• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.221-227
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• 2013

A risk assessment of environmental media was performed for the inhabitants in the area of the abandoned Nokdong metal mine. Soil, groundwater, and crop samples were collected from September to October 2008 around the mine. After pretreatment of these samples, metal concentrations were measured, and a risk assessment was performed using the Korean soil-contamination risk assessment guidelines. Lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) intake rates were the highest for inhalation of soil dust. The cancer risks from ingestion of As-contaminated groundwater, inhalation of As-, Cd-, and Pb-contaminated soils, and contact of As-contaminated soils exceeded the acceptable risk. The sum of all carcinogenic risks was $9.29{\times}10^{-3}$. The non-carcinogenic risk was highest for ingestion of As-contaminated water (11.0), followed, in descending order, by inhalation of Hg-contaminated soil and ingestion of Pb-contaminated water. Most of the risks were associated with As, Cd, Pb, and Hg contamination, and therefore, these metals were considered to be potential toxic carcinogens and non-carcinogens for humans in this area. In this study, the non-carcinogenic risks of ingestion of contaminated water or crops, as well as those associated with the inhalation of soil dust were observed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.169-178
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• 2010

The microbial community structure in Thailand soils contaminated with low and high levels of arsenic was determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Band pattern analysis indicated that the bacterial community was not significantly different in the two soils. Phylogenetic analysis obtained by excising and sequencing six bands indicated that the soils were dominated by Arthrobacter koreensis and $\beta$-Proteobacteria. Two hundred and sixty-two bacterial isolates were obtained from arsenic-contaminated soils. The majority of the As-resistant isolates were Gramnegative bacteria. MIC studies indicated that all of the tested bacteria had greater resistance to arsenate than arsenite. Some strains were capable of growing in medium containing up to 1,500 mg/l arsenite and arsenate. Correlations analysis of resistance patterns of arsenite resistance indicated that the isolated bacteria could be categorized into 13 groups, with a maximum similarity value of 100%. All strains were also evaluated for resistance to eight antibiotics. The antibiotic resistance patterns divided the strains into 100 unique groups, indicating that the strains were very diverse. Isolates from each antibiotic resistance group were characterized in more detail by using the repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR (rep-PCR) DNA fingerprinting technique with ERIC primers. The PCR products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The genetic relatedness of 100 bacterial fingerprints, determined by using the Pearson product-moment similarity coefficient, showed that the isolates could be divided into four clusters, with similarity values ranging from 5-99%. Although many isolates were genetically diverse, others were clonal in nature. Additionally, the arsenic-resistant isolates were examined for the presence of arsenic resistance (ars) genes by using PCR, and 30% of the isolates were found to carry an arsenate reductase encoded by the arsC gene.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2010

In order to deal with the problem that phytoremediation takes long time in achieving the practical effect, the enhanced phytoremediation by Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) was conducted. In addition, we examined the synergistic effect by adding PSM (phosphate -solubilizing microbes) and EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) to the arsenic contaminated soil in the vicinity of the abandoned mine. The removal efficiency of arsenic in the site with PSM application increased about 16% when compared to control site, which was due to increase of plant biomass. The EDTA has been successfully utilized in respect of enhanced mobility and solubility of arsenic in the soil. As a result, BF (bioaccumulation factor) significantly increased but the inhibition of plant growth resulted in 20% reduction of arsenic removal efficiency. The application of PSM and EDTA may enhance the efficiency of phytoremediation. However, the time and method of EDTA application should be further examined to reach the maximum removal efficiency.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.419-428
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• 2011

Recycling as a stabilizer of industrial by-product can be terms of the proper handling of industrial by-product and positive side in terms of recycling of waste. This study was performed to evaluate has the possibility as stabilizer by primary processing Pre-Red Mud and Bio-Solids which are generated as waste in soils contaminated with heavy metals and compared the efficiency with steel slug being applied in an existing site. In evaluation of the arsenic-fixing ability of stabilizer in batch test, Bio-Solids have the similar arsenic-fixing ability with Pre-Red Mud, which shows 17% h igher arsenic-fixing ability than PS Ball. Since the stabilization periods using Bio-Solids and Pre-Red Mud are faster than the PS Ball, they seems to be better stabilizer than PS Ball to decrease the leaching of arsenic in contaiminated soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2005

