• 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.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.17-33
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• 2012

In order to review the recent technological progress and issues on the urban mine resources recycling in Japan and Korea, recycling process of the ELV(End of Life Vehicles) and E-waste(WEEE) were studied. Although technological level for processing of the ELV and E-waste is almost similar in both countries, the treatment of hazadous materials of ELV such as freon, air bag and ASR is unsufficient in Korea. In the E-waste recycling, the technological level is deeply different according to the enterprise size in Korea. Finally, the big R&D project on recycling of urban mine resources sponsored by government in both countries were discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.253-259
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• 2005

Mine is quickly decline, Nowadays, many of abandoned and closed mines. AMD is abandoned surface water by accumulated yellowboy and caused environmental pollution by amount of heavy metals. The aim of this study waste lime was mixed with the sediment to produce an aggregate far the purpose of neutralizing the acidity and stabilization the heavy metal in the aggregate structure .to pozzolan effect. The result of Waste lime and sediment mixed(5%, 10%, 20%)ration by curing days(3, 7, 38days), After 28 curing days as 5% mixed waste lime leaching solution concentration of all heavy metals is satisfied with regulation limit. Also, the result of fractionate heavy metals to stabilization as 28 curing days very decrease exchangeable and reducible type, and then increase carbonate type. With the above results, waste lime the most effective for the sediment treatment and useful for the recycling waste resource.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.422-425
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• 2003

This study was carried out to apprehend the variation of quality of mine drainage in the abandoned Samtan coal mine. After closure of coal mine, although still pumping, water level in underground was raised to loom and the concentration of some elements such as Fe and Mn was elevated. At present, the worst pollution source in this area is too the acidic leachate drained from uncovered mine waste impoundment. The flow rate of mine drainage from the adit is ave. about 20,000t/d. If water were flooded and deteriorated due to stopping pumping, the impact of the mine drainage on the stream around the abandoned mine would be more severe. Therefore, It is considered that the prediction of water quality of mine drainage from the adit after stopping pumping will be very important with a view to establishing countermeasures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.71-85
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• 2011

In Okdong coal mine abandoned area, every year large amount of mine wastes have been swept away due to heavy rains in summer. Because pH of coal-mine waste is in the early 4, plant naturally does not grow there due to unfavorable condition for growing plant. This study had an experiment to grow plant for 6 months using Mycorrhizae which can be adapted well in acid soil. As a result of Experiment, In the infected experiment pot, 90% of the plants survived but in case of uninfected experiment pot, only 25% were alive. From Growth Experiment, it appeared that average stem length increase (cm/month), average fresh weight increase ($g^{fw}/month$), average dry weight increase ($g^{dw}/month$) were increased by 60%, 21%, 31% respectively. Especially, Mycorrhizae plays an important role in providing nutrients and water when seeding are established. Mycorrhizae prevents death caused by lack of nutrients and water and helps growth and development of plant when seeding are established in the early stage. This study proved that Mycorrhizae is comparatively effective in plant growth and prevention of erosion in coal-mine abandoned area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.37-47
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• 2004

In Korea, over three hundreds of the coal mines were closed or abandoned due to the depression of the mining industry since the late 1980s. Many of them locate in the steep mountain valleys and the coal mine wastes had been disposed without a proper treatment From these mines, enormous amounts of coal mine overburdens have been abandoned in the slopes and the ample amounts of acid mine drainage (AMD) from either portal or overburdens have been discharging directly to the streams, causing the detrimental effects on soil and water qualities. 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 the vegetation alleviate the environmental problems caused by the closed coal mines. The percentages of the grass distribution ratio (%) and the surface coverage ($\textrm{cm}^2$) in each treatment plot were determined during June to August after seed spraying grasses such as orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L), Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and Eulalia (Miscanthus sinensis Anderss) at the end of May. The grasses covered only 15.5 % of the coal overburden plot at the early stage but the coverage was increased with time to 33% in August. Growth of such grasses was enhanced with the combined treatments of lime waste and topsoil resulting in the increased surface coverage by the grasses. The Increment of the surface coverage from June to August was higher with lime waste treatments. The distribution percentages and surface coverage were highest when the lime wastes were treated at 25 % of the lime requirement. This might be related with the high salt contents in the hire wastes. Results demonstrated that the amounts of lime wastes at 25% of the lime requirement were sufficient for neutralizing the acidic coal overburden and introducing the re-vegetation. Either layering between the coal waste and topsoil or mixing with coal overburdens could be adopted as the lime waste treatment method. The combined treatment of lime wastes and topsoil was recommended for re-vegetation in the coal overburden slopes. 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.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.221-243
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• 2018

