• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.871-878
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• 2006

Batch experiments were performed to evaluate the applicability of soil washing for heavy metal contaminated soils at Nacdong and Hamchang abandoned mines. The texture of the Nacdong soil was sandy loam. Nacdong abandoned mine soil was almost neutral (pH=6.5). Contaminations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn for Nacdong mine soils were 12,900 mg/kg, 29 mg/kg, 696 mg/kg and 276 mg/kg, respectively. Hamchang abandoned mine soils were acidic (pH=2.6) and the soil texture was loam. The contaminations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn for Hamchang abandoned mine soils were 6,410 mg/kg, 291 mg/kg, 1,300 mg/kg and 1,110 mg/kg, respectively. For the Nacdong abandoned mine soils, oxalic acid was found to be the most effective soil washing extracter for As and Pb while citric acid was the most effective extracter for Cd. For the Hamchang abandoned mine soils, oxalic acid showed the highest extraction efficiencies for As and Pb, whilst citric acid presented the best soil washing efficiencie for Cd. Oxalic acid and EDTA were found to be the most effective soil washing extracter for the Hamchang abandoned mine contaminated soils.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.437-441
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• 2000

A study on the removal of Pb ion from Pb-contaminated soil was carried out using ex-site extraction process. Tartaric acid (TA) and iminodiacetic acid sodium salt(IDA) as a washing agent were evaluated as a function of concentration reaction time mixing ratio of washing agent and recycling of washing agent. TA showed a better extraction performance than IDA. The optimum washing condition of TA and IDA were in the ratio of 1:15 and 1:20 between soil and acid solution during 1 hr reaction. The total concentrations of Pb ion by TA and IDA at three repeated extraction were 368.8 ppm and 267.5 ppm respectively. The recovery of Pb ion from washing solution was achieved by adding calcium hydroxide and sodium sulfide form the precipitation of lead hydroxide and lead sulfide and optimum amounts of sodium sulfide and calcium hydroxide were 7 g/$\ell$ for the TA washing solution and 4 g/$\ell$, 5g/$\ell$ for the IDA washing solution respectively. The efficiency of recycle for TA and IDA washing solution were 78.8% , 95.1%, and 89.2%, 96.6% at third extractions under $Na_2S$ and $Ca(OH)_2$, respectively.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.23-30
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• 2011

Risk based pollution level of Pb and Cd in metal contaminated soils depending on physicochemical properties of soil in a target site was assessed using biotic ligand model. Heavy metal activity in soil solution defined as exposure activity (EA) was assumed to be toxic to Vibrio fischeri and soil organisms. Predicted effective activity (PEA) determined by biotic ligand model was compared to EA value to calculate risk quotient. Field contaminated soils (n = 10) were collected from a formes area and their risk based pollution levels were assessed in the present study using the calculated risk quotient. Concentrations of Pb determined by aqua regia were 295, 258, and 268 mg/kg in B, H and J points and concentrations of Cd were 4.73 and 6.36 mg/kg in G and I points, respectively. These points exceeded the current soil conservation standards. However, risk based pollution levels of the ten points were not able to be calculated because concentrations of Pb and Cd in soil solution were smaller than detection limits or one (i.e., non toxic). It was because heavy metal activity in soil solution was dominant toxicological form to organisms, not a total heavy metal concentration in soil. In addition, heavy metal toxicity was decreased by competition effect of major cations and formation of complex with dissolved organic carbon in soil solution. Therefore, it is essential to consider site-specific factors affecting bioavailability and toxicity for estimating reliable risk of Pb and Cd.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.491-495
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• 2014

Phytoremediation is a technology using plants and associated soil microbes to reduce the concentrations or toxic effects of contaminants in the environments. It is regarded as a cost-effective, efficient, eco-friendly, and solar-driven technology with good public acceptance. This study was conducted to find the plants accumulating heavy metals in soils contaminated with Cd and Pb. Experimental plots (plot size: $0.81m^2$) was artificially contaminated using a contaminated soil collected from a field in vicinity of Wondong mine (WD). Sunflower, corn and castor were tested for their potential to remove heavy metals from the contaminated soils. The results indicated that sunflower was most effective in accumulating heavy metals and thus remedying the soils among the three crops. Dry weight and heavy metal uptake of sunflower shoot differed with growth period. For example, the Cd content of shoots including leaf and stem were 0.31mg, 2.23 mg, and 0.96 mg per plot at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after planting in Cd4-WD treatment; in addition, the dry weight of the shoots in Cd8-WD treatment was reduced due to heavy metal toxicity. This experiment showed that sunflower absorbed Cd, Pb and Zn in their shoots up to 8 weeks of planting; thereafter heavy metals uptake was diminished. This implies that the efficiency of these plants in cleaning the contaminated soils may be high at the early stage of plant growth.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.215-224
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• 2021

