• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.257-271
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• 2002

One of the main interests in relation to heavily contaminated gully-pot sediment in urban area is the short term mobility of heavy metals, which depends on the pH of acidic rainwater and on the buffering effects of carbonate minerals. The buffering effects of carbonates are determined by titration (acid addition). Leaching experiments are carried out in solutions with variable initial HN03 contents for 24h. The gully-pot sediment appears to be predominantly buffered by calcite and dolomite. In case of sediment samples, which highly contain carbonates, pH decreases more slowly with increasing acidity. On the other hand, for the sediment samples, which less contain carbonate minerals, pH rapidly drops until it reaches about 2 then it decreases slowly. The leaching reactions are delayed until more acid is added to compensate for the buffering effects of carbonates. The Zn, Cu, Pb and Mn concentrations of leachate rapidly increase with decreased pH, while Cd, Co, Ni, Cr and Fe dissolutions are very slow and limited. The solubility of heavy metals depends not only on thc pH values of leachatc but also on the speciation in which metals are associated with sediment particles. In slightly to moderately acid conditions, Zn, Cd, Co, Ni and Cu dissolutions become increasingly important. As deduced from leaching runs, the relative mobility of heavy metals at pH of 5 is found to be: Zn > Cd > Co > Ni > Cu » Pb > Cr, suggesting that moderately acid rainwater leach Zn, Cd, Co, Ni and Cu from thc contaminated gully-pot sediment, while Pb and Cr would remain fixed. The buffering effects of Ca- and Mg-carbonates play an important role in delaying as well as limiting the leaching reactions of heavy metals from highly contaminated gully-pot sediment. The extent of such a secondary environmental pollution will thus depends on how well the metals in sediment can be leached by somewhat acidic rain water. Changes in the physicochemical environments may result in the severe environmental pollution of heavy metals. These results are to be taken into account in the management of contaminated sediments during rainstorms.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.1121-1129
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• 2003

We report the distributions of Sb and As in the surface sediment of the Yellow Sea and the coastal areas of Korea. The mean concentrations of Sb and As range from 0.68 ppm to 1.01 ppm and from 7.4 ppm to 15.8 ppm, respectively, and show relatively the high concentrations at the coast of Weolseong in the East Sea for Sb and at the coast of Gadeok Island in the South Sea far As. This may be due to the anthropogenic input of these elements via river and atmosphere from industry complex and agriculture regions around the study areas. Because of the difference of clay to silt proportion, the correlation between silt plus clay contents and Sb, As in the coastal surface sediment of Korea is not shown, the concentrations of Sb and As vary widely for the sample in which the silt plus clay contents are the same. Therefore, we suggest that the distribution patterns of Sb and As in surface sediment of the Yellow Sea and the coastal areas of Korea are mainly controlled by the anthropogenic inputs and the sediment characteristics. On the other hand, the Sb concentrations are lower than those of the lowest effect level which is the standard of judgment for contamination, while the As concentrations are higher than those of the lowest effect level. This implies that the surface sediments of the Yellow Sea and the coastal areas of Korea are considerably contaminated for As.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.216-221
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• 2016

The adsorption characteristics of mixed heavy metals (Cr(III), As(VI)) in aqueous solution were investigated using a sediment amendment composite. Sediment amendment composite was composed of clean sediment (40%), zeolite (20%), recycled aggregate (10%), steel slag (10%), oyster shell (10%), and cement (10%). The experimental results showed that the adsorption equilibrium was attained after 180 mins. Heavy metal adsorption was characterized using Freundlich and Langmuir equations. The equilibrium adsorption data for the sediment amendment composite better fitted with the Langmuir model than the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) (36.07 mg/g) was higher than As(III) (25.54 mg/g); and the adsorption efficiency of the Cr(VI) and As(III) ions solution decreased with decreasing pH from 2 to 10. The collective results suggested that the sediment amendment composite is a promising material for a reactive cap that controls the release of Cr(VI) and As(III) from contaminated sediments.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.102-111
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• 2013

A novel MgO-based binder was developed and applied to treat the anoxic sediment that was collected from Seonakdong river, Korea and was contaminated with heavy metals. The treated sediment was evaluated by measuring compressive strength, expansion, leaching of heavy metals and storage characteristics for $CO_2$. Initially, an optimal blending ratio of lime (L)/fly ash (FA)/blast furnace slag (BFS) that was to be mixed with MgO was screened to be $L_{0.3}-FA_{0.1}-BFS_{0.6}$. Long-term strengths of the sediments that were treated by various mixtures of MgO and $L_{0.3}-FA_{0.1}-BFS_{0.6}$ were then evaluated and the blending ratios between 4 : 6 and 6 : 4 were found optimal, which yielded a compressive strength of 4.09 MPa. On this basis, the optimal MgO-based binder was selected to be a 5 : 5 mixture of MgO and $L_{0.3}-FA_{0.1}-BFS_{0.6}$. The good performance of the MgO-based binder was believed to be due to the formation of Mg $(OH)_2$, which filled the micropores and also increased the density of the solidified matrices. The MgO-based binder exhibited an average stabilizing capacities for heavy metals of 92.9%, which was similar to or higher than that of Portland cement. It was found that 69.1 kg of carbon dioxide could be sequestrated after 365 days of curing when treating a ton of anoxic sediments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.311-316
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• 2005

