• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.347-360
• /
• 2007

In order to evaluate the degree and extent of heavy metal pollution and the environmental impacts of abandoned Cu mines in Goseong-gun, soils and paddies were collected from the mine area and have been analysed for heavy metal contents. The heavy metal contents were much higher in mountain soils than in paddy soils. Total content of heavy metals decreased in order of Cu>Zn>Pb>As>Cr>Cd in mountain soils whereas Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr>As>Cd in paddy soils. The extractable amount of heavy metals by 0.1/1N HCl decreased in order of Cu>Pb>Zn>As>Cd>Cr in mountain soils whereas Pb>Cu>Zn>As>Cd>Cr in paddy soils. Although the extraction ratios were highly various depending on the sampling site, their average values were in order of Cd(16%)>Pb(10%)>Cu(9%)>As(4.5%)>Zn-Cr(${\le}2.5%$). The soils investigated were enriched in heavy metals relative to the averages of earth crust as In order of $As{\ge}Cd$>Pb>Zn>Cu>Cr. Pollution index calculated from total or extractable heavy metals of soils indicated that the heavy metal pollution was restricted to mountain soils around abandoned Cu mines, especially the Samsan I mine. The metal contents of brown rice showed no significantly contaminated level as follows; As $nd{\sim}0.87mg/kg,\;Cd\;0.02{\sim}0.34mg/kg,\;Cu\;1.01{\sim}6.25mg/kg,\;Mn\;13.4{\sim}43.2mg/kg,\;Pb\;0.09{\sim}2.83mg/kg,\;and\;Zn\;16.5{\sim}79.1mg/kg$. From the extraction and dispersion properties of heavy metal with the soil pH ($4.5{\sim}7.8$), it can be deduced the conclusion that the heavy metal pollution is spreading in the study area mainly by the detrital migration of waste ore and gangue minerals rather than the dissolution and circulation of heavy metal.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.11 no.8
• /
• pp.801-810
• /
• 2002

The current paper describes the indoor/outdoor air quality in school environments through analyses of the heavy metal concentrations using Inductive Coupled Plasma(ICP). School environments in a heavy traffic area, two industrial areas, quasi-industrial area, and residential area were evaluated. The results were as follows: (1) The locations with the highest indoor and outdoor concentrations of heavy metals were the industrial areas followed by the heavy traffic area, residential area, and quasi-industrial area in a descending order of magnitude. Plus, the indoor heavy metal concentrations were higher then the outdoor ones. (2) The main heavy metal components were Zn, Al and Ca. Higher concentration levels were found indoors than outdoors. The heavy metal concentrations were also higher in the classrooms than in the corridor or outdoors. (3) The total heavy metal concentrations in the studied areas were highly dependent on the weather elements. including the relative humidity, mixing ratio, and wet-bulb depression. Accordingly, special ventilation systems are recommended to reduce air pollution in school environments.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2005.05b
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2005

Baiyangdian Lake, the largest freshwater lake in North China, is known as 'Pearl of North China' and 'kidney of North China' fur its abundant products and multiple ecological services. However, from the 1970s, due to the ever-increasing discharge of polluted water from upstream rivers, it has been severely polluted. Sediment Investigation and analysis were conducted on contents of heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) from Baiyangdian Lake in June 2004. Results showed that pollution situation at downriver regions are more serious than that of upstream regions. The seriously polluted spots are access of Fuhe River, original wastewater reservoir of Tanghe River, densely populated Chunshui Village and Wangjiazhai Village. By using method of the potential ecological risk assessment, the heavy metal evaluation of polluted sediment has been conducted. The results showed that the contents of Cd and Pb were very high in sediment of Baiyangdian Lake. There were extremely stronger ecological risk for Cd and slight- medium ecological risk for Pd. According to the current situation of Baiyangdian Lake, countermeasures and suggestions have been put forward.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.33-45
• /
• 1984

