• Title/Summary/Keyword: Geochemical controls

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Some Speculations on Mechanisms Controlling the Concentrations of Airborne Lead in the Atmosphere (대기 중 납의 농도를 조절하는 요인에 대한 고찰)

  • 김기현;김동술;이태정
    • Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.13 no.2
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    • pp.171-174
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    • 1997
  • To provide better insights into the factors and processes regulating the geochemical behavior of airborne lead (Pb), we have investigated several important aspects of its distribution characteristics using the data collected from the Kyung Hee University-Suwon Campus during 1989 through 1994. Although the Pb data in the area reflected the effects of many anthropogenic activities ongoing in the area, the data were quite useful to assess the geochemical facets affecting the temporal distributions of lead as well as particulate matter (PM). The analysis of these data indicated that the Pb patterns were characteristic of enriched Pb levels during odd-numbered years relative to even-numbered years, while those of PM were exhibiting pronouncingly different patterns. Despite many similarities and differences found between year-to-year distribution patterns, of Pb data, it was possible to discuss the facts associated with relatively high concentrations in the years 1991 and 1993 via normalization of Pb against PM data. According to this procedure, we were able to conclude that relative enrichment in Pb levels during 1991 was due to enhanced input of PM, while that of the year 1993 came from more chemically-oriented processes such as active adsorptive scavenging of Pb onto the PM surface. Based on our comparative analysis of the size-fractionated PM and Pb data sets, we propse that two distinctive mechanisms that are both of phyical (1991) and chemical nature (1993) exerted controls over the observed distribution patterns of airborne Pb in the atmosphere of Suwon.

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Hydrograph Separation using Geochemical tracers by Three-Component Mixing Model for the Coniferous Forested Catchment in Gwangneung Gyeonggido, Republic of Korea

  • Kim, Kyongha;Yoo, Jae-Yun
    • Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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    • v.96 no.5
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    • pp.561-566
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    • 2007
  • This study was conducted to clarify runoff production processes in forested catchment through hydrograph separation using three-component mixing model based on the End Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA) model. The study area is located in the coniferous-forested experimental catchment, Gwangneung Gyeonggido near Seoul, Korea (N 37 45', E 127 09'). This catchment is covered by Pinus Korainensis and Abies holophylla planted at stocking rate of 3,000 trees $ha^{-1}$ in 1976. Thinning and pruning were carried out two times in the spring of 1996 and 2004 respectively. We monitored 8 successive events during the periods from June 15 to September 15, 2005. Throughfall, soil water and groundwater were sampled by the bulk sampler. Stream water was sampled every 2-hour through ISCO automatic sampler for 48 hours. The geochemical tracers were determined in the result of principal components analysis. The concentrations of $SO_4{^{2-}$ and $Na^+$ for stream water almost were distributed within the bivariate plot of the end members; throughfall, soil water and groundwater. Average contributions of throughfall, soil water and groundwater on producing stream flow for 8 events were 17%, 25% and 58% respectively. The amount of antecedent precipitation (AAP) plays an important role in determining which end members prevail during the event. It was found that ground water contributed more to produce storm runoff in the event of a small AAP compared with the event of a large AAP. On the other hand, rain water showed opposite tendency to ground water. Rain water in storm runoff may be produced by saturation overland flow occurring in the areas where soil moisture content is near saturation. AAP controls the producing mechanism for storm runoff whether surface or subsurface flow prevails.

Occurrence of Vanadium in Groundwater of Jeju Island, Korea (제주도 지하수 내 바나듐의 산출 특성)

  • Hyun, Ik-Hyun;Yun, Seong-Taek;Kim, Ho-Rim;Kam, Sang-Kyu
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.25 no.11
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    • pp.1563-1573
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    • 2016
  • The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of vanadium in Jeju Island groundwater, focusing on the spatio-temporal patterns and geochemical controlling factors of vanadium. For this, we collected two sets of groundwater data: 1) concentrations of major constituents of 2,595 groundwater samples between 2008 and 2014 and 2) 258 groundwater samples between December 2006 and June 2008. The concentrations of groundwater vanadium were in the range of $0.2{\sim}71.0{\mu}g/L$ (average, $12.0{\mu}g/L$) and showed local enrichments without temporal/seasonal variation. This indicated that vanadium distribution was controlled by 1) the geochemical/mineralogical composition and dissolution processes of original materials (i.e., volcanic rock) and 2) the flow and chemical properties of groundwater. Vanadium concentration was significantly positively correlated with that of major ions ($Cl^-$, $Na^+$, and $K^+$) and trace metals (As, Cr, and Al), and with pH, but was negatively correlated with $NO_3-N$ concentration. The high concentrations of vanadium (>$15{\mu}g/L$) occurred in typically alkaline groundwater with high pH (${\geq}8.0$), indicating that a higher degree of water-rock interaction resulted in vanadium enrichment. Thus, higher concentrations of vanadium occurred in groundwater of $Na-Ca-HCO_3$, $Na-Mg-HCO_3$ and $Na-HCO_3$ types and were remarkably lower in groundwater of $Na-Ca-NO_3$(Cl) type that represented the influences from anthropogenic pollution.

