• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.437-448
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• 2022

This work aims to assess the threat to human health of hazardous materials in groundwater that is used domestically and for drinking. Two distinct sub-assessments are considered: cancer and non-cancer risk. The studied groundwater is in an agricultural area of Gyeongnam Province, Korea, and is contaminated by arsenic at a mean level of 16.27 ㎍/L, far greater than the WHO guideline (10 ㎍/L for drinking water). We collected groundwater data from the National Groundwater Information Center (gims.go.kr) and assessed the risk to human health following the methodology of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. We considered three exposure scenarios: domestic use (scenario 1) and drinking use with different doses (scenarios 2 and 3). Scenario 1 had a median hazard quotient (HQ) of 0.77 and a cancer risk (CR) of 0.013. Scenario 2 had a median HQ of 0.08 and a CR of 3.69 × 10^-5, and the values for scenario 3 were 0.11 and 4.82 × 10^-5, respectively. Scenario 1 is likely the most hazardous to human health. Further study of the origin of arsenic in groundwater in the study area is required, as are remedial measures to mitigate its health effects.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2005

Several tests were conducted to determine the optimum operational conditions of soil washing techniques for floe-forming arsenic-contaminated soils, collected from D abandoned Iron-mine in Korea. The optimum cut-off size was 0.15 mm $(sieve\;\#100)$, about $94\%$ of the mass of soils. Both sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid were effective to remove arsenic and the optimum mixing ratio (soil [g] : washing solution [mL]) was 1:5 for both washing agents. Arsenic concentrations, determined by KST Methods, for the dried floe solids obtained from flocculation at pH 5-6 were $990\~1,086\;mg/kg$ dry solids, which were higher concentrations than at the other pH values. Therefore, batch tests for sequential washings with or without removing floc were conducted to find the enhancement of washing efficiencies. After removing floe with 0.2 M HCl, sequential washings of 1 M HCl followed by 1 M NaOH showed the best results (15 mg/kg dry soil). The arsenic concentrations of washing effluent from each washing step were about $2\~3\;mg/L$. However, when these acidic and basic effluents were mixed together, arsenic concentration was decreased to be less than $50\;{\mu}g/L$, due to the pH condition of coagulation followed by precipitation for arsenic removal.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.13-29
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• 1998

Recently, It is increasing popularity to research on the soil remediation in aspect of management by reason of the hazardous impact on the contaminated soil in Korea. It was investigated high levels of arsenic salts in soil near abandoned five mines(Darak, Daduk, Jingok, Dalsung, Ilkwang) located in Youngnam area. Arsenic, classified as group A(Human Carcinogens) from IRIS, have shown statistically significant increment in skin cancer with oral exposure. This paper was conducted to predict excess cancer risk value (to the skin cancer) based on multiple pathway such as soil ingestion, dermal uptake and food(plant) ingestion contaminated by arsenic, and also, to identify the remedial goal regarded in future land use. The mine having the highest arsenic level was Daduk(mean : 1950mg/kg) and the next rank was Jingok(1690mg/kg), Ilkwang(352.37mg/kg), Dalsung(86.08mg/kg), Darak(0.83mg/kg). The chronic daily intake to the multiple exposure were calculated using Monte-Carlo simulation regarded in future land use and used q: value was $1.5(mg/kg/day)^{-1}$ to the oral proposed by IRIS(1997). The computated excess cancer risk 95th value to all the mine regarding future land use as residential and rural area were more than $10^{-4}$. If the level of acceptable risk is aimed for 1$\times$$10^{-6}$, it could be used Darak as commercial and industrial area without soil remediation due to the lowest risk value(6$\times$$10^{-8}$ and 3$\times$$10^{-8}$). Computated remedial goal based on 1$\times$$10^{-6}$ of acceptable risk to the future land use as the residential, rural, commercial and industrial area were 0.02mg/kg, 0.003mg/kg, 97.31mg/kg and 194.62mg/kg, respectively.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2010

In order to deal with the problem that phytoremediation takes long time in achieving the practical effect, the enhanced phytoremediation by Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) was conducted. In addition, we examined the synergistic effect by adding PSM (phosphate -solubilizing microbes) and EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) to the arsenic contaminated soil in the vicinity of the abandoned mine. The removal efficiency of arsenic in the site with PSM application increased about 16% when compared to control site, which was due to increase of plant biomass. The EDTA has been successfully utilized in respect of enhanced mobility and solubility of arsenic in the soil. As a result, BF (bioaccumulation factor) significantly increased but the inhibition of plant growth resulted in 20% reduction of arsenic removal efficiency. The application of PSM and EDTA may enhance the efficiency of phytoremediation. However, the time and method of EDTA application should be further examined to reach the maximum removal efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2012

Solidification/Stabilization(S/S) is one of the remediation technologies that have been applied for treating inorganic hazardous wastes. This study investigated the reduction of arsenic concentration of arsenic-contaminated soil using by S/S. The binder plays a role in controlling the mobility and solubility of the contaminants in S/S process, so it is important to determine the optimum binder content. Therefore, this study evaluated the effectiveness of S/S using four different binders(cement, zero valent iron, and monosulfate and ettringite(cement-based synthesized materials) at the binder content ranged between 5%(wt.) and 20%(wt.). The leachability of arsenic in 1 N HCl was different depending on the types of binders: cement(71.41%) > monosulfate(47.45%) > ettringite(46.36%) > ZVI(33.08%) at the binder content of 20%. Additionally, three kinds of a mixture binder were prepared using cement and additives(monosulfate, ettringite, calcium sulfoaluminate(CSA)) and tested for arsenic reduction. The highest arsenic removal capacity was found at the mass ratio of cement to the additive, 4:1 in all experiments using a mixture binder, regardless of the additives types. A mixture binder(cement and additives) resulted in higher arsenic removal relative to the arsenic removal when cement was used alone.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.445-455
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• 2009

