• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.03a
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• pp.819-835
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• 2009

In order to investigate the field application of selected stabilization methods(cover soil method, surface and total interval treatment of embankment method) on rice paddies contaminated by heavy metals, column test was carried out with heavy metal-contaminated soils collected from rice paddies around abandoned mine site. Columns were made by acrylic and filled with untreated soil, treated soil mixed with amendments(lime stone and steel refining slag) and uncontaminated cover soil according to the design report. Distilled water was discharged into the columns with the velocity of 1 pore volume/day. During test, pH, EC, and heavy metal concentration were measured in the regular term. The column test result showed that the selected stabilization methods were effective remediation method to stabilize heavy metals in paddy soils, but it was also expected that application of surface treatment methods was required the careful observation on pH variation due to the lowest increment.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2011

This study was performed to analyze the possibility of using Korean native Aster koraiensis Nakai for phytoremediation at various fields. A. koraiensis was cultivated at paddy, upland and forest soils contaminated with heavy metals. After 8 weeks of cultivation, and growth and its absorbing capacity of heavy metals were analyzed. The results showed that A. koraiensis was grown well even at the soil highly contaminated with heavy metals, which means it has a tolerance to heavy metals. As analysis results of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc contents absorbed from various soils contaminated with heavy metals, heavy metal absorbing capacity of A. koraiensis was depending on the heavy metal contents in the soils and soil property. In case of arsenic, cadmium and copper, heavy metal accumulation capacities of Aster koraiensis were much influenced by contents of heavy metals in the soils. Absorbing capacity of plants was increased when heavy metal contents in the soils were high. Lead absorbing capacity was depending more on soil property than lead contents in the soil, and was great at sandy soil of forest. Zinc absorbing capacity was influenced by both soil properties and Zn contents in the soil, was increased at paddy soil contaminated with high concentrations of heavy metals and upland soils. In general, A. koraiensis had a tolerance to heavy metals and showed great absorbing capability of heavy metals. So A. koraiensis can be used as a good landscape material for phytoremediation at various soils contaminated with heavy metals.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.44-52
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• 2007

Contaminated sediments more than 30 million/$m^3$ is generated from dredging work for harbours and coastal maintenance in Korea. Approximately 300 million/$m^3$ of sediments is dredged to deepen harbours and shipping lanes in US and of which $3{\sim}12million/m^3$ is highly contaminated. Although much is known about technologies for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil, much less is known about the treatment of contaminated sediment. In general, negatively charged fine particles will migrate towards positively charged system of electrodes under the influence of electrophoresis. However, the electrically induced migration of colloidal particles contaminated with heavy metals may be hindered by the positively charged heavy metal contaminants adsorbed onto the soil surfaces depending on the contamination level. This paper demonstrates settling behaviour of clayey soil by comparison with electrophoretic particle movement under the effects of heavy metal contamination, applied electric field strength, and its polarity changed by the electrode configuration.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.481-489
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• 2013

There are U.S. troops with a force about 290,000 strong stationed all around the world, approximately 150 countries. Among the troops, USFK has performed principal part with its stationing for 50 years against the military threat of North Korea. However, as a result of an investigation made into environmental contamination of several bases which were restituted from US to ROK by the Land Partnership Plan in the process of relocation of USFK, it was found that the area was contaminated by not only TPH and BTEX caused by diesel fuel and JP-8 but also various heavy metal over the standard level according to the operations of corps. Among these bases, 4 corps, each of which has different duties and function, were chosen to be analyzed for the characteristics and degrees of soil contamination. Fisrt of all, in armored camp the soil was contaminated by TPH and heavy metal (Zn, Ni, Pb) due to the repairing activities of tracked vehicles and shooting exercises. In army aviation camp, the soil was contaminated by TPH, BTEX and heavy metal (Zn, Cd) due to repairing activities of aircrafts. Also, in engineer camp there was contaminated area polluted by TPH and heavy metal (Zn, Pb) caused by open-air storage of various construction materials and TPH, BTEX and heavy metal (Zn, Pb, Cu) contamination of aircraft shooting area in shooting range camp were detected. Managing environment will be more effective when we identify the contaminative characteristics and take necessary measures in advance.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.799-811
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate heavy metal contamination and pollution index of agricultural soils around industrial complexes in the Jeon-Buk Regions of Korea. Soil samples near industrial complexes in 2017 were collected at two depths (0 - 15 and 15 - 30 cm) within a 500- and 1000-meter radius before planting. Eight heavy metals (Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), Cupper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and zinc (Zn)) and the pollution index (PI), geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and soil pollution index (SPI) were evaluated based on soil contamination warning standard (SCWS). Overall, the heavy metal concentrations were below the SCWS. The PI ranged from 0.1 to 0.9 and categorized into Group 1 which is not polluted with any heavy metals. The average Igeo values of all the soil samples ranged from - 2.56 to 3.22. The Igeo values of Cd and Hg may not represent well the pollution index because the heavy metal concentrations in the soil is lower compared to the SCWS. In fact, based on the heavy metal concentrations, the Igeo for monitored soils should be categorized into Group 1, uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. However, the Igeo of Cd and Hg are classified into heavily contaminated. These results suggest that for calculating the Igeo, the heavy metal concentration and background concentration should be used very carefully if the heavy metal concentration in the soil is lower than the background concentration. SPI for all the soil samples ranged from 0.00 to 0.11 which indicates no heavy metal pollution was observed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.491-495
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• 2014

