• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.81-90
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• 2010

In this study, primary investigation for evaluation of abandoned metal mine effect on watershed has been done. 64 abandoned mines have been selected for primary investigation through literature and field survey. 216 soil and 90 water samples were collected and metal pollution concentrations were analyzed. 24 mines have mine water in the pits and acid water below pH 5 was not observed. Soils from 35 mines were over the soil basis of concern and 16 mines were over the soil basis of action. Arsenic average concentration was 188 times of average concentration of the natural background. Drinking water samples from 3 mines were over the drinking water standard and surface water samples from 12 mines were over the river water standard. Integrated pollution index, which was resulted from the integration of field survey, soil and water pollution concentration, showed that, abandoned metal mines had affected on watershed greatly in the order of Samgeum, Daedeok, Cheongdalgeum, Heungsin, Yeongdae and Myeongbong mines.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.869-883
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• 2019

China is currently facing great challenges in protecting its arable soil from contamination by heavy metals, especially Cd in paddy soil. China enacted the first soil environmental quality standards (SEQS) for ten pollutants in 1995, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment released the results of the first nationwide soil survey in 2014. The soil survey showed that as much as 16% of China's soil and 19% of the agricultural soils were contaminated mainly with heavy metals and metalloids beyond the environmental quality limits. The exceeded rate of the contaminant limits in food crops was widespread in China, and the most severe regions were East and Southwest China. Heavy metals and metalloids accounted for 82.4% of the contaminants in soils while organic pollutants accounted for 17% of the contaminants in the soil. Among the heavy metals and metalloids exceeding the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) limit, cadmium (Cd) was highest at 7.0%, followed by nickel (4.8%), arsenic (2.7%), cobalt (2.1%), mercury (1.6%) and lead (1.5%). However, all the average concentrations of the pollutants were lower than the recommended values for the contaminants except for Cd for three levels of pH (< 6.5, 6.5 - 7.5, and > 7.5). According to the Action Plan on Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution released by the State Council in 2016, 90% of contaminated farmland will be made safe by 2020 with an increase to 95% by 2030. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the soil quality to meet the environmental quality standard for soils and heavy metal standards for food safety.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.15-32
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• 2011

This study was carried out to investigate the soil characteristics and propose the management for the Monument Beobsoo Marsh, Korea. The soil properties of O.M, $Ca^{2+}$, $Na^+$ and CEC were higher and the soil properties of pH_{1:5}$ and $P_2O_5$ were lower the studied sites than other marsh sites in Korea. Although the Heavy metals such as Pb, Hg, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr and As were lower compare to the safety standard of soil pollution in Korea, the overall conservation management plan based on long-term monitoring should be considered just because it varied by the point and non-point source pollution within the studied marsh. The source of water pollution varied due to non-point polluting origins such as sewage inlet, degraded terrain for agriculture, fishing sites, sites of removed water grasses, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, as well as fallen leaves. The creation of an artificial marsh is recommended due to the soil environment of the studied sites may be changed owing to the accumulated contaminants from the sources of both of point or non-point contaminants. The establishment of the zones of core, buffer and transition which is basic management structure of the UNESCO MaB could be applied to manage the studied site. Simultaneously the promotion of voluntary participation and education of the local residents are needed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.456-464
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• 2010

