• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.30 no.A
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• pp.17-23
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• 2010

Recently, a large number of open-pit mines are planning to change their mining method to underground types because the environmental concerns and legal regulations are increased with a rise in the standard of living. The K silica mine, which is one of them and located in Kyunggi province, is planning the establishment of a vertical shaft which will be used for ore-pass channel in their new glory hole mining method. This vertical shaft will be designed to join with a horizontal gangway excavated from the ground level. In this new mining system, the excavated ore particles will be stored inside a shaft and transported out with a help of a conveyor belt. Therefore the hang-up of ore particles in a shaft, the control of gate at the bottom of a shaft, the installation of dog-leg at the gate should be investigated identically. In this study, the PFC-2D code which is one of the discrete element numerical methods has been applied to simulate the particle flow mechanism in a shaft, and the optimum mine design has been proposed to maximize the productivity and to minimize the system damage.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.453-461
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• 2018

Shaft stations of underground uranium mines in China are not only utilized as waiting space for loaded mine-cars queuing to be hoisted but also as the principal channel for fresh air taken to working places. Therefore, assessment of how mine-car queuing processes affect shaft station radon concentration was carried out. Queuing network of mine-cars has been analyzed in an underground uranium mine, located in Quzhou, Zhejiang province of Eastern China. On the basis of mathematical analysis of the queue network, a MATLAB-based quasi-random number generating program utilizing Monte-Carlo methods was worked out. Extensive simulations were then implemented via MATALB operating on a DELL PC. Thereafter, theoretical calculations and field measurements of shaft station radon concentrations for several working conditions were performed. The queuing performance measures of interest, like average queuing length and waiting time, were found to be significantly affected by the utilization rate (positively correlated). However, even with respect to the "worst case", the shaft station radon concentration was always lower than $200Bq/m^3$. The model predictions were compared with the measuring results, and a satisfactory agreement was noted. Under current working conditions, queuing-induced variations of shaft station radon concentration of the study mine are not remarkable.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.581-585
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• 2019

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to examine archaeoparasitological specimens from coprolites associated with La Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos (CMC) located near present-day Durango, Mexico. The eggs for 4 different types of parasites recovered from CMC coprolites were imaged using CLSM to assist with identification efforts. While some of the parasite eggs recovered from CMC coprolites were readily identified using standard light microscopy (LM), CLSM provided useful data for more challenging identifications by highlighting subtle morphological features and enhancing visualization of parasite egg anatomy. While other advanced microscopy techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), may also detect cryptic identifying characters, CLSM is less destructive to the specimens. Utilizing CLSM allows for subsequent examinations, such as molecular analyses, that cannot be performed following SEM sample preparation and imaging. Furthermore, CLSM detects intrinsic autofluorescence molecules, making improved identification independent of resource and time-intensive protocols. These aspects of CLSM make it an excellent method for assisting in taxonomic identification and for acquiring more detailed images of archaeoparasitological specimens.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.618-622
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• 2010

This study examines the relationship between urinary arsenic concentration and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) concentrations, an index of oxidative DNA damage, among women who live near abandoned metal mines. The sample consisted of 165 residents living near two abandoned metal mines located in Chungbuk Province. Demographic characteristics as well as environmental factors relevant to arsenic exposure were collected through interviews, and urinary arsenic concentrations and urinary 8-OHdG concentrations of the research subjects were measured. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using the statistics program SPSS 12.0. The geometric average of urinary arsenic concentrations among the research subjects was $5.65\;{\mu}g/g$ creatinine. In a correlation analysis between urinary arsenic and 8-OHdG concentrations, the correlation coefficient was significant (p<0.001) at 0.399. This study suggests that urinary 8-OHdG concentrations may be a DNA damage marker for chronic arsenic exposure in women.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.75-80
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• 2005

Several metalliferous including Guedo mine, Manjung mine and Joil mine located at the upper watershed of Namhan river, were abandoned or closed since 1988 due to the mining industry promotion policy and thus disposed an enormous amount of mining wastes without a proper treatment facilities, resulting in soil pollution. In this research, total and fractional concentrations of heavy metals in mining wastes were analyzed and accordingly the degree of soil pollutions in the abandoned mine area were quantitatively assessed employing the several pollution indices. The mining waste samples from Guedo mine, Manjung mine and Joil mine recently abandoned were collected for the evaluation of the potential of water pollution by mining activities. Index of geoaccumulation fractional composition and removal efficiency of some heavy metals by different concentration of HCl treatment were analyzed. Index of geoaccumulation of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr are 6, $4\~6,\;0\~6,\;4\~5$, 2 and 0 respectively. The index of geoaccumulation of Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu reveals the mining wastes has high pollution potential in the area. According to sequential extraction of metals in the mine wastes organic fraction of Cu, reducible fraction of Pb, residual fraction of Ni and Zn were the most abundant fraction of heavy metals in mining wastes.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.456-464
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• 2010

