• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.719-723
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• 2014

For effective implementation of total maximum daily load (TMDL), this study presented the improving plans of non-point source pollution management including the classification of non-point source pollution, calculation of non-point source pollution load (generated, discharged), selection of non-point source pollution management regions and management of non-point source pollutant. First of all, the definition of point source pollution and non-point source pollution based on the legal and scientific viewpoint should be precisely classified and managed. Especially, the forest, grassland and river without occurrence of environmental damage by activity of business and human should be separately classified natural background pollutants. The unit for generated and discharged non-point source pollution should be preferentially changed according to actual condition of watershed. The calculation methods of generated and discharged non-point source pollution should be corrected consideration on the amount and duration of rainfall. While the TMDL is implemented, non-point source pollution management regions should be selected in the watersheds exceed the targeted water quality standards by the rainfall. The non-point source pollution management regions should be selected in the minimal regions where have high values of discharged non-point source pollution density in the urban area, farmland and site area except forest, grassland in the whole watershed. The non-point source pollutant treatment facilities, which take into consideration non-point source pollution load per unit area, duration of the excess concentration, realizable possibility of treatment, effectiveness of treatment cost versus point source pollutant, should be established in the regions with a large generated non-point source pollution load and a high concentration of water quality exceed the targeted water quality standards by the rainfall.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.129-134
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• 2009

As a result of improved wastewater treatment facilities, the point source pollution emitted from human and municipal wastes is greatly decreasing. Conversely, the non-point source (NPS) pollution emanated from city streets, rural homes, suburban development, animal feedlot, croplands, and forestry is rapidly increasing. Practically, the main concern of the government is to control NPS pollutants by means of establishing a long term plan in order to protect the aqua-ecosystem. Studies have been conducted to assess the intensity of NPS from various landuses. In Korea, the data on NPS pollutant loadings are limited to few and broadly categorized landuses unlike in USA wherein specific landuses are available. This research aims to characterize the wash-off characteristics of NPS pollutants from forest landuse. Two sites were monitored during 15 storm events from 04/2008 to 10/2008. Mean $BOD_5$ EMCs are 1.13 mg/L and 0.91 mg/L for the two sites, respectively. The results of this research will be a helpful contribution for the assessment of total NPS pollutant loadings.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.493-502
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• 2013

This study investigates the design parameters for riverbed filtration (RBF) based on the geochemistry of river water and groundwater. The study area consists of alluvium, and the area is readily affected by non-point sources of chemical contaminants in the surface environment; this is expected to affect the design parameters for RBF. River and groundwater samples were collected at three points along the river flow and at nine points along a transect normal to the river, respectively. The geochemical data indicate that the sources of individual chemical contaminants are industrial facilities and agricultural activity near the study area. In addition, The samples are mainly Ca-Na-$HCO_3$, Ca-Cl, and Ca-$HCO_3$-Cl type waters. The design parameters of RBF in the study area should consider K, $HCO_3$, $NO_3$, and Cl. We divided the study area into three regions based on the concentrations of stable nitrogen isotopes: Region A, the origin of the river and denitrification; Region B, denitrification in the flow direction of tributaries; and Region C, the origin of natural soil, sewage, and anthropogenic pollution.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.3 s.178
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• pp.213-227
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• 2006

