• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.17-35
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• 1994

This study was performed to investigate and assess the heavy metal contamination of sediment in main stream and tributaries of the Han-river in the vicinity of Seoul. Sediment were sampled at eight locations of main stream and eighteen locations of tributaries in the spring, summer, and fall in 1993. Six heavy metals of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Hg, were assessed. For an assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediment, the assessment method of Hakanson was modified to estimate for Han-river, then classification method of Muller in sediment quality was applied. For an assessment of contamination in each heavy metal, Contamination factor C$_f^i$ which was defined the ratio of concentration of i heavy metal in investigated location to background concentration of i heavy metal in uncontaminated upper area was used. The sediment quality in each heavymetal was classified as follows if C$_f^i$<1, Class I for Non contamination, if 1 < C$_f^i$ < 3, Class II for Low contamination, if 3< C$_f^i$ <6, Class III for Moderate contamination, if 6< C$_f^i$ <12, Class IV for Considerable contamination, and if C$_f^i$ > 12, Class V for High contamination.(abbreviation)

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.311-324
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• 2004

We investigated the contamination and behavior of heavy metals in stream sediments within the watershed of Juam Reservoir. Many abandoned mines within the reservoir can act as a potential contaminant source for water quality. Heavy metal concentrations (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in stream sediments from watershed are very low, indicating that content of heavy metals in the sediments probably do not affect the water quality in Juam Reservoir. However Pb concentration in the stream sediments increases downward streams, suggesting the possible diffusion of Pb contamination. According to the leaching ratio for stream sediments at a strong acidic condition in the abandoned mine areas, the relative mobility for metals decreases in the order of Pb＞Zn=Cu＞Ni＞Cr, indicating that Pb can have a bad effect upon the water quality in Jum Reservoir. Moreover, if contaminated sediment is placed in the bottom of reservoir (i.e., reducing condition), the relative mobility of Pb is the highest, indicating that Pb in the bottom sediments can be leached to water at interface between water and sediment with changing in physicochemical conditions.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.178-182
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• 2002

This study was conducted to estimate the status of heavy metal contamination in agricultural products (n = 280), soils (n = 280), and irrigation waters (n = 48) in abandoned mines & normal farm lands (n = 8). The samples were digested with acids, then analyzed fur the contents of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and chrome (Cr) by an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer (ICP) and graphite- atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The contents of Hg were determined using a mercury analyzer. Abandoned mines had soils with higher contents of heavy metals except Cr and irrigation waters with higher heavy metals except Hg, compared to those of normal farmlands. The contents of heavy metals in agriculture products varied depending types of products. Agricultural products in abandoned mines generally showed with higher contents of heavy metals except Cu, compared to those of normal farmlands. There was no significant relationship in heavy metal contents between agricultural products and soils (p > 0.05). It is suggested that heavy metals of agricultural products and soils in abandoned mines should be continuously monitored.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.25-35
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• 1999

Fly ash, by-product from coal fired power station, has long been regarded as a potential contamination source for heavy metals and inorganics due to their enriched concentrations and associations with particle surface. Feed coal and fly ash samples were collected from two power stations; Yongdong deliang with domestic anthracite coals and Boryong with imported bituminous coals. The coal and fly ash samples were analyzed for chemical composition and mineral components, using XRF and XRD. Batch leaching experiments were conducted by agitating samples with deionised water for 24 hours. Anthracite coals are generally higher in Al and Si contents than bituminous coals. This is due to the higher ash contents of the anthracite coal than bituminous coal. The chemistry of the two fly ash samples shows broadly similar compositions each other, except for the characteristically high contents of Cr in anthracite coal fly ash. Leaching experiments revealed that concentrations of metals gradually decreased with leachings in general. However, measurable amounts of metals were present in the effluent from weathered ash and the samples subjected to the leaching procedure. These metals are likely to indicate that the metals in fly ash were incorporated into glass fraction as well as associated with particle surface of samples. Dissolution of aluminosilicate glass would control releasing heavy metals from fly ash as weathering progresses during landfill with implication of possible groundwater contamination through fly ash landfill.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.266-271
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• 2011

Physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal content of soils located along the drainage way of an abandoned mine at Busan, Korea ($35^{\circ}31'N$, $129^{\circ}22'E$) (contaminated soil; CS) and uncontaminated soils (50-70 m apart from the drainage way) (NS) were examined. Growth of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicom cv. Rutgers) in CS and NS, development of the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) as root-knot gall formation on tomato plants, and non-parasitic nematode populations in soil were also examined. Growth of tomato plants, root-knot gall formation, and non-parasitic nematode populations were significantly reduced in CS with higher As content, lower pH, higher electrical conductivity (EC), and lower available phosphate (av. $P_2O_5$) than in NS. None of the other physicochemical characters examined differed significantly between CS and NS (low and no significance) and were above or below the critical levels detrimental to plant growth and nematode development, suggesting that As may be the primary hazardous heavy metal in CS. The toxicity of As might be enhanced at low pH in CS because exchangeable forms of some heavy metals increase with the decrease of soil pH. The heavy metals, especially As, may have contributed to increasing EC and decreasing av. $P_2O_5$. Therefore, the effects of mine drainage contamination from the abandoned mine were derived primarily from contamination by heavy metals such as As. These may have been enhanced in toxicity (solubility) by the lowered pH, increased soil salinity (EC) and decreased av. $P_2O_5$. Our results suggest synergistic adverse effects on the plant and the nematode by decreasing osmotic potential and nutrient availability.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2018

