## 5 Conclusions  
Thorough studies have been conducted to assess the efficacy of coagulation and chlorination processes in inactivating chironomid larvae in bench-scale experiments. The research findings indicate that the behavior of the larvae varies during the inactivation process, particularly during coagulation and chlorination. Instar 1 larvae are likely to settle along with the floc during coagulation, whereas instars 2-4 tend to cover their bodies with floc. This can be attributed to the fact that chironomid larvae typically inhabit sediments in turbid waters. As a result, it is challenging to observe the behavior of the larvae during the coagulation process, such as looping, crawling, or death, as the floc covers their bodies. Conversely, the inactivation of chironomid larvae during chlorination can be easily monitored. Inactivation of the larvae with low doses of chlorination does not yield significant results, as the larvae can continue to develop into adults, particularly in instars 3-4. However, at medium and high doses, the larvae can be readily inactivated. Medium doses of chlorine exposure for 30 min result in the death of instar 1 larvae, while at high doses, instar 1 larvae die within 5 min of exposure. Additionally, instars 3 and 4 can dissolve due to strong oxidation exposure resulting from the breakdown of organic  
Figure 5: Visual identification of dead larvae and melting lava. (**a**) Instar 4 larvae died with marked discoloration, (**b**) melting larvae after being exposed to high doses of chlorine for 5 days.  
matter in larval tissues, leading to the disintegration of the body structure. Nevertheless, high doses of chlorine cannot be used in water treatment as they can cause taste and odor problems in drinking water. Moreover, excessive chlorine amounts can combine with naturally occurring organic substances during water treatment to produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which can have long-term health implications. Therefore, another oxidant agent is necessary that is effective in inactivating the larvae at low doses.  
The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app13095715/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app13095715/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app13095715/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app13095715/s1)), Figure S1: The collection site for chironomid larvae.; Figure S2: Inactivate chironomid larvae through coagulation process; Figure S3: The larvae died after being exposed to the coagulant for 5 days; Figure S4: Total of melted larva after 5-day observation; Figure S5: The total number of larvae that became adults after five days.  
Conceptualization, methodology, and writing original draft preparation: H.H.; writing and validation: H.J.K.; formal analysis: Y.B.; formal analysis, S.G.P.; supervision; T.G.L.; supervision, project administration, funding acquisition, T.G.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was supported by the Korean Ministry of Environment.  
Not applicable.  
The authors greatly acknowledge the financial support provided by the Korean Ministry of Environment.  
The authors declare no conflict of interest.