• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.271-281
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• 2001

The characteristics of the heavy metal contamination in the soils affected by the tailings of the Palbong mine have been studied. The soils in the studied area consist mostly of loam by the particle size analysis, but a little of it, located near the stream, consist of loamy sand to sandy loam, finally to loam downward. The organic contents of soils are significantly low aoom 2 percent and the pH is in acidic ranging 6.0 $\pm$ 0.1. The samples of the parent rocks, the normal soils, the tailings and the channel deposits from the studied area were chemically analysed. From the result, the heavy metal concenlration of the soils is a little Jow compared with that of the parent rocks, shows the hydrologic process of the surface and the groundwater. The contamination of the tailings from the ore mining are high in lead, copper and arsenic. In the channel deposits the concenlrations of lead and copper are abnormally high but that of arsenic is uniquely low. And most of heavy metal contamination are decreased with the distance from the mine. It is caused by the properties of the surface and the ground water during the process of the heavy metal migration. The correlation-coefficient between sand and silt contents and the concentrations of Cd, Cu and Pb are significant but the amounts of As and Hg are increased with the clay contents. The dispersion of the heavy metals with the distance shows that the concentrations of them in the soils sampled at distance of 100 m to 200 m along the stream started near the Palbong mine are extremely high compared with those from other distances. These discrepancies are significant in Cd, Cu, Pb and Hg, but low in As. All the samples contain below detection limit of Cr+6 In the present stream water the concentrations of the heavy metals are not detected. So, it is interpreted that the concentrations in the soils are caused by the activities of the mining during the operation and have been continued by the dispersion from the tailings since after the closure of the mining, especially by the surface and ground water. The concentrations are diminished with the distance from the mining site, but in the interval of 800-2000 m increases abruptly. In the soil samples counted on the dispersion direction by wind, the lowering of the concentration is relatively uniform with the distance from the mining site. So, the rapid increase of the heavy metal concentrations is presumed to have been caused by the ground-water movement. In the migration of the heavy metals, the groundwater conditions, such as pH, Eh, the contents of colloidal particles, and Mn and Fe oxides are closely involveo. Integrating with these factors, it is interpreted that the groundwater conditions which have caused the heavy metal contamination of the studied area are those that the pH is about 3 in oxidized conditions, the contents of the colloidal particles are low, and Mn and Fe oxides are not involved in the migration of the heavy metals. Meanwhile, the vegetables growing on the soils in the studied area are not affected by the contamination of the heavy metals.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.1299-1305
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• 2002

Thirty sediment samples of the <63${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ fraction collected from the southwestern coast of Korea were analysed for their heavy metal (Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb) concentration. The results show that sediment texture plays a controlling role on the total metal concentrations and their spatial distribution. A single lM HCl extraction procedure was used in order to assess the environmental risk of heavy metals in bottom sediments. The non-residual fraction was the most abundant pool for Mn and Pb in most samples, which means that this metals are highly avaliable in these sediments. Cr, Ni, Fe, Co, Zn and Cu were mainly associated with the residual fraction, suggesting that their concentrations are controlled significantly by transport processes with the fine particles as carriers from diffuse pollution source. Concentration enrichment ratios(CER) were calculated from the non-residual contents and their values allowed us to classify the sediments according to their environmental risk.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.113-121
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• 2015

The contaminated soil at abandoned smelter areas present challenge for remediation, as the degraded materials are typically deficient in nutrients, and rich in toxic heavy metals and metalloids. Bioremediation technique is to isolate new strains of microorganisms and develop successful protocols for reducing metal toxicity with heavy metal tolerant species. The present study collected metal contaminated soil and characterized for pH and EC values, and heavy metal contents. The pH value was 5.80, representing slightly acidic soil, and EC value was 13.47 mS/m. ICP-AES analytical results showed that the collected soil samples were highly contaminated with various heavy metals and metalloids such as lead (183.0 mg/kg), copper (98.6 mg/kg), zinc (91.6 mg/kg), and arsenic (48.1 mg/kg), respectively. In this study, a bacterial strain, Bacillus cereus KM-15, capable of adsorbing the heavy metals was isolated from the contaminated soils by selective enrichment and characterized to apply for the bioremediation. The effects of heavy metal on the growth of the Bacillus cereus KM-15 was determined in liquid cultures. The results showed that 100 mg/L arsenic, lead, and zinc did not affect the growth of KM-15, while the bacterial growth was strongly inhibited by copper at the same concentration. Further, the ability of the bacteria to adsorb heavy metals was evaluated.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.233-235
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• 2003