In order to investigate the pollution of heavy metal in soil, chinese cabbage and radish collected from Singal interchange (highway area), Anyang stream, Jungryang stream (stream basin) and Chunchun dong, Suweon (non-polluted area), this study was carried out from July to October in 1983. The contents of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc were determined by atomic absorption spectrqphotometry. Generally in soil, the contents of heavy metals in highway area were lower than that in Anyang stream and Jungryang stream, but higher than that in non-polluted area. (Chunchun dong, Suweon). The vegetable samples of highway area were more polluted compared with that of Chunchun dong, Suweon. The contents of heavy metals in radish were higher than that of chinese cabbage and radish leaves were more polluted than roots.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2000.05a
• /
• pp.28-32
• /
• 2000

There are many different chemical pollutants that originate from atmospheric deposition and transportational activities along roads. This paper review the characteristics of heavy metal pollution, relationships between land use and pollutant load in urban area. Four land use areas in Seoul were selected for sampling and study with different characteristics during the period from April 1998 and February 2000. A series of studies have been carried out concerning the physicochemical characteristics of the sediments settling down in a gully pot to evaluate the contamination for heavy metals. The sediment samples from gully pots were characterized by the chemical extraction experiments. Sediments are characterized by very high concentrations of heavy metals, probably because of a long-term accumulation of vehicle- and industrial-related pollutants. The characteristics of heavy metal pollution show that each land use has different sources of contaminations. Mean Zn concentration in Yeouido and Junggu areas is 2-3 times higher than those in Dobonggu area. This suggests that Zn may be derived from the source of automobile traffic. The mean concentrations of Cu and Cr are very significantly high in Junggu and Gurogu areas and indicate that the industrial activities may contribute to the accumulation of Cu and Cr in sediments. The low Pb levels throughout the whole study areas in Seoul can be accounted for the use of unleaded gasoline since 1987.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2003.04a
• /
• pp.149-155
• /
• 2003

Objectives of this research were to fractionate heavy metals in soil samples in the upper Okdong River basin and to assess the potential pollution index of each metal fraction. Soil samples were collected from cultivated land soils and analyzed for physical and chemical properties. pH of cultivated soils ranged from 5.2 to 7.6. Contents of total kelhaldal nitrogen and loss on ignition were in the ranges of 0.6∼2.5%, and 1.9∼12.9%, respectively. Heavy metals in the cultivated land soils were higher in the abandoned closed coal mine near field soils than those in the paddy soils. Total concentrations of metals in the cultivated land soils were in the orders of Zn > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cd, exceed the corrective action level of the Soil Environment Conservation Law and higher than the naturals were abundance levels reported from uncontaminated cultivated land soils. Mobile fractions of metals were relatively small compared to the total concentrations. Soil Pollution Assesment Index(SPAI) values of each fraction of metals were leveled from Non polluted to Moderately polluted based on total concentrations. SPAI values of mobil fractions were lower than those of immobile fractions. Results on metal fractions and SPAI values of the cultivated land soils indicate that field soils samples were contaminated with heavy metals and had potential to cause a detrimental effects on plants. A prompt countermeasure to prevent field soils in the abandoned closed coal mine near fields are urgently needed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.524-530
• /
• 2016

Agricultural soils near or around industrial complexes can contain a certain amount of heavy metals that readily enter the food chain and negatively affect human health. Therefore, we conducted the study to investigate the distribution of selected heavy metals, including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and zinc (Zn), in farm-land soils around fifteen industrial complexes in the southwestern provinces, Korea. The concentrations of heavy metals in the soil samples were determined by the pseudo-total aqua regia (3 HCl : $1HNO_3$) digestion procedure. The heavy metal concentrations in most soils examined did not exceed the levels of Soil Contamination Warning Standard (SCWS) for agricultural lands (Region 1) presented in Soil Environment Conservation Law (SECL) established by Ministry of Environment (MOE), Korea. However, only one sampling site showed higher As amount ($27.1mg\;kg^{-1}$) than the SCWS level of As ($25mg\;kg^{-1}$). Pollution index (PI) for heavy metals did not exceed 1.0. The PI values were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.01) with the heavy metal concentrations. In particular, the values of correlation coefficient between the Cd and Pb concentrations and the PI values were higher than those estimated from other combinations, and thus the amounts of Cd and Pb in the agricultural soils highly affected the PI values for the heavy metals.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.559-564
• /
• 2011

