• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.15-22
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• 2011

In this study, the effect of surface coating on iron-sulfide mineral for preventing the product acid mine drainage(AMD) was progressed by oxidation process of sulfide minerals abandoned mine Area. Three abandoned mines, Yongdong coal mine, Sil Lim mine, and Il Koang mine were selected as a sulfide mineral resource due to higher contamination rate. Six coating agents, apatite, limestone, mangnite, dolomite, bentonite, and cement were used for preventing the AMD with $H_2O_2$ and NaClO as a oxidizing agent helping for oxidizing process on sulfide minerals. Experimental results showed that sulfide mineral surface was coated effectively. Cement has a higher ability of preventing AMD when the ratio of cement to mineralis 1:1 and experimental condition is maintaining 4Days.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.119-127
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• 2022

In recent years, the intensity of typhoons has increased due to climate change. It is presumed that the tailings and waste rock in the mining area harm the environment owing to flood damage. The Gangneung area has been affected by the largest typhoons in Korea, including No. 3,693 (1936), Rusa (2002), Maemi (2003), and Megi (2004). This study was based on a case in which high concentrations of arsenic were detected in the surroundings along a stream after floods caused by typhoons. Although the environmental damage-related law clarifies the responsibility of polluters, careful implementation is required in potential natural disaster areas. The pollutants from abandoned mines can be widely exposed due to typhoons as artificial causes may be mixed. To minimize the impact of natural disasters in these areas, it is necessary to improve and link relevant laws. This study is expected to help cope with mixed pollutants in downstream areas.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.167-170
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• 2006

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.95 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2006

Vegetation structure of Samchang, Bongmyeong, Kabjeong, Danbong coal mine and control site was investigated to provide basic information on vegetation rehabilitation of abandoned coal mine lands in Mungyeong. Gyeongbuk Province. The middle and lower layer consisted of 3 and 10 species for Samchang, 2 and 5 species for Bongmyeong, 7 and 11 species for Kabjeong, 9 and 12 species for Danbong coal mine, and 15 and 17 species appeared for control site, respectively. Importance value of Lespedeza cyrtobotrya in lower layer was the highest for in Samchang, and that of Rubus crataegifolius in other coal mine lands wast he highest. Importance value in herbaceous layer was the highest for Arundinella hirta in Samchang, for Corchoropsis tomentosa in Bongmyeong, for Miscanthus sinensis in Kabjeong, for Carex lanceolata and Artemisia princeps var. orientalis in Danbong coal mines, and Calamagrostis arundinacea in control site was the highest, respectively. Species diversity of middle and lower layer for four coal mine lands ranged from 0.201 to 0.666 and 0.612 to 0.895, respectively. Evenness of lower layer ranged from 0.683 to 0.875 for four coal mine lands, and it was 0.990 for control site.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.256-264
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• 2004

Vegetation structure was investigated to provide basic information on revegetation of abandoned coal mine lands in Borim, Sungwon, Hyeopjeong, Daedong and at a control site in Taebaek. The upper layer of the control site consists of 7 species and the Importance Value was highest for Pinus densijlora, but there were no species in the four abandoned coal mines. The number of dominant species in the middle layer of each coal mine site was 2 for Borim, 2 for Sungwon, 3 for Hyeopjeong and 2 for Daedong. In the case of the lower layer in Borim, Sungwon, Hyeopjeong and Daedong, there were 12, 14, 9 and 8 species, respectively. The lower level importance values were highest for Pinus densiflora in Borim, for Amorpha fruticosa in Sungwon and for Rubus crataegifolius in the Hyeopjeong and Daedong coal mines. Weigela subsessilis, R. crataegifolius, P. densiflora, Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Stephanandra incisa, Lespedeza crytobotrya and A. fruticosa appeared in the lower layers of abandoned coal mines. Species diversity of the lower and the herbaceous layers ranged from 0.800 to 0.952 and 0.699 to 0.907 in abandoned coal mines. Evenness and dominance in all abandoned coal mines ranged from 0.840 to 0.949 and 0.051 to 0.160.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.157-165
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• 2023

In Korea, a major contaminant of farmland soils in the vicinity of abandoned mines is arsenic, for which the general soil reclamation method is contaminated soil stabilization and cover the stabilized soil with clean soil at a thickness of 40 cm. In a previous pot experiment study we confirmed the feasibility of a lower thickness (20 cm) of covering soil for such reclamation in abandoned coal mines, where arsenic contamination levels are generally lower than in metal mines. In this subsequent study a field experiment including rice plant cultivation in field test plots was conducted. For over 4 months, the transfer of arsenic from the contaminated soil to the unpolished rice grains was reduced by 44% when a clean soil covering with a thickness of 20 cm was applied. The maximum decrease (56%) was shown when the stabilization process was performed before the covering. These results reveal a lower thickness of clean soil covering has a high feasibility and it can increase cost-efficiency in the reclamation of an abandoned coal mine.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.218-224
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• 2010