This paper is aimed at source tracking of soil heavy metal contamination at a site established by reusing construction wastes. The soil heavy metal concentration at the study site peaked at a depth range of 5-10 m. Column studies were conducted to investigate the possibility of the contamination scenario of infiltration of stormwater carrying heavy metals of ground origin followed by selective heavy metal accumulation at the 5-10 m depth range. Almost all amount of lead, zinc, cadmium, and nickel introduced to the columns each packed with 0-5 m or 5-10 m field soil were accumulated in the column. The very poor heavy metal mobility in spite of the weak association of the heavy metals with the soil (characterized by a sequential extraction procedure) can be attributed to the high pH (10-11) of the construction wastes. From the results, the heavy metal contamination of the subsurface soil by an external heavy metal source was determined to be very unlikely at the study site. The column study applied in the current study is expected to be a useful methodology to present direct evidence of the contaminant source tracking at soil contamination sites.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 1996

The Dalsung copper-tungsten mine in the Taegu area, Korea was closed in 1975 and may be the sources of the heavy metal contamination in the tributary system and soil-plant system due to the mine drainage derived from the mine wastes and tailings. To examine the degree and extent of heavy metal contamination in the vicinity of Dalsung mine area, stream water and soil samples were taken and analyzed for heavy metals by ICP-AES and AAS. Highly contaminated soils are found near the Lower Tunnel No.0 ranging up to $1760{\mu}g/g$ As, $2060{\mu}g/g$ Cu, $1120{\mu}g/g$ Pb and 346 ${\mu}g/g$ Zn. From the results of the sequential extraction methods for the metal speciation, the heavy metals in soils may be derived from soil parent materials and acid mine drainage. With the processes for the heavy metal removal, most of the heavy metal ions in the acid mine drainage are removed by being exchanged with Ca ions held by the bentonite, hydroxyapatite and calcium hydoxide.

• CELLMED
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.4
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• 2016

Consumption of herbal products from the medicinal plants contaminated with heavy metals can cause serious consequences on human health. This is a major concern for traditional and herbal medicine. The present study was carried out to analyze and quantify the levels of six potentially toxic heavy metals namely arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium and nickel in ten important Indian medicinal herbs. The air dried raw herbs were processed by microwave assisted wet digestion and analyzed by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer equipped with graphite tube atomizer. Except the chromium content in three plants, all the levels of six heavy metals analyzed were found to be quite below the permissible limits in all the ten raw medicinal herbs analyzed. The present work implies that, regular and systematic screening of raw medicinal herbs is necessary to check the levels of the heavy metal contaminants before using them for consumption or preparation of herbal formulations so that the possible contamination cannot cumulate up to the finished products.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.129-135
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• 2000

Four types of land use were selected for sampling and study with different characteristics of heavy metal contamination during the period from August 1998 to June 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 of Pb, Zn, Cd, Co, Cr and Cu. An examination of six elements indicated that Zn, Cu and Pb were the heavy metals severely impacted by anthropogenic input in Seoul. An assessment of 60 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urban runoff and ground water was conducted based on samples collected from 31 sites and 12 wells, respectively, in Seoul City. The higher levels of alkyl benzenes in urban runoff indicated that Seoul areas were mainly contaminated through traffic sources.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.103-116
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• 2022

Heavy metal contaminations were investigated in fishes inhabiting the basins of Andong, Imha and Yeongju dam basins along the upper stream of the Nakdong river. The characteristics of heavy metals contamination in fish were investigated based on sampling sites located in the Andong dam basin. The muscle tissue was analyzed for 267 objects of 26 species from the Andong dam, 50 objects of 17 species from Imha dam, 38 objects of 9 species fromYoungju dam basin.The type and amount of heavy metals concentrated in the body of the fishes was found to be species-dependent. The heavy metal species which contamination increase through the Seokpo smelter are chromium, zinc, cadmium, and lead, and these are very likely the influence of the smelter. The concentration of eight heavy metals in fish from the Andong dam basin was higher than that in fish from the Imha and Youngju dam basins; the values for zinc, arsenic, and cadmium were significantly higher. However, mercury and lead exhibited high values in the Imha and Yeongju dam basins, respectively.