• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.235-242
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• 2014

Uranium can be released into the water environment from natural sources and human activities. The natural source of uranium is dominant in the Korean soil and groundwater environments. Uranium has both of radioactive and chemical toxic properties. Therefore, a drinking water contaminated with uranium has a high health risk. This study was conducted to determine the uranium concentration of water systems including small village drinking water system, groundwater for drinking water purpose, spring water, groundwater monitoring well, and emergency water suppling system. The uranium concentration was compared with domestic and other countries' standard. The contamination level was also evaluated on the basis of geological characteristics of the area. Among total 803 samples, 6 exceeded the Korean standard, $30{\mu}g/{\ell}$ and this was about 0.7% of the total sample. On the basis of geology, uranium concentration appeared to be increased in order of biotite granodiorite > biotite granite > gneissoid granite. The highest level of uranium was 12.4 in average.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 1977

Main objectives of this survey were to find out general sanitary status of water source, draining status and toilet in Shindong Myun, Chungseong Gun. Interviewers of fourteen students visited 1,775 households in this Myun, filled the survey form and checked sanitary conditions of the areas from September 1 to November 30, 1974. Results are summarized as follows: 1. Draining state of pumps is better than that of wells and also the the quality of water sources are better in pumps than in wells. Wells and pumps of 54.1% were constructed more than five years ago. 2. About 66.7% use pump water, 10.5% well water and 8.3% simple piped drinking water system and average water consumption is 22.7l per day per capita. Private water system is 66.0% while public system 27.1%. 3. Water is used for drinking, washing body and cleaning at 53.8% while only for drinking at 7.4%. 4. Nearest pollution sources of drinking water are mainly toilets and stables, and average distances between them are less than ten meters. 5. Toilets of 78.3% are used only by one households and those of 12.9% by two. 6. Toilets of 10.9% are inside main building while those of 85.4% outside main building. 7. Toilet tanks are covered only at 6.3% households while not covered at 95.4%. The contents of tanks are removed about twice a month (40.2%), and 84.1% use them as fertilizer on their own farm and contents of 10.1% are removed by other people. 8. Excreta are utilized on the vegetable farm by 38.2% households, on the vegetable and barley farms by 19.7% and on the paddy fields by 8.2%.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.2 s.42
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• pp.192-201
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• 1993

Epidemiologic investigation was conducted on January, 1993 in Seoul to identify the cause of an infant methemoglobinemia. Field investigation of the area of outbreak, survey of household and family members, analysis of ground water, and blood tests of involved family members were performed. Following results were obtained On analyzing the quality of the ground water on patient's household high levels of nitrate was found indicating contamination of water as the cause of a methemoglobinemia outbreak. On analysing the quality of the ground waters on seven other places within the neighborhood five were contaminated by nitrate in concentration that exceeded the permissible limit implying presence nearby source of contamination. Sources of contamination were thought to be originating from human waste in conventional bathroom facilities, chicken manure used in nearby orchards and plant fields or fertilizers. But the results of water analysis with presence of bacteria or E.coli, concentration of potassium, phosphate and the past history of diarrhea among family members, chicken manure suggested the most possible source of contamination. To evaluate the health status of members in the neighborhood past history was reviewed revealing no prior existence of patient with cyanosis and 65 people in the neighborhood had normal levels of methemoglobin concentration in their blood. Conclusively, the ground water on patient's household was contaminated with nitrate and despite provision of adequate water supply, family members of the patient along with their distrust in the water supply system had used ground water as their source of drinking water resulting of methemoglobinemia. Many suburban area of Seoul and country side thought to be having similar problems concerning contaminated ground water supply and dormant outbreak of patients as a result of the drinking of the contaminated water. Epidemiologic investigation and water analysis of ground waters are advised.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2015

As the water supply system has been installed over the country, the management of drinking water could be easier and controlled by experts. This helps to supply safe water to public. However, in rural area, small scale water treatment systems or groundwater haves been used as drinking water supplier. The drinking water including groundwater contains various contaminants. Private or small scale water treatment system can be contaminated with heavy metals such as arsenic, selenium and strontium which are usually originated from natural source. Arsenic, selenium and strontium have been determined from the goundwater, small scale water treatment system in the Kyungpook area. The results have been compared with the Korean and international standards. The results were analyzed on the geological characteristics of the area. Among the total of 1,412 samples, 76 samples showed higher concentration of arsenic than WHO guideline and the Korean drinking water standard. Total 4 samples had higher contents of selenium than WHO guideline which was $10{\mu}g/L$. In the analysis of geological characteristics, arsenic was highly released from a few area and which are in order of biotite granodiorite > biotite granite > daegu formation. Selenium has been highly released from biotite granite > black shale > diluvium.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1191-1193
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• 2003