NATURAL ATTENUATION OF HAZARDOUS INORGANIC COMPONENTS: GEOCHEMISTRY PROSPECTIVE (유해 무기질의 자연정화 : 지화학적 고찰)

  • Lee, Suk-Young;Lee, Chae-Young;Yun, Jun-Ki
    • Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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    • 2002.06a
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    • pp.81-100
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    • 2002
  • While most of regulatory communities in abroad recognize ' 'natural attenuation " to include degradation, dispersion, dilution, sorption (including precipitation and transformation), and volatilization as governing Processes, regulators prefer "degradation" because this mechanism destroys the contaminant of concern. Unfortunately, true degradation only applies to organic contaminants and short- lived radionuclides, and leaves most metals and long-lived radionuclides. The natural attenuation Processes may reduce the potential risk Posed by site contaminants in three ways: (i)contaminants could be converted to a less toxic form througy destructive processes such as biodegradation or abiotic transformations; (ii) potential exposure levels may be reduced by lowering concentrations (dilution and dispersion); and (iii) contaminant mobility and bioavailability may be reduced by sorption to geomedia. In this review, authors will focus will focul on "sorption" among the natural attenuation processes of hazardous inorganic contaminants including radionuclides. Note though that sorption and transformation processes of inorganic contaminants in the natural setting could be influenced by biotic activities but our discussion would limit only to geochemical reactions involved in the natural attenuation. All of the geochemical reactions have been studied in-depth by numerous researchers for many years to understand "retardation" process of contaminants in the geomedia. The most common approach for estimating retardation is the determination of distrubution coefficiendts ($K_{d}$) of contaminants using parametric or mechanistic models. As typocally used in fate and contaminant transport calculations such as predictive models of the natural attenuation, the $K_{d}$ is defined as the ratio of the contaminant concentration in the surrounding aqueous solution when the system is at equilibrium. Unfortunately, generic or default $K_{d}$ values can result in significant error when used to predict contaminant migration rate and to select a site remediation alternative. Thus, to input the best $K_{d}$ value in the contaminant transport model, it is essential that important geochemical processes affecting the transport should be identified and understood. Precipitation/dissolution and adsorption/desorption are considered the most important geochemical processes affecting the interaction of inorganic and radionuclide contaminants with geomedia at the near and far field, respectively. Most of contaminants to be discussed in this presentation are relatively immobile, i.e., have very high $K_{d}$ values under natural geochemical environments. Unfortunately, the obvious containment in a source area may not be good enough to qualify as monitored natural attenuation site unless owner demonstrate the efficacy if institutional controls that were put in place to protect potential receptors. In this view, natural attenuation as a remedial alternative for some of sites contaminated by hazardous-inorganic components is regulatory and public acceptance issues rather than scientific issue.

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Geochemical Reaction Processes and Controls on the Coal Mine Drainage using Pilot-scale Inclined Clarifiers (Pilot 규모의 경사판 침전지 시험을 통한 국내 석탄광산배수내 부유물질의 지구화학적 반응특성 및 조정영향)

  • Lee, SangHoon;Oh, Minah;Lee, Jai-Young;Kwon, Eunhye;Kim, Doyoung;Kim, DukMin
    • Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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    • v.18 no.7
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    • pp.73-80
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    • 2013
  • Fine suspended solids from coal mine drainage were treated in the treating plant, using two different pilot-scale inclined clarifiers: radial and lamella types. Suspended solids in the mine drainage were monitored along with other geochemical factors, and metal contents. Fe and Mn are the main chemical components in the drainage, which exist predominantly as total metal forms, whereas dissolved portion is negligible. The raw mine drainage is subject to physical and chemical treatment using $CaCO_3$ and NaOH, therefore the suspended solids are thought to be composed of Fe and Mn precipitates, possibly $Fe(OH)_3$, along with carbonate precipitates. The elemental composition of precipitates are confirmed by SEM-EDS analysis. As nearly all the dissolved ions were precipitated in the primary process by $CaCO_3$, no further aeration or prolonged oxygenation are of necessity in this plant. Adoption of inclined clarifier proved to be effective in treating fine suspended solids in the current plant. Successful application of the inclined clarifier will also be beneficial to improve the current treating process by excluding the current application of chemical agent in the first stage. The final effluents from the pilot plant meet the national standards and the low dissolved Fe and Mn contents are expected not to cause secondary precipitation after discharge.

