• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.12-29
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• 2023

Conceptual site model (CSM) development and enhancement for contaminated sites assists in identifying data gaps during the site investigation process. In this study, CSM was developed and enhanced for a contaminated site in Korea as a case study. Site Y was scrutinized four times previously. The site profiles for each scrutiny were reorganized based on the scrutiny reports, and the relevant data was utilized to develop and enhance CSMs. CSM for the first investigation was developed in various forms including table, flowchart, diagram, and narrative formats. CSM was enhanced in a stepwise manner by incorporating the updated profile information obtained in next investigation to existing CSM. The hypothetical data gap analysis between each investigation step was established to meet the purpose of the follow-up investigation. This case study showed that CSM is a useful tool to identify the history and current status of contaminated sites and thereby help in planning supplementary investigations for better site characterization.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.73-76
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• 2004

Rusted iron could retain activity to redox-sensitive pollutants in batch reactor. Flow-through columns packed with permeable reactive iron filings (Fe$^{0}$ ) between soil and sand layers were used to evaluate the applicability of bio-enhanced iron barriers to treat explosives-contaminated groundwater. One column was bioaugmented with municipal anaerobic sludge to evaluate the enhancement of biodegradation. Military contaminants (RDX, HMX, TNT, 2,4DNT, 2,6DNT), which coexist in soils at military sites, were completely removed in the bioaugmented Fe$^{0}$ layer after 8 months of operation. Overall, this research suggests that Fe$^{0}$ barriers can effectively clean up groundwater contaminated with military explosives, and that treatment efficiency can be enhanced by bioaugmentation.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.93-108
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• 2013

This study is aimed to prepare the effective detail survey methods(Phase II) of abandoned metal mines through the contamination assessment for mine types and facilities in the abandoned metal mine areas. The study sites of 12 abandoned mines are located in Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do and those were chosen among 310 sites that the Phase II survey was conducted from 2007 to 2009 after considering the results of Phase I for abandoned mines scattered all over the country. 12 study sites were classified into four types; Type I sites only have pit mouth. Type II sites have pit mouth and mine-waste field. Type III sites have pit mouth and tailing sorting field. Type IV sites have pit mouth, tailing sorting field and concentrator(s). In forest land, paddy soil and farm land of Type I, As and Cd were showed average concentration, and Cu and Pb were high on the pit mouth area in one mines where the pit mouth was developed within 500 m. In the mines of Type II, Cu and Pb were showed average concentration too, but As and Cd were slightly high in pit mouth and mine-waste field. The mines of Type III which had grinding particle process through physical separation milling or hitting showed similar tendency with Type II. However, mines of Type IV pit mouth, mine-waste field and showed various results depending on defining the contamination sources. For example, if contamination source was pit mouth, the mixed results of Type I, II, II were showed. In tailing sorting field which was regarded as the most important source and having high mobility, however, if there were no facilities or it was difficult to access directly, field sampling was missed occasionally during phase I and phase II survey. For that reason, the assessment for tailing sorting field is missed and it leads to completely different results. In the areas of Type I mines, the concentration of heavy metals exceeded precautionary standards of soil contamination or not within 1,000 meters of pit mouth. Nickel(Ni) was the largest factor of the heavy metal contamination in this type. The heavy metals except Arsenic(As) were shown high levels of concentration in Type II areas, where pit mouth and mine-waste field were operated for making powder in upriver region; therefore, to the areas in the vicinity of midstream and downstream, the high content of heavy metals were shown. The tendency of high level of heavy metals and toxic materials contained in flotation agent used during sorting process were found in soil around sorting and tailing field. In the abandoned-pit-mouth area, drygrinding area and tailing sorting field area, the content of Cupper(Cu) and Zinc(Zn) were higher than other areas. Also, the contaminated area were larger than mine reclamation area(2,000 m) and the location of tailing sorting field was one of the important factors to estimate contaminated area.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.53-60
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• 2015

This study suggested the new site classification system according to land use, type of contamination and contaminants. Because the present site classification system can not cover all the areas, we changed the concept of land use to more detail one and enlarged the concept of other areas to cover all the areas not defined as certain land use. In case of the present industrial area, it was merged as other areas to avoid the confusion with oil and toxic material storage tank farm area. Accident area was separated from other areas and defined as only accident area caused by the mobile storage facility. In addition to classify the sites according to the basic land use, we classify the sites again in lower level according to the type of contamination and contaminants. With this classification system, we proposed different soil sampling strategy with the consideration of the origin of contamination and the interactions between soil and contaminants. We removed the surface soil sample (0~15 cm depth) around above storage tank because it was not a effective sample to assess whether that area contaminated or not. We also proposed to take the deeper soil samples at minimum three sampling points to confirm the depth of contamination in exploratory soil survey. We also proposed to remove the one point of 15 m depth sampling because it is not effective to confirm contaminated soil depth and needs the exhausted labor and cost. Instead of doing this, we added the continuous sampling to uncontaminated subsoil. Soil sampling points and depth in detailed soil survey is determined based on the results of exploratory soil survey. Therefore, effectiveness and reinforcements of exploratory soil survey would play an important role in improving the reliability of detailed soil survey.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.103-107
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• 2008

In this work, soil environment policy which should be taken into account at brownfield redevelopment projects was deduced from investigation on their environmental impact assessment statements. Soil contamination sources such as small-scale factories were found at a few large-scale brownfield projects, so contaminated soils did often exist at these sites. Especially, military facilities within the sites caused severe soil contamination problems. Therefore, soil environment policy was presented in detail to solve soil contamination problem at brownfield redevelopment projects. Furthermore, land-use planning focusing on greening (soil and vegetation) should be pursued at brownfield redevelopment projects in order to maximize environmental benefits of greenspace.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2019

