• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1451-1462
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• 2007

Heavy metal concentrations in the soil were investigated for the abandoned Samkwang metal mine, Cheongyang-Gun, Chungnam Province, Korea. The concentrations of heavy metal(As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) were determined in mine soils collected at the abandoned mine sites to obtain a general classification and specification of the pollution in this highly polluted region. The results estimated with the normal test and basis statistic on the central tendency and variation showed that the distribution of heavy metal concentration had significantly different at the range of all locations. The range of spatial distribution on the relationship of heavy metal concentration and pH was $4.8{\sim}8.8$ and heavy metal concentration on the type of land use was highest in forest land, and also Ni and Zn in farm and rice field showed the high concentration. The distribution of heavy metal concentration on the depth of a soil showed that the metal concentrations in subsoil were higher than of those in surface soil, while the concentration of Cu and Ni had no significant difference on the depth of soil. Results from the correlation analysis using the data except the extreme and unusual data revel that Zn-Cd(r=0.867), Zn-As(r=0.797), Zn-Pb(r=0.764), Cu-Cd(r=0.673), Cu-As(r=0.614) and Zn-Ni(r=0.605) were the most important parameters in assessing variations of heavy metal in soil. To discriminate pattern differences and similarities among samples, principal factor analysis(PFA) and cluster analysis(CF) were performed using a correlation matrix. This study suggests that PFA and CF techniques are useful tools for identification of important heavy metal and parameters. This study presents the necessity and usefulness of multivariate statistical assessment of complex databases in order to get better information about the quality of soil and gives the basis information to clean up the abandoned mine sites.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.365-373
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• 1996

A survey was carried out to investigate the contamination of streams by the acid mine drainage originated from the abandoned coal mines and coal refuse piles. The physico-KDICical characteristics such as pH, sulfate and elements concentrations in the water and sediment in streams were analyzed. Microbial activity in the sediment was evaluated by measuring dehydrogenase activities. At sites contaminated by acid mine drainage, the pH of the water and sediment declined to acidic range from neutral due to the accumulation of sulfate. The dehydrogenase activity ranged from 12 to $170{\mu}g-TPF{\cdot}g-dry\;soil^{-1}{\cdot}24h^{-1}$ at the contaminated sites, whereas uncontaminated sites had activities of 1,176~4,259 ${\mu}g-TPF{\cdot}g-dry\;soil^{-1}{\cdot}24h^{-1}$. The dehydrogenase activity was significantly affected by low pH of the sediment, indicating that high concentration of sulfate inhibited microbial activity. The concentrations of heavy metals such as Pb and Fe in contaminated sdeiment (37~46 ppm Pb; 46,000~464,000 ppm Fe) were much higher than those in the uncontaminated sediment. The concentration of Al in the contaminated water acidfied by coal mine drainage was in the range of 11 to 42 ppm. Compared with those in the uncontaminated sediment, the concentrations of Mn, Mg and Ca in contaminated sediment were low because of the leaching from soil to water by the acidfied stream water.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.271-281
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Application of the transfer functions derived from local soil data is necessary in order to develop proper management protocols for agricultural soils contaminated with heavy metals through phytoavailability control of the heavy metals. The aim of this study was to derive the transfer functions of Korean agricultural soils affected by the abandoned mining sites and evaluate suitability of the derived transfer functions. METHODS AND RESULTS: 142 agricultural soils affected by the abandoned mining sites were collected and analyzed. Two extraction methods, including 1 M $NH_4NO_3$ extraction and 0.01 M $Ca(NO_3)_2$ extraction were applied to determine phytoavailable metal pools in soils. Multiple stepwise regression of phytoavailable metal pools against the corresponding total metal concentration and soil properties was conducted to derive suitable transfer functions for estimating phytoavailable heavy metal pools. Applicability of the derived transfer functions was examined by calculating NME and NRMSE. CONCLUSION: Soil pH and organic matter were valid variables for derivation of the transfer functions which were applicable for estimating phytoavailable metal concentrations in the soils being contaminated by heavy metals. In addition, it was confirmed that transfer functions need to be developed based on local soil conditions to accurately estimate heavy metal-phytoavailability.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2014

Absorption and accumulation of heavy metals in plants were determined by phytoavailable contents rather than total contents of heavy metals. Therefore, phytoavailability-based management protocol should be prepared for safe food crop production in contaminated agricultural lands. This study was conducted to understand the distribution and phytoavailability of heavy metal in the Korean agricultural soils affected by abandoned mining sites along with investigation of soil properties (soil pH, OM, DOC, clay content, Al/Fe/Mn content) influencing on the metal phytoavailability. For this, 142 agricultural soils located nearby 39 abandoned mining sites distributed in five province in Korea, were analyzed. Among the four different heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) appeared to exist in more phytoavailable form than cupper (Cu) and lead (Pb). Soil pH was the main factor governing phytoavailable Cd, Pb, and Zn showing positive relationship with partitioning coefficients of the corresponding metals; Cd (r = 0.66, P < 0.001), Pb (r = 0.70, P < 0.001), and Zn (r = 0.62, P < 0.001). This implied higher phytoavailability of the corresponding metals with higher soil pH. In contrast, phytoavailability of Cu (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) was only negatively related with soil DOC (dissolved organic carbon).