Weathering of coal and kerogen : implications on the geochmical carbon and oxygen cycle and the environmental geochemical reactions (탄질 유기물과 케로젠의 풍화 : 탄소와 산소의 지화학적 순환 및 환경화학적 반응에 미치는 영향)

  • 장수범
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.32 no.1
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    • pp.101-111
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    • 1999
  • Sedimentary organic matter, exposed to continental surficial environment, reacts with oxygen supplied from the atmosphee and forms carbon-containing oxidation products. Knowledge of the rate and mechanisms of sedimentary organic matter weathering is important because it is one of the major controls on atmospheric oxygen level through geologic time. Under the abiological conditions, the oxidation rate of coal organic matter by molecular oxygen is enhanced by the increase of oxygen concentration and temperature. At ambient temperature and pressure, aqueous coal oxidation results in the formation of dissolved $CO_2$ dissolved organic carbon and solid oxidation products which are all quantitatively significant reaction products. The effects of pH, ultraviolet light, and microbial activity on the weathering of sedimentary organic matter are poorly contrained. Based on the results of geochmical and environmental studies, it is believed that the photochemical reaction should play an important role in the decomposition and oxidation of sedimentary organic matter removed from the weathering profile. At higher pH conditions, the production rate of DOC can be accelerated due to base catalysis. These high molecular weight oranic matter can react with man-made pollutants such as heavy metal ions via adsorption/desorption or ion exchange reactions. The effect of microbial activity on the oxidative weathering of sedimentary organic matter is poorly understood and remains to be studied.

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Geochemistry and REE content of beach sands along the Atticocycladic coastal zone, Greece

  • Papadopoulos, Argyrios
    • Geosciences Journal
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    • v.22 no.6
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    • pp.955-973
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    • 2018
  • Twenty-eight beach sand samples from the shorelines of Aegean islands adjacent to the plutonic rocks of the Atticocycladic zone were analyzed for major and rare earth element (REE) contents. Results are compared with the adjacent plutonic rocks, in order to determine relative enrichments or depletions and assess the potential for REE exploitation. Among the samples, several are significantly enriched in REE, being deposits of heavy minerals and their concentrations are controlled by the sea waves and local winds. These samples contain Th, U and REE rich minerals such as zircon, xenotime and allanite. The available geochemical characteristics were also used to confirm the parent rocks of the beach sands. The heavy fractions (total, total magnetic and total non-magnetic) of the beach sands are very well correlated with the Heavy REE (HREE) concentrations. Among the minerals of the heavy magnetic fraction, allanite seems to control the REE content in the heavy mineral-enriched samples, while from the heavy non-magnetic fraction, zircon controls mainly the HREE fraction. One site from Mykonos and 3 from Naxos could have potential for REE exploitation as they present the highest ${\Sigma}REE$ and HREE contents than other beach sand placers measured in Greece (Kavala, Sithonia, Maronia, Samothraki, NE Chalkidiki).

Lithologic and Structural Controls and Geochemistry of Uranium Deposition in the Ogcheon Black-Slate Formation (옥천대(沃川帶) 우라늄광층(鑛層)의 구조규제(構造規制) 및 지구화학적(地球化學的) 특성연구(特性硏究))