Water quantity and quality monitoring at Taipei Watershed Management Bureau (WRATB) is not only a daily business but also a long term job. WRATB is responsible for providing high quality drinking water to about four millions population in Taipei. The quality of drinking water provided by WRATB is among one of the best in Taiwan. The total area is 717 square kilometers. The water resource pollution is usually divided into two categories, point source pollution and nonpoint source pollution. Garbage disposal is the most important component of the point source pollution, especially those by tourist during holidays and weekends. Pesticide pollution, fertilizer pollution, and natural pollution are the major contributions for nonpoint source pollution. The objective of this paper is to implement remote sensing, geographic information systems, and global positioning systems to monitor water quantity and water quality at WRATB. There are 12 water quality monitoring stations and four water gauge stations at WRATB. The coordinates of the 16 stations were determined by GPS devices and created into the base maps. MapObjects and visual BASIC were implemented to create application modules for water quality and quantity monitoring. Water quality of the two major watersheds at WRATB was put on Internet for public review monthly. The GIS software, ArcIMS, can put location maps and attributes of all 16 stations on Internet for general public review and technical implementations at WRATB. Inquiry and statistic charts automatic manipulations for the past 18 years are also available. Garbage disposal by community and tourist were also managed by GIS and GPS. The storage, collection, and transportation of garbage were reviewed by ArcMap file format. All garbage cart and garbage can at WRATB can be displayed on the base maps. Garbage disposal by tourist during holidays and weekends can be managed by a PDA with a GPS device and a digital camera. Man power allocation for tourist garbage disposal management can be done in an integration of GIS and GPS. Monitoring of water quality and quantity at WRATB can be done on Internet and by a PDA.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2013

Vietnam is a developing country with the rate around 5%-6% per year, especially in urban areas. Rapidly developed urban areas lead to stress for infrastructure and the water supply is also stressed. In Hanoi city, total water capacity from the manufactories is around one million cubic meters per day and almost the entire main water source is groundwater but it is not enough to supply all of Hanoi's people, especially in the summer. A demo project is implemented in Hanoi University of Civil Engineering (HUCE) to produce drinking water by using the rainwater and membrane system and supply for people. In this project, rainwater is collected on the rooftop of the lecture building with an area of around $500m^2$ and $100m^3$ volumetric rainwater tanks. Afterwards, the rainwater is treated by the micro-membrane system and supplied to the tap water. Total cost for construction, technology and operation in the first year is around USD 48,558. In the long-term (15 yr) if HUCE invests in the same system, with $20m^3$ volumetric storage tank, it can provide drinking water for 500 staffs in every year. The cost of investment and operation for this system is lower than 30% compared to buying bottled water with the price USD 1.8/bottle. The drinking water parameters after treatment are pH, 7.3-7.75; turbidity, 0.6-0.8 NUT; total dissolved solids, 60-89 mg/L; coliform, 0; heavy metal similar with water quality in the bottle water in Vietnam.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.142-142
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• 2001

A national survey for enteric virus contamination in treated water and its source water was performed from March to November 1999. The water samples were subjected to virus filtration at the major water plants producing over 10$^5$ tons treated water per day. Twenty surveyed sites encompass most of heavily populated residential area except for Seoul and Pusan. (omitted)

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2010

Based on a survey of citizens and data analysis on the environmental status of the Miyun Reservoir watershed, China, the environmental awareness of citizens residing in the watershed and the impacting factors are discussed. The contingent valuation method was used to evaluate the willingness of villagers to pay (WTP) for abatement of the rural domestic pollution and to assess the intensity level of the villagers' desire for improving environmental conditions in the Miyun Reservoir watershed. It was found that rural watershed residents had a fundamental cognitive understanding of the pollution status and protection measures of the Miyun Reservoir. However, based on the survey, local residents had only a small interest in their participation to improve the environmental status of the reservoir, despite their general attitude to protect the reservoir being very positive. Gender and family income were closely associated with the overall attitudes of the population. Public media are the most preferable means for conveying knowledge of environmental protection to people living in the watershed. Increasing the educational level, along with income, are the best ways to enhance the desire of the villagers to improve the environmental quality and management.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.431-436
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• 2006

This study was conducted in the summer of 2005 in Shindong-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do to assess the quality of drinking water and to evaluate their potential pollutants. Ninety four water samples were collected from three classes of water supplies such as simple piped water, supplied own water and others (Supplied local water). Most residents used simple piped water (72.63%). 31.25% residents thought the water quality was bad and landfill was the main source of pollution that affected water quality. To correspond this perception, water quality was measured according to Drinking Water Quality Standard. The general bacteria, coliforms, and $NO_3-N$ exceeded the standard but the water qualities in these four areas were suitable for Drinking Water Quality Standard. The simple piped water showed low mean concentration of excess rate compared to supplied own piped water except general bacteria. Hardness, pH, and $NO_3-N$ showed significantly higher effects on drinking water quality. To evaluate the effect of effluent from landfill, water quality was measured according to distance and altitude. However, there was no effect of landfill effluent. To find out the effect of rainfall, we compared water quality of the year 2003 with that of 2005. The result showed significant differences in hardness and $NO_3-N$ concentration. This study confirmed that $NO_3-N$, coliforms, and general bacteria are main pollutant of water supply in rural community. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly maintain simple piped water supply, supplement sewer facilities, and educate residents about public health risk associated with drinking water in rural area.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2003

Nitrate contamination by human activities is a serious problem to water-supply in agricultural area. Shallow groundwater is the main source of water-supply, but it is very sensitive to contamination. Study area for nitrate contamination is a region of Iljuk, Kyunggi where is an agricultural area having many livestock facilities in various scales. As a result, the points having availability of incoming of external contaminant are 77%, and the ones over the Drinking Water Limit (DWL) are 32～42%. For a nitrogen isotope analysis, all the points having availability of incoming of external contaminant have $\delta$$^{15}$ N-NO$_3$ values over 5$\textperthousand$, and the points of 59% are strongly affected by nitrogen originated from animal wastes. The major source of nitrate in this area is intensive livestock facilities. Even though a livestock facility had enclosed, it affects groundwater quality for a long time. The chemical property of contaminant source is various according to animal species in surface water, but not in groundwater since some solutes are removed by reactions during an inflow to subsurface.