Phytoremediation is a technology using plants and associated soil microbes to reduce the concentrations or toxic effects of contaminants in the environments. It is regarded as a cost-effective, efficient, eco-friendly, and solar-driven technology with good public acceptance. This study was conducted to find the plants accumulating heavy metals in soils contaminated with Cd and Pb. Experimental plots (plot size: $0.81m^2$) was artificially contaminated using a contaminated soil collected from a field in vicinity of Wondong mine (WD). Sunflower, corn and castor were tested for their potential to remove heavy metals from the contaminated soils. The results indicated that sunflower was most effective in accumulating heavy metals and thus remedying the soils among the three crops. Dry weight and heavy metal uptake of sunflower shoot differed with growth period. For example, the Cd content of shoots including leaf and stem were 0.31mg, 2.23 mg, and 0.96 mg per plot at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after planting in Cd4-WD treatment; in addition, the dry weight of the shoots in Cd8-WD treatment was reduced due to heavy metal toxicity. This experiment showed that sunflower absorbed Cd, Pb and Zn in their shoots up to 8 weeks of planting; thereafter heavy metals uptake was diminished. This implies that the efficiency of these plants in cleaning the contaminated soils may be high at the early stage of plant growth.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.517-528
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• 2020

The objectives of this study were to select optimal soil amendments through analysis of heavy metal availability in soil and uptake to Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. for phytostablization in heavy metal contaminated soil of abandoned metal mine. M. sinensis was cultivated for 6 months at contaminated soil with several soil treatments (bottom ash 1 and 2%, fly ash 1 and 2%, waste lime+oyster 1 and 2%, acid mine drainage sludge (AMDS) 10 and 20%, compost 3.4%, and control). The analysis results of heavy metal concentrations in the soil by Mehlich-3 mehthod, growth and heavy metal concentrations of M. sinensis showed that AMDS 20% was more effective than other amendments for phytostablization, and AMDS 10% showed second effectiveness. Waste lime+oyster, bottom ash and fly ash were also improved compared to control. Mobility of some heavy metal was increased by treatments. Therefore, it is necessary of preparatory investigation of soil condition to select soil amendment to apply on-site phytostablization.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.137-146
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• 2018

Soil washing is one of the most frequently used remediation technologies for heavy metal-contaminated soils. Inorganic and organic acids and chelating agents that can enhance the removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils have been employed as soil washing agents. However, the toxicity, low removal efficiency and high cost of these chemicals limit their use. Given that humic substance (HS) can effectively chelate heavy metals, the development of an eco-friendly, performance-efficient and cost-effective soil washing agent using a nano-scale chelator composed of HS was examined in this study. Copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) were selected as target heavy metals. In soil washing experiments, HS concentration, pH, soil:washing solution ratio and extraction time were evaluated with regard to washing efficiency and the chelation effect. The highest removal rates by soil washing (69% for Cu and 56% for Pb) were achieved at an HS concentration of 1,000 mg/L and soil:washing solution ratio of 1:25. Washing with HS was found to be effective when the pH value was higher than 8, which can be attributed to the increased chelation effect between HS and heavy metals at the high pH range. In contrast, the washing efficiency decreased markedly in the low pH range due to HS precipitation. The chelation capacities for Cu and Pb in the aqueous phase were determined to be 0.547mmol-Cu/g-HS and 0.192mmol-Pb/g-HS, respectively.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.87-100
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• 2016

Biochar, which has high alkalinity, has widely studied for amendment of soil that contaminated with heavy metals. The aim of this study is assessment of amendment for arsenic and heavy metals contaminated acidic agricultural soil using biochar that derived from buffalo weed (A. trifida L. var. trifida). Pot experiments were carried out including analysis of soil solution, contaminants fractionation, soil chemical properties and plant (lettuce) uptake rate. Arsenic and heavy metals concentrations in soil solution showed relatively low in biochar added experiments when compared to the control. In the heavy metals fractionation in soil showed decrease of exchangeable fraction and increase of carbonates fraction; however, arsenic fractionations showed constant. Soil chemical properties indicated that biochar could induce recovery of soil quality for plant growth in terms of soil alkalinity. However, phosphate concentration in biochar added soil decreased due to Ca-P precipitation by exchangeable calcium from biochar. Arsenic and heavy metals uptake rate of plant in the amended experiment decreased to 50% when compared to the control. Therefore biochar derived from buffalo weed can be used as amendment material for agricultural soil contaminated with arsenic and heavy metals. Precipitation of As-Ca and metal-carbonates are major mechanisms for soil amendment using char.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.231-237
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• 2004

In this research we determined the levels of heavy metals in soil and metal-accumulating plants from a D military shooting site in the Kyungkido district of Korea. The data obtained may be useful in the development of methods for the efficient phytoremediation of contaminated soil. The total Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the soil were found to be 1.67-5.04 mg/kg, 52.51-106.26 mg/kg, 37.24-90.32mg/kg, and 111.45-188.19mg/kg, respectively. These results show that the soil is contaminated with Cd and Cu, and this contamination is particularly severe in the case of Cd because of its high bioavailability (25-57% of the total metal in the soil is exchangeable). The high concentrations of heavy metals in the shoots of Persicaria thunbergii and Artemisia princeps var. orientalis indicate that these plants (all perennial herbs) accumulate heavy metal efficiently. Further, these plants were found to contain more Cd in its shoots (＞60% of the total metal found in the plant) than any other plant; these results indicate that these native species are particularly suited to use in Cd phytoextraction.