Soil microbial functions are considered to be effective in assessing the severity of heavy metal pollution. Therefore, this study was carried out to examine the effect of heavy metals on nitrogen mineralization by measuring the releasing pattern of inorganic nitrogen ($NH_4^+$-N and $NO_3^-$-N) in a soil treated with heavy metals. A factorial combination of two heavy metals (Zn and Cd) treated with three concentrations (50, 100 and $150{\mu}mol\;g^{-1}$ soils) was used in a laboratory incubation. Nitrogen mineralization was determined at 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42 and 56 days after the treatments replicated four times. Soil sample free from heavy metals was served as the control. The amount of nitrogen mineralization from heavy metal treated soils was found to be decreased at an increasing rate during the first 21 days of incubation. However, as the incubation progressed, nitrogen mineralization was found to be decreased at decreasing rates. Furthermore, during this period, nitrogen mineralization in Cd treated soils was significantly lower ($P{\leq}0.05$) than that of the control. Soils treated with Cd at the concentration of $150{\mu}mol\;g^{-1}$ showed the lowest N mineralization throughout the incubation. Nitrogen mineralization in Zn treated soils ($50{\mu}mol\;g^{-1}$) was found to be higher than the other heavy metal treated soils. On the base of present findings, nitrogen mineralization of soil could be considered as a viable assessment of the degree of heavy metal pollution.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.16 no.12
• /
• pp.1451-1462
• /
• 2007

Heavy metal concentrations in the soil were investigated for the abandoned Samkwang metal mine, Cheongyang-Gun, Chungnam Province, Korea. The concentrations of heavy metal(As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) were determined in mine soils collected at the abandoned mine sites to obtain a general classification and specification of the pollution in this highly polluted region. The results estimated with the normal test and basis statistic on the central tendency and variation showed that the distribution of heavy metal concentration had significantly different at the range of all locations. The range of spatial distribution on the relationship of heavy metal concentration and pH was $4.8{\sim}8.8$ and heavy metal concentration on the type of land use was highest in forest land, and also Ni and Zn in farm and rice field showed the high concentration. The distribution of heavy metal concentration on the depth of a soil showed that the metal concentrations in subsoil were higher than of those in surface soil, while the concentration of Cu and Ni had no significant difference on the depth of soil. Results from the correlation analysis using the data except the extreme and unusual data revel that Zn-Cd(r=0.867), Zn-As(r=0.797), Zn-Pb(r=0.764), Cu-Cd(r=0.673), Cu-As(r=0.614) and Zn-Ni(r=0.605) were the most important parameters in assessing variations of heavy metal in soil. To discriminate pattern differences and similarities among samples, principal factor analysis(PFA) and cluster analysis(CF) were performed using a correlation matrix. This study suggests that PFA and CF techniques are useful tools for identification of important heavy metal and parameters. This study presents the necessity and usefulness of multivariate statistical assessment of complex databases in order to get better information about the quality of soil and gives the basis information to clean up the abandoned mine sites.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2008.05a
• /
• pp.827-831
• /
• 2008

In this study, the effects of reclaimed wastewater irrigation on the concentration of heavy metals such as lead, zinc, cadmium, and copper in soil and vegetables were investigated by monitoring an experimental area irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. Three treatments and three replications on $10{\times}2$-m plots were installed and heavy metal concentrations in soil and vegetables were monitored from 2005 to 2007. The treatments applied in this study were groundwater irrigation (control treatment), wastewater irrigation, and irrigation with filtered reclaimed wastewater treated with ultraviolet light. The monitored results showed that the concentrations of Cu, Cd, and Pb in soil during the experimental period were lower than initial soil levels before irrigation, whereas Zn increased in all treatment plots. However, the ranges of Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb in soil were below the soil pollution standards in the Republic of Korea. Heavy metal concentrations in vegetables showed insignificant variations for all treatments.