• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.25-32
• /
• 2014

The amount of TPH contaminated soil treated at off-site remediation facilities is ever increasing. For the recycle of the treated-soil on farmlands, it is necessary to restore biological and physico-chemical soil characteristics and to remove residual TPH in the soil by an economic polishing treatment method such as phytoremediation. In this study, a series of experiments was performed to select suitable plant species and to devise a proper planting method for the phyto-restoration of TPH-treated soil. Rye (Secale cereale) was selected as test species through a germination test, among 5 other plants. Five 7-day-old rye seedlings were planted in a plastic pot, 20 cm in height and 15 cm in diameter. The pot was filled with TPH-treated soil (residual TPH of 1,118 mg/kg) up to 15 cm, and upper 5 cm was filled with horticulture soil to prevent TPH toxic effects and to act as root growth zone. The planted pot was cultivated in a greenhouse for 38 days along with the control that rye planted in a normal soil and the blank with no plants. After 38 days, the above-ground biomass of rye in the TPH-treated soil was 30.6% less than that in the control, however, the photosynthetic activity of the leaf remained equal on both treatments. Soil DHA (dehydrogenase activity) increased 186 times in the rye treatment compared to 10.8 times in the blank. The gross TPH removal (%) in the planted soil and the blank soil was 34.5% and 18.4%, respectively, resulting in 16.1% increase of net TPH removal. Promotion of microbial activity by root exudate, increase in soil permeability and air ventilation as well as direct uptake and degradation by planted rye may have contributed to the higher TPH removal rate. Therefore, planting rye on the TPH-treated soil with the root growth zone method showed both the potential of restoring biological soil properties and the possibility of residual TPH removal that may allow the recycle of the treated soil to farmlands.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.37-49
• /
• 2021

There is domestic Soil Contamination Warning Standard (SCWS) as remediation standard concentration of contaminated soils. No risk should be observed at soil concentration less than SCWS. Therefore, SCWS was evaluated to confirm the risk assessment. Background Concentration of Soil (BGC) and target remediation concentration were also assessed. The results show that Excess Cancer Risk (ECR) of SCWS was the highest in the groundwater intake pathway (Adult: 6.27E-04, Child: 2.81E-04). Total Cancer Risk (TCR) was 7.76E-04 and 4.30E-04 for adult and child, exceeding reference value (10^-6). Hazard Quotient (Non-Carcinogenic Risk, HQ) was the highest in the indoor air inhalation pathway (Adult: 3.64E+03, Child: 8.74E+02). Hazard Index (Total Non-Carcinogenic Risk, HI) exceeded reference value 1. ECR of the BGC was the highest in the groundwater intake pathway (Adult: 1.71E-04, Child: 7.67E-05). TCR was 2.12E-04 for adults and 1.17E-04 for children, exceeding the reference value (10^-6). HQ was the highest in groundwater intake pathway (Adult: 4.10E-01, Child: 1.84E-01). HI was lower than reference value 1 (Adult: 4.78E-01, Child: 2.50E-01). The heavy metal affecting ECR was Arsenic (As). The remediation-concentration of As was 7.14 mg/kg which is higher than BGC (6.83 mg/kg). TCR of As should be less than reference value (10^-6), but it was higher for all of SCWS, BGC and target remediation concentration. Therefore, it is suggested that risk assessment factors should be re-evaluated to fit domestic environmental settings and SCWS should be induced to satisfy the risk assessment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.112-122
• /
• 2023

