• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.5-14
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• 2006

It has been reported that the failure of a slope in weathered soils or rocks induced by intensive rainfall occurs mainly within 2.0m below the ground surface, and that the effect of rainfall on the rise of the ground water level is not significant if the ground water level inside the slope is not so high before rainfall. Most slopes in Korea, however, have been examined to rather fail at the deeper part since they are usually designed on the basis of assumption that the ground water level rises up to the surface when raining. In this study, the rise of ground water level and slope stability were examined in order to verify the appropriateness of the current ground water level condition that has a significant effect on slope stability using the average daily rainfall in Seoul for the last 30 years. The result showed that the ground water level appears to rise up to 6.0~41.0% of the slope height respectively, and therefore the currently applied condition of ground water level may be somewhat overestimated.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: The concern over heavy metal(loid)s in arable land and agricultural products increases for public health in recent years. This study aims to identify transition characteristics of heavy metal(loid)s and to assess dietary risk in barley grown at the major producing districts in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: The soil and barley samples were collected from 38 locations around the major producing districts at Jeollabuk-do in Korea for the propose of examining the concentrations of heavy metal(loid)s. The 34 barley samples were separately purchased on the market for the same survey. The average concentration and range of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in barley grown at the major producing districts in Korea were 0.037 (0.016-0.094), 0.028 (0.004-0.083) and 0.137 (0.107-0.212) mg kg-1, respectively. Currently, the maximum allowable level for barley Pb is set at 0.2 mg kg-1 in Korea, and the monitoring results suggested that some samples exceeded the maximum allowable level and required appropriate farming management. Bio-concentration factor values by heavy metal(loid)s in barley were high at Cd, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), similar to other crops, while As and Pb were low, indicating low transferability. CONCLUSION: Human exposure to As, Cd and Pb through dietary intake of barley might not cause adverse health effects due to relatively low concentrations, although the Pb in some barley was detected higher than the maximum allowable level. Further study on uptake and accumulation mechanism of Pb by barley might be required to assess the human health risk associated with soil contamination.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.53-66
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• 2022

The national ground survey database (GeoInfo) distributes numerous ground survey data nationwide. Many standard penetration test results exist in this database; however, the number of shear wave velocity (V_S) data is small. Hence, to use abundant standard penetration test-N values to predict V_S, this study proposed a new empirical N-V_S relationship model using GeoInfo data. The proposed N-V_S model is a single equation regardless of geological layer types; the layer type only specifies the upper limit of V_S. To validate the proposed model, residual analysis was performed using a test dataset that was not used for the model development. Therefore, this study's proposed model performed better than N-V_S models from previous studies. Since the N-V_S model in this study was developed using sufficient data from GeoInfo, we expect that it is the most applicable to GeoInfo dataset for V_S prediction.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.294-299
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data on the safety of Poria cocos, a major Korean herbal medicine, and to establish tolerance levels for hazardous substances. Residual pesticides (321 types), heavy metals (7 types), radioactivity (3 types), and ash content were analyzed in 10 Poria cocos products distributed in Korea (5 domestic and 5 in China). Of the residual pesticides, cypermethrin was detected at 0.03 mg/kg in one domestic sample and was below the standard value. Of the heavy metals, the levels of Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Hg, and Cr were below the standard values in all samples. Hg was not detected in any sample. Cd was detected at 0.011 mg/kg in one Chinese sample. The radioactivity concentration was also below the MDA value in all P. cocos samples. The ash content was less than the standard value of 1.0% in all P. cocos samples. The findings indicate that P. cocos distributed in Korea is safe. However, because P. cocos is always exposed to harmful substances because of the nature of its cultivation in the soil, it seems necessary to establish systematic management standards for the entire production stage, such as cultivation, storage, and distribution.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.41-49
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• 2006

This paper deals with development and dissipation of excess pore pressure induced by the cyclic load. Cyclic triaxial tests on reconstituted samples of weathered residual soils, which were widely used as construction materials in Korea, were performed. Test results showed that excess pore pressures developed under undrained condition increased with the increase of cyclic loads and confining pressures. And a new concept based on modified excess pore pressure ratio (MEPPR) was proposed for simply estimating excess pore pressures in terms of the number of cyclic load, irrespective of cyclic loads and confining pressures. Also, it was proposed that excess pore pressure ratio (EPPR) could be effectively utilized to estimate volumetric strains during dissipation which decreased as confining pressures increased. Consequently, concept and method to effectively estimate settlements under non-liquefied condition, induced by dynamic loads such as earthquake loads were evaluated based on laboratory test results for reconstituted weathered residual soils.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.131-155
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• 1983

