• 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 Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.567-575
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• 2017

To understand the geochemical characteristics of Gomso Bay, which features extensive Manila clam, we measured various geochemical parameters, organic matter, and trace metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cr, Hg, As and Fe) of intertidal and subtidal surface sediments in 2011. The surface sediments consisted of sedimentary facies including gravel (0.21%), sand (61.1%), silt (32.1%), and clay (6.5%). The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) values in most areas were below sediment quality criteria (COD, $20mg/g{\cdot}dry$; AVS, $0.2mg/g{\cdot}dry$). Trace metals in the surface sediments were below pollution thresholds, except for As (morderately polluted). Sediment quality was evaluated using the trace metal pollution load index (PLI) and ecological risk index (ERI), which showed that sediments were generally not polluted and at low risk; however, values along the outer bay were higher. We expect these results will be valuable for sustainable aquaculture prodution and environmental management in Gomso Bay.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.167-175
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• 2002

Sediment from six piston cores from the East Sea (Sea of Japan) was analyzed for evidence of paleoceanographic changes and paleoclimatic variation. A distinct geochemical boundary is evident in major element concentrations and organic carbon content of most cores near the 10-ka horizon. This distinctive basal Holocene change is interpreted to be largely the result of changing sediment sources, an interpretation supported by TiO_2/Al_2O_3$ ratios. Organic carbon and carbonate contents also differ significantly between the Holocene and glacial intervals. The C/N ratio of organic matter is greater than 10 during the glacial period, but is less than 10 for the Holocene, suggesting that the influx of terrigenous organic matter was more volumetrically important than marine organic matter during glacial times. The chemical index of weathering (CIW) is higher for the Holocene than the glacial interval, and changes markedly at the basal Holocene geochemical boundary. Silt fractions are higher in the glacial interval, suggesting a strong effect of climate on silt particle transportation: terrigenous aluminosilicates and continental organic carbon transport were higher during glacial times than during the Holocene. Differences in sediment composition between the Holocene and glacial period are interpreted to have been climatically induced.

• Geosciences Journal
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1001-1013
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• 2018

A new type of uranium occurrence in Korea was identified in pegmatitic and hydrothermally altered granite in the Daejeon area. The U-bearing parts typically include muscovite, pink-feldspar and sericite as alteration minerals. In this study, the geochemical characteristics and alteration age of the granitic rocks were examined to provide evidence for hydrothermally-enriched uranium. The K-Ar ages of muscovite coexisting with U-bearing minerals were determined as 123 and 128 Ma. The U-bearing rocks have relatively low ($CaO+Na_2O$), high $K_2O$ contents, and high alteration index values by major element geochemistry. The trace element geochemistry shows that the uraniferous rocks have significantly low Th/U ratios and strongly differentiated features. The rare earth element patterns indicate that the uraniferous rocks have a low total REE and LREE contents with depletion of Eu. Considering the geochemical variation of the granitic rock major, trace and rare earth elements, it can be concluded that uranium enrichment in pegmatites and altered granite should be genetically related to post-magmatic hydrothermal alteration of K-metasomatism after emplacement of the two-mica granite. This is the first report for geochemical characteristics of Mesozoic granite-related U-occurrences in South Korea. This study will help further research for uranium deposits with similarities in geological setting, mineralogy and age data between South China and Korea, and can also be expected to help solve the source problems related to high uranium concentrations in some groundwater occurring in the granitic terrane.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.520-527
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• 2005

In order to investigate the geochemical characteristics of surface sediments in streams of upper Yeongsan River drainage system, sediment samples from the main stream of Yeongsan river, Hwangryong river, Gwangju and Jiseok streams were collected and analyzed for grain size and metal and organic carbon contents. The metal contents in the sediments are mainly dependent on organic matter contents in the domestic sewage, grain size of the sediments and geology around the streams. Enrichment factor (EF) and index of geoaccumulation (Igeo) representing the degree of metal contamination in the sediments are relatively low in the main stream of Yeongsan river main stream, Hwangryong river and Jiseok stream. However, those of Gwangju stream show the EF maximum values of P=8.30, Cu=5.55, Zn=14.29 and Pb=7.45 and the Igeo maximum values of P=3.58, Cu=4.43, Zn=3.22 and Pb=1.59.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.499-508
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• 1998