To restore the ecological function of contaminated soil and maximize the ecological services provided by the soil, besides the toxicity orrisk caused by pollutants, the functional aspects of the soil ecosystem should be considered. In this study, a method for evaluating the health of cleaned soil was presented, and the applicability of the proposed evaluation method was examined by applying it to soil treated with washing and landfarming. Productivity, habitat, water retention capacity, nutrient cycling, carbon retention capacity, and buffering capacity were used as soil health evaluation indicators. The results showed that the soil health was not completely recovered after remediation, and even in the case of the washed soil, the health was lower than before remediation. On the other hand, there was no significant change in soil quality due to oil pollution, but soil health deteriorated. Unlike the slightly improved soil quality after landfarming treatment, soil health was not completely restored. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that it is desirable to consider both soil quality and health when evaluating the remediation effect. The soil health evaluation method proposed in this study can be usefully utilized for the sustainable use of cleaned soil and to promote ecosystem services.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.45-56
• /
• 2024

Heavy metals emitted from urban development do not decompose in the soil and remain for long periods, continually impacting the environment. Since the mid-1990s, there has been increasing societal concern in South Korea regarding soil contamination, prompting various legislative revisions to reduce pollution. This study utilizes the Environmental Impact Assessment Support System (EIASS) to investigate projects in the metropolitan area that have exceeded the Ministry of Environment's soil contamination concern levels from 1989 to 2022 and to examine improvements in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The results reveal that the average concentrations of nine contaminants-cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and fluoride (F)-have all increased over the years. Among these, Zn had the highest relative proportion, with 37.5% of the 40 sites exceeding environmental concern levels. Investigation of 19 specific projects at these exceedance sites showed that only 7 had documented analyses of contamination causes and remediation plans, and just one had contracted additional remediation services, though results from these efforts were found to be lacking. Furthermore, since 2019, a significant proportion of these sites were involved in residential developments, likely due to government initiatives in new city development and extensive housing supply plans. This research emphasizes the importance of public disclosure of the processes and outcomes of remediation efforts on historically contaminated soils prior to project development. It discusses improvements to the EIA by reviewing current legislation and international examples. The findings of this study are expected to heighten public awareness about heavy metal contamination and enhance transparency in soil remediation efforts, contributing to sustainable environmental management and development.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.255-264
• /
• 2012

The stabilization using limestone ($CaCO_3$) and steel making slag as the immobilization amendments for Cu and Pb contaminated farmland soils was investigated by batch tests, continuous column experiments and the pilot scale feasibility study with 4 testing grounds at the contaminated site. From the results of batch experiment, the amendment with the mixture of 3% of limestone and 2% of steel making slag reduced more than 85% of Cu and Pb compared with the soil without amendment. The acryl column (1 m in length and 15 cm in diameter) equipped with valves, tubes and a sprinkler was used for the continuous column experiments. Without the amendment, the Pb concentration of the leachate from the column maintained higher than 0.1 mg/L (groundwater tolerance limit). However, the amendment with 3% limestone and 2% steel making slag reduced more than 60% of Pb leaching concentration within 1 year and the Pb concentration of leachate maintained below 0.04 mg/L. For the testing ground without the amendment, the Pb and Cu concentrations of soil water after 60 days incubation were 0.38 mg/L and 0.69 mg/l, respectively, suggesting that the continuous leaching of Cu and Pb may occur from the site. For the testing ground amended with mixture of 3% of limestone + 2% of steel making slag, no water soluble Pb and Cu were detected after 20 days incubation. For all testing grounds, the ratio of Pb and Cu transfer to plant showed as following: root > leaves(including stem) > rice grain. The amendment with limestone and steel making slag reduced more than 75% Pb and Cu transfer to plant comparing with no amendment. The results of this study showed that the amendment with mixture of limestone and steel making slag decreases not only the leaching of heavy metals but also the plant transfer from the soil.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.58 no.1
• /
• pp.39-50
• /
• 2015

