• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.265-273
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• 2005

Chemical properties and heavy metal concentrations of forest soils of four abandoned coal mine lands affected by coal mining activities in the Mungyeong area were investigated to provide basic information for revegetation of abandoned coal mine lands. Soil pH in abandoned coal mine lands ranged from 5.30 to 6.76 it in the control site was 5.23. Contents of organic matter and total N in abandoned coal mine lands were $4.46\~7.19\%\;and\;0.07\~0.15\%$, respectively. Available P contents were 6.54 for A (Samchang), 6.52 for B (Bongmyeong),3.94 fur C (Kabjung), 5.45 mg/kg for D (Danbong coal mine land) and 5.25 mg/kg for the control site, which had a positive correlation with soil pH. Contents of exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and Na in abandoned coal mile lands averaged 196.1, 88.7, 88.2 and $10.2cmol^+/kg$, with a range of $132.1\~242.1,\;24.2\~138.\; 64.9\~120.8\;and\;8\~12.2cmol^+/kg$, respectively. Those of the control site were 192.8, 95.8, 104 and $21.2 cmol^+/kg$, respectively. Heavy metals such as Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn of forest soil in abandoned coal mine lands have a larger content than those of the control site. Al, Mn and fb content was especially high in abandoned coal mine lands. The Al content of forest soil in abandoned coal mine lands ranged from 397 to 917 ppm, which was considered to be high enough to inhibit tree growth. Therefore, it is suggested that soils of abandoned coal mine lands contaminated by mining activities need to be properly treated for remediation of environmental problems.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2008

This study was performed to synthesize Na-A type zeolite with melting slag from the Mapo incineration site and recycle the zeolite as an environmental remediation agent. The melting slag used had a favorable composition containing 26.6% $SiO_2$, 10.9% $Al_2O_3$ and 2.7% $Na_2O$ for zeolite synthesis although there were high contents of iron oxides, including 19.6% $Fe_2O_3$ and 18.9% FeO, which had been used as a flux for the melting. It was confirmed that the Na-A type zeolite could be successfully synthesized at $80^{\circ}C$ and $SiO_2/Al_2O_3\;=\;0.80{\sim}1.96$. The cation exchange capacities (CEC) of the zeolites was determined to be about 220 cmol/kg leveled off at the synthetic time more than 10hrs. The adsorption capacities of zeolite to heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Mn and Pb) were high except for As arid Cr. It was also confirmed through the Eh and pH analysis that As and Cr existed in the forms of $HAsO_4^{2-}$ and $CrO_4^{2-}$. The low absorption rates of zeolite for As and Cr are attributed to the fact that the pore size ($4\;{\AA}$) of Na-A type is smaller than those of $HAsO_4^{2-}$ and $CrO_4^{2-}$ ions ($4\;{\AA}$ ionic radii and $8\;{\AA}$ diameter).

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.52-61
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• 2004

In order to remediate soils contaminated with oxyanionic As and cationic Zn and Ni through the pilot-scale acid washing, the effectiveness of acid washing and the properties of contaminated soils, fine soil particle and dissolved contaminants were evaluated. $H_{2}SO_4\;and\;H_{3}PO_4$ washing at pH $2{\sim}3$ enhanced the removal of As by the presence of competitive oxyanions and HCl washing effectively removed simultaneously As, Zn and Ni. The effectiveness of soil washing was little enhanced above the critical reaction time, and the carbonate, Fe/Mn oxide and organic/sulfides associated fraction were dominantly removed. The washing of coarse soil particles was highly efficient, but that of fine soil particles($<74{\mu}m$) was recalcitrant due to the enrichment with contaminants. Moreover, the physical separation of fine particles($<149{\mu}m$) enhanced the overall efficiency of soil washing. Therefore, both chemical extraction and separation of fine soil particles showed the high effectiveness of soil washing in the intersection point to minimize the amount of fine soil particles and to maximize the chemical extraction of contaminants.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.195-206
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• 2017

In situ capping technology for marine sediment pollution control has never been applied in South Korea. In this study a pilot project for the capping was carried out in Busan N Harbor. Pipeline and clamshell capping technologies were implemented for the pollution control. Changes of capping shapes, sediment contamination, and the time and costs required for the two constructions were compared. Both the pipeline and clamshell technologies were found to satisfy the target thickness of 50 cm on average. However, the pipeline method did not operate sensitively in terms of change of the sea floor topography, resulting in an uneven shape and a thickness. Organic carbon and ignition loss quite decreased after the pipeline or the clamshell capping while pH showed no significant change. Organic and residual fraction of Cd, Ni, and Zn in the sediments appeared to decrease after all cappings. The pipeline method took a construction time four times as much as the clamshell method. The clamshell method was demonstrated to reduce the construction cost by about 40% compared with the pipeline method. However, a monitoring for all the parameters needs to be conducted at least two years in order to better evaluate an efficiency of the pollution control by these capping constructions.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.78-82
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• 2009

