신혜영·조성래·이장원·김지훈·박큰바위·윤민철1*
국립수산과학원 남동해수산연구소, 1국립수산과학원 식품안전가공과
Tongyeong is an important shellfish harvesting area, that hosts the largest designated sea area for shellfish exports in South Korea. In particular, the Dosan-Poonghwa Sea Area in Tongyeong is a semi-enclosed bay with poor water circulation and significant pollution due to its proximity to urban areas. This study examined the distribution of fecal pollution indicators (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, male-specific coliphages, and norovirus G1/G2) in the influent and effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). This study assessed the impact of the effluent discharge on shellfish harvesting areas in the Dosan-Poonghwa Sea Area to better safeguard shellfish farms and guarantee the safety of harvested shellfish. A strong positive correlation was observed between total and fecal coliforms in both influent (r=0.974, P<0.01) and effluent (r=0.779, P<0.05), with no other significant correlations observed. The impacts of the effluent was evaluated according to NSSP guidelines. The volume of seawater required to dilute the effluent discharged per day was calculated. This evaluation indicated that surrounding aquaculture areas were not impacted, and no viruses were detected in oysters collected from the Dosan-Pungwha Sea Area.
Effluent, Evaluation of the impact, Norovirus, Shellfish harvesting area, WWTP