• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.179-191
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• 2019

Heavy metals in stream water and sediments around industrial complex were studied in order to assess the contamination and to identify the potential source of metals. High variability has been observed for both dissolved and particulate phases in stream water with coefficient of variation (CV) ranging from 1.3 to 2.8. The highest metal concentrations in both phases were observed in Gunja for Ni and Cu, in Jungwang for Zn and Pb and in Shiheung for Cd, respectively. These results indicate that the different metal sources could be existing. The concentrations of the heavy metals in sediments decreased in the order of Cu>Zn>Pb>Cr>Ni>As>Cd>Hg, with mean of 2,549, 1,742, 808, 539, 163, 17.1, 5.8, $0.07mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. Mean of metal concentrations(except for As) in sediments showed the highest values at Shiheung stream comparing with other streams. In sediments, the percent exceedance of class II grade that metal may potentially harmful impact on benthic organism for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb was about 57%, 62%, 84%, 60%, 68%, 81% for all stream sediments, respectively. Sediments were classified as heavily to extremely polluted for Cu and Cd, heavily polluted for Zn and Pb, based on the calculation of Igeo value. About 59% and 35% of sediments were in the categories of "poor" and "very poor" pollution status for heavy metals. Given the high metal concentrations, industrial wastes and effluents, having high concentrations of most metals originated from the manufacture and use of metal products in this region, might be discharged into the stream through sewer outlet. The streams receive significant amounts of industrial waste from the industrial facilities which is characterized by light industrial complexes of approximately 17,000 facilities. Thus, the transport of metal loads through streams is an important pathway for metal pollution in Shihwa Lake.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1071-1079
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• 2011

In this study, coal combustion ash (CCA) was evaluated for its stabilization effect on acidic mine waste with column experiment. Total of six treatments were installed depending on mixing ratio between coal wastes and CCA (0, 20, 40%) and mixing method (completely mixing and layered). Artificial acidic rain (pH 5.6) was used for feeding solution with flow rate of $0.05mL\;min^{-1}$. Result showed that higher pH of leachate was observed as more CCA was mixed. The highest pH in leachate was measured when 40% of CCA was mixed with coal waste (pH of 5.8). Also, complete mixing with CCA and coal waste was more effective to increase the pH of leachate than layered treatment. Regarding the reduction of soluble Fe amount, the highest efficiency (78%) was observed when 20% of coal ash was completely mixed with mine waste. Based on those result, optimum mixing ratio of coal ash with mine waste can be ranged 20-40% depending on environmental circumstances in the field.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2014

As we are trying to in-situ treat (purify or immobilize) heavy metals or radionuclides in groundwater, one of the geochemical factors to be necessarily considered is the value of oxidation/reduction potential (ORP) of the groundwater. A biogeochemical impact on the characteristic ORP change of groundwater taken from the KAERI underground was observed as a function of time by adding electron-donor (lactate), electron-acceptor (sulfate), and indigenous bacteria in a laboratory condition. There was a slight increase of Eh (slow oxidation) of the pure groundwater with time under a $N_2$-filled glove-box. However, most of groundwaters that contained lactate, sulfate or bacteria showed Eh decrease (reduction) characteristics. In particular, when 'Baculatum', a local indigenous sulfate-reducing bacterium, was injected into the KAERI groundwater, it turned to become a highly-reduced one having a decreased Eh to around -500 mV. Although the sulfate-reducing bacterium thus has much greater ability to reduce groundwater than other metal-reducing bacteria, it surely necessitated some dissolved ferrous-sulfate and finally generated sulfide minerals (e.g., mackinawite), which made a prediction for subsequent reactions difficult. As a result, the ORP of groundwater was largely affected even by a slight injection of nutrient without bacteria, indicating that oxidation state, solubility and sorption characteristics of dissolved contaminants, which are affected by the ORP, could be changed and controlled through in-situ biostimulation method.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.117-126
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• 2014

To assess the effect of environmental factors on the sustainability of cultured production manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum), we investigated the habitat characteristics of tidal flat (Hwangdo and Jeongsanpo in Taean). We measured the physiochemical parameters (temperature, salanity, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients) and the characteristics (mean size, chemical oxygen demand, ignition loss, C/N ratio and C/S ratio) of surface sediments. The C/N ratio of Hwangdo and Jeongsanpo were 9.0, 5.3 and the C/S ratio was 0.162, 0.159. The concentration of chlorophyll a at Hwangdo was higher than that of Jeongsanpo and species of micro algae were 102 and 100. The enrichment factor (Ef) and index of accumulation rate (Igeo) of the metals showed that those research areas can be classified as heavily polluted, heavily to moderately polluted, or more or less unpolluted, respectively. So two survey area of cultured clams in the tidal flat have been effected by the various environmental conditions, there are needed an improvement methods and continuous research for increasing the production of manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.101-113
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• 1994