Stabilization of heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu was evaluated in contaminated soil treated with poultry manure (PM) as well as its biochars pyrolyzed at $300^{\circ}C$ (PBC300) and $700^{\circ}C$ (PBC700) at the application rates of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 wt% along with the control, prior to 21-days incubation. After incubation, soil pH was increased from 6.94 (control) to 7.51, 7.24, and 7.88 in soils treated with PM 10 wt%, PBC300 10 wt%, and PBC700 10 wt% treatments, respectively, mainly due to alkalinity of treatments. In the soil treated with PM, the concentrations of the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP)-extractable Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu were increased by up to 408, 77, 24, and 955%, respectively, compared to the control. These increases may possibly be associated with an increased dissolved organic carbon concentration by the PM addition. However, in the soil treated with PBC700, TCLP-extractable Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu concentrations were reduced by up to 23, 38, 52, and 36%, respectively, compared to the control. Thermodynamic modelling using the visual MINTEQ was done to predict the precipitations of $Pb(OH)_2$, $Cu(OH)_2$ and P-containing minerals, such as chloropyromorphite [$Pb_5(PO_4)_3Cl$] and hydroxypyromorphite [$Pb_5(PO_4)_3OH$], in the PBC700 10 wt% treated soil. The SEM-elemental dot mapping analysis further confirmed the presence of Pb-phosphate species via dot mapping of PBC700 treated soil. These results indicate that the reduction of Pb concentration in the PBC700 treated soil is related to the formations of chloropyromorphite and hydroxypyromorphite which have very low solubility.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.500-506
• /
• 2008

Enhanced phytoremediation with EDTA or PSM(Phosphate solubilizing microorganism) was studied using green foxtail (Setaria viridis) in columns packed with 1,200 mgPb/kg contaminated soil to investigate the effects of EDTA or PSM on the plant uptake and vertical migration of Pb. EDTA, equimolar amount of total Pb in the column soil, was administered in two methods: the one was treated with 1/6 aliquots of the equimolar EDTA every week for 6 weeks and the other was treated with single dose of the equimolar EDTA before 14 days of harvest. The results showed that higher concentrations of Pb accumulated in the biomass of green fowtail after the chemical or biological treatment. The plant-root Pb concentration in PSM treatment(M), EDTA aliquot treatment(ES), and single dose treatment(E) was 2.6, 3.0, and 3.3 times higher, respectively, than that in the plant-root of control(164.7 mg/kg). The plant-stem Pb concentration in the M, ES and E treatment was 27, 37, and 40 times higher than that in the stem of control(8.1 mg/kg). The translocation factor, the ratio of shoot/root Pb concentration, was 0.6 in the two EDTA treatment, 0.5 in the M treatment, and 0.05 in the control, respectively. The largest amount of Pb was phyto-extracted in the E treatment whereas vertical migration of EDTA was significant in the ES treatment. This result showed that a single large dose of EDTA before harvest serves better for enhanced phytoremediation of Pb. Although, treatment with PSM showed less Pb phytoextraction by the plant but enhanced both the growth of plants in the column and microbial dehydrogenase activity in the soils. Therefore, enhanced phytoextraction of Pb with PSM treatment can be an alternative option for EDTA treatment, which is toxic to plants and soil ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.279-285
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted to evaluate the differences between the heavy metal contaminated and non-contaminated Artemisia princeps var. orientalis and Equisetum arvense in litter decomposition processes. The plant samples were collected from abandoned mine tailings and control sites in Cheongyang, South Korea. The abandoned mine tailings have high heavy metal concentration and low soil organic matter contents. The heavy metal contents of mine tailings were about 13 and 28 times higher in As and Cd, compared to those in control soils. Also, the contents of the Cr, Ni and Zn in mine tailings were about 3 to 6 times higher than those in control soil. Samples of two plant species from mine tailings have high heavy metal concentrations compared to those from control sites. The leaf of A. princeps var. orientalis and shoot of E. arvense collected from mine tailings have approximately 23 and 58 times more in As, and 25 and 11 times more in Cd. The mass loss rates of plant litter from mine tailings were slower than those from control sites. During the experimental period, the decomposition of A. princeps var. orientalis leaf from mine tailings and control site showed 50.4% and 65.7% mass loss on the control soil area, respectively. The decomposition of A princeps var. orientalis leaf from mine tailings and control site showed 31.6% and 57.5% mass loss on the mine tailings area, respectively. The decomposition of A. princeps var. orientalis stem from mine tailings and control site showed similar patterns with their leaf decomposition. The decomposition of E. arvense shoot from mine tailings and control site showed 77.8% and 89.3% mass loss on the control soil area, respectively. The decomposition of E. arvense shoot from mine tailings and control site showed 67.6% and 82.1% mass loss on the mine tailings area, respectively. Therefor, the higher contents of heavy metals showed slow decomposition. The results suggested that heavy metal contamination affected the plant litter decomposition processes.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.81-87
• /
• 2014

