• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.461-468
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• 2019

Background: This study aimed to identify NO₃^--N sources using the stable isotope δ¹⁵N in Chydorus sphaericus (OF Müller), to investigate hydrological characteristics and nutrient states in artificial wetlands near the Nakdong River. Chydorus sphaericus is dominant in wetlands where aquatic plants are abundant, occurring in high density, and is sensitive to wetland water pollution, making it suitable for identification of NO₃^--N sources. Results: NO₃^--N sources for each wetland were strongly dependent on hydrological characteristics. Wetlands with sewage or rainfall/groundwater as their main sources had high levels of NO₃^--N, whereas wetlands with surface water as their main input had comparatively lower levels. Since wetlands with sewage and rainfall/groundwater as their main water sources were mostly detention ponds, their inputs from tributaries or the main river stream were limited and nutrients such as NO₃^--N easily become concentrated. Changes in NO₃^--N levels at each wetland were closely associated with δ¹⁵N of C. sphaericus. Interestingly, regression analysis also showed positive correlation between δ¹⁵N of C. sphaericus and NO₃^--N level. Conclusions: We conclude that the nitrate stable isotope (δ¹⁵N) of C. sphaericus can be used to elucidate the hydrological characteristics of riverine wetlands. This information is important for maintenance and conservation of artificial wetlands at the Nakdong River.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.27-42
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• 2018

It is important to identify the contaminant sources and to evaluate the fate and transport of heavy metals to crops in agricultural lands. This study was conducted to evaluate metal sources and its transfer and accumulation to crop in agricultural soils. Pollution indices were calculated and multivariate analysis was performed to identify metal sources. To evaluate transfer and accumulation of metals to crops, the contents of phytoavailable metals were evaluated by using single extraction method and the correlation between metal content and soil properties was analyzed. Also the BCF was quantitatively evaluated for investigating the metal transition to each crop grown in the research area. As a result, Cr, Ni, and Co were expected to be mainly derived from geologic factors due to weathering of certain parent rocks. The content of nickel in soils of the research area was slightly higher than that of the concern level criteria based on total concentration, but the amount transferred and accumulated in the crops was actually low. Understanding the contamination characteristics by investigating the pollution sources of heavy metals and its transfer and accumulation to crops through various evaluation techniques could provide important information for proper management of the agricultural land.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.129-140
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• 1998

In this study two sites were selected to investigate groundwater contamination and spatial relationship between pollution level and its source. One is the Asan area, agricultural district where pollution sources are scattered. The other is the Gurogu area of Seoul city, industrial district where industrial complex and residential areas are located. Groundwater samples collected from these districts were analysis for chemical constituents. The attribute value files of the chemical constituents of groundwater and the spatial layers have been constructed and the pollution properties have been investigated to find out spatial relationships between the groundwater constituents and pollution sources using CIS. Relatively high contents of Si and HCO$_3$ in groundwater from the Asan area reflect the effect of water-rock interaction, whereas high contents of Cl, NO$_3$, SO$_4$and Ca in groundwater from the Gurogu area are due to the pollution of various sources. Pollution over the critical level of Korean Dinking Water Standard has been investigated from 15 sampling sites out of 40 in the Asan area, and 33 sampling sites out of 51 in the Gurogu area. There is pollution of NO$_3$, Cl, Fe, Mn, SO$_4$and Zn in groundwater from the Gurogu area, and that of NO$_3$, SO$_4$and Zn in groundwater from the Asan area. Principal pollution in both areas is NO$_3$contamination. Deep groundwater from the Asan area is not contaminated with NO$_3$except for one site and most of shallow groundwater near the potential point sources such as factory and stock farm is contaminated seriously. Groundwater from the Gurogu area has been already polluted seriously considering the fact of contamination of deep groundwater. This study reports a spatial relationship between the pollution level and pollution source using GIS.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.93-108
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• 2013