Heavy metal contents in commercial horticultural growing media were investigated Fifty-three samples were collected nationwide during 2000 to 2001 and heavy metals in the samples were analyzed by ICP-OES after acid digestion and 0.1N HCl extraction. Average contents of total Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Pb, and Zn by acid digestion in the growing media were 0.69, 35.7, 14.9, 15.5, 12.7, and 54.8 mg/kg DW, respectively. The ranges of heavy metal in the growing media were $0{\sim}1.82$, $0{\sim}259.8$, $1.6{\sim}69.5$, $0{\sim}60.7$, $0{\sim}36.5$, $12.9{\sim}124.0\;mg/kg$ DW for Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Pb, and Zn, respectively. Heavy metal contents in the commercial horticultural growing media were showed lower levels than the permitted levels for quality control described by Korean Standard Analytical Method for Growing Media. Average contents and ranges of 0.1 N HCl extractable heavy metals were 0.08 and $0{\sim}0.20$ for Cd, 0.38 and $0{\sim}2.10$ for Cr, 1.45 and $0{\sim}4.03$ for Cu, 0.85 and $0{\sim}3.31$ for Ni, 0.84 and $0{\sim}2.21$ for Pb, and 30.68 and $0.18{\sim}88.45\;mg/kg$ DW for Zn, respectively. These concentrations by 0.1 N HCl extraction showed much less levels than those of total heavy metals by acid digestion.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 1994

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of treatment of fly ash on heavy metal contents of the arable soil. Rice was cultivated on the two types of paddy field clay loam and sandy loam with 0, 12ton/10a of anthracite fly ash and bituminous coal fly ash application. And soybean was cultivated at the same type of upland fields with those ashes of 0, 9ton/10a, yearly for three years. At the harvest time, the heavy metal contents in the different layer were investigated. The results were summarized as follows : 1. The contents of some heavy metal were increased in the surface soils but didn't show the tendency in the deeper layer or soil texture. 2. In the paddy fields, the contents of Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr were increased. Meanwhile and the upland fields, the contents of Cd and Cr were increased with the successive application of Anthracite fly ash, but the others didn't show those tendency. 3. The contents of Cd, Cu and Zn in the paddy field, were increased but the upland field, the contents of Cd, Cr and Ni were increased by the successive application of bituminous coal fly ash.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.317-336
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• 1992

The garden soils, main road dusts, residential road dusts, and playground soils/dusts of Seoul, Geumsan, Onsan, and Taebaek areas were analyzed in order to investigate the level of heavy metal pollution by urbanization and industrialization. The soil pH is in the range of 5.48~8.40 and was generally neutral. The color of soils and dusts is mainly Raw Umber to dark greyish Raw Umber. Some samples from Taebaek city, a coal mining area, showed a deep black color due to contamination by coal dusts. Major minerals of the dusts and soils are quartz, feldspars, and micas, reflecting the composition of the parent rocks. However, pyrite was found as a major mineral in the samples of industrial road dusts of Onsan, a smelting area, and resicential road dusts of Taebaek. Thus, the high level of heavy metals in mining and smelting areas can be explained with the sulfide minerals. The mode of occurences of heavy metals in Seoul, a comprehensive urbanized area, were related to the metallic pollutants and organic materials through observation by scanning eletron microscopy. In main road and residential road dusts of Onsan area, Cd, Zn, and Cu were extremely high. Some industrial road and residential road dusts of Seoul area showed high Cu, Zn, and Pb contents, wereas some garden soils and residential road dusts of Taebaek area were high in As content. In general, the heavy metal contents in dust samples were two to three times higher than those in soil samples. Main road dust samples were the most reflective from the discriminant analysis of multi-element data. Cadmium, Sb, and Se in Onsan area, As in Taebaek area, Pb and Te in Seoul area were most characteristic in discriminating the studied areas. Therefore, Cd in smelting areas, As in coal mining areas, and Pb in metropolitan areas can be suggested as the characteristic elements of each pollution pattern. The dispersion of heavy metal elements in urban areas tends to orignate in main roads and deposit in garden soils through the atmosphere and residential roads. The heavy metal contamination in Seoul is characteristic in areas with high population, factory, road, and traffic decsities. Heavy metal contents are high in the vicinity of smelters in Onsan area and are decayed to background levels from one kilometer away from the smelters.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.591-596
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• 2011

The applications of chemical fertilizers and various types of organic materials may cause heavy metal accumulation in soil. In this study, we conducted to investigate the relationship between the different chemical forms of heavy metals such as Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Zn retained in soil and the metal concentrations in Korean raspberry plant. Forty five soil samples were collected from 2 to 6 years old Korean raspberry cultivation fields (RCFs), Gochang, Korea, to determine total, exchangeable (1.0 M $MgCl_2$-extractable), DTPA-extractable metal contents. The leaves and fruits of raspberry plant were sampled at harvest stage. Total metal contents in soils ranged from $0.87mg\;kg^{-1}$ to $66.82mg\;kg^{-1}$. Exchangeable and DTPA-extractable metals ranged between 0.02 and $0.67mg\;kg^{-1}$ and between $0.05mg\;kg^{-1}$ and $7.07mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. The metal concentrations in the plant leaf and fruit determined on a dry-basis were between $1.30mg\;kg^{-1}$ and $38.82mg\;kg^{-1}$ and between $0.05mg\;kg^{-1}$ and $21.51mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively, but Cd and Pb were not detected in the leaf. The total, exchangeable, and DTPA-extractable contents of the metal ions in soil were directly correlated one another, but the contents of different metals in the different fractions were inversely correlated in general. Most of total and DTPA-extractable metals in the soil were directly correlated with the contents of the same metals in the plant, whereas exchangeable metals in the soil were not statistically correlated with the same metals in plants. Thus, we concluded that the metal contents in the raspberry field soils were much lower thanthe levels of Soil Contamination Warning Standard (SCWS), and the plant metal concentrations were also less than the maximum permissible limits. The total and DTPA-extractable metals in the soil were closely related to the metal concentrations in the plant.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.22-33
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• 1992

