Economic and Environmental Geology (자원환경지질)

The Korean Society of Economic and Environmental Geology (대한자원환경지질학회)
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Distribution of Metallic Elements Contamination in River Deposits and Farmland in the Vicinity of an Abandoned Korean Mine

폐광산 인근 농경지 및 하천 퇴적토의 중금속 오염 특성

  • Lee, Hwan (SG Institute of Environment Science and Technology) ;
  • Lee, Yoonjin (Department of General Education, Konyang University)
  • 이환 (SG 환경기술연구원 연구본부) ;
  • 이윤진 (건양대학교 휴머니티 칼리지)
  • Received : 2019.09.23
  • Accepted : 2020.03.20
  • Published : 2020.04.28
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Abstract

Soil in mine waste-rock fields, and at the pithead, sediments and farmlands around an abandoned mine in the Chungcheong Province of South Korea were investigated to assess the distribution of metallic elements and to understand the scope of the pollution. Reddening was observed from the mine up to a distance of 61 m. Losses of waste rock around the mine were assessed over a section of 1800 ㎥. Yellowish precipitates on the bottom of a stream were identified as ferrihydrite and goethite. For anions, a mean sulfate ion level over 773.6 mg/L was found during August in the river water samples. Mine drainage at the site was shown to have a pH of 4.9 and a sulfate concentration of 1557.8 mg/L during the August rainy season. A possible cause of the metallic element contamination in the mine is waste-rock loss, because mine waste-rock is located on the slope in this area. In conclusion, the total soil area to be treated, based on the amount that exceeded the recommended Korean soil pollution levels, was assessed to be 10,297 ㎡.

본 연구는 대한민국 충청도에 위치한 폐광산을 대상으로 오염경로를 분석하기 위해 갱구, 하천 퇴적토 및 인근 농경지의 중금속 오염 확산 특성을 조사하였다. 연구대상지역에서 갱내수 유출지점으로부터 약 61 m까지 적화현상이 관찰되었고 총 1800 ㎥의 폐석 유실구간이 확인하였다. 갱내수는 우기기간동안 pH 4.9, 황산염의 농도 1557.8 mg/L를 나타냈다. 동일한 기간에 황산염 농도는 하천시료에서 평균 773.6 mg/L으로 나타났다. 하천에서 채취한 황갈색 시료를 분석한 결과 침철석과 페리하이드라이트(ferrihydrite)로 나타났다. 본 연구지역의 주요 오염원은 폐석 손실에 의한 것으로 여겨지며 토양오염우려기준을 초과한 오염 필지는 총 10,297 ㎡로 산정되었다.

Keywords

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