Microbiological sulfate reduction is the transformation of sulfate to sulfide catalyzed by the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria using sulfate as an electron acceptor. Low solubility of metal sulfides leads to precipitation of the sulfides in solution. The effects of microbiological sulfate reduction on in-situ precipitation of arsenic and copper were investigated for the heavy metal-contaminated soil around the Songcheon Au-Ag mine site. Total concentrations of As, Cu, and Pb were 1,311 mg/kg, 146 mg/kg, and 294 mg/kg, respectively, after aqua regia digestion. In batch-type experiments, indigenous sulfate-reducing bacteria rapidly decreased sulfate concentration and redox potential and led to substantial removal of dissolved As and Cu from solution. Optimal concentrations of carbon source and sulfate for effective microbial sulfate reduction were 0.2~0.5% (w/v) and 100~200 mg/L, respectively. More than 98% of injected As and Cu were removed in the effluents from both microbial and chemical columns designed for metal sulfides to be precipitated. However, after the injection of oxygen-rich solution, the microbial column showed the enhanced long-term stability of in-situ precipitated metals when compared with the chemical column which showed immediate increase in dissolved As and Cu due to oxidative dissolution of the sulfides. Black precipitates formed in the microbial column during the experiments and were identified as iron sulfide and copper sulfide. Arsenic was observed to be adsorbed on surface of iron sulfide precipitate.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.349-351
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• 2007

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.575-585
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• 2007

Microbial control of the geochemical behavior of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) and As in contaminated subsurface soil and sediment was investigated through activation of indigenous bacteria with lactate under anaerobic condition for 25 days. The results indicated that dissolved Cd, Pb and Zn were microbially removed from solutions, which was likely due to the formation of metal sulfides after reduction of sulfate by indigenous sulfate-reducing bacteria. Soils from the Dukeum mine containing a large amount of sulfate resulted in complete removal of dissolved As after 25 days by microbial activities, while there were gradual increases in dissolved As concentration in soils from the Hwabuk mine and sediments from the Dongducheon industrial area which showed low $SO_4{^2-}$ concentrations. Addition of appropriate carbon sources and sulfate to contaminated geological media may lead to activation of indigenous bacteria and thus in situ stabilization of the heavy metals; however, potential of As release into solution after the amendment should be preferentially investigated.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.483-494
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• 2021

This study was carried out to investigate the feasibility of reducing clean cover soil using a flooded column test in arsenic-contaminated farmland reclamation of abandoned coal mine area that shows generally low or about worrisome level (25 mg/kg) of Korea soil environment conservation act unlike abandoned metal mine. During the monitoring period of soil solution for 4 months, chemical properties (pH, EC, ORP, Fe, Mn, Ca, and As) in each layer (clean soil cover and contaminated/stabilized soil) showed different variation. This result revealed that soil solution in stabilized or contaminated soil rarely affected that in cover soil. Whether stabilized or not, arsenic concentrations in the rice roots grown in the soil covers with the thickness of 40 cm decreased by 98% in compared with the that grown in the control soil. In case of the soil covers with 20 cm thickness on stabilized soil, it decreased by 80% and this was 22 percentage point higher than when the soil of lower layer was not stabilized. Thus, reducing clean cover soil could be possible in contaminated farmland soil reclamation if appropriate stabilization of contaminated soil is carried.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.167-170
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• 2005

대부분의 폐광산 주변 농경지 토양은 비소 및 여러 중금속으로 오염되어 있으며, 이러한 중금속들의 지속적인 용출에 의해 주변 지하수 오염과 재배 농산물의 중금속 축적이 우려되고 있다. 오염토양에서의 중금속 용출에 의한 오염을 막기 위하여 본 연구에서는 개량제를 이용한 안정화 공법을 선택하여 하부로 배출되는 중금속의 용출율을 감소시키는 실험을 실시하였다. 생석회(CaO)를 개량제로 이용하여 실제 오염 농경지 현장과 비슷한 대형칼럼을 제작한 후 인공강우를 주입, 하부로 용출되는 중금속의 농도를 측정함으로써 생석회 첨가에 의한 용출율 감소를 규명하였다. 개량제를 비오염토와 혼합하여 오염토양 상부에 복토한 것과 오염토와 혼합하여 객토한 칼럼을 각각 제작하였으며 투입되는 생석회의 양도 $2{\sim}10%$로 다양하게 적용 하였고, 첨가된 개량제의 성상도 분말과 입상으로 나누어 실험하였다. 주입하는 인공강우는 연구지역 주변의 10년간의 연 평균 강수량을 토대로 산정하였으며, 복토와 객토를 하지 않은 오염토양도 같은 조건에서 용출을 실시하였다. 실험결과 생석회의 성상에 따른 중금속 용출율의 차이는 없었으며, 개량제 함량은 5%가 적당한 것으로 나타났다. 복토와 객토를 비교하였을 때 용출되는 중금속의 농도는 객토가 복토에 비해 낮아 중금속 용출율 감소효과가 매우 큰 것으로 나타났으며, 중금속의 종류에 따라 용출율 감소의 차이를 나타내었다. 복토법의 경우 As의 용출율은 분말 생석회를 5% 복토한 경우 용출율이 10배 감소하고 Cd의 경우 2%와 5% 복토한 경우 각각 25배와 161배 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. Pb의 경우 생석회로 5%로 복토한 경우 10배정도의 용출율 감소를 보였고 Zn의 용출율은 분말, 입상 생석회를 5% 복토한 경우 80배$\sim$155배 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 객토법의 경우 입상생석회를 5% 복토한 경우 Cd과 Zn 각각 200배에서 400배의 용출율 감소를 나타내었다.