Geochemical Study on Pollution of Heavy Metals in Soils, Plants and Streams in the Vicinity of Abandoned Metal Mines -Dalseong and Kyeongsan Mines-

금속폐광산주변의 토양, 식물 및 하천의 중금속오염에 대한 지화학적 연구 -달성 및 경산광산-

The tonnage of copper and tungsten produced at Dalseong mine by Taehan Tungsten Mining Company from 1961 to 1971 was 48,704 tons (M/T) of 4 wt.% Cu and 1,620 tons (S/T) of 70wt.% WO, but the mine was closed in 1974. Kyeongsan mine is a small abandoned cobalt mine with no data of production. To investigate the pollution level of the mine areas, soils, plants (Ohwi and Pampanini), stream waters and stream sediments were taken and Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd and Cr were analysed by ICP. Soils are considerably contaminated by the heavy metals related to ore deposits, The heavy metal contents in plants vary with the species and parts of plants. Stream waters are anomalously high in heavy metals in the vicinity of the mines but the contents decrease downstream in the process of dilution and precipiation. However, heavy metal contents increase very high in stream sediments due to precipiation. To protect environmental damages caused by acid mine drainages wetlands must be constructed outside pits, and it is necessary to fill pits with waters, limestone chips and organic materials, which give reducing and alkaline condition to ores. Under the condition pyrite is protected from oxidation and aqueous iron sulphates precipitate to form stable secondary pyrite.