Heavy metal pollution is a widespread global problem causing serious environmental concern. Heavy metals such as Cd, Pb, and Zn can induce toxicity in all organisms if the soil levels of contaminants reach critical values. The aim of the present study was to examine the application of Liriope platyphylla, an ornamental Korean native plant with great potential for contaminated soil in urban areas, to determine tolerance for Cd, Pb, and Zn. Plants were grown in amended artificial soil with Cd, Pb, and Zn at 0, 100, 250, and $500mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ for 7 months. The length of leaf, width of leaf, total leaf number, dead leaf number, new leaf number, chlorophyll contents, and ornamental value were monitored from May to August, during growth the period. The relative leaf length and leaf width displayed rapidly decreasing tendencies with an increasing Cd concentration beginning from 4 months after planting. The same decreasing tendency was observed in total leaf number, new leaf number, chlorophyll contents, and ornamental values showed a trend of Control> $Cd_{100}$ > $Cd_{250}$ > $Cd_{500}$. In Pb concentration treatments, the relative leaf length and leaf width were significantly lower in plants grown at $250mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ and $500mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ as compared to the Control, $100mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$. The total leaf number, new leaf number, and dead leaf number did not show significant difference among treatments in Control and $Pb_{100}$ but chlorophyll contents and ornamental value decreased with increasing Pb supply concentration treatments. However, in Zn supply treatments, the relative leaf length was higher at $100mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ than the Control, $250mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, $500mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, but the relative leaf width decreased compared to the Control, $Zn_{100}$, $Zn_{250}$, and $Zn_{500}$. The total leaf number, dead leaf number, new leaf number, and ornamental value showed the lowest value in plants grown in $Zn_{500}$ treatment but no significant differences were found among other treatments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.305-314
• /
• 2010

The stabilization process using limestone ($CaCO_3$) and steel making slag as the immobilization amendments was investigated for As contaminated farmland soils around Chonam abandoned mine, Korea. Batch and continuous column experiments were performed to quantify As-immobilization efficiency in soil and the analyses using XRD and SEM/EDS for secondary minerals precipitated in soil were also conducted to understand the mechanism of Asimmobilization by the amendments. For the batch experiment, with 3% of limestone and steel making slag, leaching concentration of As from the contaminated soil decreased by 62% and 52% respectively, compared to that without the amendment. When the mixed amendment (2% of limestone and 1% of steel making slag) was used, As concentration in the effluent solution decreased by 72%, showing that the mixed of limestone and steel making slag has a great capability to immobilize As in the soil. For the continuous column experiments without the amendment, As concentration from the effluent of the column ranged from 50 to $80\;{\mu}g/L$. However, with 2% limestone and 1% steel making slag, more than 80% diminution of As leaching concentration occurred within 1 year and maintained mostly below $10\;{\mu}g/L$. Results from XRD and SEM/EDS analysis for the secondary minerals created from the reaction of the amendments with $As^{+3}$ (arsenite) investigated that portlandite ($Ca(OH)_2$), calcium-arsenite (Ca-As-O) and calcite ($CaCO_3$) were main secondary minerals and the distinct As peaks in the EDS spectra of the secondary minerals can be observed. These findings suggest that the co-precipitation might be the major mechanisms to immobilize As in the soil medium with limestone and steel making slag.