Clean soil environment is of crucial importance to sustain lives of ecosystem and humans. With rapid industrialization, there has been a great increase of soil contamination by accidental releases of petroleum products. In general, soil remediation is an expensive and time-consuming process as compared to cleanup of water and air. Moreover, determining the source and responsible parties of soil pollution often turns into legal conflicts and that further delay the cleanup process of contaminated sites. In practice, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) analysis has been employed to determine the petroleum species and to track down the responsible polluters. However, this approach often suffers from differentiating similar TPH species. In this study, we analyzed TPH chromatogram patterns of 24 domestic petroleum products in specific carbon ranges (${\sim}C_{10}$, $C_{10}-C_{12}$, $C_{12}-C_{36}$, and $C_{36}{\sim}$) and the fractional changes of THP ratio in the mixture products of gasoline, kerosene and diesel. The proposed TPH analysis method in this study could serve as a useful tool to better analyze the petroleum species in soils contaminated with complex oil mixtures, and ultimately be used to identify the polluters of soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

The most critical health effect of lead exposure is the neurodevelopmental effect to children caused by the increased blood lead level. Therefore, the endpoint of the risk assessment for lead-contaminated sites should be set at the blood lead level of children. In foreign countries, the risk assessment for lead-contaminated sites is conducted by estimating the increased blood lead level of children via oral intake and/or inhalation (United States Environmental Protection Agency, USEPA), or by comparing the estimated oral dose to the threshold oral dose of lead, which is derived from the permissible blood lead level of children (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM). For the risk assessment, USEPA employs Integrated-Exposure-Uptake-Biokinetic (IEUBK) Model to check whether the estimated portion of children whose blood lead level exceeds 10 µg/dL, threshold blood lead level determined by USEPA, is higher than 5%, while Dutch RIVM compares the estimated oral dose of lead to the threshold oral dose (2.8 µg/kg-day), which is derived from the permissible blood lead level of children. In Korea, like The Netherlands, risk assessment for lead-contaminated sites is conducted by comparing the estimated oral dose to the threshold oral dose; however, because the threshold oral dose listed in Korean risk assessment guidance is an unidentified value, it is recommended to revise the existing threshold oral dose described in Korean risk assessment guidance. And, if significant lead exposure via inhalation is suspected, it is useful to employ IEUBK Model to derive the risk posed via multimedia exposure (i.e., both oral ingestion and inhalation).

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.spc
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• pp.1-18
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• 2022

A conceptual site model is used to support decision-making of response strategy development, determination, and implementation within a risk-based contaminated site management system. It aims to provide base information of the relevant site characteristics and surface/subsurface conditions in order to understand the contaminants of concern and the associated risk they pose to the receptors. This study delineated the technical details of conceptual site model development, and discussed the possibility of applying it in domestic subsurface contamination management. Conceptual site models can be developed in various formats such as tables, diagrams, flowcharts, and figures. Contaminated sites are managed for a long period of time following the steps of investigation, remediation design, remediation, verification, and post-remedation management. The conceptual site model can be enhanced in each stage of the contaminated site management based on the continuously updated information on the site's subsurface environment. In the process of enhancement for conceptual site model, precision is gradually improved, and it can evolve from a conceptual and qualitative form to a more quantitatvive and three-dimensional model. In soil pollution management, it is desirable to incorporate the conceptual site model into the soil scrutiny system to better assess the current status of the contaminated site and support follow-up investigation and management.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 1999

The effects of major cations in soils, soil : extractant ratio, and EDTA : lead stoichiometric ratio on the extraction efficiency of lead using EDTA were studied for 4 different actual lead-contaminated soils and one artificially lead-contaminated soil. Extraction of lead from the lead-contaminated soil was not affected by a soil : extractant ratio as low as 1 : 3 but instead was dependent on the quantity of EDTA present. Results of the experiments showed that the extraction efficiency for each soil was different, but if sufficiently large amount of EDTA was applied, all the lead may be extracted except for a soil from lead mining area. The differences in extraction efficiencies nay be due to the major cations present in soils which may compete with lead for active sites on EDTA. The total molar amount of major cations extracted was as muck as 20 times more than the added molar amount of EDTA. For some of the soils tested, the extraction efficiency of lead may be affected by being occluded in the Fe and Mn oxides present in the soil. While major cations present in the soil may be one of the factors affecting lead extraction efficiency, the type of lead species present may also play a role. When these factors affect severely, the using of EDTA to extract lead from lead-contaminated soil might be non-effective method.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.942-948
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• 2003

Soil samples were obtained from 5 sites contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These soil samples were cultured in using phenanthrene as a sole carbon and energy source, and 36 strains of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria were isolated from 3 sites. Most of them degraded 500 ppm of phenanthrene within 8 to 10 days, and these isolates could degrade a few other PAHs other than phenanthrene. Their genotypes were determined by restriction digests of the l6S rRNA genes [amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA)]. It was found that all the phenanthrene degrading isolates were included in 4 ARDRA types, and they showed a strict site endemism. l6S rDNAs of 12 strains selected from different sites were sequenced, and they were all confirmed as Sphingomonas strains. Their l6S rDNA sequences were compared for phylogenetic analysis; their sequence showed a similar result to ARDRA typing, thus indicating that these heterotrophic soil bacteria are not regionally mixed. In addition, it was found that the microbial diversity among sampling sites could be monitored by l6S rDNA PCR-RFLP pattern alone, which is simpler and easier to perform, without l6S rDNA sequence analysis.