Utilization of mine waste rocks and tailings in concrete as aggregates will help in sustainable and greener development. The literature shows the potential use of iron ore tailings as a replacement of natural fine aggregates. As natural sand reserves are depleting day by day, there is a need for substitution for sand in concrete. A comprehensive overview of the published literature on the use of iron ore waste and tailings and other industrial waste in concrete is being presented. The effect of various properties such as workability, compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, durability and microstructure of concrete have been presented in this paper.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.23-41
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• 2023

Coupled thermo-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes are essential for the long-term performance of deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In this study, a numerical sensitivity analysis was performed to analyze the effect of rock properties on THM responses after the execution of the heater test at the Kamaishi mine in Japan. The TOUGH-FLAC simulator was applied for the numerical simulation assuming a continuum model for coupled THM analysis. The rock properties included in the sensitivity study were the Young's modulus, permeability, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficients of crystalline rock, rock salt, and clay. The responses, i.e., temperature, water content, displacement, and stress, were measured at monitoring points in the buffer and near-field rock mass during the simulations. The thermal conductivity had an overarching impact on THM responses. The influence of Young's modulus was evident in the mechanical behavior, whereas that of permeability was noticed through the change in the temperature and water content. The difference in the THM responses of the three rock type models implies the importance of the appropriate characterization of rock mass properties with regard to the performance assessment of the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.123-135
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• 1997

In order to investigate the dispersion patterns and contamination level of heavy metals in the soil-ecosystem and to evaluate the efficiency of soil remediation by reversed soil method, soils and plants were collected from the Dongjin Au-Ag-Cu mine area and analysed for heavy metals. The dispersion patterns of heavy metals in soils and plants show that heavy metal pollutions caused by waste rump around Dongjin mine are mainly found in the vicinity of the waste rump and in the southward slanting of mine. Toxic metallic pollutants from the mine influence heavy metal contents in paddy soils in downstream area, and may be a potential sources of heavy metal pollution on crop plants. Soil samples collected from the remediated rice farming field by reversed method show similar levels of heavy metal content to those from the polluted rice farming field, but topsoil enrichment of heavy metals are not found. Heavy metal contents of the rice plants collected from remediated rice farming field are significantly lower than those from polluted rice farming field, and it suggests that the reversed soil method is effective for the reduction of bioavailability of heavy metals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.397-401
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• 2005

Acid mine drainage and waste of abandoned mine area have caused serious water pollution and destruction of an ecosystem because of exposing to environment without an appropriate treatment. Gwang-yang mine area also has a serious problem in the nearby residential area and waterway ecosystems. The objectives of this research are to develop the most suitable remediation system for acid mine drainage by using waste materials, and to diagnose stream environments impacted by acid mine drainage through the new ecological health assessment methodology, and thus ultimately providing a restoring methodology to mining regions. In the water system health assessment, the result of ESHI model, RBP and Karr suggested by US EPA is revised by ecological features of our country, come to ESHI score 13; 'Very poor' at some points. Together with pH value and heavy metal concentration, it's the aggravation of ecological health index caused by chemical disturbances. In the acid mine drainage treatment, we apply marine shells and slags to this system. Slags had the best removal ability for heavy metals, but pH value was more than 10 exceeding the standard for drain water. In case of marine shells, pH of treated water maintained 7 to 8, and concentrations of Fe and Zn decreased significantly after treatment.