Geochemical investigations based on measurements of water parameters and sampling of stream sediments have been carried out, in the Okdongcheon stream and its tributaries in the Sangdong area of South Korea. There are two main problems occurring in the Okdongcheon stream: an acid mine drainage in the upper reaches and toxic trace metal contamination of the stream sediments mainly in the lower reaches. Acid mine water originating from coal mining was neutralized at the confluence of the Cheonpyongcheon stream whilst suspended solids due to flocculation of iron in water caused turbidity which was undesirable. Sediments in the Okdongcheon stream have been contaminated by mining activites. Iron was heavily concentrated in sediments in the upper Okdongcheon whilst toxic trace metals including Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Cd, As and Bi were accumulated in sediments at stations draining metallic mining areas and near the tailings dam. There is now a requrement to neutralise the acid mine drainage and to use site-specific analysis of biological communities to ensure the conservation and preservation of aquatic organisms.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.25-34
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• 1999

The effects of copper on the anaerobic degradation of propionate were studied using anaerobic batch reactors. The apparent inhibitory effects of copper on the anaerobic degradation of propionate could be observed from behaviors of intermediates, ultimate methane yield(UMY) and specific methanogenic activity(SMA) There was little inhibition at the concentration of $2.5mg\;Cu^{2+}/L$. Beyond this concentration, the inhibitory effects increased with increasing dose of coppers. The 50% inhibition of UMY and SMA occurred at copper dosage of 33.8 and $24.1mg\;Cu^{2+}/gVSS$, respectively. The inhibitory effect based on the UMY was gradually reduced with the operation time dueprobably to the acclimation of microorganisms and/or binding of the added copper by ligands(and possibly ion exchange sites)contained on the cell membrane and extracellular polymer matrix whereas it based on the SMA might exclude the this phenomena. Therefore, the methodology for interpretation of inhibition data based on the SMA was more accurated than the UMY. There was no inhibitory effect in batch reactors supplemented with sulfate due to an antagonistic action of the sulfate reducing bacteria. Propionate degradation was initially retarded for copper inhibited samples but it gradually degraded afterward. Based on the mass removal considering take into account the propionate to acetate conversion, propionate degradation may appeal more affected than acetate. This result revealed that the hydrogenotrophic methanogens were the most affected by copper.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.207-216
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• 2009

In this study, water quality variation in borehole groundwaters and surface leachate waters were investigated on a seasonal sampling and remote monitoring basis within the waste impoundments at the Geopung mine site where previous rehabilitation measures were unsuccessful to prevent acidic drainage. All groundwaters were typical acidic drainage with acidic pH (3.3${\sim}$4.6) and high TDS (338${\sim}$3330 mg/L) values during the dry season, but increases in metal contents (TDS 414${\sim}$4890 mg/L) and decrease of pH (2.7${\sim}$3.6) were observed during the rainy season. Surface leachate waters showed a similar pattern in water quality variation. Surface runoff waters during rain events had acidic pH (3.0${\sim}$3.4) through direct reactions with waste rocks. Good correlations were found between major and trace elements measured in water samples, but no significant seasonal variation in chemical compositions was shown except relative changes in contents. It can be suggested that dissolution of soluble secondary salts caused by flushing of weathered waste rocks and tailings directly influenced the water quality within the waste impoundments. Increases in acid and metal concentrations and their loadings from mine wastes are anticipated in the rainy season. More appropriate cover systems on waste rocks and tailings necessitate consideration of more extreme conditions in the study 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 Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2005

A one-dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate vertical profiles of electron acceptors and their reduced species in benthic sediments. The model accounted for microbial degradation of organic matter and subsequent chemical reactions of interest using stoichiometric relationships. Depending on the dominant electron acceptors utilized by microorganisms, the benthic sediments were assumed to be vertically subdivided into six zones: (1) aerobic respiration, (2) denitrification, (3) manganese reduction, (4) iron reduction, (5) sulfate reduction, and (6) methanogenesis. The utilizations of electron acceptors in the biologically mediated oxidation of organic matter were represented by Monod-type expression. The mass balance equations formulated for the reactive transport of organic matter, electron acceptors, and their corresponding reduced species in the sediments were solved utilizing an iterative multistep numerical method. The ability of model to simulate a freshwater sediments system was tested by comparing simulation results against published data obtained from lake sediments. The simulation results reasonably agreed with field measurements for most species, except for ammonia. This result showed that the C/N ratio (106/16) in the sediments is lower than what the Redfield formula prescribes. Since accurate estimates of vertical profiles of electron acceptors and their reduced species are important to determine the mobility and bioavailability of trace metals in the sediments, the model has potential application to assess the stability of selected trace metals in the sediments.

• 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.