  • Lee, Dai Sung;Yun, Suckew;Lee, Jong Hyeog;Kim, Jeong Taeg
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.19 no.spc
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    • pp.19-41
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    • 1986
  • Structural, radioactive, petrological, petrochemical, mineralogical and stable isotopic study as well as the review of previous studies of the uranium-bearing slates in the Ogcheon sequence were carried out to examine the lithological and structural controls, and geochemical environment in the uranium deposition in the sequence. And the study was extended to the coal-bearing formation (Jangseong Series-Permian) to compare the geochemical and sedimentologic aspects of uranium chemistry between Ogcheon and Hambaegsan areas. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The uranium mineralization occurs in the carbonaceous black slates of the middle to lower Guryongsan formation and its equivalents in the Ogcheon sequence. In general, two or three uranium-bearing carbonaceous beds are found with about 1 to 1.5km stratigraphic interval and they extend from Chungju to Jinsan for 90km in distance, with intermittent igneous intrusions and structural Jisturbances. Average thickness of the beds ranges from 20 to 1,500m. 2. These carbonaceous slate beds were folded by a strong $F_1$-fold and were refolded by subsequent $F_1$-fold, nearly co-axial with the $F_1$, resulting in a repeated occurrence of similar slate. The carbonaceous beds were swelled in hing zones and were shrinked or thined out in limb by the these foldings. Minor faulting and brecciation of the carbonaceous beds were followed causing metamorphism of these beds and secondary migration and alteration of uranium minerals and their close associations. 3. Uranium-rich zones with high radioactive anomalies are found in Chungju, Deogpyong-Yongyuri, MiwonBoun, Daejeon-Geumsan areas in the range of 500~3,700 cps (corresponds to 0.017~0.087%U). These zones continue along strike of the beds for several tens to a few hundred meters but also discontinue with swelling and pinches at places that should be analogously developed toward underground in their vertical extentions. The drilling surveyings in those area, more than 120 holes, indicate that the depth-frequency to uranium rich bed ranging 40~160 meter is greater. 4. The features that higher radioactive anomalies occur particularly from the carbonaceous beds among the argillaceous lithologic units, are well demonstrated on the cross sections of the lithology and radioactive values of the major uranium deposits in the Ogcheon zone. However, one anomalous radioactive zone is found in a l:ornfels bed in Samgoe, near Daejeon city. This is interpreted as a thermal metamorphic effect by which original uranium contents in the underlying black slate were migrated into the hornfels bed. 5. Principal minerals of the uranium-bearing black slates are quartz, sericite, biotite and chlorite, and as to chemical composition of the black slates, $Al_2O_3$ contents appear to be much lower than the average values by its clarke suggesting that the Changri basin has rather proximal to its source area. 6. The uranium-bearing carbonaceous beds contain minor amounts of phosphorite minerals, pyrite, pyrrhotite and other sulfides but not contain iron oxides. Vanadium. Molybdenum, Barium, Nickel, Zirconium, Lead, Cromium and fixed Carbon, and some other heavy metals appear to be positive by correlative with uranium in their concentrations, suggesting a possibility of their genetic relationships. The estimated pH and Eh of the slate suggests an euxenic marine to organic-rich saline water environment during uranium was deposited in the middle part of Ogcheon zone. 7. The Carboniferous shale of Jangseong Series(Sadong Series) of Permian in Hambaegsan area having low radioactivity and in fluvial to beach deposits is entirely different in geochemical property and depositional environment from the middle part of Ogcheon zone, so-called "Pibanryong-Type Ogcheon Zone". 8. Synthesizing various data obtained by several aspects of research on uranium mineralization in the studied sequence, it is concluded that the processes of uranium deposition were incorporated with rich organic precipitation by which soluble uranyl ions, $U{_2}^{+{+}}$ were organochemically complexed and carried down to the pre-Ogcheon sea bottoms formed in transitional environment, from Red Sea type basin to Black Sea type basin. Decomposition of the organic matter under reducing conditions to hydrogen sulfide, which reduced the $UO{_2}^{+2}$ ions to the insoluble uranium dioxide($UO_2$), on the other side the heavy metals are precipitated as sulfides. 9. The EPMA study on the identification of uraninite and others and the genetic interpretation of uranium bearing slates by isotopic values of this work are given separately by Yun, S. in 1984.

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The Geochemical Characteristics of the River Water in the Han River Drainage Basin (한강수계분지내 하천수의 지구화학적 특성)

  • 서혜영;김규한
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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    • v.4 no.3
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    • pp.130-143
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    • 1997
  • To investigate geochemical characteristics and the sources of the dissolved ion species in the river water in the Han river drainage basin, samples were collected at 60 sites from the Han river drainage basin. The data for. pH, conductivity, TDS (total dissolved solid), temperature, and concentrations of dissloved ions were obtained as follows : (1) The geochemical characteristics of the surface water in the South and North Han river drainage basins are mainly controlled by bed rock geology in the drainage basin and in the main stream of the Han river considerably affected by anthropogenic pollution. The South Han river water samples have high concentrations of $Ca^{2+}$ (ave. 15.42 ppm), $Mg^{2+}$ (ave. 2.74 ppm), HC $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ (ave. 51.9 ppm), which evidently indicates that the bed rock geology in a limestone area mainly controls the surface water chemistry. The concentration of S $O_4$$^{2-}$ is remarkably high (SHR10-2 : 129.9 ppm) because of acid mine drainage from the metal and coal mines in the upper reaches of the South Han river. (2) The South Han river and the North Han river join the Han river. in the Yangsuri, Kyounggido and flow through Seoul metropolitan city. The mixing ratio is about 60:40 at the meeting point (sample number HRl0). (3) The result of factor analysis suggests that the pollution factor accounts for about 79% and the bed rock type factor accounts for about 7% of the data variation. This means that the geochemical characteristics of the Han river water mainly controlled by anthropogenic pollution in the South Han river and main stream of the Han river drainage basin. (4) The chemical data for four tributaries such as the Wangsukcheon, the Tancheon, the Zunuangcheon, and the Anyangcheon show that the concentration of pollution elements such as N $O_2$, C $l^{-}$, P $O_4$$^{3-}$, S $O_4$$^{2-}$ and Mn are high due to municipal waste disposal.

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