This study is aimed to prepare the effective detail survey methods(Phase II) of abandoned metal mines through the contamination assessment for mine types and facilities in the abandoned metal mine areas. The study sites of 12 abandoned mines are located in Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do and those were chosen among 310 sites that the Phase II survey was conducted from 2007 to 2009 after considering the results of Phase I for abandoned mines scattered all over the country. 12 study sites were classified into four types; Type I sites only have pit mouth. Type II sites have pit mouth and mine-waste field. Type III sites have pit mouth and tailing sorting field. Type IV sites have pit mouth, tailing sorting field and concentrator(s). In forest land, paddy soil and farm land of Type I, As and Cd were showed average concentration, and Cu and Pb were high on the pit mouth area in one mines where the pit mouth was developed within 500 m. In the mines of Type II, Cu and Pb were showed average concentration too, but As and Cd were slightly high in pit mouth and mine-waste field. The mines of Type III which had grinding particle process through physical separation milling or hitting showed similar tendency with Type II. However, mines of Type IV pit mouth, mine-waste field and showed various results depending on defining the contamination sources. For example, if contamination source was pit mouth, the mixed results of Type I, II, II were showed. In tailing sorting field which was regarded as the most important source and having high mobility, however, if there were no facilities or it was difficult to access directly, field sampling was missed occasionally during phase I and phase II survey. For that reason, the assessment for tailing sorting field is missed and it leads to completely different results. In the areas of Type I mines, the concentration of heavy metals exceeded precautionary standards of soil contamination or not within 1,000 meters of pit mouth. Nickel(Ni) was the largest factor of the heavy metal contamination in this type. The heavy metals except Arsenic(As) were shown high levels of concentration in Type II areas, where pit mouth and mine-waste field were operated for making powder in upriver region; therefore, to the areas in the vicinity of midstream and downstream, the high content of heavy metals were shown. The tendency of high level of heavy metals and toxic materials contained in flotation agent used during sorting process were found in soil around sorting and tailing field. In the abandoned-pit-mouth area, drygrinding area and tailing sorting field area, the content of Cupper(Cu) and Zinc(Zn) were higher than other areas. Also, the contaminated area were larger than mine reclamation area(2,000 m) and the location of tailing sorting field was one of the important factors to estimate contaminated area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.331-341
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• 2023

When creating a soil contamination map using geostatistical techniques, there are various sources that can affect prediction errors. In this study, a grid-based soil contamination map was created from the sampling data of heavy metal concentrations in soil in abandoned mine areas using Ordinary Kriging. Five factors that were judged to affect the prediction error of the soil contamination map were selected, and the variation of the root mean squared error (RMSE) between the predicted value and the actual value was analyzed based on the Leave-one-out technique. Then, using a machine learning algorithm, derived the top three factors affecting the RMSE. As a result, it was analyzed that Variogram Model, Minimum Neighbors, and Anisotropy factors have the largest impact on RMSE in the Standard interpolation. For the variogram models, the Spherical model showed the lowest RMSE, while the Minimum Neighbors had the lowest value at 3 and then increased as the value increased. In the case of Anisotropy, it was found to be more appropriate not to consider anisotropy. In this study, through the combined use of geostatistics and machine learning, it was possible to create a highly reliable soil contamination map at the local scale, and to identify which factors have a significant impact when interpolating a small amount of soil heavy metal data.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.655-665
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• 2011

Contamination of butyltin compounds (BTs), namely tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), was evaluated in sediments collected inside Jeju Harbor in 2001. The concentrations of BTs in surface sediments were comparable to those in other sites of domestic and foreign countries. The high correlations between BTs in surface ($r^2$ = 0.83~0.91) and core ($r^2$ = 0.70~0.79) sediments and the significant correlations between BTs concentrations and the number of incoming and outgoing vessels indicated that DBT and MBT were mainly degraded from TBT based on antifouling paints of vessels etc. and other sources, such as DBT and MBT, could be ignored. The butyltin degradation indices ([DBT] + [MBT]/[TBT]) in surface sediments were in the range of 2.2~3.6 (mean 2.7), indicating that the parent compound, TBT, was inflowed into the surface sediments a long ago, degraded and deposited. The sedimentation age of BTs contaminated core sediments could not estimated because the content of $^{210}Pb$ activity was nearly all the same and so the sedimentation rate could not obtained.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.163-174
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• 2011

