93 for falling limb in Masan Bay, 2.59 for Lake Sihwa, and 1.58 for Nakdong River Estuary. In a similar way, one-step method is performed to directly convert nation-wade air temperature into local water temperature, and the corresponding RMSE is 2.28 for rising limb in Masan Bay, 1.89 for falling limb in Masan Bay, 2.55 for Lake Sihwa, and 1.52 for Nakdong River Estuary. Consequently both methods show a similar level of performance, and one-step method is recommendable in that it is simple and practical in relative terms.

Characteristic of Bird Community Arriving in Sihwa Lake

This study was conducted in the region of Lake Sihwa between January and December of 2009, once every month, in order to assess the area's avian fauna. The result of the study showed 106,430 individuals (Sum of maximum count) of 153 species, 38 families and 14 orders. Dominants species included, in decreasing order, the mallard Anas platyrhynchos (18.2%), dunlin Calidris alpina (14.5%), greater scaup Aythya marila (11.1%), pochard Aythya ferina (8.2%) and the Eurasian wigeon Anas penelope (6.3%). Diversity Index was the highest in April at 3.00 and the lowest in November at 2.15. Evenness Index was the highest in May at 0.73 and the lowest in March at 0.53. Richness Index was the highest in April at 7.54 and the lowest in November at 4.47.

Characterization of major offensive odorants released from lake sediment

Abstract The amount of odorants effused from Lake Sihwa during the low tide period was estimated using sediment samples collected from various sites. A wide variety of odorants released from lake sediment were measured such as reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs), aldehydes, nitrogenous compounds, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). A comparison of emission rates (μg m−2 min−1) showed large mean values from such species as NH3 (14,550), toluene (370), and DMS (106), while the lowest values were seen from VFAs and some VOCs. If their emission concentrations are converted into odor intensity (OI), the OI values were dominated by such odorants as NH3 (2.07), H2S (1.65), DMS (1.80), acetaldehyde (1.52), butyric acid (1.59), butyraldehyde (1.28), isovaleric acid (1.15), and valeric acid (0.78). The dilution to threshold (D/T) ratio derived on the basis of the air dilution sensory (ADS) test yielded a mean of 62 (range: 10–173); 19 out of 21 samples were seen to exceed the guideline D/T value of 15. The sum of odor intensities derived from individual odorants exhibited strong compatibilities with the D/T ratio (r2 = 0.87; α = 0.003). The overall results of this study confirm that the sediment can play an important role in the malodor phenomenon in the area surrounding the Lake Sihwa.

Lake Sihwa tidal power plant project

A Tidal Power Plant (TPP) is being constructed in the middle section of the existing Lake Sihwa dike located near the southern Incheon Port in Korea. The project, which will be completed in 2010, is to harness the largest tidal energy in the Kyeonggi Bay in the eastern Yellow Sea. While noting the current progress in terms of plant construction, this paper outlines the overall project in the tidal regime and uses predictive local flow modeling. The results of two-dimensional finite element method simulations that predict the real-time tidal characteristics during the construction and after the completion of the tidal power plant are presented, including a method to estimate the electricity output from the plant in the future.

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition and its impact to Lake Sihwa in South Korea from January 2004 to September 2005

Atmospheric wet and dry deposition samples collected from three sites (Hwasung, Ansan and Daeboo) around Lake Sihwa, South Korea were used to calculate the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen to the lake and to evaluate its effects on primary production. The analytical parameters included pH, conductivity, and cation (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) and anion (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-) concentrations. The monthly volume-weighted mean pH of the rainwater ranged from 3.9 to 5.1, with a mean of 4.5, thus showing moderate to strong acidification. Factor analysis indicated that the possible sources for the major ions in the precipitation were anthropogenic/crustal, marine and biomass burning products. Wet deposition varied with season; the highest flux of inorganic nitrogen (NO3--N + NH4+-N) occurred in the summer and averaged 160 mg/m2/month. Less nitrogen was delivered by dry deposition which was highest in spring 2004 (March-May, 23 and 50 mg/m2/month for NO3--N and NH4+-N, respectively). The total annual atmospheric deposition of NH4+-N (1100 mg/m2/yr) was about twice that of NO3--N (560 mg/m2/yr). The combined direct deposition to the lake proper was 7.1 × 107 g-N/yr while the estimated annual flux to the entire Lake Sihwa basin was 7.9 × 108 g-N/yr. Of the total atmospheric inorganic N entering Lake Sihwa (2.7 × 108 g-N/yr), 26% was from direct deposition and 74% from indirect deposition. To estimate the potential impact of atmospheric nitrogen on primary production in the lake, chlorophyll-a equivalents were calculated assuming Redfield stoichiometry; this was estimated to be about 8% of the total chlorophyll-a produced in 2004.

Evaluation of induction of metallothionein-like proteins (MTLPs) in the polychaetes for biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution in marine sediments

Polychaetes are suitable organisms for evaluation of impact of sediment pollution. We evaluated toxicity of cadmium and copper and measured metallothionein-like proteins (MTLPs) in the polychaete Perinereis nuntia. At the same concentration ranges copper was unexpectedly more toxic than cadmium. Copper also caused no significant increase in MTLPs in the polychaetes. When P. nuntia and another polychaete species, Cirratulus cirratus were cultured in the contaminated sediments collected from Lake Sihwa (Korea), a high mortality of 80% was observed on day 6 in P. nuntia in the sediment with the highest metal concentration. However, no mortality was observed up to 35 days in C. cirratus in any sediment. MTLP contents between two species also varied. These findings suggest that MTLP induction response in the polychaetes varies with the metal type and species and it may be used as a biomarker of sediment pollution in the polychaetes after further validation and field trials.