In this study, the feasibility of soil washing and soil flushing was investigated to treat Zn-contaminated railroad soil. Various organic acids including ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid as well as inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) and phosphoric acid were tested to evaluate washing efficiency. Generally, inorganic acid showed higher removal efficiency compared to organic acids. Particularly, EDTA, well known as the most effective washing agent for removal of heavy metals from soil, was not efficient to remove zinc in this study. Among washing agents tested in this study, HCl was the most effective. However, it is not effective to use HCl solution over 0.1 M concentration. Sequential process using HCl was effective to enhance the removal efficiency of zinc. In column test, the removal efficiency of Zn was 27%. Accordingly, it is feasible to treat Zn-contaminated railroad soil using soil washing or flushing with HCI.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.123-136
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• 2010

In order to remediate heavy metal contaminated Nong island, Maehyang-ri shooting range soils through the batch reactor scale washing were evaluated. The experiment texture soil of N3 in the Nong island at north side incline was (g)mS containing 12.9% gravel, 47.0% sand, 35.1% silt and 5.0% clay. And the N3 soil area was contaminated with Cd($22.5\pm1.9$ ppm), Cu($35.5\pm4.0$ ppm), Pb($1,279.0\pm5.1$ ppm) and Zn($403.4\pm9.8$ ppm). The EDTA(ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid, $C_{10}H_{16}N_2O_8$) in the N3 soil was observed as most effective extractants among the 5 extractants(citric acid, EDTA, phosphoric acid, potassium phosphate and oxalic acid) tested. And chemical partitioning of heavy metals after washing N3 soil with EDTA was evaluated. Removal efficiency of residual fractions was higher than that of non-residual fractions. To choose EDTA extractant which is the most effective in soil washing technology using batch reactor process cleaning Pb and Zn contaminated sits; Pb and Zn removal rates were investigated 92.4%, 94.0% removal(1,000 mM, soil:solution=5, $20^{\circ}C$, 24 hour shaking, pH=2, 200 RPM), respectively. The results of the batch test showed that the removal efficiency curve was logarithmic in soil was removal. Thus, EDTA washing process can be applied to remediate the Pb and Zn contaminated soil used in this study.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.105-119
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• 2012

Indigenous bacteria isolated from contaminated sites play important roles to remediate contaminated groundwater. Chromium has the most stable oxidation states. Cr(VI) is toxic, carcinogenic, and mobile, but Cr(III) is less toxic and immobile. In this study, indigenous microorganism (MMPH-0) was enriched from Cr(VI) contaminated groundwater, and identified by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Using MMPH-0, the effect of stimulating with e-donors (glucose, lactate, acetate, and no e-donor control), respiration conditions, biomass, tolerance, and geochemical changes on Cr(VI) reduction were investigated in batch experiments for 4 weeks. The changes of Cr(VI) concentration and geochemical conditions were monitored using UV-vis-spectrophotometer and Eh-pH meter. And the morphological and chemical characteristics of MMPH-0 and precipitates in the effluents were characterized by TEM-EDS and SEM-EDS analyses. MMPH-0 (Enterobacter aerogenes) was able to tolerate up to 2000 mg/L Cr(VI) and reduce Cr(VI) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. MMPH-0 performed faster and higher efficiency of Cr(VI) reduction with electron donors (over 70% after 1 week with e-donor, 10-20% after 4 weeks without e-donor). The changes of Eh-pH in effluents showing the tendency from oxidizing to reducing condition and a bit of acidic change in pH due to microbial oxidation of organic matters donating electrons and protons suggested the roles of MMPH-0 on Cr(VI) in the contaminated water catalyzing to transit geochemical stable zone for more stable $Cr(OH)_3$ or Cr(III) precipitates. TEM/SEM-EDS analyses of MMPH-0 and precipitates indicate direct and indirect Cr(VI) reduction: extracellular polymers capturing Cr component outside cells. These results suggested diverse indigenous bacteria and their biogeochemical reactions might enhance more effective and feasible remediation technology of redox sensitive heavy metals in metal-contaminated in groundwater.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.111-121
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• 2003