Butyltin compounds in seawater, sediments and organisms inside Jeju Harbor of Jeju Island, Korea, were quantitatively determined to assess the extent of contamination and to evaluate the bioaccumulation in Thais clavigera (gastropod), Liolophura japonica and Cellana nigrolineata. In addition, imposex in T. clavigera was used to assess the sublethal effect of tributyltin compounds and its usage as a specific biomarker for these compounds was also studied. The main species in seawater was tributyltin (TBT) in March and June, monobutyltin (MBT) in August, but in sediments and organisms it was dibutyltin (DBT) and TBT, respectively, irrespective of survey time. TBT, the most toxic to aquatic organisms among BTs, was found at concentrations which were sufficient to have a serous effect on the sensitive organisms upon chronic exposure. The high correlations (r>0.7) between BTs indicated that DBT and MBT were mainly degraded from TBT based on antifouling paints and their sources were negligible. The sedimentary organic matters have little influence on the distribution of BTs in marine environment and the lipid content in T. clavigera showed a significant correlation with TBT concentrations. Measurement of imposex T. clavigera was expected to be a very helpful tool for preliminary survey of BTs prior to trace analysis of those.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.1229-1235
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• 2007

Railway-contaminated soil is categorized by total petroleum hydrocarbon(TPH)-related contamination and heavy-metal contamination. The sources of TPH are diesel and lubricant. In this study, the feasibility of soil washing, chemical oxidation and ultra-sonication were investigated to treat lubricant-contaminated railway soil. tergitol, a non-ionic surfactant, was investigated as a washing agent. However, it is not effective to remove lubricant from soil even though tergitol is most effective washing agent for diesel-contaminated soil. Addition of alcohols with surfactant enhanced slightly washing efficiency of the lubricant-contaminated soil. To remediate railway-contaminated soil, source of pollution should be considered.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.529-531
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• 2003

In order to investigate the level of heavy metal contamination and the seasonal variation of metal concentrations in soils and sediments influenced by past mining activities, tailings, soil and sediment samples were collected from the Hwacheon mine in Korea. The main pollution sources in this mine site are suggested as tailings and mine waste rocks. Elevated levels of Cd, Pb and Zn were found in soils and sediments. In a study of seasonal variation on the heavy metals in soils and sediments, heavy metals were higher enriched collected from before rainy season ($2^{nd}$ sampling) than after rainy season ($1^{st}$ sampling). Also, in order to estimate the microbial effects on Cd speciation in sediments, bacteria which can adsorb Cd was isolated and Cd adsorption characteristics of isolated bacteria in Cd solution was evaluated. The Cd bioremoval efficiency in Cd solution (5 ppm) by bacteria was more than $90\%$. Bioremoval efficiency in single metal solution was higher than that in mixed metal solution of Pb and Zn.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.220-225
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• 1999

The environmental conditions in smallholder dairy farms especially the effects of dairy wastes on waters and soil were the main objectives of this investigation. Forty-three dairy farms from an older dairy cooperative (Nongpho Dairy Cooperative, NP) were compared with four dairy fauns from relatively new dairy cooperative (Kamphaengsaen Dairy Cooperative, KS) for the quality parameters of water and soil samples during a 12-month period. Forty-three farms at NP were from three geographical areas and three levels farm crowdedness. The results from this study clearly showed that the waste waters from older dairy barns contained much higher levels of organic and inorganic substances which could create environmental pollution if not properly managed. The differences in waste water qualities due to areas and seasons were not significant, while waste water samples from crowded farms tended to contain higher averages of waste water parameters such as COD and BOD. Highly significant correlations between pairs of waste water parameters indicated that certain parameters can be used without the need for chemical analysis of some other parameters. The qualities of well water on dairy farms as well as water samples from public waterways nearby indicated some contamination of dairy wastes such as manure. Storage and sun-drying of dairy manure on bare soil surface could result in the contamination of underground water and nearby water sources. Some recommendations from this study if implemented can prevent environmental pollution in smallholder dairy farms.