In Iri industrial area, Heavy metals in ait of the factories, 10 metal and 8 non-metal factories, were examined for ten months(from Feb. to Nov, 1991). The methals in blood, urin and hair of 232 employees who have worked in the factories were also examined at the same time The results are summarized as follows 1. Heavy metals Pb, Cd and Mn in the metal factories were 0.031mg/m$^{3}$, 0.0065mg/m$^{3}$, and 0. 035mg/m$^{3}$ respectively, but 0.017mg/m$^{3}$, 0.021mg/m$^{3}$ and 0.014mg/m$^{3}$ in non-metal factories. 2. Heavy metals such as Pb, Cd and Mn in blood from employees in the metal factories were measured : 22.36$\mu$g/dl, 0.27$\mu$g/dl and 1.26$\mu$g/dl respectively, The values in the non-metal factories were 19.84$\mu$g/dl, 0.21$\mu$g/dl and 1.24$\mu$g/dl. 3. Heavy metals such as Pb, Cd and Mn in urine from employees in the metal factories were measured 32.94$\mu$g/l, 0.16$\mu$g/dl, and 1.60$\mu$g/dl respectively, whereas the values in the non-metal factories were 28.79$\mu$g/l, 0.13$\mu$g/dl and 1.35$\mu$g/l. 4. Heavy metals such as Pb, Cd and Mn in hair from employees in the metal factories were measured 8.92mg/kg, 0.33mg/kg and 3.71mg/kg respectively, but 8.14mg/kg, 0.31mg/kg and 3.26 rng/kg in the non-metal factories.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.339-348
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the distribution pattern of plants on the streamside of Goggyochun, and to survey the distribution of heavy metal-contaminated soils and plants. A total of 11 survey sites were selected along the Goggyochun during the period of between June and September 1999. The wet land plants were composed of 44 species. The most frequently occurring species in the study sites were Rumex crispus, Persicaria hydropiper, Cyperus amuricus and Setaria viridis, and among them the Humulus japonicus, Erigeron canadensis and Phragnites communis species were dominants of the community. Analysis of soil properties showed that organic matter and clay contents were higher in the upstream region while sand content was higher in the downstream region. The pH and the organic matter contents of soils were at range of 6.70-9.94 and 2.39-15.16% respectively. The average contents of Pb and Cd in soils were 11.96mg/kg and 1.64mg/kg respectively, and these values were higher as compared with those of ordinary soil in Korea. The average contents of Zn and Pb in Persicaria hydropiper were 8.30mg/kg and 7.38mg/kg respectively, and these values were higher than other plants. The distribution of heavy metals in plants varied in accordance with the species regardless of the sites.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.119-132
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• 2013

Hosta longipes is one of the most popular ornamental perennials in use in Korea today, and is mainly used as a groundcover plant in urban shaded places. In this study, the pytoremediation effect of Hosta longipes was tested using four concentrations (Control, 100, 250 and $500mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$) of Cd, Pb and Zn in soil. The plants were planted in $300mm{\times}200mm{\times}250mm$ drainless-containers, which were filled with a artificial amended soil for 7 months. The results showed that the contents of heavy metals cadmium and lead in the shoot of Hosta longipes increased with increasing heavy metal concentration levels exception of zinc. The amount of zinc, cadmium, and lead accumulated in roots were increased with heavy metal concentration levels up in soil. The shoot/root ratios(TF; translocation factor) values were found to be more than 80% of total Zn, Cd, and Pb take up by Hosta longipes. These results indicated that root is the major part for accumulation of heavy metal. The removal contents of zinc, cadmium, and lead increased significantly with the increasing heavy metal concentration in the soil, which was planted with Hosta longipes. The heavy metal concentration accumulation in plant/soil ratios (BF; bioaccumulation factor) values for three metals were found to be more than 30% in cadmium and lead, but lower in zinc treatments. The different responses of Hosta longipes suggest that in heavy metal contaminated soils the plant adsorbs available metals depending on the concentration soils in which they are present. Therefore, this species can be an efficient phytoremediator for soils contaminated with cadmium and lead in urban shaded places.