• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.330-334
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.398-400
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• 2007

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 2012

The consequences of microbe-mineral interaction often resulted in the chemical, structural modification, or both in the biologically induced mineral. It is inevitable to utilize the high powered resolution of electron microscopy to investigate the mechanism of biogenic mineral transformation at nano-scale. The applications of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) capable of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) to the study of microbe-mineral interaction were demonstrated for two examples: 1) biogenic illite formation associated with structural Fe(III) reduction in nontronite by Fereducing bacteria; 2) siderite phase formation induced by microbial Fe(III) reduction in magnetite. In particular, quantification of the changes in Fe-oxidation state at nanoscale is essential to understand the dynamic modification of minerals resulted from microbial Fe reduction. The procedure of EELS acquisition and advantages of EELS techniques were discussed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

The Haman mineralized area is located within the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin along the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. Almost all occurrences in the Haman area are representative of copper-bearing polymetallic hydrothermal vein-type mineralization. Within the area are a number of fissure-filling hydrothermal veins which contain tourmaline, quartz and carbonates with Fe-oxide, base-metal sulfide and sulfosalt minerals. The Gunbuk, Jeilgunbuk and Haman mines are each located on such veins. The ore and gangue mineral paragenesis can be divided into three distinct stages: Stage I, tourmaline + quartz + Fe-Cu ore mineralization; Stage II, quartz + sulfides + sulfosalts + carbonates; Stage III, barren calcite. Equilibrium thermodynamic data combined with mineral paragenesis indicate that copper minerals precipitated mainly within a temperature range of $350^{\circ}C$ to $250^{\circ}C$. During early mineralization at $350^{\circ}C$, significant amounts of copper ($10^3$ to $10^2\;ppm$) could be dissolved in weakly acid NaCl solutions. For late mineralization at $250^{\circ}C$, about $10^0$ to $10^{-1}\;ppm$ copper could be dissolved. Equilibrium thermodynamic interpretation indicates that the copper in the Haman-Gunbuk systems could have been transported as a chloride complex and the copper precipitation occurred as a result of cooling accompanied by changes in the geochemical environments ($fs_2$, $fo_2$, pH, etc.) resulting in decrease of solubility of copper chloride complexes.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.129-141
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• 2019

The Eoraesan area, Chungju, which is located in the northwestern part of Ogcheon Metamorphic Zone, Korea, mainly consists of the Neoproterozoic Gyemyeongsan Formation and the Mesozoic igneous rocks which intruded it. The metaacidic rocks (MAR) of the Gyemyeongsan Formation show a maximum radioactive value, and the Early Jurassic biotite granite is regionally distributed in this area. In this paper is researched the microstructure related to the growth of rare-earth mineral of allanite in the MAR, and is considered the source and occurrence time of rare-earth element (REE) mineralization. The MAR is mainly composed of alkalic feldspar (mainly microcline), quartz, iron-oxidizing mineral, biotite, muscovite, plagioclase, hornblende, allanite, zircon, epidote, fluorite, apatite, garnet, (clino)zoisite etc. The radioactive elements contained in the allanite cause a dark brown hale in the surrounding biotite, and the allinte also occurs as aggregate along the regional foliation. The deflection of regional foliation and the strain shadows, which are common to the pre-tectonic porphyroblast grown before the formation of regional foliation, can't be observed around most allanites (aggregates). The grain size and orientation of ironoxidizing mineral included in the allanite aggregate are the same as those in the matrix. It is recognized the hydrothermal conversion of hornblende to biotite due to the intrusion of igneous rock, and the secondary biotite occurs and contacts with allanite, zircon, epidote etc. These microstructures indicate that the rare-earth mineral of allanite (aggregate) grew by the hydrothermal alteration due to the intrusion of igneous rock after the formation of regional foliation. It is considered that the REE mineralization is closely related to the intrusion of Early Jurassic biotite granite which is regionally distributed in this area.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2011

The turbidity in several wells of Samdong-myeon, Ulsan, exceeded potable groundwater standard (1 NTU). Mineralogical analysis showed that the fine suspended particles are ferrihydrite spheres with a size of less than $0.5\;{\mu}m$ and helical iron-oxidizing bacterial filaments, and their aggregates. Ferrihydrite was almost amorphous only showing two electron diffraction rings, and contained Si and P. Helical bacterial filaments were almost replaced by ferrihydrite. The helical bacteria have played an important role in the ferrihydrite formation by becoming the loci for ferrihydrite precipitation as well as oxidizing ferrous iron. The physicochemical conditions of low pH, low redox potential, high Ca concentration, and high alkalinity are consistent with the hydrogeochemical characteristics of carbonate groundwater, implicating that the inflow of deep ferriferous carbonate groundwater and its oxidation have caused the ferrihydrite turbidity in several wells of the study area.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.3-15
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• 2008