The objective of this study is to investigate the physical and chemical properties for environmental assessment of water system affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) from coal mining activities in the Youngwol, Jungseon and Pyungchang areas in Korea. During November 2000 to July 2002, 6 times of water samples were collected season-ally from acid mine drainage and nearby streams at 13 coal mines in the study area. The physical and chemical properties including pH, Eh, TDS, salinity, bicarbonates and DO were measured in the field. Eighteen cations includ-ing Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn, and 6 anions including nitrates and sulfates were also analyzed by ICP-AES and If, respectively. Acid water from the Jungam coal mine has typical characteristics of AMD with very low pH(3∼4) and high TDS(1,000∼5,000 mg/1). Relatively high concentrations(mg/kg) of heavy meals, especially for Al(380), Fe(80), Mn(44) and Zn(8), were found in water samples from the Jungam coal mine area. Water samples from the Seojin, Sebang and Sungjin coal mines also contained over 50 mg/l of Al, >100 mg/1 of Fe and )10 mg/1 of Mn. In addition to anioins, over 1,000 mg/l of sulfate was found in several water samples. Seasonally, the concentrations of metals and sulfates varied; wet season samples were relatively higher in metals and sulfates than dry season samples. It is needed to establish the proper remediation and environmental monitoring of the AMD continuously.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2006

Laboratory column experiment for simultaneous removal of Cd and Cr(VI) were conducted using newly developed material of Fe-loaded zeolite having both reduction ability and sorption capacity. The solution containing Cd and Cr(VI) was injected into the column and the breakthrough curves (BTCs) for the contaminants were observed at the effluent port. Cd breakthrough was not initialized until Cr(VI) breakthrough was completed. Therefore it could be concluded that overall efficiency of Fe-loaded zeolite should be determined by the reactivity for Cr(VI). The relative concentration of Cr(VI) BTC increased to the unit value while initial breakthrough was delayed and the propagation of breakthrough was slowed. In order to quantitatively describe the shape of Cr(VI) BTC, new parameters of ${\alpha}\;and\;{\beta}$ designated to be shape parameters, were defined and applied in contaminant transport concentration. These parameters were employed to represent the degree of initial breakthrough delay and the degree of breakthrough propagation, respectively. As initial contaminant concentration increased, ${\alpha}$ decreased, which indicated the delay of BTC's initiation. And as initial contaminant flow rate increased, ${\beta}$ decreased, which represented the faster propagation of the BTC. From these results, Fe-loaded zeolite was found to be an effective reactive material for PRBs against heavy metals having different ionic forms in groundwater. And it could be expected that as groundwater flows faster, the propagation of breakthrough would be faster and as contaminant concentration is higher, the initial point of breakthrough would appear earlier.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.168-181
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• 2024

Constructed wetlands (CWs) deliver a range of ecosystem services, including the removal of contaminants, sequestration and storage of carbon, and enhancement of biodiversity. These services are facilitated through hydrological and ecological processes such as infiltration, adsorption, water retention, and evapotranspiration by plants and microorganisms. This study investigated the correlations between microbial populations, soil physicochemical properties, and treatment efficiency in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSF CW) treating runoff from roads and parking lots. The methods employed included storm event monitoring, water quality analysis, soil sampling, soil quality parameter analysis, and microbial analysis. The facility achieved its highest pollutant removal efficiencies during the warm season (>15℃), with rates ranging from 33% to 74% for TSS, COD, TN, TP, and specific heavy metals including Fe, Zn, and Cd. Meanwhile, the highest removal efficiency was 35% for TOC during the cold season (≤15℃). These high removal rates can be attributed to sedimentation, adsorption, precipitation, plant uptake, and microbial transformations within the CW. Soil analysis revealed that the soil from HSSF CW had a soil organic carbon content 3.3 times higher than that of soil collected from a nearby landscape. Stoichiometric ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in the inflow and outflow were recorded as C:N:P of 120:1.5:1 and 135.2:0.4:1, respectively, indicating an extremely low proportion of N and P compared to C, which may challenge microbial remediation efficiency. Additionally, microbial analyses indicated that the warm season was more conducive to microorganism growth, with higher abundance, richness, diversity, homogeneity, and evenness of the microbial community, as manifested in the biodiversity indices, compared to the cold season. Pollutants in stormwater runoff entering the HSSF CW fostered microbial growth, particularly for dominant phyla such as Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, which have shown moderate to strong correlations with specific soil properties and changes in influent-effluent concentrations of water quality parameters.