The purpose of this case study is to analyze the environmental and sociological impacts on a golf course construction at the damaged area of a previous limestone mine. Due to a long term of the open-pit mining, that site had been abandoned with geographical and ecological destruction before it was renovated to Ostar Danyang public golf course. This study is focused on the review of restoring the ecosystem through golf course construction procedures. Literature surveys of restoration through golf course construction in Japan and Canada were analyzed the procedure of utilization of previously existed lime mine. The sociological and environmental changes before and after construction were compared and analyzed. Environmental impacts on geographical, animal and plant ecology, and water quality were not affected or significantly improved after golf course construction from the mining site existed before. The local economy was also improved by increasing employment of resident and tax payment to local government. The construction of golf course could be one of the typical alternatives of ecological restoration of abandoned lime mine. Moreover in this project, minimizing the environmental impacts on surrounding ecosystem was emphasized by a larger size of developing construction. The harmonious lay-out on nature and artificial landscape were also considered a very first stage of construction procedure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.397-401
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• 2005

Acid mine drainage and waste of abandoned mine area have caused serious water pollution and destruction of an ecosystem because of exposing to environment without an appropriate treatment. Gwang-yang mine area also has a serious problem in the nearby residential area and waterway ecosystems. The objectives of this research are to develop the most suitable remediation system for acid mine drainage by using waste materials, and to diagnose stream environments impacted by acid mine drainage through the new ecological health assessment methodology, and thus ultimately providing a restoring methodology to mining regions. In the water system health assessment, the result of ESHI model, RBP and Karr suggested by US EPA is revised by ecological features of our country, come to ESHI score 13; 'Very poor' at some points. Together with pH value and heavy metal concentration, it's the aggravation of ecological health index caused by chemical disturbances. In the acid mine drainage treatment, we apply marine shells and slags to this system. Slags had the best removal ability for heavy metals, but pH value was more than 10 exceeding the standard for drain water. In case of marine shells, pH of treated water maintained 7 to 8, and concentrations of Fe and Zn decreased significantly after treatment.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.461-470
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• 2001

The Shihung mine was restored in the early 90's after abandonment for 20 yews since 1973. Although disposed mine tailings were removed and the site was replaced by an incineration plant, still some residual mine tailings remain in the places including the old mine tailing ditposal area and the adjacent agricultural area. These residual mine tailings are prone to impose an adverse impact on the soil and groundwater and needs investigation for the potential contamination. Mine tailing samples were collected from the old tailing disposal area and the iii paddy. The porewater from the mine tailing were extracted and analysed to investigate chemical changes along the reaction path. Batch leaching tests were also carried out in the laboratory to find any supporting evidence found in the field analysis. Evidence of elemental leaching was confirmed both by the mine tailing and the porewater chemistry in them. The element concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn in the porewater exceed the standard for drinking water of Korean government and US EPA. Leaching of heavy metals from the mine tailing seem to be responsible for the contamination. In batch leaching test. heavy metals were either continuous1y released or declined rapidly. Combining the information with porewater variation with depths and the geochemical meodeling results, most of elements are controlled by dissolution and/or precipitation processes, with some solubility controlling solid phases (Cu, Pb, Fe and Zn). Batch leaching test conducted at fixed pH 4 showed much higher releases for the heavy metals up to 400 times (Zn) and this area is becoming more vulnerable to soil and groundwater pollution as precipitation pH shifts to acidic condition.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.83-91
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• 2015

Mine soil contamination by high levels of metal ions that prevents the successful vegetation poses a serious problem. In the study presented here, we used the microbial biocatalyst of urease producing bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii or plant extract based BioNeutro-GEM (BNG) agent. The ability of the biocatalysts to bioremediate contaminated soil from abandoned mine was examined by solid-state composting vegetation under field conditions. Treatment of mine soil with the 2 biocatalysts for 5 months resulted in pH increase and electric conductivity reduction compared to untreated control. Further analyses revealed that the microbial catalysts also promoted the root and shoot growth to the untreated control during the vegetation treatments. After the Sporosarcina pasteurii or plant extract based BNG treatment, the microbial community change was monitored by culture-independent pyrosequencing. These results demonstrate that the microbial biocatalysts could potentially be used in the soil bioremediation from mine-impacted area.