A laboratory study on the adsorption of nitrate contaminated in nearshore water using various materials including several types of dredged sediments(ST) and yellow clays(YC), which are activated by hear(HT), bioleaching for heavy metal removal(BL) and neutralization(NR) was performed. The equilibrium time of the adsorption for the sediment bioleached and treated by heat(BL-HT-ST) was only 17min. which was faster than the sediment bioleached, neutralized and treated by heat(BL-NR-HT-S) (25min) or the sediment treated by the bioleaching process(BL-ST)(27min), but longer equilibrium times for yellow clay(YC) or heat treated yello clay(HT-YC) were required. The adsorption processes of nitrate in sea water for tested material could be described by Freundlich isotherm, but were significantly affected by surface characteristics of the materials. The adsorption capacities for raw sediment and heat treated sediment were 2.12, 2.19mg $NO_{3}$-N/g, respectively, which were higher than others, indicating that the sediment activated by heat could be used as a material for the improvement of nearshore water quality.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.31-39
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• 2002

Pollutants from industry, mining, agriculture, and other sources have contaminated sediments in many surface water bodies. Sediment contamination poses a severe threat to human health and environment because many toxic contaminants that are barely detectable in the water column can accumulate in sediments at much higher levels. The purpose of this study was to make optimal treatment and disposal plan o( sediment for water quality improvement in small-scale resevoir based on an evaluation of degree of contamination. The degree of contamination were investigated for 23 samples of 9 site at different depth of sediment in small-scale J river. Results for analysis of contaminated sediments were observed that copper concentration of 4 samples were higher than the regulation of hazardous waste (3 mg/L) and that of all samples were exceeded soil pollution warning levels for agricultural areas. Lead and mercury concentration of all samples were detected below both regulations. Necessary of sediment dredge was evaluated for organic matter and nutrient through standard levels of Paldang lake and the lower Han river in Korea and Tokyo bay and Yokohama bay in Japan. The degree of contamination for organic matter and nutrient was not serious. Compared standard levels of Japan, America, and Canada for heavy metal, contaminated sediment was concluded as lowest effect level or limit of tolerance level because standard levels of America and Canada was established worst effect of benthic organisms. The optimal treatment method of sediment contained heavy metal was cement-based solidification/stabilization to prevent heavy metal leaching.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.244-253
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• 2010

The quality of marine sediments from the industrialized coastal areas of Korea (Ulsan Bay, Masan Bay, and artificial Lake Shihwa) was investigated using a bacterial bioluminescence toxicity test. Sediment toxicity results were compared with the levels of chemical contamination (trace metals, organic wastewater markers, acid volatile sulfides, total organic carbon). Effective concentration 50% (EC50) of sediments ranged from 0.014 to 1.126 mg/mL, which is comparable to or lower than values in contaminated lakes, rivers, and marine sediments of other countries. Sediment reference index (SRI) ranged from 13 to 1044, based on the EC50 of the negative control sample. Mean average SRI values in Masan Bay and Lake Shihwa were approximately 8 and 9 times as high as that in Ulsan Bay, indicating higher sediment toxicity and greater contamination in the two former regions. Sediment toxicity were strongly associated with the concentrations of some chemicals, suggesting that this test may be useful for determining potential chemical contamination in sediments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.347-350
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• 2002

Arsenic speciation changes between As(V) and As(III) are subject to changes in accordance with redox conditions in the environment. It is common to find contaminated sites associated with mixed wastes including both organic pollutants and heavy metals. We conducted microcosm experiment under hypothesis that the co-disposed organic pollutants would influence on the arsenic forms and concentrations, via degradation of the organic pollutants and the consequent impact on the redox conditions in soil. Artificially contaminated soil samples were run for 40 days with control samples without artificial contamination. We noticed arsenic in the contaminated soil showed different behaviour compared with the arsenic in the control soil. The findings indicate degradation of organic pollutants in the contaminated soil influenced on the arsenic speciation and concentrations. A further work is needed to understand the process quantitatively. However, we could confirm that degradation of organic pollutants can influence on the abiotic processes associated with geochemical reactions in contaminated soil. Degradation of organic pollutants can increase the mobility and toxicity of arsenic in soil and sediment by changing redox conditions in the geological media and subsequently from As(V) to As(III).

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.101-105
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• 2014

Three magnesium compounds, $MgO_2$, MgO, and $Mg(OH)_2$, which are supposed to supply oxygen continuously, were applied onto contaminated bay sediment and its ecology in order to activate the local microbial flora. Those compounds were found to reduce chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (T-N), and total phosphorus (T-P). Magnesium oxide, in particular, reduced COD by 30% and T-N and T-P considerably. All compounds also suppressed the release of pollutants in the order $MgO_2$, MgO, and $Mg(OH)_2$. Analysis of microbial flora showed that the microbial group treated by $MgO_2$ and $Mg(OH)_2$ was predictably stable; meanwhile, that treated by MgO increased the number of species, but decreased the total number of microorganisms.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.851-855
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• 2002

A comparison of Daphnia magna, Ceriodaphnia dubia and Simocephalus mixtus toxicity test was performed to study the relative sensitivities and discrimination abilities with both pore and elutriate water of Woopo wetland sediments. Sediment risk assessment has been done by standardized preparation method of pore and elutriate water described in the joint US EPA-US Army Crops of Engineers manual. Simocephalus mixtus which was obtained from Woopo wetlands in Korea was cultured and applied to sediment toxicity test. Water quality in Woopo wetland had great site and seasonal variations. S. mixtus was more sensitive than D. magna in heavy metal toxicity test. The toxicity results with S. mixtus reflected the water quality of elutriate and pore water. The results also suggested that S. mixtus could be used as a test organism in estimating potential risk of contaminated sediments.