Several tests were conducted to determine the optimum operational conditions of soil washing techniques for floe-forming arsenic-contaminated soils, collected from D abandoned Iron-mine in Korea. The optimum cut-off size was 0.15 mm $(sieve\;\#100)$, about $94\%$ of the mass of soils. Both sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid were effective to remove arsenic and the optimum mixing ratio (soil [g] : washing solution [mL]) was 1:5 for both washing agents. Arsenic concentrations, determined by KST Methods, for the dried floe solids obtained from flocculation at pH 5-6 were $990\~1,086\;mg/kg$ dry solids, which were higher concentrations than at the other pH values. Therefore, batch tests for sequential washings with or without removing floc were conducted to find the enhancement of washing efficiencies. After removing floe with 0.2 M HCl, sequential washings of 1 M HCl followed by 1 M NaOH showed the best results (15 mg/kg dry soil). The arsenic concentrations of washing effluent from each washing step were about $2\~3\;mg/L$. However, when these acidic and basic effluents were mixed together, arsenic concentration was decreased to be less than $50\;{\mu}g/L$, due to the pH condition of coagulation followed by precipitation for arsenic removal.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.239-242
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• 2004

Pilot-scale soil washing facility was developed and operation condition was determined in order to remediate a soil contaminated with As, Ni and Zn. Soil washing facility is composed of soil particle separation, soil washing and wastewater treatment process. Both oxyanionic As and cationic Ni and Zn were effciently removed using HCl rather 0than H$_2$SO$_4$ and H$_2$PO$_4$. This is why oxyanion and cation metals can be extracted simultaneously from the contaminated soil in acidic solution. Further, the contaminated soils include calcite and then demand much acidity, that is consumption of acid solution. Fine particles are enriched with contaminants, and coarse particles are removed effectively rather than fine particles. As, Ni and Zn are strongly associated with minerals, and then the residence time should be increased for a reaction with washing solution.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.13-20
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to develope the remediation method of contaminated soils with metals and petroleum. The diesel degrading strain was isolated and identified from the soil contaminated by petroleum at industrial sites. Diesel biodegradation experiment was performed by diesel degrading bacteria in both solution and soil slurry. Contaminated soils by Zn or As and diesel were treated consecutively by steam-vapor extraction, biodegradation, and acid washing. The strain was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and named as Pseudomonas aeruginosa TPH1. The optimal culture conditions of TPH1 were $20^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0, 3% of diesel concentration. Biodegradation of diesel was performed using the separated strain in liquid medium, and 63% of diesel was degraded in 72 hours. And 52% of diesel was removed in the tested soils. In the treatment of contaminated soils with diesel and Zn or As, 29% ~ 44% of diesel was reduced by steamvapor extraction, 60% ~ 71% of diesel was removed after biodegradation. 47% of Zn and 96% of As were removed after acid(mixture of sulfuric and oxalic acids) washing. It is recommended that consecutive treatment method of steam-vapor extraction, biodegradation and acid washing is effective for remediation of complex contaminated soils with metals and petroleum.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.123-125
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.87-88
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• 2005

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.245-251
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study are to investigate the contamination levels of heavy metals in soil, ground water, and agricultural product near the abandoned Boeun and Sanggok mine areas in Korea and to assess the health risk for these local residents exposed to the toxic heavy metals based on analytical data. METHODS AND RESULTS: By the results of human health risk assessment for local residents around Boeun and Sanggok, human exposure to cadmium, copper, arsenic from soil and to lead, cadmium, and arsenic from rice grain were higher in Sanggok, but human exposure to zinc and arsenic from ground water was higher in Boeun. By the results of hazard index (HI) evaluation for arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc, HI values in both areas were higher than 1.0. This result indicated that the toxicity hazard through the continuous exposure to lead, cadmium, arsenic from rice, ground water, and soil would be likely to occur to the residents in the areas. Cancer risk assessment for arsenic, risks from the rice were exposed to one to two out of 10,000 people in Boeun and one of 1,000 people in Sanggok. These results showed that the cancer risks of arsenic in both areas were 10~100 times greater than the acceptable cancer risk range of US EPA ($1{\times}10^{-6}{\sim}1{\times}10^{-5}$). CONCLUSION(S): Therefore, if these two local residents consume continuously with arsenic contaminated soil, ground water, and rice, the adverse health effects (carcinogenic potential) would be more increased.