• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.39-42
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• 2005

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.17-27
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• 2012

This study was performed to evaluate the spatial distribution of heavy metals using principal component analysis and Ordinary Kriging technique in the Gangwon Mine site. In the soils from the sub soil, the contents of Zn and Ni in the PC1 were gradually dispersed from south to north direction, while the components of Cd and Hg in the PC2 showed an increase significantly from middle-south area in the Gangwon Mine site. According to the cluster analysis, pollutant metals of As and Cu were presented a strong spatial autocorrelation structure in cluster D. The concentration of As was 0.83mg/kg and shown to increase from the south to north direction. The spatial distribution maps of the soil components using geostatistical method might be important in future soil remediation studies and help decision-makers assess the potential health risk affects of the abandoned mining sites.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.717-726
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• 2022

This study was conducted to assess the geochemical contamination degree of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn in the soil and water samples from an abandoned gold mine. Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were carried out to assess the geochemical contamination degree of the soil samples. Variations of sulfate and heavy metals concentration in water samples were determined to identify the geochemical distribution with respect to the distance from the mine tailing dam. Geochemical pollution indices indicated significant contaminated with As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in the soil samples that areas close to the mine tailing dam, while, Sb showed similar indices in all soil samples. These results indicated that the As, Cd, Pb, and Zn dispersion has occurred via anthropogenic sources, such as mining activities. In terms of water samples, anomalies in the concentrations of As, Cd, Zn, and SO₄^2- was determined at specific area, in addition, the concentrations of the elements gradually decreased with distance. This result implies the heavy metals distribution in water has carried out by the weathering of sulfide minerals in the mine tailing and soil. The study area has been conducted the remediation of contaminated soil in the past, however, the geochemical dispersion of heavy metals was supposed to be occurred from the potential contamination source. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the soil and water is necessary after the completion of remediation.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.195-206
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• 2014

In this study, soil contamination maps related to Cu and Pb were created at the Busan abandoned mine in Korea using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence(XRF) and Geographic Information Systems(GIS). Hydrological analysis was performed using the Digital Elevation Model(DEM) of the study area to identify the flow directions of surface runoff where pollutants can be dispersed from the soil contamination sources. 24 locations for measuring the soil contamination related to Cu and Pb were selected by considering the result of hydrological analysis. The results measured at the 24 locations using the handheld XRF showed that the highest value of Cu contamination is 8,255ppm and that of Pb is 2,146ppm. The field investigation data were entered into ArcGIS software, and then soil contamination maps regarding Cu and Pb with a 5m grid-spacing were created after performing spatial interpolations using the ordinary kriging method. As a result, we could know that high concentrations of Cu and Pb are presented at the waste and tailings dumps around the abandoned mine openings. This study also showed that the handheld XRF and GIS can be utilized to create soil contamination maps related to Cu and Pb in the field.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.3-10
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• 2016

The passive treatment was required a large area for the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD), and pollutants were discharged with mine drainage by the increased flow rate in summer. This study was performed to improve the turbidity and to precipitate the pollutants quickly using coagulants and flocculants in AMD of abandoned mine sites that were difficult to build the passive treatment system. The coagulant PAC (Poly aluminium chloride) and flocculant PAM (Polyacrylamide) were selected to improve turbidity in W mine waters. We also tested the particle size analysis, ICP-OES and/or SEM-EDS for water and sludge samples.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.623-631
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• 1998

Pyrite contained in wasted ore dumps induces a strong acid environment when it contacts oxygenated rainfall. Present research was designed to evaluate the pollution of an area that is supposedly contaminated by pyrite of ore wasted dumps form in Chonju Il Mine. Measured are the pH and selected heavy metal elements in the supposedly polluted hydrologic system. The samples include three types : those collected from the stream waters; those from the stream sediments; and those from the rice field soil scattered over the area. The dispersion path of the pollution source was also traced. The pH of the hydrologic system ranged from 3.44 to 5.46, which clearly indicates that the area is on the acid environment. The pH tends to rise as the distance from the minehead increases. The content of heavy metal elements dissolved in the stream water varies as follows; Mn=69.73~1.99ppm, Cd=0.02~0.03ppm, Zn=0.77~1.18ppm, Cu=0.04~0.13ppm, Pb=0.22~0.32ppm. The stream water in this state may induce serious heavy metal pollution to the agricultural land and the water for human life especially in the villages down the stream. The content of heavy metal elements dissolved in the stream sediment varies as follows; Mn=245.0~4685.0ppm, Cd=10.0~15.0ppm, Zn=105.0~210.0ppm, Cu=65.0~155.0ppm, Pb=90.0~150.0ppm. The content of heavy metal elements dissolved in the rice field soil varies as follows; Mn=185.0~260.0ppm, Cd=10.0~15.0ppm, Zn=135.0~180.0ppm, Cu=65.0~90.0ppm, Pb=100.0~130.0ppm. The pollution index in the stream sediment and the rice field sell is 1.36~2.03, which shows that pollution had already begun all over the area where the samples were collected.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.89-101
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• 2003

