Economic and Environmental Geology (자원환경지질)

The Korean Society of Economic and Environmental Geology (대한자원환경지질학회)
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A Study on Applicability of Mercury-contaminated Tailing and Soil Remediation around abandoned Mines using Washing Process

세척공법을 이용한 광산주변 수은 함유 오염물질 처리 적용성 평가

  • Kwon, Yo Seb (Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering, Sejong University) ;
  • Park, So Young (National environment Lab., NeLab) ;
  • Koh, Il Ha (National environment Lab., NeLab) ;
  • Ji, Won Hyun (Institute of Mine Reclamation Technology, Mine Reclamation Corporation) ;
  • Lee, Jin Soo (Institute of Mine Reclamation Technology, Mine Reclamation Corporation) ;
  • Ko, Ju In (Institute of Mine Reclamation Technology, Mine Reclamation Corporation)
  • 권요셉 (세종대학교 에너지자원공학과) ;
  • 박소영 (환경기술정책연구원(NeLab)) ;
  • 고일하 (환경기술정책연구원(NeLab)) ;
  • 지원현 (한국광해관리공단 기술연구소) ;
  • 이진수 (한국광해관리공단 기술연구소) ;
  • 고주인 (한국광해관리공단 기술연구소)
  • Received : 2020.03.28
  • Accepted : 2020.07.14
  • Published : 2020.08.28
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Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the applicability of the soil washing process to remediation mercury-contaminated mine tailing or solid material (soil and sediments etc.) around abandoned mines. First, the physicochemical characteristics of mine tailing were analyzed through particle size analysis and sequential extraction. Secondly, laboratory scale washing experiments were performed using hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, potassium iodide and sodium thiosulfate. As a results of particle size analysis, mine tailing particle were concentrated below 40 mesh and the particle size below 200 mesh was the most analyzed. As a result of sequential extraction, elemental mercury fraction was analyzed as the highest with 69.12%, with strongly bound fraction 15.25% and residual and HgS fractions 11.97%, respectively. Laboratory scale washing experiments showed low applicability for nitric acid and sodium thiosulfate solutions. In case of hydrochloric acid solution, it was analyzed that mercury removal was possible at particle size of 200 mesh or more. Therefore, it is considered to be performed together with the physical sorting process. Potassium iodide solution was analyzed to have high washing efficiency at all concentrations and particle sizes. In particular, the mercury removal efficiency is high in the micro particles, and thus the applicability of the washing technology is the highest.

본 연구는 국내 휴·폐금속광산 주변의 수은이 함유된 광물찌꺼기 처리 또는 수은으로 오염된 고형물질(토양, 퇴적물 등)의 정화를 위한 세척공법 적용성 평가를 위해 수행되었다. 이를 위해 수은을 함유한 광물찌꺼기에 대하여 입도분석과 단계별 추출시험을 실시하여 물리·화학적 특성을 고찰하고, 세척공법 적용성 평가를 위해 염산(HCl), 질산(HNO3), 요오드화칼륨(KI) 및 티오황산나트륨(Na2S2O3) 세척액을 활용한 실험실 규모의 세척시험을 실시하였다. 광물찌꺼기 시료의 입도분포는 #40 이하로 집중되며, #200 이하의 입도가 가장 높은 비율을 차지하였다. 단계별 추출시험 결과, 광물찌꺼기에는 원소 수은이 69.12%로 가장 높은 비율을 차지하고 있으며, 강한 결합 형태가 15.25%, 유기결합 및 잔류 형태 형태가 11.97%의 비율을 각각 차지하고 있었다. 광물찌꺼기에 함유된 수은의 세척 적용성을 검토한 결과, 질산(HNO3)과 티오황산나트륨(Na2S2O3)의 경우, 세척공법 적용성이 낮은 것으로 분석되었다. 염산(HCl)의 경우 #200 이상의 입도에서 수은 제거가 가능한 것으로 분석되어 물리적 선별 공정이 필요한 것으로 판단되었다. 요오드화칼륨(KI)은 모든 농도와 입도에서 우수한 화학적 세척효율 보였다. 특히, 미세입자에서도 우수한 수은 제거 효율이 확인되어 세척공법 적용성이 가장 높은 것으로 평가되었다.

Keywords

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