Recently, heavy metals contamination of the agricultural soil and crops surrounding mining areas has been identified as one of the most serious environmental problems in South Korea. The Ministry of the Environment in Korea conducted a Preliminary National Environmental Health Survey (PNEHS) in abandoned metal mines in 2007. The priority for a subsequent detailed examination was ranked from the results of PNEHS. The studied mine which was ranked as being of the highest priority is located in the midwestern part of Korea and was operated from 1911 to 1985. In this study, the contamination levels of the heavy metals in the abandoned metal mine were investigated. From the results, the average daily dose (ADD), target hazard quotient (THQ) and target cancer risk of the heavy metals were evaluated. The concentration of arsenic (As) in all of the tailings from the mine was higher than its countermeasure standard of Korea. In particular, the highest concentration of As, 330 mg/kg, was up to 15 times higher than its countermeasure standard. The average concentration of As in agricultural soils was higher than the warning standard of Korea, and higher than its countermeasure standard at six sites. The average concentrations of the analyzed heavy metals in agricultural soil were below the warning standard, but concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) at 4 sites were higher than its warning standard. The average concentration of As in surface water exceeded the warning standard of Korea. The value of the THQ of As for the tailings was higher than the health protection standard 1. The value of THQ of As for the farmlands was lower than the standard, while the hazard index (HI) of As was higher than the standard. The value of target cancer risk (TCR) of As, $6.44{\times}10^{-4}$, were higher than the health protection standard of a lifetime risk for TCR at $1{\times}10^{-6}$. This suggests that the residents around the metal mines are exposed to As pollution with a carcinogenic risk.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.89-101
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• 2003

River deposits and farmland soils were analyzed to investigate the pollution level of heavy metals in the vicinity of the Goro abandoned Zn-mine. Surface (0-40 cm) and subsurface (40-100 cm) soils were collected around a main river located at the lower part of the Goro mine, and analyzed by ICP-MS for Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cr after 0. 1N HCI extraction and by AAS for As after IN HCI extraction. Concentrations of cadmium and lead at the surface river deposits close to the mine were over the Soil Pollution Warning Limit (SPWL), and 43% of sample sites (6 of 14 samples) were over SPWL for As suggesting that river deposits were broadly contaminated by arsenic. Results from farmland soil analysis showed that surface soils were contaminated by heavy metals, while only arsenic was over SPWL at 50% of sampling sites. Main pollution mechanism around the Goro mine was the discharge of mine tailing and waste rocks from the storage site to the river and to adjacent farmland during flood season. Pollution Grades for sample locations were prescribed by the Law of Soil Environmental Preservation, suggesting that the pollution level of heavy metals around the Goro mine was serious, and the remediation operation fur arsenic and the isolation of mine tailing and waste rocks from river and farmland should be activated to protect further contamination. The area needed to clean up was estimated from pollution distribution data and the remediation methods such as a soil washing method and a soil improvement method were considered as the further remediation operation for arsenic contaminated soils and river deposits around the Goro abandoned mine.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.257-262
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• 2008

In the study it was investigated the diffusion characteristics of heavy metal pollutions such as Cu, Pb, Hg and As which was the main pollution sources of soils from abandoned mines. The pollution of Cu and Pb was caused by Mine A, that of Hg was caused by Mine 3, that of Pb was caused by Mine C and that of Cu, Pb, As was caused by Mine D. Though the high concentration was detected within 100m from abandoned mines, the low concentration was detected over than 100m from abandoned mines in all heavy metals investigated except As. It means that it was very difficult to estimate the pollution level of As caused abandoned mines. The results were discussed in the concentrations of Cu, Pb and distances showed a good relationship with 0.71 and 0.68 as the coefficient of correlation, respectively. In particular the relativity of Cu to Pb as very strong with 0.84 as the coefficient of correlation. It was consistent with the chemical behavior in soils in the case of Cu and Pb. Therefore it will be a promising approach to remove Cu and Pb with estimated values in the study.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.33-44
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• 1998

Mine tailings, soils, stream sediments, and ground water around Imcheon disused mine were analyzed in order to investigate their pollution levels of heavy metals and cyanide. The average contents of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn, and CN￣ in mine tailings were 366, 28.8, 202, 15.2, 1.97$\times$$10^3$, 3.85$\times$$10^3$, 90.6mg/kg respectively, The pollution indices that calculated by the tolerance level of Kloke were 8~19 and the pH values were acidic in mine tailngs. In the field and paddy soils of Imcheon disused mine area except for soils nearby mine tailngs, concentraitons of the heavy metals were less than standards of soil pollution of agricultral area in the environmental protection law. The nitrate contents In the ground water for drink were more than tolerance level of the drinking water of Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.633-644
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• 1999