The geochemical evolution of mine drainage and leachate from waste rock dumps and stream water in Pb-As-rich abandoned Sechang mine area was investigated to elucidate mechanisms of trace metals. Total and sequential extractions were applied to estimate the distribution of trace metals in constituent phases of the waste rocks and to assess the mobility of trace metals according to physicochemical conditions. These discharged waters varied largely in chemical composition both spatially and temporally, and included cases with significant]y low pH (in the range 2.1-3.3), and extremely sulphate (up to 661 mg/l and metal contents (e.g. up to 169 mg/l for Zn, 27 mg/l for As, 3.97 mg/l for Pb, 2.99 mg/l for Cu, and 1.88 mg/l for Cd). Arsenic and heavy metal concentrations at the down-stream of Sechang mine have been decreased nearly to the background level in downstream sites (sites 8 and 16) without any artificial treatments. The oxidation of Fe-sulfides and the subsequent hydrolysis, of Fe(II), with precipitation of poorly crystallized minerals, constituted an efficient mechanism of natural attenuation which reduces considerably the transference of trace metals (i.e. Fe and As) to rivers. The dilution of drainage by mixing with pristine waters provoked an additional decrease of trace metal concentrations and a progressive pH increase. On the other hand, the most soluble cations (i.e. Zn) remained significantly as dissolved solutes until the pH was raised to approximately neutral values. With respect to ecotoxicity, it is likely that the Zn pollution is of particular concern in Sechang mine area. This was confirmed by the sequential extraction experiment, where Zn in wet waste-rock samples occurred predominantly in the exchangeable fraction (65-89% of total), while Pb was the highest in the reducible and carbonate fractions, and Cd, Cu and As in the residual fraction. Pb concentration in the readily available exchangeable fraction (34-48% of total) was dominated for dried waste rock samples. Considering the proportion of metals bound to the exchangeable and carbonate fractions, the comparative mobility of metals probably decreased in the order of Zn>Pb>Cd>As=Cu.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.27-35
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• 2003

The study site located in an industrial complex has a Precambrian age gneiss as a bedrock. The poorly-developed, disturbed soils in the study site have loamy-textured surface soil (1 to 2 m) and gravelly sand alluvium subsurface (2 to 6 m) on the top of weathered gneiss bedrock. The depth of the groundwater table was about 3.5 m below ground surface and increased toward down-gradient of the site. The hydraulic conductivity of transmitted zone (gravelly coarse sand) was in the range of 5.0${\times}$10$\^$-2/∼1.85${\times}$10$\^$-1/ cm/sec. The fine sand layer was in the range of 1.5${\times}$10$\^$-3/ to 7.6${\times}$10$\^$-3/ cm/sec. and the reclaimed upper soil layer was less than 10$\^$-4/ cm/sec. Toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (TEX) was the major contaminant in the soil and groundwater. The average depth of the soil contamination was about 1.5 m in the gravelly sand alluvium layer. At the depth interval 2.4∼4.8 m, the highest contamination in the soil is located approximately 50 to 70 m from the suspected source areas. The concentration of TEX in the groundwater was highest in the suspected source area and a lesser concentration in the center and southwest parts of the site. The TEX distribution in the groundwater is associated with their distribution in the soil. Microbial isolation showed that Pseudomonas flurescence, Burkholderia cepacia, and Acinetobactor lwoffi were the dominant aerobic bacteria in the contaminated soils. The analytical results of the groundwater indicated that the concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate, and sulfate in the contaminated area were significantly lower than their concentrations in the none-contaminated control area. The results also indicated that groundwater at the contaminated area is under anaerobic condition and sulfate reduction is the predominant terminal electron accepting process. The total attenuation rate was 0.0017 day$\^$-1/ and the estimated first-order degradation rate constant (λ) was 0.0008 day$\^$-1/.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.619-629
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• 2020

The National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGMN) in South Korea has been implemented in alluvial/ bedrock aquifers for efficient management of groundwater resources. In this study, aquifer types were reclassified with unconfined and confined aquifers based on water-level fluctuation and water quality characteristics. Principal component analysis (PCA) of water-level data from paired monitoring wells of alluvial/bedrock aquifers results in the principal components of both aquifers showing similar water-level fluctuation pattern. There was no significant difference in the rate of water-level rises responding to precipitations and in the NO₃-N concentrations between the alluvial and bedrock aquifers. In contrast, in the results classified with the hydrogeological type, the principal components of water level were different between unconfined and confined conditions. The water-level rises to precipitation events were estimated to be 4.6 (R²=0.8) in the unconfined and 2.1 (R²=0.4) in the confined aquifers, respectively, indicating less impact of precipitation recharge to the confined aquifer. The confined aquifers have the average NO₃-N concentration below 3 mg/L, implying the natural background level protected from the sources at surface. In summary, reclassification of aquifers into hydrogeological types clearly shows the differences between unconfined and confined aquifers in the water-level fluctuation pattern and NO₃-N concentrations. The hydrogeologic condition of aquifer could improve groundwater resource management by providing critical information on groundwater quantity through recharge estimation and quality for protection from potential contamination sources.