• Title/Summary/Keyword: Groundwater pollution hazard

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Assessment of Regional Groundwater Pollution Hazard using Potential Pollutant of Pohang Area (잠재오염원을 이용한 포항지역의 광역적 지하수 오염 위험성 평가)

  • Lee, Sa-Ro;Kim, Yong-Seong;Kim, Deuk-Geun
    • Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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    • v.9 no.3
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    • pp.1-13
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    • 2006
  • The aim of the study is to assess groundwater pollution hazard of Pohang city using the DRASTIC system developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Hydrogeological spatial databases of the system include information on depth to groundwater, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topographic slope, hydraulic conductivity, lineament and potential pollution source. With GIS based on these hydrogeological databases and the DRASTIC system, the regional groundwater vulnerability of the study area was assessed. Then the vulnerability was overlaid with potential pollution source and the regional groundwater pollution hazard was assessed by administrative district. From the results of the study, areas where need the counter plan for groundwater pollution and where should be managed for the groundwater pollution, are identified.

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Geochemical evolution of mine tailing porewaters and groundwater pollution - Case for Shiheung mine (광미 자연풍화에 따른 광미공극수의 지구화학적 진화와 지하수 오염영향 - 시흥광산의 사례)

  • 정예진;이상훈
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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    • 2001.04a
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    • pp.19-21
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    • 2001
  • The Shiheung mine was closed in 1972 and has been abandoned since then. Although some restoration work has been done, there still remain mine failings in and around the mine, posing a potential environmental hazard. Mine tailings and the porewater extracted from the tailing were investigated to see any evidence of elemental release and migration to adjacent groundwater and soil in the field. The pHs of the tailing range from 6.24 to 7.23. Calcite in the studied area seems to influence on such neutral pH range. Depth profile of mine tailing demonstrate elements have been leached and removed as a consequence of weathering during disposal. This is also supported by the findings from porewater analysis, corresponding the trends in the mine tailings. The concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn in the tailing porewater exceed the standard value of EPA for drinking water and this implies groundwater can be contaminated through infiltration of the porewaters, which ultimately will be discharged as leachate from the mine tailing. Groundwater samples collected near the mine area do not show high metal concentrations, except for Fe, which were detected over drinking water standard.

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Analysis of Environmental Hazard by the Leachate from Disposal Waste (매립장 침출수 환경 재해에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Jun-Kyoung;Bae, Hyo-Jun;Choi, Oh-Soon
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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    • v.3 no.4 s.11
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    • pp.145-151
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    • 2003
  • The domestic and the industry wastes which mainly come out of human life activities have been usually processed mainly by the incineration method and/or the method of reclamation. The method of reclamation, specially open dumping, has caused significant environmental pollution problems on the local or regional soil and groundwater system by leachate. Therefore, to investigate the 3-D structure characteristics of environmental pollution area is one of the hot subjects. We applied dipole-dipole method of electrical resistivity survey to investigate 3-D environmental contamination characteristics of the Noeun landfill area. For electrical resistivity survey, the line for measurements was established parallel to the main boundary of the Noeun landfill, for effective investigation of the whole landfill area. The result shows that the uppermost layer of the Noeun landfill is believed to be stabilized completely, based on the result of electrical resistivity values. However, the lowest layer of the Noeun landfill was partially polluted by leachate. Therefore, the electrical resistivity survey method is believed to be the one of the most effective methods to investigate three-dimensional distribution of leachate occurred in the lower part of landfill area.

Comparative Study on Exposure Factors for Risk Assessment in Contaminated Lands and Proposed Exposure Factors in Korea (토양오염 위해성평가를 위한 국가별 노출인자 비교분석 및 국내 노출인자 연구)

  • An, Youn-Joo;Lee, Woo-Mi
    • Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.64-72
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    • 2007
  • Humans are exposed by a range of pollutants in soil via exposure routes such as ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Risk assessment is a process of evaluating the adverse health effects of chemicals as a result of exposure to stressors, and it is a very useful tool to establish the cleanup goals in contaminated lands. In the exposure assessment that is one of main process in risk assessment, exposure factor plays a significant role to quantify the intake of soil pollutants. However there is a very limited study about the exposure factor applicable to Korea. In this study, we compared the exposure factors applied by the developed countries including the United States and representative European countries, and suggested the exposure factor that might be suitable in our situation. The exposure factors considered in this study include average lifetime, body weight, (exposed) skin surface area, life time, skin absorption, soil-skin adherence factor, and soil ingestion rate. This information is needed to quantitatively estimate the intake of soil pollutants in contaminated lands.

