• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.143-156
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• 2007

This study has researched the management status and the pollution level of water, soil, stream sediments of 11 abandoned coal mines out of a total of 12 within Obong-Dam area except Bukyung mine, which was submerged when constructing Obong-Dam, and selected areas which are in needs to have pollution control facilities in the first place. From the results of examination on the runoff at the waste rock pile and mineheads, the runoff from Sueun mine (pH, Fe, Al), Samwon mine (pH, Al), Wangdo mine (pH, Al), Mose mine (pH, Fe, Al) and Daeryeong mine (pH) exceeded the permissible discharge standards of the water quality, but the water at merging point with Obong-Dam after joined with Doma branch satisfied both Water Quality Standards and Drinking Water Quality Standards. In regard to groundwater contamination, it is found that areas where exceeded the Drinking Water Quality Standards are Wangdo mine (pH), Jangjae mine (pH, Zn), Daeryeong mine (pH) whereas all areas satisfied Soil Contamination Warning Standards of Soil Environmental Conservation Law. When comparing a research result on underwater sediments of branches of abandoned mines to the EPA Guidelines for classification of great lakes harbor sediments, Dongguk Gaerim (Fe), Jungwon mine (Fe), Daebo mine (Mn), Samwon mine (Mn) and Daeryeong mine (Mn) showed mid-level of contamination, whereas Sueun (Fe, Mn), Daebo mine (Fe), Woosung mine (Fe, Mn), Wangdo mine (Fe, Mn), Mose mine (Fe) and Daeryeong mine (Fe) showed high-level of contamination. In addition, contamination levels of underwater sediments in Wangsan and Doma branch where abandoned mine's branches merge together, Wangsan branch showed no contamination at all whereas Doma branch shows mid-level of contamination which reflect the Doma branch is affected by waste rock pile and minehead runoff of the abandoned mines in the Doma branch area. It is concluded that Mose mine and Sueun mine required treatment of acid mine drainage. and Wangdo, Jungwon, and Samwon mines were in need of mine tailing and erosion control work. The Samwon mine additionally required a control system for closed minehead runoff. Although the Samwon mine reached a high concentration of Al, Mn $Ca^{2+}$, $SO{_4}^{2-}$ in the runoff, the levels decreased after it was combined with a tributary. It has been concluded that after further monitoring of the cause of pollution, a preventive measure system may be needed to be built.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.533-539
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• 2014

Mine wastes such as acid mine drainage (AMD) can cause the detrimental effects on surrounding environment, thereby eventually threatening human health. Main objective of this study was to evaluate the neutralizing effect of fly ash (FA) as a stabilizing material AMD. Field plot was constructed in a coal waste depot which has caused aluminium-whitening adjacent to the stream. Different mixing ratios of FA were applied on a top of the soil, and then the physicochemical properties of runoff and soil were monitored. Constructed plots were as following: control (mine waste only (W)), mine waste + 20% ($w\;w^{-1}$)of FA (WC20M), mine waste + 40% ($w\;w^{-1}$)of FA (WC40M), and WC40M dressed with a fresh soil at the top (WC40MD). Result showed that initial pH of runoff in control was 5.09 while that in WC40M (7.81) was significantly increased. For a plot treated with WC40M, the concentration of Al in runoff was decreased to $0.22mg\;L^{-1}$ compared to the W as the control ($4.85mg\;L^{-1}$). Moreover, the concentration of Fe was also decreased to less than half at the WC40M compared to the control. Application of FA can be useful for neutralizing AMD and possibly minimizing adverse effect of AMD in mining area.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.413-419
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• 2010

A silica mine monitoring was conducted from March to December in 2008 to measure rainfall, runoff amounts and pollution loads. A total of 13 rainfall-runoff events were measured and analyzed with respect to runoff ratio, pollutant concentration and load, and initial flush. Over rainfall-runoff events, 95% confidence range of SS concentration was 942.5~2,056.2 mg/L. Other measured water quality indices also showed relatively large variation. This wide concentration variation was thought to be caused by the bare working ground of the mine that was used to store, process and transport the mined silica. Total pollution load of the 13 rainfall-runoff events was SS 17,901 kg/ha, $COD_{Cr}$ 160.9 kg/ha, $COD_{Mn}$ 111.24 kg/ha, BOD 79.6 kg/ha, T-N 13.8 kg/ha, T-P 3.5 kg/ha, and TOC 39.3 kg/ha. Initial flush was not well observed except SS. Very high SS concentration and load was occurred when rainfall was large. Therefore, it was recommended to manage the bare ground not to discharge excessive pollutants during wet days by covering the ground or constructing runoff treatment systems such as a sediment basin.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.474-481
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• 2010