Gully pot is a part of urban darainage system to butter the runoff water fluxes from road to rivers and to minimize environmental pollution by prevending over the surrounding area. A series of studies have been carried out concerning the physicochemical characteristics of the sewage sludge sediments sttling down in such a gully pot in order to over to evaluate the contamination for heavy metals such as pb, Zn, Cu and Cd. The roadside soil and sewage sludge samples from gully pots were characterized by XRD analyses and sequential extraction : Zn 2595.7$\mu$g/g; Cd9.8$\mu$/g; Cu602.5$\mu$g/g; Pb260.0$\mu$g/g),because of a long-term accumulation of vehicle- and industrial-related pollutants. Mean Zn concentration in Yeouido (3873$\mu$g/g) and Junggu(3262$\mu$g/g)areas are 4-5 times higher than those in Dobonggu area, suggesting that Zn may be derived from automobile traffic (including the rubber of automobile tires). The mean concentrations of Cu and Cr are very significantly high in Junggu and Gurogu areas, possibly due to the industrial activities in these areas. The low Pb levels throughtotut the whole study areas in Seoul can be accounted for the use of unleaded gasoline since 1987. Sequential extraction experiments illustrate that a major part of Zn is bound to FII and FIII, representing about 88% of the total Zn concentration. Fraction IV, related to orgnic matter, is mostly significant for Cu accounting for 60% of the total Cu, and FII is next in importance. The main carriers of Pb are the fractions III, II and FIV, and in that order. The behavior of Cd is quite different from other elements (Zn, Cu, Pb), and most of the Cd is associated with FV. Changes in the physicochemical environments (such as acidification) may result in severe environmental pollution of surface water and rivers with respect to heavy metals (especially Zn and Cu).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.222-231
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• 2005

Most of the tailings have been left without any management in abandoned metalliferous mines and have become the main source of heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils and crops in the these areas. To compare of environmental assessment of heavy metals in tailings derived from various 25-metalliferous mines in Korea, 3 different analysis methods such as water soluble, 0.1 M-HCl extractable, and total acid digestion method (aqua regia) were used. The chemical composition of water soluble in mine tailing were in the order ${SO_4}^{2-}>Ca^{2+}>Mn^{2+},\;Na^+,\;Al^{3+}>Mg^{2+},\;Fe^{3+}>Cl^-$. Specially, pH, EC, ${SO_4}^{2-},\;and\;Ca^{2+}$ concentrations in tailing varied considerably among the different mines. The average total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As in tailing were 31.8, 708, 4,961, 2,275 and 3,235 mg/kg, respectively. Specially, the contents of Cd, Zn and As were higher than those of countermeasure values for soil contamination (Cd : 4, Zn : 700 and As : 15 mg/kg in soil) by Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. The rates of water soluble heavy metals to total contents in tailings were in the order Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb > As. The rates of 0.1M-HCl extractable Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As (1M-HCl) to total content were 17.4, 10.2, 6.5, 6.8 and 11.4% respectively. The enrichment factor of heavy metals in tailings were in the order As > Pb > Cd > Cu > Zn. The pollution index in tailing Au-Ag mine tailing were higher than those of other mine tailing. As a results of enrichment factor and pollution index for heavy metal contaminations in mine tailing of metalliferous mines, the main contaminants are mine waste materials including tailings.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2003.05b
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• pp.241-242
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• 2003

울산지역은 1962년 공업 특구로 지정된 후 지난 30년 동안 우리나라의 기간 산업인 석유화학, 제련, 자동차, 조선공업 등 대단히 크고 많은 생산시설이 입주하여 운영 중에 있다. 특히 1974년부터 가동된 온산 국가공업단지에 많은 비철금속관련 업체들이 들어서면서 해양, 토양 뿐 아니라 대기중의 중금속 오염도를 가속 시켜 왔다. 최근 환경부 대기중의 중금속 측정망 분석 결과에 따르면 울산은 국내 여러 공단 도시에 비해 중금속의 오염정도가 매우 심각한 것으로 나타나고 있다. 특히, 온산공단의 대기나 토양의 카드뮴의 오염은 국내 최고치를 나타내고 있다. (중략)