• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.33-44
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• 1998

Mine tailings, soils, stream sediments, and ground water around Imcheon disused mine were analyzed in order to investigate their pollution levels of heavy metals and cyanide. The average contents of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn, and CN￣ in mine tailings were 366, 28.8, 202, 15.2, 1.97$\times$$10^3$, 3.85$\times$$10^3$, 90.6mg/kg respectively, The pollution indices that calculated by the tolerance level of Kloke were 8~19 and the pH values were acidic in mine tailngs. In the field and paddy soils of Imcheon disused mine area except for soils nearby mine tailngs, concentraitons of the heavy metals were less than standards of soil pollution of agricultral area in the environmental protection law. The nitrate contents In the ground water for drink were more than tolerance level of the drinking water of Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.45-55
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• 2003

This study investigates the fractional composition and the leaching characteristics of heavy metals in polluted soils due to mining activities. The fractionated composition of heavy metals is classified into five fractions; adsorbed, carbonate, reducible, organic and residual fraction. The status of humic substances in mine wastes of most sites are polyhumic except tailing from Sangdong mine. According to the sequential extraction procedures (SEPs), leaching probabilities of Cd in coal wastes and tailing are relatively low due to high percentage of residual fraction. 46.4% of Ni in tailings from Sangdong mine is probably leached under oxidized environment, and 39.4% of Cu in these tailings is readily extracted under strongly oxidized environment by organic fraction. According to leaching condition of pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, the amount of heavy metals leached out of coal wastes and tailing increases to 1/2 hours. At pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, concentration of Ni in tailing increases up three times of the initial value. Heavy metals released from coal wastes and tailing were not influenced significantly by leaching time.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.204-210
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• 2013

This study has focused on the possibility for recycling tailings from the Sangdong tungsten mine (TA) as admixture for concrete. TA has been accumulating for several decades in Sangdong, a region in Korea, and there is a growing demand for alternative uses for this hazardous substance. In particular, the use must be in accordance with the hazardous materials stipulations under the Korean waste control act. This study showed that TA presented pH of 8.0-9.3, 18.7-22.0% of water content, 2.7% of maximum ignition loss. The chemical composition of TA showed minute differences from each depth of sampling that represented approximately 50% of $SiO_2$ and 13% of both $Al_2O_3$ and $Fe_2O_3$. The chemical composition of Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb from mortar incorporating TA showed lower levels of hazardous materials which met the specifications of the waste control act in Korea. The TA mortar also appeared very effective for stabilizing/solidifying heavy metals particularly when used in conjunction with SG.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2001

Enormous volumes of mining wastes from the abandoned and closed mines are disposed without a proper treatment in the upper Okdong River basin at Southeastern part of Kangwon Province. Erosion of these wastes contaminates soil, surface water, and sediments with heavy metals. Objectives of this research were to fractionate heavy metals in the mine tailing stored in the Sangdong Tungsten tailing dams and to assess the potential pollution index of each metal fraction. Tailing samples were collected from tailing dams at different depth and analyzed for physical and chemical properties. pH of tailings ranged from 7.3 to 7.9. Contents of total N and organic matter were in the ranges of 3.2~5.5%, and 1.3~9.1%, respectively. Heavy metals in the tailings were higher in the newly constructed tailing dam than those in the old dam. Total concentrations of metals in the tailings were in the orders of Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cd, exceeded the corrective action level of the Soil Environment Conservation Law and higher than the natural abundance levels reported from uncontaminated soils. Relative distribution of heavy metal fractions was residual > organic > reducible > carbonate > adsorbed, reversing the degree of metal bioavailability. Mobile fractions of metals were relatively small compared to the total concentrations. Distribution of metals in the tailing dam profiles was metal specific. Concentrations of Cu at the surface of tailing dams were higher than those at the bottom. Pollution index (PI) values of each fraction of metals were ranged from 4.27 to 8.51 based on total concentrations. PI values of mobile fractions were lower than those of immobile fractions. Results on metal fractions and PI values of the tailing samples indicate that tailing samples were contaminated with heavy metals and had potential to cause a detrimental effects on soil and water environment in the lower part of the stream. A prompt countermeasure to prevent surface of tailings in the dams from water and wind erosions is urgently needed.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.189-193
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• 2000

Arsenic (III) and arsenic (V) in disused mine tailing samples have been determined simutaneuously by hydride generation inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (HG-ICP-AES). Total arsenic was determined using 2% $NaBH_4$ and 6 M HCl after prereduction of As(V) to As(III) with) 1M KI. Arsenic (III) was determined selectively using citrate/citric acid buffer with range of pH 5-6, it was determined by HG-ICP-AES. Arsenic (V) can be evaluated by the differences. According to the results, arsenic (V) was over 90% among the total arsenic extracted from disused mine tailing samples.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.125-139
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• 2010