In this study, to investigate the effect of stabilization of Pb-contaminated soil near a smelter site for the reduction of environmental risk of Pb leaching, commercial stabilizers were amended with the Pb-contaminated soil and evaluated leaching characteristics of Pb in soil by TCLP and SPLP leaching test. Also, performing sequential extraction procedure speciation of Pb in the amended soil was investigated. Limestone, AC-2 (Amron), Metafix (Peroxychem) that possess stabilization performance towards heavy metal in soil and mass production is available were selected as candidates. AC-2 contained a CaCO₃ and MgO crystalline phase, while Metafix had a Fe₇S₈ crystalline phase, according to XRD studies. Pb content in SPLP extract was lower than the South Korean drinking water standard for Pb in groundwater at 4% AC-2 and Metafix treatment soil, and TCLP-based stabilization effectiveness was more than 90%. The findings of the sequential extraction method of soil treated with Metafix revealed that fractions 1 and 2 of Pb, which correspond to relatively high mobility and bioavailable fractions, were lowered, while the residual fraction (fraction 5) was raised. As a consequence, the order of performance for Pb stabilization in polluted soil was Metafix>AC-2>limestone.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.63-74
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• 2019

This study carried out a human risk assessment of Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni contained in soil contaminated by improperly buried heavy metal wastes in railway sites. The purpose of the human risk assessment is to derive the need for soil remediation and factors that should be considered during soil remediation. Risk assessment was performed in accordance with the Environment Ministry's Risk Assessment Guidelines. The results of the human risk assessment of contaminated heavy metal soil contaminated by improperly buried waste in the railway site were presented after the process of determining exposure concentration, calculating exposure, and determining carcinogenic hazards. The heavy metal content of soil is 621.3 Cu mg/kg, 2,824.5 Pb mg/kg, 1,559.1 Zn mg/kg and 45 Ni mg/kg, which is the exposure concentration of the target contaminant. The results of human exposure according to exposure pathways were high in the order of soil outdoor dust >soil ingestion >soil contact, and Pb >Zn >Cu >Ni were higher in order of contaminant. The carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks of soil contaminated with heavy metal waste were higher than the allowable carcinogenic risks (TCR> $10^{-6}$) and the risk index (Hi < 1.0) suggested by USEPA. Therefore, the site needs to be remediated.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2014

Agricultural soils surrounding mine areas in South Korea are often contaminated with multiple metals such as Cd, Pb and Zn. It poses potential risks to plants, soil organisms, groundwater, and eventually human health. The aim of this study was to examine the changes in phytoavailability of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn after application with calcined eggshell (CES; 0, 1, 3, and 5% W/W) in an agricultural soil contaminated by mine tailings. The contents of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in soils were 8.79, 65.4, 1602, and $692mgkg^{-1}$ (aqua regia dissolution), respectively. The experiments were conducted with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia) grown under greenhouse conditions during a 30-d period. $NH_4NO_3$ solution was used to examine the mobile fraction of these metals in soil. The application of CES dramatically increased soil pH and inorganic carbon content in soil due to CaO and $CaCO_3$ of CES. The increased soil pH decreased the mobile fraction of Cd, Pb, Zn: from 3.49 to < $0.01mgkg^{-1}$ for Cd, from 79.4 to $1.75mgkg^{-1}$ for Pb, and from 29.6 to $1.13mgkg^{-1}$ for Zn with increasing treatment of CES from 0 to 5%. In contrast, the mobile fraction of Cu was increased from 0.05 to $3.08mgkg^{-1}$, probably due to the formation of soluble $CuCO_3{^0}$ and Cu-organic complex. This changes in the mobile fraction resulted in a diminished uptake of Cd, Pb and Zn by lettuce and an increased uptake of Cu: from 4.19 to < $0.001mgkg^{-1}$ dry weight (DW) for Cd, from 0.78 to < $0.001mgkg^{-1}$ DW for Pb, and from 133 to $50.0mgkg^{-1}$ DW for Zn and conversely, from 3.79 up to $8.21kg^{-1}$ DW for Cu. The increased contents of Cu in lettuce shoots did not exceed the toxic level of $>25mgkg^{-1}$ DW. The mobile contents of these metals in soils showed a strong relationship with their contents in plant roots and shoots. These results showed that CES effectively reduced the phytoavailability of Cd, Pb, and Zn to lettuce but elevated that of Cu in consequence of the changed binding forms of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in soils. Based on these conclusions, CES can be used as an effective immobilization agent for Cd, Pb and Zn in contaminated soils. However, the CES should be applied in restricted doses due to too high increased pH in soils.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.137-146
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• 2018

