• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.217-228
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• 2011

The feasibility study for the stabilization process using 5 amendments was performed to quantify As-immobilization efficiency in farmland soils around Samkwang abandoned mine, Korea. For the batch experiments, with 2% and 3% of granular lime(2-5 mm in diameter), leaching concentration of As from the soil decreased by 86% and 95% respectively, compared to that without the amendment. When 5% and 10% of granular limestone was added in the soil, As concentration decreased by 82% and 95%, showing that lime and limestone has a great capability to immobilize As in the soil. From the results of batch experiments, continuous column(15 cm in dimeter and 100 cm in length) tests using granular lime and limestone as amendments was performed. Without the amendment, As concentration from the effluent of the column ranged from 167 ${\mu}g$/L to 845 ${\mu}g$/L, which were higher than Korea Drinking Water Limit(50 ${\mu}g$/L). However, only with 1% and 2% of lime, As concentration from the column dramatically decreased by 97% for 9 years rainfall and maintained below 50 ${\mu}g$/L. With 5% of limestone and the mixed amendment(1% of lime + 2% of limestone), more than 95% diminution of As leaching from the column occurred within I year rainfall and maintained below 20 ${\mu}g$/L, suggesting that the capability of limestone to immobilize As in the farmland soil was outstanding and similar to that of lime. Results of experiments suggested that As stabilization process using limestone could be more available to immobilize As from the soil than using lime because of low pH increase and thus less harmful side effect.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.136-142
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• 2012

Various factors affecting on the bioassay were investigated. Experiments with a low mixture ratio (cell to toxicant solution) of 0.5 : 9.5 (v/v) produced observable bioluminescence intensity for assay. Both sodium lactate and potassium nitrate stimulate bioluminescence activity; 2.6~4.0 times of control. Distilled water and MSM, which gave non significant effects on the bioluminescence activity, were determined as proper diluent or extract solutions. A wide range of toxic responses of metals and organics were observed. In general, organics were much less sensitive than metals. Samples collected from eleven sites showed the bioluminescence activity ranging from 29 to 111% of the control. Significant correlation between toxicity and total metal contents was not observed, but the toxicity of two groups, sorted based on the contaminated arsenic concentration in soils, was 44% and 20%, showing considerable differences.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.413-426
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• 2009

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of indigenous bacteria on geochemical behavior of toxic heavy metals in contaminated paddy soil near an abandoned mine. The effects of sulfate amendment to stimulate microbial sulfate reduction on heavy metal behaviors were also investigated. Batch-type experiments were performed with lactate or glucose as a carbon source to activate indigenous bacteria in the soil under anaerobic condition for 100 days. Sulfate (250 mg/L) was artificially injected at 60 days after the onset of the experiments. In the case of glucose supply, solution pH increased from 4.8 to 7.6 while pH was maintained at 7~8 in the lactate solution. The initial low pH in the case of glucose supply likely resulted in the enhanced extraction of Fe and most heavy metals at the initial experimental period. Lactate supply exerted no significant difference on the amounts of dissolved Zn, Pb, Ni and Cu between microbial and abiotic control slurries; however, lower Zn, Pb and Ni and higher Cu concentrations were observed in the microbial slurries than in the controls when glucose supplied. Sulfate amendment led to dramatic decrease in dissolved Cr and maintenance of dissolved As, both of which had gradually increased over time till the sulfate injection. Black precipitates formed in solution after sulfate amendment, and violarite($Fe^{+2}{Ni^{+3}}_2S_4$) was found with XRD analysis in the microbial precipitates. Conceivably the mineral might be formed after Fe(III) reduction and microbial sulfate reduction with coprecipitation of heavy metal. The results suggested that heavy metals which can be readily extracted from contaminated paddy soils may be stabilized in soil formation by microbial sulfate reduction.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2009

Heavy metal residues in soil, rice straw, unhulled rice, rice hull, polished rice, and rice barn on the rice paddy in the "Top rice production complex which is non-contaminated area were evaluated. It was observed that the average concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Hg in the paddy soils were 1.235, 0.094, 4.412, 4.728 and 0.0279 mg/kg, respectively. There were no cultivation areas exceeded of the threshold for soil contamination designated by "The Soil Environment Conservation Law" in Korea. For the polished rice, there were no samples exceeded of a permissible level of heavy metal residues such as 0.051 mg/kg of As, 0.040 mg/kg of Cd, 0.345 mg/kg of Cu, 0.065 mg/kg of Pb and 0.0015 mg/kg of Hg. For the uptake and translocation of heavy metals to rice plant, a main part of heavy metal accumulation was rice straw, and then rice bran. Furthermore, it shown that accumulation of heavy metals in unhulled rice, rice hulls, brown rice, and polished rice was approximately similar as low. The slopes of translocation of heavy metals from soil to polished rice were following order as Cd, 0.4321 > Cu, 0.054 ${\fallingdotseq}$ Hg, 0.052 > As, 0.021 > Pb, 0.008. It was observed that potential ability of Cd uptake in rice plant and then its translocation into polished rice was very high. Concentrations of copper and mercury absorbed in the rice plant were moderate for translocating into the polished rice, while the arsenic and lead in the plant were scarcely translocated into the polished rice. The distribution of heavy metals absorbed and translocated into aboveground parts of rice plant was appeared that there were remained at 63.3-93.4% in rice straw, 6.6-36.9% in unhulled rice, 0.6-5.7% in rice hulls, 3.2-31.3% in brown rice, 0.8-4.6% in rice bran and 1.1-26.7% in polished rice. The accumulation ratio of Cd in the aboveground parts of rice plant was remained at 26.7-31.3% in brown and polished rice.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.52-58
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• 2008