River deposits and farmland soils were analyzed to investigate the pollution level of heavy metals in the vicinity of the Goro abandoned Zn-mine. Surface (0-40 cm) and subsurface (40-100 cm) soils were collected around a main river located at the lower part of the Goro mine, and analyzed by ICP-MS for Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cr after 0. 1N HCI extraction and by AAS for As after IN HCI extraction. Concentrations of cadmium and lead at the surface river deposits close to the mine were over the Soil Pollution Warning Limit (SPWL), and 43% of sample sites (6 of 14 samples) were over SPWL for As suggesting that river deposits were broadly contaminated by arsenic. Results from farmland soil analysis showed that surface soils were contaminated by heavy metals, while only arsenic was over SPWL at 50% of sampling sites. Main pollution mechanism around the Goro mine was the discharge of mine tailing and waste rocks from the storage site to the river and to adjacent farmland during flood season. Pollution Grades for sample locations were prescribed by the Law of Soil Environmental Preservation, suggesting that the pollution level of heavy metals around the Goro mine was serious, and the remediation operation fur arsenic and the isolation of mine tailing and waste rocks from river and farmland should be activated to protect further contamination. The area needed to clean up was estimated from pollution distribution data and the remediation methods such as a soil washing method and a soil improvement method were considered as the further remediation operation for arsenic contaminated soils and river deposits around the Goro abandoned mine.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 1996

Although the Dongjin Au-Ag-Cu mine had been abandoned since about forty years ago, the results of this study on the dispersion patterns and contamination level of heavy metals in the hydrologic system flowing via the waste rump show that the environmental impacts from the mine wastes are still significant. The stream water in the vicinity of the waste rump is severely acidified (pH 3.8 to 4.4) and highly enriched in various dissolved heavy metals. The heavy metal contents of the stream water and stream sediments are systematically attenuated with increasing distance from the mine area. However, it is worth to note that continuous attenuation of heavy metal contents in both media were reenriched in downstream area more than 800 m apart from the mine because it can be acted as a secondary source of heavy metal pollution. The heavy metals, especially Cd, Cu and Zn of polluted downstream sediments mainly occur in Fe-Mn oxides and organic materials, which indicates that these elements are the main pollutants from the waste rump of the Dongjin mine. The heavy metal contents of crops, such as sesame, perilla, red Pepper and brown rice, collected from the polluted farm land in the downstream area are lower than those of land plants from stream sides, but significantly higher in Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn than those from the unpolluted farm land. Especially, almost all of the crops in polluted farm land have been severly contaminated by Cd (>0.4 ppm). On the other hand, the heavy metal contents of the crops collected from refreshed farm land by means of a soil addition method shows significantly lowered level comparing with those of polluted area, which indicates that a soil addition method was effective for the refreshment of polluted farm land by toxic metallic pollutants. Wormwoods from this area showed very high contents in a11 the heavy metals even in unpolluted area (Cd > 1 ppm, Cr > 1 ppm, Cu > 11 ppm, Pb> 4 ppm, Zn > 55 ppm), indicating that a special caution must be payed when one takes ingest them.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2010

Field study to find appropriate species for phytoremediation and phytomonitoring with higher plants was carried out at four abandoned metalliferous mines. In order to know the tolerant degree of plant resources collected at heavy metal polluted sites, soil and plants were sampled at same sites and metal concentrations were determined. Most serious heavy metal polluted in the sites was As that showed range from 29.1 to 1372.2 mg $kg^{-1}$ in investigated area. The dominant species were Oenothera biennis, Commelina communis, Persicaria senticosa, Conyza annuus, Artemisia princeps, and Erigeron canadensis. These species were predominant species that were proliferated in any survey area. Compared with other sites, vegetational characteristics of Dal-Seong, a mine site abandoned early in 1973, showed higher diversity index and lower dominance index. Distributions of weed species according to life cycle indicated that the proportions of perennial plants were lowered in every investigated site. Although the polluted areas were distant from each other, similarity indices among these vegetation were relatively similar. These results means the vegetations of abandoned mine areas were beginning stage of vegetational succession, and the vegetations were adversely affected by disturbance with heavy-metals and lack of water in soil.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.177-189
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• 2003

The main purposes of this study are to utilize mineralogical studies such as optical microscope, XRD and SEM/EDS analyses to characterize the oxidation of sulfide minerals and the mechanisms controlling the movement of dissolved metals from waste rocks at the abandoned Seobo mine. Mineralogical research of the waste rocks confirms the presence of anglesite, covellite, goethite, native sulfur and nsutite as secondary minerals, suggesting that these phases control the dissolved concentrations of As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn. The dissolved metals are precipitated, adsorbed and/or coprecipitated with(or within) Fe(Mn)-hydroxides and Mn(Fe)-hydroxides. The main phases of secondary mineral, Fe-hydroxide, can be classified as amorphous or poorly crystalline and more crystallized phases(e.g. goethite) by crystallinity. Amorphous or poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxide has relatively high As contents(9-24 wt.%). This poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxide changes toward more crystallized phase(e.g. goethite) which contains relatively low As(0.6-7.7 wt.%). These results are mainly due to the progressive release of As with the crystallization evolution of the As-trapping poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxides. It is also attributed to the differences of specific surface areas between the poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxides and well crystallized phases. The dissolved metals from waste rocks at Seobo mine area are naturally attenuated by a series of precipitation(as Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb), coprecipitation(Fe, Mn) and adsorption(As, Cu, Pb, An) reactions. The results of mineralogical researches permit to assess the environmental impacts of mine waste rocks in the areas, and can be used as a useful data to lay available mine restoration plan.