• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.328-336
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• 2008

Metal mining district drainage is a well recognized source of environmental contamination. Oxidation of metal sulfides produces acidic and metal-rich waters that contaminate local surface water and ground water in mines, mine dumps, and tailing impoundments. This monitoring study was carried out to investigate the stream water quality and pollution as affected by the Sambo mine drainage in relation to the relative distance from the mine. It obvious that pH values of the mine drainage ranged from 5.8 to 6.9, while the average concentrations of the dissolved chemical constituents for EC, $SO_4^{2-}$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were $1.77\;dS\;m^{-1}$, 929, 14.6, 263.3, and 46.9 mg/L in mine drainage discharged from the main waste rock dumps (WRD), respectively. Furthermore, EC values and sulfate concentrations exceeded the critical toxicity levels in agricultural water for rice plant ($1.0\;dS\;m^{-1}$ for EC and 54.0 mg/L for $SO_4^{2-}$). Also, the average of dissolved cadmium concentrations ($0.016{\sim}0.021\;mg/L$) was higher than water quality standard (0.01 mg/L) for agricultural water in Korea, in addition to Zn, Fe and Mn were higher than trace metals maximum concentrations which recommended by FAO for irrigation water. The results indicate that mine drainage discharged from the Sambo mine affected stream water at least to distance of 1 km downstream of the mine water discharge point. EC values, $SO_4^{2-}$ and $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations in discharged water positively correlated with dissolved Cd, Zn, Al and Mn concentrations, while the pH values negatively correlated. In addition, EC values, $SO_4^{2-}$ and $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations were negatively correlated with pH values.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.98-105
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• 1983

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Zn and Pb concentration on seed germination and plant growth in water and soil culture, and the frequency of chlorosis invegetation and the relationship between plants and soil in the Sambo mine. The inhibition of germination were observed in 1000ppm of Zn, 10ppm of Pb and 5000ppm of Zn + Pb, but germination was more stimulated in 10ppm of Zn than control. The symptoms of chlorosis and abnormality were occurred in plant leaves grown to the soils treated with more than 1000ppm of Pb. Reasons of chlorosis were considered as an antagonistic effect of other metals towards uptake of iron by the plant in Zn treatment. The contents of Zn and Pb in fruits were lower than those of leaves, and that was remarked in case of Pb. With increasing rate of Zn and Pb treatment, chemical components of soils in pot culture were accompanied by slight decrease in pH, total nitorgen and exchangeable K. Chlorotic individuals of 10 species were shown in the areas of the Sambo mine. Chlorotic symptoms were especially extensive and severe in Sophora angustifolia, Populus alba, Spiraea prunifolia, Amorpha fruticota, Lespedeza bicolor and Salix dependens. Plants in the investigated areas grew in soils containing Zn of 311ppm and Pb of 151ppm on an average, and accumulated Zn of 2084ppm and Pb of 49ppm.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.31-41
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• 2011

The objectives of this study were to investigate the efficiencies of the stabilizers such as mono-potassium phosphate (MKP), phosphate fertilizer and red mud in treating the mine tailings contaminated with heavy metals and to characterize the changes in fractionations of the heavy metals during the stabilization. The TCLP results showed that the stabilization efficiencies of Cd, Pb and Zn increased with the increase in the stabilizer dosage and the reaction times. MKP showed the highest efficiencies for the heavy metals stabilization among the stabilizers tested. When the mine tailings were amended with MKP, the TCLP concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn were reduced by 79~97%, 61~84%, and 89~99%, respectively. When the composite stabilizers, MKP/phosphate fertilizer or MKP/red mud, were used, the stabilization efficiencies were lower than when MKP was used as a single stabilizer. The sequential extraction results showed that carbonates fraction of Cd and Zn increased generally. Especially, when red mud was used, carbonates fraction of Cd and Zn increased 5 and 18 times, respectively. In the case of Pb, the treatment with MKP increased residual fraction by 10 times. The results showed that MKP was the most effective in stabilizing the heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Zn) to improve the efficacy of the composite binders.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.273-282
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• 2000