Different toxic wastes are disposed of in our surroundings and these will ultimately threaten the existence of living organisms. Biohydrometallurgy, which includes the processes of bioleaching and bioremediation through the activities of microorganisms such as bacterial or fungal species, is a technology that has the potential to overcome many environmental problems at a reasonable economic cost. Bioleaching were carried out for dissolution of metals from different materials using most important metal mobilizing bacteria such as Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Thiobacillus thiooxidans and Laptospirillum ferrooxidans. According to the reaction, bioleaching is parted as direct and indirect mechanism. In direct mechanism the bacteria oxidize the sulphides minerals by accepting electron and producing sulphuric acid in leaching media for their growth and metabolism. In other hand the indirect bioleaching is demonstrated as the oxidation of sulphides mineral by the oxidant like $Fe^{3+}$ produced by the iron oxidizing bacteria. Through this process, substantial amount of metal can be recovered from low-grade ores, concentrates, industrial wastes like sludge, tailings, fly ash, slag, electronic scrap, spent batteries and spent catalysts. This may be alternative technology to solve the high deposition of waste, which moves toward a healthy environment and green world.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.182-185
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• 2005

울산광산 내 지표수와 토양 중의 공극수에 함유되어 있는 비소의 오염현황을 파악하고, pH와 산화-환원 전위 값의 변화에 따른 자연저감 능력을 평가하였다. 유비철석을 비롯한 비소함유 광물은 높은 산화-환원 전위 값과 낮은 pH 조건에서 해리되며, 이후 지하수의 진화과정에서 pH가 상승함에 따라 주로 5가의 비소형태로 존재하게 된다. 울산광산지역 지하수의 비소농도는 Eh가 높은 비포화대와 포화대 지하수의 경계부에서 높은 경향을 나타내며, 포화대의 상부에서는 Eh가 비교적 일정하나 비소 농도는 다양한 분포양상을 보인다. 포화대 하부에서 비소의 함량은 매우 낮으며, Eh 감소에 따라 비소 함량이 비례적으로 감소한다. 반응경로 과정에서 비소농도는 Eh<-0.1(V)인 지하수 포화대에서 가장 낮으며, pH가 상대적으로 낮고 산화-환원 전위값이 높은 비포화대에서 증가되는 경향을 보인다. 풍화 반응 정도가 높은 광미와 토양에서 비소농도 높으나, 용출실험에서 비소가 기준치 이하로 용출되는 것은 풍화반응과 토양에 의한 비소의 자연저감이 진행되고 있음을 반영한다. RMB를 이용한 중금속 제거능력 평가 실내실험에서, 산성과 알칼리 조건 모두에서 제거율이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 인회석과 철산화물질로 구성된 RMB는 친환경적이고 2차 오염문제를 극복할 수 있는 물질로서, 비소의 자연저감 능력을 향상시킬 수 있는 정화처리제로 활용이 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.523-535
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• 1994

The strata-bound type iron ore bodies in the Chungju mine are interbedded with metamorphic rocks which are intruded by Mesozoic granitic rocks. The iron ore deposit occurs as layer or lens shape which are concordant with the metamorphic rocks. The iron ore is classified into banded and massive types based on the mode of texture and occurrence. Grain size and iron-oxides tend to become coarser toward massive ore than banded ore. Banded ores commonly contain internal layers defined by alternating magnetite- rich, hematite-rich, magnetite-hematite, and quartz-rich mesobands. The banded iron ore consists of hematite, magnetite, quartz, feldspar, and minor amounts of biotite, muscovite, chlorite, carbonates, epidote, allanite, and zircon. Massive ores which are characterized by high magnetite content occur in contact of granitic rocks. The massive iron ores consist mostly of magnetite and quartz, with minor amounts of hematite, pyrite, microcline, biotite, muscovite, chlorite, carbonates, epidote, allanite and zircon. Magnetite from banded and massive ores is almost pure $Fe_3O_4$ in composition, including 0.14 to 0.27 wt.% MnO and 0.10 to 0.15 wt.% MnO, respectively. Hematite of the ore contains 0.87 to 1.27 wt.% $TiO_2$ in banded ore and 3.44 to 6.96 wt.% $TiO_2$ in massive ore, respectively. Biotite shows a little compositional variation depending on ore types. Biotite of the banded ore has lower FeO, $TiO_2$ and $Al_2O_3$, and higher MgO and $SiO_2$ than the massive ore. The modes of occurrence and petrography of ore implies that massive ores might have been formed either under more reducing environments or higher temperature condition than banded ore. Banded ores might represent early episode of iron enrichment due to regional metamorphism. Massive ores might be related to the contact metamorphism resulting from late granitic intrusion.