The Imgok Creek is located in the Gangreung coal field, which has been known that sulfides are more abundant than other coal fields in Korea, and it has been severly contaminated by acid mine drainage (AMD) discharging from the abandoned coal mines, such as the Youngdong, the Dongduk and the Waryong coal mines. The purposes of this study are to synthetically assess the contamination of natural water, stream sediment and cultivated soils, and to provide the basic data for AMD treatment. Geochemical samples were collected in December, 1996 (dry season) and April, 1997 (after three day's rainfall). TDS of the Youngdong mine water was remarkably higher than those of other mine waters. In the Imgok Creek, concentrations of most elements, except Fe decreased with distance by dilution caused by the inflow of uncontaminated tributaries. From the results of NAMDI and $I_{geo}$ calculation, the Youngdong coal mine was the main contamination source of the study area. Groundwater pollution was not yet confirmed in this study and the paddy and farm land soils were also not yet contaminated by mining activity based on the pollution index ranging from 0.27 to 0.47.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.14-24
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• 2021

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system uses groundwater thermal energy for cooling and heating of buildings, and it is also often utilized to provide warm water to crops and plants for the purpose of enhancing agricultural yields. This study investigated the potential influences of a ATES system on the geochemical properties of groundwater by simulating the variation of hydrochemistry and saturation index of groundwater during ATES operation. The test bed was installed at an agricultural field, which is mainly composed of an groundwater-rich alluvial plain. The simulation results showed no significant precipitation of mineral phases such as manganese-iron oxide, carbonate and sulfate around the ATES test bed, as well as no debasement of other important water quality parameters. The implementation of ATES system in the study area was appropriate and effective for utilizing the thermal energy of groundwater for agricultural use.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.381-388
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• 1995

The petrographic, geochemical, and physical properties of the Jangseong and Chinese coals were investigated. The most common mineral matters of Jangseong coal are kaolinite, muscovite, sericite, illite, quartz and pyrophyllite. Mineral matters in Chinese coal are mainly composed of quartz, calcite, dolomite and kaolinite. Jangseong coal ash has higher content of $Al_2O_3$, $K_2O$, $TiO_2$, As, Rb and V, and lower content of CaO, MgO, $Na_2O$, $Fe_2O_3$ and $P_2O_5$ than those of Chinese coal ash. The liquid limit and the plasticity index of Jangseong coal were compared with those of Chinese coal. The result shows that the briquetting ability of Jangseong coal is a little bit better than that of Chinese coal. The briquetting ability is found to be principally dependent on the type and the content of mineral matter in coal, especially clay mineral.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.215-225
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• 2002

In order to evaluate the relationship between geochemical characteristics and benthic facies of the sediments from the Oenaro Island where red tide proliferation is first observed every year including this year, surface and short multiple core sediment samples were analyzed in terms of geochemical and benthic facies variation. The contents of organic carbon, carbonate, and sulfide gas were relatively low. The variation in C/N ratios, which indicate nature of organic carbon, suggested that the organic carbon recorded in the study area is composed of mixtures of marine and terrigenous organic matters. The concentration of minor elements found at the surface and multiple core sediment samples were also low as well as the enrichment factors(Ef) for the seven heavy metals indicated that the sediment of this area is not polluted significantly. The macrobenthic faunal community comprised 61 species, and their mean density was 708 ind./m2. Polychaete worms were major taxa of this benthic community. A crustacean amphipod, Melita sp. was the most abundant species accounted for 20.7% of total abundance, and the small polychaetes such as Heteromastus filiformis, Paralacydonia poradoxa, Magelona japonica and Sigambra tentaculata were the next dominant species. The macrobenthos around the Oenaro Island were more diverse and abundant than that in Gamak Bay. The benthic communities in the study area sustained somewhat different species composition based on the cluster analysis and the MDS ordination. The benthic community health condition at three stations seemed to be unbalanced, and slightly polluted based on the biological index such as BPI and BC. There was no clear relationship between the geochemistry characteristic and the benthic faunal facies attributed by the micro-algal blooms in this coastal area.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2016

To assess the effects of environmental factors on the sustainability of cultured ark shell Scapharca broughtonii production, we investigated the habitat characteristics of shellfish-farming bays (Gangjin Bay, Yeoja Bay, Keoje Bay and Deukryang Bay). We measured the physiochemical parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, chemical oxygen demand and Chlorophyll a) and the geochemical characteristics (chemical oxygen demand, ignition loss, C/N ratio and C/S ratio). Surface sediments were collected from several shellfish-farming bays to examine the geochemical characteristics of both the benthic environment and heavy metal pollution. The grain sizes for Gangjin Bay, Yeoja Bay and Keoje Bay were similar, at the ratio of silt and clay in comparison with Deukryang bay of it. The C/N ratio was more than 5.9, reflecting the range arising from the mix of marine organisms and organic matter. The C/S ratio (more than 4.2) showed that the survey area had anoxic or sub-anoxic bottom conditions. The index of accumulation rate (Igeo) of the metals showed that those research areas can be classified as heavily polluted, heavily to moderately polluted, or more or less unpolluted, respectively. We suggested that the growth of ark shell Scapharca broughtonii in the shellfish-farming bay was effected by the various environmental conditions.