Behavior of heavy metals and arsenic in the tailings of Songcheon Au-Ag mine was characterized via both mineralogical and geochemical methods. Mineral composition of the tailings was investigated by X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) and total concentrations of heavy metals and arsenic and their chemical forms were analyzed by total digestion of aqua regia and sequential extraction method, respectively. The results of mineralogical study indicate that the tailings included mineral particles of resinous shape mainly consisting of galena, sphalerite, pyrite, quartz, and scorodite, and specifically socordite was identified in the form of matrix. EPMA quantitative analyses were performed to evaluate the weatherability of each mineral, and the results suggest that it decreased in the sequence of arsenopyrite > galena > sphalerite > pyrite. The weathering pattern of galena was observed to show distinctive zonal structure consisting of secondary minerals such as anglesite and beudantite. In addition, almost all of arsenopyrite has been altered to scorodite existing asmatrix and galena, sphalerite, and pyrite which have lower weatherability than arsenopyrite were identified within the matrix of scorodite. During the process of alteration of arsenopyrite into scorodite, it is likely that a portion of arsenic was lixiviated and caused a great deal of detrimental effects to surrounding environment. The results of EPMA quantitative analyses verify that the stability of scorodite was relatively high and this stable scorodite has restrained the weathering of other primary minerals within tailings as a result of its coating of mineral surfaces. For this reason, Songcheon tailings show the characteristics of the first weathering stage, although they have been exposed to the surface environment for a long time. Based on the overall results of mineralogical and geochemical studies undertaken in this research, if the tailings are kept to be exposed to the surface environment and the weathering process is continuous, not only hazardous heavy metals, such as lead and arsenic seem to be significantly leached out because their larger portions are being partitioned in weakly-bound (highly-mobile) fractions, but the potential of arsenic leaching is likely to be high as the stability of scorodite is gradually decreased. Consequently, it is speculated that the environmental hazard of Songcheon mine is significantly high.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.93-96
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• 2003

국내 휴ㆍ폐금속광산 주변지역을 대상으로 광산활동으로 인한 독성 중금속 원소들의 주변 환경 유출과정 및 정도를 규명하여 생활에 미치는 환경오염의 가능성을 조사하는 환경지구 화학적 연구가 지속적으로 이루어지고 있다. 이들 중의 대부분은 적절한 환경복원시설이 설치되지 않아, 방치된 광미와 폐석에 의해 주변지역의 환경오염이 발생되는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 국외의 경우 광산활동의 주요한 폐기물인 광미와 폐석에 대한 매립 및 처리 모델 개발, 침출수 관리 등 다양한 환경오염 방지 및 복구 연구가 수행되고 있다. (중략)

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.39-47
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• 1997

Geochemical study was carried out to find out the distribution of metals and cyanide in soil in the vicinity of the abandoned Daduck mine and the reason for acid mine drainage occurrence in the tailings impoundment. Chemical analysis showed that content of As in soil around tailings exceeded 15mg/kg, Korean standard of soil contamination in the farm land. That means the contamination of soil by As is due to input of tailings. According to total decomposition of tailings, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and S were highly concentrated in tailings. However the water in tailings impoundment was changed to acidic and contaminated by metals and sulfate because the tailings in the top of the tailings impoundment had been oxidized. Acid mine drainage contaminated the water course in the vicinity of the paddy soils. The proper measures are required to prevent contamination of the soil and water in the vicinity of the Daduck mine.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.279-284
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• 2016

Mine tailings generated during mining activity often contain high concentrations of heavy metals, with pyrite-containing mine tailings in particular being a major cause of environmental problems in mining areas. Chemical cell technology, or fuel cell technology, can be applied to leach heavy metals in pyrite-containing mine tailings. As pyrite dissolves through spontaneous oxidation (i.e. galvanic oxidation) in the anode compartment of the cell, $Fe^{3+}$, sulfuric acid are generated. A decrease in pH due to the generation of sulfuric acid allows heavy metals to be leached from pyrite-containing mine tailings. In this study, pyrite was dissolved for 4 weeks at $23^{\circ}C$ in an acidic solution (pH 2) and in a galvanic reactor, which induces galvanic oxidation, and total Fe leached from pyrite and pH were compared in order to investigate if galvanic oxidation can facilitate pyrite oxidation. The change in the pyrite surface was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Comparing the total Fe leached from the pyrite, there were 2.9 times more dissolution of pyrite in the galvanic reactor than in the acidic solution, and thus pH was lower in the galvanic reactor than in the acidic solution. Through SEM analysis of the pyrite that reacted in the galvanic reactor, linear-shaped cracks were observed on the surface of the pyrite. The study results show that pyrite dissolution was facilitated through the galvanic oxidation in the galvanic reactor, and also implied that the galvanic oxidation can be one remediation option for pyrite-containing mine tailings.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.331-339
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• 2008

In the upstream of Nakdong river in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, certain areas of riverside were found to be covered by weathered mine tailings which were assumed to be migrated and deposited by flood. This study was conducted to investigate the formation and characteristics of the secondary minerals from tailings and related leaching behavior of heavy metals in the severely weathered tailing deposits by river waters. Quartz, feldspar, micas, chlorite, hornblende, talc, pyroxene (johannsenite), pyrite, and calcite were identified as primary minerals by XRD. Kaolinite can be formed by the weathering of tailings, but considering the short period of weathering time, kaolinite in the deposits is considered to be from unweathered tailings or moved from soils. The secondary minerals such as goethite, gypsum, basanite, and jarosite were also identified. The formation of the secondary minerals was affected by the species of primary minerals and pH conditions. The weathering of pyrite produced sulfate minerals such as gypsum, basanite, jarosite, and also goethite. Mn oxide was also identified by SEM, coated on the primary minerals such as quartz. This Mn oxide was poorly crystalline and thought to be the weathering product of johannsenite (Mn-pyroxene). The Fe and Mn oxides are the main minerals determining the brown/red and black colors of weathered tailings. EDS results showed that those oxides contain high concentrations of Pb, Zn, and As, indicating that, in the river, the formation of Fe and Mn oxides can control the behavior and leaching of heavy metals by co-precipitation or adsorption.