• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.11-15
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• 2006

Attempts were made to increase an efficiency of soil contamination investigation systems (SCISs) including Soil Network and Special Soil Contamination Management Facility Sites in Korea. In order to increase low efficiencies resulting from inappropriate SCISs, possible policy suggestions are driven based on the results from problem findings of Korean policy and comparisons of policies on industrialized countries including United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. First, functions of Soil Environment Conservation Act (SECA) on liability should be updated and reinforced to initiate a soil contamination investigation process for stakeholders including an owner(s) or a responsible party(ies) of the potentially soil contamination sites positively. Second, appropriate SCISs should be emerged for implementing the Soil Network and Special Soil Contamination Management Facility Sites properly. Stakeholders for the potentially contaminated sites should easily access and raise the soil contamination issues, and soil contamination investigation implemented by liable and profit environment (consulting) companies should be encouraged. Third, the soil contamination reporting system of SECA needs to change legally responsible. Further more, public announcement system showing soil quality of a site which exceeds a certain scale would be considerable. Fourth, liable environment (consulting) companies should legally execute Soil Environment Assessment of SECA.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.27-47
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• 2006

Attempts were made to increase an efficiency of soil contamination investigation systems(SCISs) including Soil Contamination Fact-Finding Investigation Sites and Special Soil Contamination Management Facility Sites in Korea. In order to increase low efficiencies resulting from inappropriate SCISs, possible policy suggestions are driven based on the results from problem findings of Korean policy and comparisons of policies in industrialized countries including United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. First, functions of Soil Environment Conservation Act(SECA) on liability should be updated and reinforced to initiate a soil contamination investigation process for stakeholders including an owner(s) or a responsible party(ies) of the potentially soil contamination sites positively. Second, appropriate SCISs should be emerged for implementing the Soil Contamination Fact-Finding Investigation Sites and Special Soil Contamination Management Facility Sites properly. Stakeholders for the potentially contaminated sites should easily access and raise the soil contamination issues, and soil contamination investigation implemented by liable and profit environment (consulting) companies should be encouraged. Third, the soil contamination reporting system of SECA needs to change legally responsible. Further more, public announcement system showing soil quality of a site which exceeds a certain scale would be considerable. Fourth, liable environment (consulting) companies should legally execute Soil Environment Assessment of SECA.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.122-127
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• 2010

Constructing the national inventory that can be used as a tool to identify and assess existing or potential contamination is necessary for efficiently managing the soil and groundwater contamination. In order to start this construction, the first step is how we define and classify potential contamination sources of soil and groundwater. After selecting the basic classification model of contamination sources from developed countries, we suggested the classification and list of the potential contamination sources of soil and groundwater which are appropriate for specific conditions of South Korea. In addition, we investigated several databases to confirm the existence of available data sources and then examined established attribute data through chemical accident response information system (CARIS) and water information system (WIS) in National Institute of Environmental Research and mine geographic information system (MGIS) in Mine Reclamation Corporation. All sorts of attribute data in the existing databases can be utilized as significant assessment factors for determining the management priority of potential contamination sources in the future. Therefore, it is required the expanded investigation of additional database sources and the continual modification so that the classification system of potential contamination sources can be improved.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.487-496
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to create soil contamination maps using QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information System) and suggest selection methods for soil pollution sources for preferential investigation in a soil contamination survey. Method: Data from soil contamination surveys over five years in Gyeonggi-do Province, South Korea (2013-2017) were used for making soil contamination maps and analyzing the density of survey points. By analyzing points exceeding the concern level of soil contamination, soil pollutant sources for priority management were identified and selection methods for preferred survey points were suggested through a study of the model area. Results: A soil contamination survey was conducted at 1,478 points over five years, with the largest number of surveys conducted in industrial complex and factory areas. Soil contamination maps for copper, zinc, nickel, lead, arsenic, fluoride, and total petroleum hydrocarbons were made, and most of the survey points were found to be below concern level 1 for soil contamination. The density of the survey points is similar to that of densely populated areas and factory areas. The analysis results of points exceeding the criteria showed that soil pollutant sources for priority management were areas where ore and scrap metals were used and stored, traffic-related facilities areas, industrial complex and factory areas, and areas associated with waste and recycling. According to the study of the model area, the preferred survey points were traffic-related facilities with 15 years or more since their construction and factories with a score of 10 or more for soil contamination risk. Conclusion: Soil contamination surveys should use GIS for even regional distribution of survey points and for the effective selection of preferred survey points. This study may be used as guidelines to select points for a soil contamination survey.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.209-212
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• 2004

Soil environment has not received much attention from the environmental impact assessor community although soil contamination may affect human health and the eco-system. This study was the first trial to discuss the role and importance of soil environment in the environmental impact assessment(EIA) and suggest possible environmental impact assessment schemes for soil. The objectives of the study were to show the effects of soil contamination on human health, the environment and the social community, suggest efficient EIA schemes in Korea and establish the basic concepts of soil environment assessment involving fate and transport of contaminants and its risk.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.10-19
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• 2016

Land contamination has emerged as a major environmental and land management issue over the last decade. Although the importance of contaminated land management was continuously increased and many developed countries tried to make advanced contaminated land register system, current Korea soil regulations and policies have not been considered yet. This study analyzed existing or developing contaminated land register system from various countries to suggest implications of environmental decision support. Through this study, the introduction of contaminated land management system as creating a new system in Korea needs to considerable review to the following in order to achieve the objective through a effective adoption and operation (1) we need to establish contaminated land register system by providing a proper legal basis before the imposition of data collection, investigation, and management, (2) sufficient examination is required to identify scope of information disclosure and criteria, contents, and subjects of items from contaminated land register system.

• 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.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.36-40
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• 2022

To respond to rapidly changing water circumstances such as climate change, drought, etc., the korean government (MOE) established four advanced strategies for integrated groundwater management. The first strategy is watershed-based management of groundwater. The second strategy is total quantity management of groundwater including improvement of groundwater preservation area policy and procedure of investigation for groundwater influence area, additional construction of groundwater dam, installation of large-scale public wells, extention of spilled groundwater use. The third strategy is prevention of groundwater contamination including expansion of monitoring wells, introducing declaration of groundwater contamination. The last strategy is advancement of groundwater information management including integrated management of data, setting up a big-data based open platform. The above-mentioned four strategies will be reflected in the 4th National Groundwater Management Plan to secure implementation power, and it is expected to laid the foundation for advanced and rational groundwater management system.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.18-25
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• 2014

Traditional investigation procedures of soil and groundwater contamination are followed by soil gas sampling, soil sampling, groundwater sampling, establishment of monitoring wells, and groundwater monitoring. It often takes several weeks to obtain the analysis reports, and sometimes, it needs supplemental sampling and analysis to delineate the polluted area. Laser induced fluorescence (LIF) system is designed for the detection of free-phase petroleum pollutants, and it is suitable for on-site real-time site investigation when coupling with a direct push testing tool. Petroleum products always contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds possessing fluorescence characteristics that make them detectable through LIF detection. In this study, LIF spectroscopy of 5 major fuel products was conducted to establish the databank of LIF fluorescence characteristic spectra, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, marine fuel and low-sulfur fuel. Multivariate statistical tools were also applied to distinguish LIF fluorescence characteristic spectra among the mixtures of selected fuel products. This study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of identifying fuel species based on LIF characteristic fluorescence spectra, also LIF seemed to be uncovered its powerful ability of tracing underground petroleum leakages.

• 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.