Soil washing is one of the most frequently used remediation technologies for heavy metal-contaminated soils. Inorganic and organic acids and chelating agents that can enhance the removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils have been employed as soil washing agents. However, the toxicity, low removal efficiency and high cost of these chemicals limit their use. Given that humic substance (HS) can effectively chelate heavy metals, the development of an eco-friendly, performance-efficient and cost-effective soil washing agent using a nano-scale chelator composed of HS was examined in this study. Copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) were selected as target heavy metals. In soil washing experiments, HS concentration, pH, soil:washing solution ratio and extraction time were evaluated with regard to washing efficiency and the chelation effect. The highest removal rates by soil washing (69% for Cu and 56% for Pb) were achieved at an HS concentration of 1,000 mg/L and soil:washing solution ratio of 1:25. Washing with HS was found to be effective when the pH value was higher than 8, which can be attributed to the increased chelation effect between HS and heavy metals at the high pH range. In contrast, the washing efficiency decreased markedly in the low pH range due to HS precipitation. The chelation capacities for Cu and Pb in the aqueous phase were determined to be 0.547mmol-Cu/g-HS and 0.192mmol-Pb/g-HS, respectively.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2018

In the present study, long-term heavy metals (HMs) contaminated soil samples from a well-known Pb/Zn smelting area in the southwest of China were collected, and physicochemical and biological characteristics of these samples were evaluated. Soil samples contained different concentrations of HMs, namely Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd. Enzyme activity analyses combined with microcalorimetric analysis were used for soil microbial activity evaluation. Results showed that two soil samples, containing almost the highest concentrations of HMs, also shared the greatest microbial activities. Based on correlation coefficient analysis, high microbial activity in heavily HMs contaminated soil might be due to the high contents of soil organic matter and available phosphorus in these samples. High-throughput sequencing technique was used for microbial community structure analysis. High abundance of genera Sphingomonas and Thiobacillus were also observed in these two heavily contaminated soils, suggesting that bacteria belonging to these two genera might be further isolated from these contaminated soils and applied for future studies of HMs remediation. Results of present study would contribute to the evaluation of microbial communities and isolation of microbial resources to remediate HMs pollution.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

The success of stabilization treatment in heavy metal contaminated sediment depends on the heavy metal bioavailability reduction through the sequestration of the heavy metals. This study was performed to assess the changes in the bioavailability of Pb or Cd in the Pb or Cd contaminated sediments by using birnessite and hydroxyapatite as stabilizing agents. The toxicity tests were carried out using a microorganism (Vibrio fischeri), an amphipod (Hyalella azteca) and an earthworm (Eisenia foetida). With Vibrio fischeri, the toxicities of both Pb and Cd were reduced by more than ten times in the presence of birnessite and hydroxyapatite compared to that of in the absence of birnessite and hydroxyapatite. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in the contaminated sediments were lethal to Hyalella azteca, however, in the presence of birnessite and hydroxyapatite more than 90%, on average, of Hyalella azteca survived. With Eisenia foetida, the bioaccumulated concentrations of both Pb and Cd were reduced by more than 75%, on average, lower with the addition of birnessite and hydroxyapatite to the contaminated sediments. These results show that the addition of birnessite and hydroxyapatite can reduce the bioavailability of Pb and Cd in contaminated sediments. In addition, the in situ and ex situ performance of birnessite and hydroxyapatite as stabilizing agents can be verified using the toxicity tests with Hyalella azteca and Eisenia foetida, respectively.