In order to investigate the extent and degree of arsenic and heavy metal contamination and the bioavailability of toxic elements around the abandoned mine in Korea, an environmental geochemical survey was undertaken in the Daduk mine. After appropriate preparation, tailings, soil, stream sediment, crop plant and fingernail samples were analysed for As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn by ICP-AES and ICP-MS. Elevated levels of 8,782 mg/kg As, 8.3 mg/kg Cd, 489 mg/kg Cu, 3,638 mg/kg Pb and 919 mg/kg Zn were found in tailings from the Daduk mine. These significant concentrations can impact on soils and sediments around the tailing ponds. Mean concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in soils are significantly higher than those in world average soil, especially for As and Pb. Element concentrations in sediments decrease with distance from the tailing ponds due to a dilution effect by the mixing of uncontaminated sediments. Arsenic and Cd are elevated in rice grains and stalks, and Cu and Zn concentrations in chinese cabbage, sesame and bean leaves are higher than the upper limit values for normal plant. Arsenic concentration in fingernails of farmers are higher than the normal level with a maximum value of 1.5 mg/kg. The post-ingestion bioavailability of toxic heavy metals in some paddy and farmland soils has been also investigated using the SBET (simple bioavailability extract test) method. The method utilises synthetic leaching fluids closelyanalogous to those of the human stomach. The quantities of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn extracted from paddy soils after 1 hour indicated 15.9, 65.4, 46.2, 39.4 and 29.4% bioavailability, respectively and for farmland soils, 12.4, 26.0, 31.2, 29.3 and 19.4% bioavailability, respectively. The results of the SBET indicate that regular ingestion of soils by the local population could pose a potential health threat due to long-term toxic element exposure.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.717-726
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• 2022

This study was conducted to assess the geochemical contamination degree of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn in the soil and water samples from an abandoned gold mine. Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were carried out to assess the geochemical contamination degree of the soil samples. Variations of sulfate and heavy metals concentration in water samples were determined to identify the geochemical distribution with respect to the distance from the mine tailing dam. Geochemical pollution indices indicated significant contaminated with As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in the soil samples that areas close to the mine tailing dam, while, Sb showed similar indices in all soil samples. These results indicated that the As, Cd, Pb, and Zn dispersion has occurred via anthropogenic sources, such as mining activities. In terms of water samples, anomalies in the concentrations of As, Cd, Zn, and SO₄^2- was determined at specific area, in addition, the concentrations of the elements gradually decreased with distance. This result implies the heavy metals distribution in water has carried out by the weathering of sulfide minerals in the mine tailing and soil. The study area has been conducted the remediation of contaminated soil in the past, however, the geochemical dispersion of heavy metals was supposed to be occurred from the potential contamination source. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the soil and water is necessary after the completion of remediation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.222-231
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• 2005

Most of the tailings have been left without any management in abandoned metalliferous mines and have become the main source of heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils and crops in the these areas. To compare of environmental assessment of heavy metals in tailings derived from various 25-metalliferous mines in Korea, 3 different analysis methods such as water soluble, 0.1 M-HCl extractable, and total acid digestion method (aqua regia) were used. The chemical composition of water soluble in mine tailing were in the order ${SO_4}^{2-}>Ca^{2+}>Mn^{2+},\;Na^+,\;Al^{3+}>Mg^{2+},\;Fe^{3+}>Cl^-$. Specially, pH, EC, ${SO_4}^{2-},\;and\;Ca^{2+}$ concentrations in tailing varied considerably among the different mines. The average total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As in tailing were 31.8, 708, 4,961, 2,275 and 3,235 mg/kg, respectively. Specially, the contents of Cd, Zn and As were higher than those of countermeasure values for soil contamination (Cd : 4, Zn : 700 and As : 15 mg/kg in soil) by Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. The rates of water soluble heavy metals to total contents in tailings were in the order Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb > As. The rates of 0.1M-HCl extractable Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As (1M-HCl) to total content were 17.4, 10.2, 6.5, 6.8 and 11.4% respectively. The enrichment factor of heavy metals in tailings were in the order As > Pb > Cd > Cu > Zn. The pollution index in tailing Au-Ag mine tailing were higher than those of other mine tailing. As a results of enrichment factor and pollution index for heavy metal contaminations in mine tailing of metalliferous mines, the main contaminants are mine waste materials including tailings.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2010

