| Abstract |
| This study quantitatively assessed the potential impacts of wintertime cloud seeding on stream water quality by comparing long-term monitoring data (March, 1997-2024) from two sites in Gangwon Province, Korea: Odaecheon-1, located within the seeding impact zone, and Bukcheon, situated outside the zone. Six water quality parameters―water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), and suspended solids (SS)―were analyzed using time-series trends, inter-site comparisons, and correlation analysis. Results showed a statistically significant increase in water temperature (+0.147 °C/yr, p = 0.0048) and a decrease in DO (-0.113 mg/L/yr, p = 0.0054) at Odaecheon-1. COD and SS concentrations were also significantly higher at Odaecheon-1 than at Bukcheon (p = 0.005 and 0.003, respectively). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships at Odaecheon-1 among COD-TOC (r = 0.83), COD-SS (r = 0.83), and TOC-SS (r = 0.85), indicating potential co-occurrence and common sources of organic and particulate pollutants. In contrast, Bukcheon exhibited relatively stable water quality, with only a significant negative correlation between temperature and DO. These findings suggest that cloud seeding activities may contribute to changes in downstream water quality, particularly through increased organic and suspended material concentrations, and highlight the need for long-term, multi-parameter monitoring and more comprehensive environmental impact assessments including biological indicators. |
|
|
| Key Words |
| Cloud Seeding, Stream Water Quality, Organic Matter and Solids, Odaecheon-1, Bukcheon, 인공증설, 하천 수질, 유기물 및 고형물, 오대천1, 북천 |
|
|
|
|
|
PDF