This study was conducted to describe the characteristics of Non-point source (NPS) Pollution discharge from a coal mining area in Korea. The study areas is located on the Dogye site, Samchuk, Kangwon Province Coal Corporation and the Jangsung site, Taebaek, Kangwon Province Coal Corporation. The monitoring system was installed at a drainage channel and water samples and rainfall events were collected during March 2008 to February 2009. The collected water samples were analyzed with respect to SS, BOD, $COD_{Cr}$, $COD_{Mn}$, T-N, T-P, and TOC, respectively. It was observed that the runoff and water quality were largely influenced by mine drainage. Also a significant relationship was observed from the correlation between flow and water quality, flow and NPS. And estimated Event Mean Concentration (EMC), NPS pollution loads were Dogey coal mine and Taeback coal mine respectively. As the study progresses in the future, runoff and pollution loads will be updated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.48-58
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• 2004

Objectives of this research were to reclaim the coal mine overburdens using the lime waste cake from the soda ash production by stabilizing the overburden slopes, introducing neutralizing the AMD from runoff and leachate in an attempt find the sink to dispose the lime wastes and alleviate the environmental problems caused by the closed coal mines. The pH changes of the runoff and leachate collected in the tanks at the end of the experimental plots, averaged over measurements from April to August, indicated that the runoff pH of the coal overburden was 4.3 but increased significantly to the ranges of 6.7 to 7.1 with treatments of tile calcites and lime wastes. This might be related with the decreases in Fe concentrations in the runoff and leachate from the coal overburdens. The Fe concentrations in tile runoff seemed to increase with the amounts of precipitation. Results demonstrated that the amounts of lime wastes at 25% of the lime requirement were sufficient for neutralizing the acidic coal overburden. Either layering between the coal waste and topsoil or mixing with coal overburdens could be adopted as the lime waste treatment method. The lime wastes from the soda ash production might have a potential to be recycled for the reclamation of the abandoned coal mines to alleviate the environmental problems associated with coal mine waste.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.59-61
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• 2005

In Korea, hundreds of abandoned and closed coal and metallic mines are present in the steep mountain valleys due to the depression of the mining industry since the late 1980s. From these mines, enormous amounts of coal waste were dumped on the slopes, which causes sedimentation and acid mine drainage (AMD) to be discharged directly into streams causing detrimental effects on soil and water environments. A limestone slurry by-product (lime cake) is produced from the Solvay process in manufacturing soda ash. It has very fine particles, low hydraulic conductivities ($10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-9}cm/sec$), high pH, high EC due to the presence of CaO, MgO and $CaCl_2$ as major components, and traces of heavy metals. Due to these properties, it has potential to be used as a neutralizer for acid-producing materials. A field plot experiment was used to test the application of lime cake for reclaiming coal wastes. Each plot was 20 x 5 m (L x W) in size on a 56% slope. Treatments included a control (waste only), calcite ($CaCO_3$), and lime cake. The lime requirement (LR) for the coal waste to pH 7.0 was determined and treatments consisted of adding 100%, 50%, and 25% of the LR. The lime cake and calcite were also applied in either a layer between the coal waste and topsoil or mixed into the topsoil and coal waste. Each plot was hydroseeded with grasses and planted with trees. In each plot, surface runoff and subsurface water were collected. The lime cake treatments increased the pH of coal waste from 3.5 to 6, and neutralized the pH of the runoff and leachate of the coal waste from 4.3 to 6.7.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.40-47
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• 2001

To remove $Zn^{2+}$(422 ppm) and $Mn^{2+}$(53.1 ppm) from Sambo mine runoff(the total amount of heavy metals : 107 ppm) in Whasung, packed bed column tests were run in two stages plastic columns. The non-treated bark(Pinus densiflora, Quercus accutisima) of each 6 kg were placed into columns. The height and diameter of column were 60 cm and 45 cm, respectively. Flow rate ranged to 1 ${\ell}$/min for 15 days. The concentration of heavy metal ions in filtrate was determinded periodically. By the treatment of oak bark the initial concentration of $Zn^{2+}$ was maintained under 10 ppm(the adsorption rate: 64%) for 24 hr, while pine bark kept the initial concentration of $Zn^{2+}$ under 20 ppm(the adsorption rate: 53%) for 15 hr. However the initial concentration of $Mn^{2+}$ was reduced only to 10.6~18.6 ppm (the adsorption rate: 20~35%) until 10 hr. Thereafter, the adsorption of $Mn^{2+}$ by bark decreased rapidly. There was little difference in the adsorption ratio of $Mn^{2+}$ between oak and pine bark. The use of bark to remove $Zn^{2+}$ in Samba mine runoff was effective, but it wasn't proper to remove $Mn^{2+}$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.207-216
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• 2009