Though it has been widely known the nitrogen effects are influenced by soils, varieties, and mineral nutrients in the rice culture, few analyses in relation to the factors increasing nitrogen effect have been studied in Korea. The effects of potassium and silica on the factors increasing nitrogen effects in paddy soils were investigated in accordance with soil improvement practices and nitrogen application methods for the cultivated varieties. The results obtained are as follows. 1. For 413 paddy fields, the yield from soils without nitrogen application ranged from 200 to 850kg/10a and that from nitrogen application did 350 to 1,051kg/10a. The yield increament by nitrogen application varied 50 to 650kg/10a depending on soils. 2. Soil chemical characteristics for high yield were different between with nitrogen and without nitrogen application. In the without nitrogen application, however, contents of organic matter, phosphorous, potassium and calcium of high yield soils were lower than those of low yield, while the available silica content was higher in the former. 3. The yield increased with nitrogen application up to 22.4kg/10a and thereafter it decreased. These phenomena were supposed to be not be decrease of nitrogen uptake but by lowered silica uptake. 4. Clay soil incorporation, deep plough, and inorganic constituents control such as Ca, Mg, and $Sio_2$ were effective as soil improvement praitices. It was appeared that increases of silica content and Ca/Mg ratio were important to increase nitrogen effects. 5. For the correlation between yield and yield components, it was high between yield and panicle in low nitrogen level and so was it between grain yield and ripening rate in high nitrogen. 6. In the urea and super granule urea application plot, recovery rate of nitrogen by plant and soil was high and yield was remarkable high. 7. Regardless of fertilizer types such as ammonium sulfate and urea, the residual nitrogen was about 4kg/10a in both plots of 5.8 and 11.6kg/10a. N applied. 8. The potassium application to soil enhanced the nitrogen efficiency. It was more effective in low potassium soil. 9. Optimum pH value for gel formation in the 4% sodium silicate solution was approximately 6.6. 10. It was suggested that silica could affect to rice plant growth as the inorganic and organic chemical components.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.101-115
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• 2001

Nitrogen applied as fertilizer for crop production is partly absorbed by plant , and the remaining nitrogen in soil might be leached out through complicated processes to the subsoil layer Especially, NO$_3$-N in leachate causes environmental pollution. The purpose of this study was focused on understanding of uptake of nutrients by plants, the behaviors of nutrients in soil and the possibility of leaching loss when nitrogen fertilizer and completely decomposed compost were applied. Lysimeters(Volume 0.15㎥, Diameter 62cm, Height 62.8cm) were installed for collecting leachate in the Jeju volcanic ash soils. Lysimeter study consisted of thirteen treatments : fallow, fallow with weeding, cropping without fertilizer and compost, three N fertilizer soil surface applications(16, 32, 64kg/10a), three N fertilizer and compost soil surface applications(16+800, 32+1600, 64+32kg/10a), two water dissolved N fertilizer applications(16, 32kg/10a), and low and high plant densities. N fertilizer was applied as urea. The growth of com(preceding crop) and potatoes(succeeding crop) and leaching loss were determined during the experimental period. The results obtained were summarized as follows ; With Increased N, pH of leachate tended to decrease and NO$_3$-N concentration of leachate increased. NO$_3$-N leaching loss was remarkably greater in soil from the bare plot without fertilization and the weed control than from plots with medium N rate and was least in the cropping plot without fertilization. NO$_3$-N concentration in leachates from the water dissolved N fertilizer application plots was 64% of that from the soil surface application plots. The concentration of Ca and K ions and the leaching loss of these ions were least from the cropping plot without fertilization and were greatest from bare plots(T1 and T2) without fertilization. The proportion of leaching and residual N in soil increased as N rate increased indicting that higher N rates increase the possibility of N leaching to subsoil layer The proportion of N leaching losses was lower at the low N rate and the high plant density. In future, fertilization prescription which can maximize fertilizer use efficiency and minimize the pollution of ground water will be needed for conserving the environments.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1258-1263
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• 2011