Health Risk Assessment for Residents after Exposure to Chemical Accidents: Formaldehyde (화학사고물질 노출에 따른 피해지역 주민 건강위해성평가: 폼알데하이드 사례를 중심으로)

  • Park, Sihyun;Cho, Yong-Sung;Lim, Huibeen;Park, Jihoon;Lee, Cheolmin;Hwang, Seung-Ryul;Lee, Chungsoo
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.47 no.2
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    • pp.155-165
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    • 2021
  • Objectives: Acute exposure to high concentrations of chemicals can occur when a chemical accident takes place. As such exposure can cause ongoing environmental pollution, such as in the soil and groundwater, there is a need for a tool that can assess health effects in the long term. The purpose of this study was assessing the health risks of residents living near a chemical accident site due to long-term exposure while considering the temporal concentration changes of the toxic chemicals leaked during the accident until their extinction in the environment using a multimedia environmental dynamics model. Methods: A health risk assessment was conducted on three cases of formaldehyde chemical accidents. In this study, health risk assessment was performed using a multimedia environmental dynamics model that considers the behavior of the atmosphere, soil, and water. In addition, the extinction period of formaldehyde in the environment was regarded as extinction in the environment when the concentration in the air and soil fell below the background concentration prior to the accident. The subjects of health risk assessment were classified into four groups according to age: 0-9 years old, 10-18 years old, 19-64 years old, and over 65 years old. Carcinogenic risk assessment by respiratory exposure and non-carcinogenic risk assessment by soil intake were conducted as well. Results: In the assessment of carcinogenic risk due to respiratory exposure, the excess carcinogenic risk did not exceed 1.0×10-6 in all three chemical accidents, so there was no health effect due to the formaldehyde chemical accident. As a result of the evaluation of non-carcinogenic risk due to soil intake, none of the three chemical accidents had a risk index of 1, so there was no health effect. For all three chemical accidents, the excess cancer risk and hazard index were the highest in the age group 0-9. Next, 10-18 years old, 65 years old or older, and 19-64 years old showed the highest risk. Conclusion: This study considers environmental changes after a chemical accident occurs and until the substance disappears from the environment. It also conducts a health risk assessment by reflecting the characteristics of the long-term persistence and concentration change over time. It is thought that it is of significance as a health risk assessment study reflecting the exposure characteristics of the accident substance for an actual chemical accident.

The physical geography in general:yesterday and tomorrow (자연지리학 일반: 회고와 전망)

  • Son, Ill
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.138-159
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    • 1996
  • There has been a tendency for Geomorphology and Climatology to be dominant in Physical Geography for 50 years in Korea. Physical Geography is concerned with the study of the totality of natural environment through the integrated approaches. But, an overall direction or a certain paradigm could not be found, because major sub-divisions of Physical Geography have been studied individually and the subjects and the approaches in studying Physical Geography are enormously diverse. A consensus of opinion could not also exist in deciding what kind of the sub-divisions should be included in the physical geography in general and how those should be summarized. Furthermore it would be considered imprudent to survey the studies of Physical Geography besides those of Geomorphology and Climatology due to the small number of researchers. Assuming that the rest of Physical Geographical studies with the exception of Geomorphological and Climatological studies are the Physical Geography in general, the studies of Physical Geogrpahy in general are summarized and several aspects are drown out as follows. First the descliption of all possible factors of natural environments was the pattern of early studies of Physical Geography and the tendency is maintained in the various kinds of research and project reports. Recently Physical Geographers have published several introductory textbooks or research monographs. In those books, however, the integrated approaches to Physical Geography were not suggested and the relationship between man and nature are dealt with in the elementary level. Second, the authentic soil studies of Physical Geographers are insignificant, because the studies of soil in Physical Geography have been mostly considered as the subsidiary means of Geomorphology Summarizing the studies of Soil Gegraphy by physical geographers and other Pedologists, the subjects are classified as soil-forming processes, soil erosions, soil in the tidal flat and reclaimed land, and soil pollution. Physical Geographers have focused upon the soil-forming processes in order to elucidate the geomorphic processes and the past climatic environment. The results of other subjects are trifling. Thirdy Byogeygrayhers and the results of studies are extremely of small number and the studies of Biogeography in Korea lines in the starting point. But, Biogeography could be a more unifying theme for the Physical-human Geography interface, and it would be expected to play an active part in the field of environmental conservation and resource management. Forth, the studies of Hydrogeography (Geographical Hydrology) in Korea have run through the studies of water balance and the morphometric studies such as the drainage network analysis and the relations of various kinds of morphometric elements in river. Recently, the hydrological model have introduced and developed to predict the flow of sediment, discharge, and ground water. The growth of groundwater studies is worthy of close attention. Finally, the studies on environmental problems was no mole than the general description about environmental destruction, resource development, environmental conservation, etc. until 1970s. The ecological perspectives on the relationship between man and nature were suggested in some studies of natural hazard. The new environmentalism having been introduced since 1980s. Human geographers have lead the studies of Environmental Perception. Environmental Ethics, Environmental Sociology, environmental policy. The Physical geographers have stay out of phase with the climate of the time and concentrate upon the publication of introductory textbooks. Recently, several studies on the human interference and modification of natural environments have been made an attempt in the fields of Geomorphology and climatology. Summarizing the studies of Physical Geography for 50 years in Korea, the integrated approaches inherent in Physical Geography disappeared little by little and the majol sub-divisions of Physical Ceography have develop in connection with the nearby earth sciences such as Geology, Meteorology, Pedology, Biology, Hydrology, etc been rediscovered by non-geographers under the guise of environmental science. It is expected that Physical Geography would revive as the dominant subject to cope with environmental problems, rearming with the innate integrated approaches.

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