Mn-impregnated activated carbon (Mn-AC) prepared at different conditions was applied in the treatment of synthetic wastewater containing both organic and inorganic contaminants. Phenol and As(III) was used as the representative organic and inorganic contaminants, respectively. After evaluation of the physicochemical characteristic and stability of Mn-AC, oxidation of As(III) as well as adsorption of phenol by activated carbon(AC) and Mn-AC were investigated in a batch reactor. To investigate the stability of Mn-AC, dissolution of Mn from each Mn-AC was measured pH ranging from 2 to 4. Although Mn-AC was unstable at a strong acidic condition, the dissoluted Mn was below 3 ppm at pH 4. XRD analysis of Mn-AC indicated that the mineral type of the impregnated manganese was $Mn_2O_3$. From the simultaneous treatment of As(III) and phenol by AC and Mn-AC, As(III) oxidation by Mn-AC was greater than that by AC at lower pH, while the reverse order was observed at higher pH. After impregnation of Mn onto AC, 13% decrease of the surface area was observed, causing 8% reduction of phenol removal. Considering removal properties of As(III) and phenol, Mn-AC could be applied in the simultaneous treatment of wastewater contaminated with multi-contaminants.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.73-86
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• 2004

In order to estimate the post-ingestion bioavailability of heavy metals and to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to toxic heavy metals, environmental geochemical surveys were undertaken around the Dogok Au-Ag-Cu and the Hwacheon Au-Ag-Pb-Zn mine sites. Human risk assessment of toxic heavy metals was performed with the results of the SBET(simple bioavailability extraction test) analysis for soil and chemical analytical data for crop plant and water. Arsenic and other heavy metals were highly elevated in tailings from the Dogok(218 As mg/kg, 90.2 Cd mg/kg, 3,053 Cu mg/kg, 9,473 Pb mg/kg, 14,500 Zn mg/kg) and the Hwacheon(72 As mg/kg, 12.4 Cd mg/kg. 578 Pb mg/kg, 1,304 Zn mg/kg) mines. These significant concentrations can impact on soils and waters around the tailing dumps. The quantities of As, Cd and Zn extracted from paddy soils in the Hwacheon mine using the SBET analysis were 55.4%, 20.8% and 26.4% bioavailability, respectively, and for farmland soils in the Dogok mine, 40.8%, 37.6% and 33.0% bioavailability, respectively. From the results of human risk assessment, HI(Hazard Index) value exceeded 1.0 for As in the Hwacheon mine and for Cd in the Dogok mine. Thus, toxic risks for As and Cd exist via exposure(ingestion) of contaminated soil, water and rice grain in these mine sites. The cancer risk for As by the consumption of rice and groundwater in the Hwacheon mine area was 8E-4 and 1E-4, respectively. This risk level exceeds the acceptable risk(1 in 100,000) for regulatory purpose. Therefore, regular ingestion of locally grown rice and ground-water by the local population can pose a potential health threat due to long-term arsenic exposure.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.337-349
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• 2015

This study has focused on investigation of correlation for As and heavy metals in paddy soil and rice crops sampled in the vicinity of the abandoned Munmyung Au-Ag mine. Soil samples extracted by various methods including aqua regia, 1 M $MgCl_2$, 0.01 M $CaCl_2$ and 0.05 M EDTA were analyzed for As and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn). Rice grain samples grown on the soils were also analyzed for the same elements to evaluate the relationships between soils and rice crops. According to soil extraction methods, As and heavy metal contents in the soils were decreased in the order of aqua regia > 0.01 M $CaCl_2$ > 1 M $MgCl_2$ > 0.05 M EDTA. In addition to correlation analysis, statistically significant correlation with the four extraction methods (p<0.01) were found in the soil and rice samples. As calculation of biological accumulation coefficients (BACs) of the rice crops for As and heavy metals, the BACs for Cd, Zn and Cu were relatively higher than those for As and Pb. This study also carried out a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis to identify the dominant factors influencing metal extraction rates of the paddy soils. Furthermore, daily intakes of As and heavy metals from regularly consumed the rice grain (287 g/day) grown on the contaminated soils by the mining activities were estimated, and found that Cd and As intakes from the rice reached up to 73.7% and 51.8% for maximum allowance levels of trace elements suggested by WHO, respectively. Therefore, long-term consumption of the rice poses potential health problems to residents around the mine, although no adverse health effects have yet been observed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.190-198
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• 2008

There is an increasing concern over heavy metal contamination of paddy soils and the subsequent translocation of heavy metals to rice. Objective is to monitor the status and long-term trend of heavy metal contamination in paddy soils, periodically. In 2007 survey, the average concentrations of As(arsenic), Cd(cadmium), Cu(copper), Ni(nickel), Pb(lead), and Zn(zinc) in 2,010 paddy soils nationwide were 0.87, 0.08, 3.33, 1.19, 4.95 and $4.67mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. Few sites, which were contaminated by As in 2003 and 2007 survey and by Ni in 1999 and 2007 survey, were over the threshold level for soil contamination designated by the Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. Long-term change was shown that As, Ni, and Zn were gradually increased whereas Cd and Cu were decreased. In the distribution of extractable heavy metal contents, the modes of each heavy metal content were similar with the average contents of each heavy metals. Mean value of heavy metals except copper in paddy soils was higher than median value. It means that the downward distribution of heavy metal content in paddy rice was shown against normal distribution.