This study was conducted to reclassify Asan series based on the second edition of Soil Taxonomy and to discuss the formation of Asan series distributed on the rolling to hilly areas. Morphological properties of typifying pedon of Asan series were investigated and physico-chemical properties were analyzed according to Soil survey laboratory methods manual. The typifying pedon of Asan series has dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam Ap horizon (0-18 cm), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly clay loam BA horizon (18-30 cm), red (2.5YR 4/6) gravelly clay loam Bt1 horizon (30-52 cm), red (2.5YR 4/8) gravelly clay loam Bt2 horizon (52-98 cm), and red (2.5YR 4/8) gravelly clay loam C horizon (98-160 cm). The typifying pedon has an argillic horizon from a depth of 30 to 98 cm and a base saturation (sum of cations) of less than 35% at 125 cm below the upper boundary of the argillic horizon. It can be classified as Ultisol, not as Inceptisol. It has udic soil moisture regime, and can be classified as Udult. Also that meets the requirements of Typic Hapludults. It has 18-35% clay at the particle-size control section, and has mesic soil temperature regime. Therefore Asan series can be classified as fine loamy, mesic family of Typic Hapludults, not as fine loamy, mesic family of Typic Dystrudepts. Asan series occur on rolling to hilly areas in residual materials derived from granite gneiss, schist, and gneiss rocks. They are developed as Ultisols with clay mineral weathering, translocation of clays to accumulate in an argillic horizon, and leaching of base-forming cations from the profile for relatively long periods under humid and temperate climates in Korea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.567-586
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• 1997

Concentrations of several heavy metals in soils derived from black shale and slate have been reported to be higher than the average concentrations in non-polluted soils. This study describes and characterizes soil minerals, and investigates the distribution of heavy metals in soils, and then examines their relationship. Soils in the study area are mainly consist of guartz and feldspars with minor amount of kaolin, illite, vermiculite, chlorite and illite-vermiculite interstratified minerals. Mineral compositions are similar in mountain-, farmland-, and paddy-soils. The residual soils derived from sandy phyllites contain less illites than those from black shale and black slate. Heavy metals appear to be more concentrated in soils than in rocks. The concentrate ratios in soils to rocks ranges 1.1 times for Cr, 2 for Cu, 1.4 for Ni. The contour maps of Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu contents using 0.43N $HNO_3$-extraction imply that these elements are highly concentrated in the soils near the past uranium exploration region, coal seams, black slate beds and tailings than other parts of the study area. The proportions of the day in most soils are less than 10%. In spite of small proportions of the clay, the concentrations of heavy metals from clay fractions to the total concentrations are high: 1~2.4 times for Co, 1.4~2.5 for Cu, 1.2~2.6 for Ni, 1~5 for Pb, 1~2.7 for Zn and 1.6~1.8 for Cr and V. The contents of organic carbons in clay fractions are also 1.5~3.9 times higher than in silt and sand fractions. Cu, Pb and organic carbons show positive relationship in all size fractions. In the size-fractionated soil profile samples, the contents of heavy metals and organic carbons show analogous trends with depth. For the clay fractions of soil profile samples, the contents of heavy metals with depth have analogous trends to abundances of vermiculites, which have the high CEC in main clay minerals.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.18-24
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• 2005

Water quality changes of wastewater effluent in the shallow aquifier condition was investigated using laboratory unsaturated and saturated SAT columns for over five months. Average DOC removal was 31.9% in the unsaturated SAT column whereas no removal occurred in the saturated SAT column. Under the shallow aquifer condition, nitrification was not completed in the unsaturated SAT column, releasing residual ammonium nitrogen into the saturated SAT column. Short retention time (one day) in the shallow unsaturated SAT column rendered DO of about 2 mg/L to the influent of the saturated SAT column. Phosphate was not removed at all in the unsaturated SAT column while complete removal was achieved in the saturated column. Consequently, organic and inorganic compounds were removed under the shallow aquifer condition as effectively as was in deep aquifer, except for the release of ammonium and relatively high DO into the saturated SAT column.