Recently, heavy metals contamination of the agricultural soil and crops surrounding mining areas has been identified as one of the most serious environmental problems in South Korea. The Ministry of the Environment in Korea conducted a Preliminary National Environmental Health Survey (PNEHS) in abandoned metal mines in 2007. The priority for a subsequent detailed examination was ranked from the results of PNEHS. The studied mine which was ranked as being of the highest priority is located in the midwestern part of Korea and was operated from 1911 to 1985. In this study, the contamination levels of the heavy metals in the abandoned metal mine were investigated. From the results, the average daily dose (ADD), target hazard quotient (THQ) and target cancer risk of the heavy metals were evaluated. The concentration of arsenic (As) in all of the tailings from the mine was higher than its countermeasure standard of Korea. In particular, the highest concentration of As, 330 mg/kg, was up to 15 times higher than its countermeasure standard. The average concentration of As in agricultural soils was higher than the warning standard of Korea, and higher than its countermeasure standard at six sites. The average concentrations of the analyzed heavy metals in agricultural soil were below the warning standard, but concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) at 4 sites were higher than its warning standard. The average concentration of As in surface water exceeded the warning standard of Korea. The value of the THQ of As for the tailings was higher than the health protection standard 1. The value of THQ of As for the farmlands was lower than the standard, while the hazard index (HI) of As was higher than the standard. The value of target cancer risk (TCR) of As, $6.44{\times}10^{-4}$, were higher than the health protection standard of a lifetime risk for TCR at $1{\times}10^{-6}$. This suggests that the residents around the metal mines are exposed to As pollution with a carcinogenic risk.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 1993

This study was carried out to find heavy metal contents in soil and in native plant in the regions near by zinc-mines, located at the Chilgok and Uljin Gun in Kyeongpook area. In the heavy metal contents during the to growth of native plants, Cd was contained in the order perennial > biennial > annual plant, but Cu was annual > perennial > biennial plant, and there was no difference in Zn contents. The native plants contained heavy metal highest were Osmunda japonica in Cd, Persicaria thunbergii H.G in Cu and Equisetum arvense L. in Zn. Cd was contained highest in Pteridaceae, Cu in Equisetaceae and Zn in Polygonaceae. In the heavy metal contents by the part of plant of Equisetum arvense L. and Erigeron canadensis, Cd and Zn were much contained in the order leaf > stem > root, but Cu was in the order root > leaf > stem. The average contents of Cd, Cu, Zn in soil were 1.27ppm. 12.04ppm. 64.28ppm in Chilgok, and 3.30ppm. 72.93ppm. 194.04ppm in Uljin respectively. There were positive correlations between Cd contents of heavy metals(Cd, Cu, Zn) in soil and in native plant, but not significant. It was estimated that Osmunda japonica, Pteridium aquilinum (KUHN) var and Equisetum arvense L. which most absorbed heavy metal have effect of exclusion of heavy metals near by zine-mines region.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.287-296
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• 2020

Mine Reclamation Project is being carried out with the aim of ensuring a sustainable green living and helping to develop eco-friendly mines by analyzing, removing and preventing the harmful factors. Mines developed during the japanese colonial period and mining boom period are still not repaired throughout the country, and from these scattered risks, public safety is worth pursuing as a top priority. The project that is close to public safety in the mine recalmation project is an emergency treatment, and the most widely used method is a filling method similar to the ground subsidence prevention. If dangerous mine cavity or tunnels are located in the mountains, charging with existing materials may not be possible, or unreasonable cases may occur, and new methods of technological development are required. Emergency actions should be carried out safely and efficiently to prevent the loss of precious people's lives on the hiking paths adjacent to dangerous mining sites. In these field conditions, urethane foam materials may be an alternative. In this study, the applicability of urethane foam materials in mining was reviewed through overseas cases. It was also tested on the appropriate depth of top soil for the protection of urethane foam materials through forest fire simulation test. The test result show that approximately 15cm of soil covering (recommended 20cm over) was suitable for maintaining the function of foam materials from forest fires.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.73-84
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• 2010

We studied the geological occurrence, associated minerals, mineralogical properties and formation process of tremolites from two abandoned asbestos mines, Jungang (Sinsuk) and Daebosuksan, located in Boryoung area, Chungnam. Morphologically different tremolites such as long fibrous, needle-like, bladed and prismatic forms coexisted. Fibrous tremolite, known for its high toxieity to human health, was systematically analyzed by polarized light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The average length of tremolite fibers was 31.2 ${\mu}m$ although the maximum length of some asbestos was 210.0 ${\mu}m$. The average width and aspect ratio were 1.6 ${\mu}m$ and 19.9, respectively. Tremolite showed inclined extinction in the range of 6.1~20.2$^{\cric}$. X-ray diffraction patterns were slightly different between fibrous (asbestiform) and prismatic (non-asbestiform) tremolites. EPMA analysis of tremolites in the study area indicated extremely high Mg content with very low Fe content, close to the composition of tremolite in end-member in the tremolite-actinolite solid solution series. The formational conditions of asbestiform and non-asbestiform tremolite appear to be different. Asbestiform tremolite was estimated to have been formed in later stage.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 2022

In this study, 46 reservoirs in South Korea were characterized based on heavy metal concentration in sediments. We analyzed the relationship between heavy metal concentrations, physicochemical water quality and hydromorphological factors in each reservoir. Study reservoirs were classified into five groups of reservoirs, by hierarchical cluster analysis based on the similarities of heavy metal concentration. Group 1 had the most severe sediment heavy metal contamination among the groups, whereas Groups 2 and 3 showed low levels of heavy metal contamination. Group 4 displayed high value of Ni, and Group 5 showed high contamination of Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Hg. Groups 1 and 5, which had high concentration of heavy metals in sediments, showed a high density of mines in the catchment of reservoirs. Heavy metal concentration was high in reservoirs with large capacity or the ones located at higher elevation, and also highly related with number of mines in the catchment of reservoir. This study can contribute to the systematic management of sediment heavy metals in reservoirs.