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.37-45
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• 2022

In-situ pilot experiment was carried out to establish a countermeasure on the soil loss from the hill side uplands that was rehabilitated by soil remediation method nearby abandoned mine sites for 2 years. It was considered that the affect of an inclination of cover surface, a stabilization treatment of cover layer by lime and steel refining slag (SRS) and a vegetation of soil surface as an effect factors in the experiment. It was constructed 4 lysimeters (plots, 22 m long, 4 m width) on the hilly side (37% inclination). One plot was control and two plots was treated by 1% lime and SRS. A remind one plot was modified a inclination to 27% to compare the affect of inclination on the amount of cover soil loss. It was attached a reservior tank and water level gauge in the end of lysimeters to measure the amount of the surface water flow and soil loss. It was also installed the automated sensors that could be collect the precipitation, soil moisture content, tension of cover layer in each plots. It was observed that the event of precipitation were caused the soil loss and it were related the physical and chemical properties of cover soil and inclination of surface layer of plots. During the experiment, it was exceeded the national regulation (50 t/ha/yr) in 37% inclination plots even though it was vegetated on the cover soil surface. However, in 27% inclination plot, it was shown that the amount of soil loss was maintained below the national regulation and, more ever, vegetation could reduce the the amount of soil loss. Therefore it was expected that such results could be applied to the future design of rehabilitation projects on the polluted farmland nearby abandoned mine sites.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.197-204
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• 1999

The extent of heavy metal pollution in agricultural in soils near the abandoned mine land site was investigated using their concentrations from the 47 sampling sites in B mine. Samples were prepared using 0.1N HCI - Korean Standard Methods - and then analysed for Cd, Cu, Pb, As and Cr by Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometer. In addition, soil and mine tailing samples were sequentially extracted to investigate the chemical speciation of heavy metals in them. The soils in the vicinity of mining area are highly contaminated by heavy metals ranging up to 5.96mg Cd/kg, 253.3mg Cu/kg, 76.7mg Pb/kg, and 15.45 mg As/kg, according to the analysis of Korean Standard Methods. The heavy metal levels by the sequential extraction are much higher than its level by Korean Standard Methods, and little correlated with each other. Based on the results, it is suggested that the As pollution in agricultural soils near the AMLS should be dealt as of prior significance in establishing reclamation strategies for the area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.258-261
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• 2000

Geophysical surveys (electrical resistivity, self-potential, and magnetic methods) and streamwater sample analysis have been carried out at a site of tailings of waste deposits in an abandoned mine, Jangpoong, which is situated in Kowesan-Gun, Chungbuk-Do. The research was aimed at investigating the suitability of the various geophysical methods for detection of AMD (acid mine drainage) paths, and ultimately mapping of preferred AMD flow channels by incorporating the water sample analysis. Electrical resistivity section from the dipole-dipole line represents the low-resistivity zone trending northwest toward the stream nearby. The positions of the resistivity anomalies for AMD channels are well correlated to the ones from the various geophysical surveys. In addition they correspond to the sites of the higher peaks for the pH, EC, heavy metal content for the water sample data.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.3 s.184
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• pp.295-306
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• 2007

In this study, we predicted areas vulnerable to ground subsidence near abandoned underground coal mine at Sam-cheok City in Korea using a probability (frequency ratio) model with Geographic Information System (GIS). To extract the factors related to ground subsidence, a spatial database was constructed from a topographical map, geo-logical map, mining tunnel map, land characteristic map, and borehole data on the study area including subsidence sites surveyed in 2000. Eight major factors were extracted from the spatial analysis and the probability analysis of the surveyed ground subsidence sites. We have calculated the decision coefficient ($R^2$) to find out the relationship between eight factors and the occurrence of ground subsidence. The frequency ratio model was applied to deter-mine each factor's relative rating, then the ratings were overlaid for ground subsidence hazard mapping. The ground subsidence hazard map was then verified and compared with the surveyed ground subsidence sites. The results of verification showed high accuracy of 96.05% between the predicted hazard map and the actual ground subsidence sites. Therefore, the quantitative analysis of ground subsidence near abandoned underground coal mine would be possible with a frequency ratio model and a GIS.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2012

We investigated the effects of acid mine drainage (AMD) from abandoned coal mines on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the upper reaches of the Nakdong River from May to October in 2009. Qualitative and quantitative sampling (Surber sampler: $50{\times}50$ cm; mesh size, 0.2 mm) was conducted at 7 study sites and 3 control sites in the study area. We thus sampled 117 species belonging to 53 families, 15 orders, 6 classes, and 5 phyla; the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera group (EPT-group) represented the majority of the benthic macroinvertebrate community (71 species; 64.5%). In the quantitative sampling, a total of 11,575 individuals belonging to 58 species of benthic maroinvertebrates were sampled from the study sites (Sites 1-7), whereas 2,844 individuals belonging to 79 species were sampled from the control sites (Sites A-C). Tolerant species such as oligochaetes, $Epeorus$ $pellucidus$, $Baetis$ $fuscatus$, Hydropsychidae species, and Chironomidae species were predominant in the study sites. The community indices for the study sites, such as MacNaughton's dominance index (DI) (mean${\pm}$SD, $0.52{\pm}0.21$; range, 0.33-0.85) and the Shannon diversity index ($H^{\prime}$) ($2.06{\pm}0.60$; 1.06-2.57), were different from those for the control sites (DI: $0.29{\pm}0.07$, 0.22-0.35; $H^{\prime}$: $3.13{\pm}0.14$; 3.03-3.30). In the study sites, shredders and scrapers were scarce, whereas gathering-collectors (mainly Chironomidae species) were relatively abundant, as were clingers and burrowers. The detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and similarity analyses showed that benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the study sites were clearly separated from those of the control sites, with the greatest dissimilarity being noted at the uppermost study site (Site 1), which is located close to an abandoned coal mine. The Korean saprobic index (KSI) and the ecological score using benthic macroinvertebrates (ESB) showed that the uppermost study site (Site 1) was ${\alpha}$-mesosaprobic or heavily polluted, whereas other study sites were in a fair or relatively good condition.