• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.409-416
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• 2012

In this study, an electrical resistivity survey and a drilling investigation were conducted at an animal carcass disposal site. Chemical analysis of leachate collected from the site was also performed (sampling times: May 2011 and June 2012). Five lines of dipole-dipole electrical resistivity surveys were carried out, along with drilling investigations at 3 points within the disposal areas and 11 points near the disposal site. Two-dimensional inverse modeling of the collected resistivity data was performed to evaluate the properties (size, depth, and form) of the disposal site. Leachate analysis showed that pH of leachate decreased from 7.4 to 6.7, while Eh changed from -358 mV to -48 mV over time. In addition, dissolved ions increased due to the progression of carcass decomposition. Results of the electrical resistivity survey indicated that low resistivity zones (minimum value, $0.64{\Omega}m$) existed at a depth of 8 m from the surface. Considering the bedrock location and carcass disposal depth, there was no evidence of bedrock contamination by leachate. The results of the electrical resistivity survey are consistent with those of the drilling investigation, which indicates that electrical resistivity effectively depicted the properties of the disposal site. This study demonstrates that electrical resistivity survey is a suitable technique for investigation of animal carcass disposal sites.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.725-734
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• 2012

The outbreak of foot and mouth disease in November 2010 raised many social, economic and environmental issues and water contaminations by leachate from carcass disposal sites particularly emerged as a serious concern. In oder to efficiently handle these problems, a critical method is required to transport leachate to livestock manure and sewage treatment plants and purify it. This study aims to present the best applicable method to transport leachate from carcass disposal sites into livestock manure and sewage treatment facilities. We investigated the biological and chemical characteristics such as BOD, COD, SS, TN, TP and Total coliforms. Current conjugated treatments in livestock manure and sewage treatment plants was studied by surveying the operations of those facilities. The NIER-MASS(National Institute of Environmental Research - Mass Balance Evaluation System of Sewage Treatment Facilities) program was applied to present the best conjugated treatment method through estimating the maximum daily load to meet the water quality standards in effluent.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of leachate discharged from livestock burial sites in Gangwondo resulting from foot-and-mouth disease by monitoring the water quality at the survey tube-wells installed near livestock burial sites in order to investigate the effect of the leachate on the quality of nearby underground water and suggest a water pollution level in accordance with water quality evaluation criteria. Methods: To minimize the secondary environmental pollution damage caused by leachate at burial sites of livestock killed by foot-and-mouth disease, this study analyzed the leachate directly discharged from burial sites and installed survey tube-wells within 300 meters of livestock burial sites and investigated water quality as a means to ascertain the environmental effect of the leachate from the burial sites. In accordance with environmental management guidelines on livestock burial sites, this research investigated the water quality in the survey tube-wells in fifty five burial sites in Gangwondo. The elements investigated were $NH_3$-N, $Cl^-$, $NO_3$-N, conductivity, and E. coli. Water quality was monitored from 2011 to 2013. Results: The water quality from the drain pipe at the location of leachate from livestock burial sites showed BOD 37,209 mg/L, COD 8,829 mg/L, $NH_3$-N 3,633 mg/L, and $Cl^-$ 580 mg/L. According to the monitoring results of water quality ($Cl^-$, $NH_3$-N, conductivity) at the survey tube-wells, there was suspicion that 13 out of 55 burial sites discharged leachate, five sites discharged highly concentrated leachate (13%): one in Gangneung, one in Wonju, and three in Cheorwon. Conclusion: It was judged that out of thirteen observation wells which showed a possibility of discharged leachate, three survey tube-wells have established the discharge effect of leachate at burial sites up to recently. Therefore, it is judged that it is necessary to continue monitoring them and devise additional measures.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2014

In Korea, over 4,700 animal carcass disposal sites were installed until 2011 due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Due to the putrefaction of buried animals, the leachate containing veterinary antibiotics may release into surrounding environments. Antibiotic residues in the environment cause the formation of antibiotic resistance bacteria threatening human and ecosystem health. This study reports the concentrations of five antibiotics, including tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), oxytetracycline (OTC), sulfamethazine (SMZ), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), in soils from animal carcass disposal site and adjacent agricultural field. Concentrations of antibiotics at animal carcass disposal sites (TC: $144.26-350.73{\mu}g/kg$, SMZ: $17.72-44.94{\mu}g/kg$) were higher than those at agricultural field (TC: $134.16-320.73{\mu}g/kg$, SMZ: $6.48-8.85{\mu}g/kg$) whereas the concentrations of CTC, OTC, and SMX were below detection limit in both sites. Results showed that the antibiotics in animal carcass site might leach to the soil and possibly contaminating the groundwater. Future studies will focus on the transfer of antibiotics residues into food crops.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 2015

Purifying leachate discharged from animal carcass disposal sites requires decisions regarding the locations and numbers of boreholes. An electrical resistivity survey, known to be effective for investigating leachate distribution, was performed to evaluate the range extent of contamination due to local hydrological properties, such as groundwater flow direction, and geological structure. Results of the survey at four sites at a landfill near Icheon and Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, showed low-resistivity zones (20-200 ohm-m) at a depth of 8 m from the surface. Sites 1-4, which contain 5, 2, 4, and 2 boreholes, respectively, were estimated to have a contaminated groundwater acquisition capability of 12.9 m, 13.7 m, 10.1 m, and 18.0 m, and measured pumping capacity of 2,040 m³, 479.8 m³, 1,492.3 m³, and 691.9 m³, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.384-389
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• 2010

Outbreak of contagious diseases to livestock animals is becoming prevalent worldwide and consequently, tremendous numbers of the infected or culled stocks are buried on the ground as the most common disposal method. The buried animals can generate a wide range of detrimental components such as leachate, nutrient salts, and pathogenic bacteria, consequently contaminating the surround environment. This implies that regular investigations are required to monitor any possible detrimental environmental aspect occurred around burial sites. Therefore, the current study was conducted to investigate whether the soil and groundwater nearby the burial sites had been contaminated by the substances originated from the burial sites, which can be applied for the establishment of the ideal burial site construction design and post management scheme. For this, two different burial sites located in Cheonan and Pyeongtaek were selected. Cheonan and Pyeongtaek sites were constructed in 2004 and 2008, respectively and both contained dead poultry infected by avian influenza (AI). Soil and groundwater samples were collected around the sites followed by determination of the nutrient concentrations and bacteria (Salmonella, Camphylobacter, and Bacillus) existence in both soil and groundwater. Some of the soil samples showed higher EC, $NH_4$-N, $NO_3$-N concentration compared to those of the background (control) soils. Also the concentration of $NH_4$-N in some of the groundwater samples appeared to exceed the USEPA guideline value for drinking water (10 mg $L^{-1}$). These results indicated that the soil and groundwater were influenced by the burial site originated nutrients. In the soil, Bacillus was isolated in most soil samples while there were no detections of Salmonella and Camplylobacter. Due to the Bacillus existing mainly as a spore in the soils, it was considered that the frequent detection of Bacillus in the soil samples was attributed to the nutrients originated from the burial sites.