The sediments and soils around a mine are likely to be exposed to contamination of arsenic (As) through mining operations. In this study, the factors associated with As movement in soils around a closed zinc (Zn) mine were evaluated by the relationship of As distributions to physico-chemical properties of soils. A sequential extraction scheme, based on a soil P fractionation, was used to assess the As distributionsin solid phases. A significant difference in As distributions was found between paddy and upland soils. While As contents of paddy soils increased with soil depth, those of upland soils decreased with soil depth. In upland soils, As showed additional significant relationships to oxides of Si, Al and Fe. Although a major fraction of As in soils was found to be in the NaOH extractable fraction, As exhibited highly significant relationship to the Zn species that apparently originated from the mine. Therefore, As mobility around Zn mine seems to be governed by mass flow of the particulates containing As-associated Zn in paddy soils, whereas retention reactions such as adsorption, complexation, and precipitation seem to predominate in upland soils.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.16-23
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• 2005

In order to remediate acid mine drainage (AMD) from the Jeongam coal mine, steel mill slag, cow manure and limestone were used. As a result of batch test, the proper amounts for treating 1 L of acid mine water from the mine were determined as 15 g of steel mill slag, 15 g of cow manure and 500 g of limestone. After feasibility test, remediation system was arranged in the order of steel mill slag tank combination of cow manure and limestone, precipitation tank and oxidation tank. During 54 days' operations, the pH values of the treated waters increased from 3.0 to 8.3 and 61 % of sulfate concentration in an initial water was decreased. In addition, the removal efficiencies for metals in the water were nearly 99.9% for Al, Fe, Zn and 92.6% for Mn. Thus, the combination of steel mill slag, cow manure and limestone can be used as neutralization 때d metal removal for acid mine drainage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.148-154
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• 1998

Gubong gold-mine, previously one of the largest gold mines in Korea, is located at the mid-west of the South Korea. In the areas nearby the mine, the shallow groundwater was the major source for domestic and farming water-supply. Soil contamination by Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn was previously known in this area. This study is objected to identify quality of the shallow groundwater, possibly affected by the mine tailings. Samples were collected from a nearby stream, shallow groundwater and seepage from the tailings. Chemical analysis for the water quality includes major cations such as Na, K, Ca, and Mg, anions as F, Cl, NO$_3$, SO$_4$, HCO$_3$, and trace elements as Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Se, As, Hg. Water types could be drawn into four groups from the plots of Piper, Stiff diagrams and cluster analysis. SAR-Conductivity plot indicates the water does not pose either alkalinity or salinity hazards for irrigation. Major contaminant in groundwater appeared to be arsenic, released from arsenopyrites in tailings by oxidation. Dredging of buried railing materials could stimulate the release of arsenic from the sediments to the groundwater.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.2 s.171
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• pp.101-111
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• 2005

The objectives of this study we to assess the extent and degree of environmental contamination and to draw general conclusions on the fate of toxic elements derived from mining activities in Korea. 인t abandoned mines with four base-metal mines and four Au-Ag mines were selected and the results of environmental surveys in those areas were discussed. In the base-metal mining areas, the Sambo Pb-Zn-barite, the Shinyemi Pb-Zn-Fe, the Geodo Cu-Fe and the Shiheung Cu-Pb-Zn mine, significant levels of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were found in mine dump soils developed over mine waste materials, tailings and slag. Furthermore, agricultural soils, stream sediments and stream water near the mines were severely contaminated by the metals mainly due to the continuing dispersion downstream and downslope from the sites, which was controlled by the feature of geography, prevailing wind directions and the distance from the mine. In e Au-Ag mining areas, the Kubong, the Samkwang, the Keumwang and the Kilkok mines, elevated levels of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were found in tailings and mine dump soils. These levels may have caused increased concentrations of those elements in stream sediments and waters due to direct dis-charge downstream from tailings and mine dumps. In the Au-Ag mines, As would be the most characteristic contaminant in the nearby environment. Arsenic and heavy metals were found to be mainly associated with sulfide gangue minerals, and mobility of these metals would be enhanced by the effect of oxidation. According to sequential extraction of metals in soils, most heavy metals were identified as non-residual chemical forms, and those are very susceptible to the change of ambient conditions of a nearby environment. As application of pollution index (PI), giving data on multi-element contamination in soils, over 1.0 value of the PI was found in soils sampled at and around the mining areas.