In this study, water quality variation in borehole groundwaters and surface leachate waters were investigated on a seasonal sampling and remote monitoring basis within the waste impoundments at the Geopung mine site where previous rehabilitation measures were unsuccessful to prevent acidic drainage. All groundwaters were typical acidic drainage with acidic pH (3.3${\sim}$4.6) and high TDS (338${\sim}$3330 mg/L) values during the dry season, but increases in metal contents (TDS 414${\sim}$4890 mg/L) and decrease of pH (2.7${\sim}$3.6) were observed during the rainy season. Surface leachate waters showed a similar pattern in water quality variation. Surface runoff waters during rain events had acidic pH (3.0${\sim}$3.4) through direct reactions with waste rocks. Good correlations were found between major and trace elements measured in water samples, but no significant seasonal variation in chemical compositions was shown except relative changes in contents. It can be suggested that dissolution of soluble secondary salts caused by flushing of weathered waste rocks and tailings directly influenced the water quality within the waste impoundments. Increases in acid and metal concentrations and their loadings from mine wastes are anticipated in the rainy season. More appropriate cover systems on waste rocks and tailings necessitate consideration of more extreme conditions in the study mine.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.1042-1046
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• 2009

강원도 홍천군 북방면 능평리에 위치한 규사광산을 2008년 3월부터 12월까지 발생한 강우사상에 대하여 모니터링을 실시하였다. 모니터링 지점은 채광작업과 가공작업이 이루어지는 계곡의 하류로 평시 $500m^2$/day의 유량이 흐르는 작은 소하천이다. 관측된 13회의 총 강우량은 712.6 mm가 발생하였다. 강우강도는 0.5 ${\sim}$ 4.7 mm/hr, 선행무강우일수는 1.2 ${\sim}$ 9.8일로 나타났다. 유출률은 28.0 $^{\sim}$ 98.0 %로 나타났으며, 유출율 98.0 %는 168.0 mm의 많은 양의 강우가 발생한 7월 24일부터 25일까지의 강우사상에서 발생하였다. 채석과 가공작업등의 영향으로 인하여 강우시 다른 오염 물질보다 SS 농도와 EMC가 매우 높고, 범위가 가장 큰 것으로 나타났다. 또한 SS는 강우량과 건기일수에 민감한 영향이 있는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 규사광산지역은 다른 오염 물질보다 SS를 저감 시킬 수 있는 비점오염저감시설이 필요할 것으로 사료된다. 기상조건에 따른 오염부하와 EMC의 정확한 산정하기 위해서는 장기간의 모니터링을 통한 많은 자료의 수집이 동반되어야 할 필요가 있다. 본 연구에서 조사된 자료와 분석된 결과는 토지이용별 비점오염부하의 산정과 저감기술의 개발에 활용할 수 있으며, 수질오염총량제의 신뢰성을 향상시킬 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.155-160
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• 2007

Constructed wetland has been widely used for the treatment of sewage, stormwater runoff, industrial wastewater, agricultural runoff, acid mine drainage and landfill leachate. For the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus, uptake by plants and adsorption to media material are the major processes, and, therefore, the selection of media with specific adsorption capacity is the critical factor for the optimal design of wetland along with the selection of appropriate plant species. In this study, two media materials (loess bead and mixed media) possessing different adsorption characteristics for ammonium and phosphate were selected, and their adsorption characteristics were evaluated. In addition, the performance of subsurface-flow wetland systems employing these media was evaluated in both batch and continuous flow systems. With LB medium, beter phosphorus removal was observed, while better ammonia removal was obtained with MM medium. In addition, enhanced removal efficiencies were observed in the wetland systems employing both media and aquatic plants, mainly due to the better environment for microbial growth. As a result, appropriate selection or combination of media with respect to the inflow water quality maybe important factors for the successful design and operation of wetland systems.