| Title |
Investigation of Criterion on Harmful Algae Alert System using Correlation between Cell Numbers and Cellular Microcystins Content of Korean Toxic Cyanobacteria |
| Authors |
박혜경 ( Hae Kyung Park ) ; 김화빈 ( Hwa Bin Kim ) ; 이재정 ( Jay J. Lee ) ; 이재안 ( Jae An Lee ) ; 이혜진 ( Hae Jin Lee ) ; 박종환 ( Jong Hwan Park ) ; 서정관 ( Jung Kwan Seo ) ; 윤석제 ( Seok Jea Youn ) ; 문정숙 ( Jeong Suk Moon ) |
| Keywords |
Cyanobacterial bloom; Harmful algae alert system; Microcystins; Toxic cyanobacteria |
| Abstract |
We investigated the ranges of total cellular microcystins content of cyanobacterial blooms collected in Korean lakes and rivers from 2005 to 2009. The amount and composition of microcystins of Korean cyanobacteria varied depending on the sampling water bodies and dominant cyanobacterial genera. Toxic cyanobacterial cell numbers equivalent to 1 μg MCYSTs/L using total cellular microcystin content of Korean cyanobacteria were in the range of 2,348 to 66,980,638 cells/mL. Only four samples among forty nine samples showed less cell numbers than current criterion of Harmful Algae Alert System, 5,000 cells/mL indicating current criterion do not reflect properly the microcystins content of Korean cyanobacteria. Anabaena and Aphanizomenon spp. showed three to six times higher cell numbers equivalent to 1 μg MCYSTs/L than Microcystis spp. To propose criteria of Harmful Algae Alert System for Korean toxic cyanobacteria, we calculated about 50% selective geometrical means of cyanobacterial cell numbers equivalent to 1 μg MCYSTs/L in order of toxic content. The proposed criteria for Microcystis, Oscillatoria, Anabaena, and Aphanizomenon spp., are 10,000, 20,000, 40,000, and 80,000 cells/mL, respectively. |