• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.372-378
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• 2003

This study investigates the fractional composition and the leaching characteristics of heavy metals in polluted soils due to mining activities. The fractionated composition of heavy metals is classified into five fractions, adsorbed, carbonate, reducible, organic and residual fraction. The status of humic substances in mine wastes of most sites are polyhumic except tailing from Sangdong mine. According to the sequential extraction procedures (SEPs), leaching probabilities of Cd in coal wastes and tailing are relatively low due to high percentage of residual fraction. 46.4% of Ni in tailings from Sangdong mine is probably leached under oxidized environment, and 39.4% of Cu in these tailings is readily extracted under strongly oxidized environment by organic fraction. According to leaching condition of pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, the amount of heavy metals leached out of coal wastes and tailing increases to 1/2 hours. At pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, concentration of Ni in tailing increases up three times of the initial value. Heavy metals released from coal wastes and tailing were not influenced significantly by leaching time.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.45-55
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• 2003

This study investigates the fractional composition and the leaching characteristics of heavy metals in polluted soils due to mining activities. The fractionated composition of heavy metals is classified into five fractions; adsorbed, carbonate, reducible, organic and residual fraction. The status of humic substances in mine wastes of most sites are polyhumic except tailing from Sangdong mine. According to the sequential extraction procedures (SEPs), leaching probabilities of Cd in coal wastes and tailing are relatively low due to high percentage of residual fraction. 46.4% of Ni in tailings from Sangdong mine is probably leached under oxidized environment, and 39.4% of Cu in these tailings is readily extracted under strongly oxidized environment by organic fraction. According to leaching condition of pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, the amount of heavy metals leached out of coal wastes and tailing increases to 1/2 hours. At pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, concentration of Ni in tailing increases up three times of the initial value. Heavy metals released from coal wastes and tailing were not influenced significantly by leaching time.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.29-36
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• 2010

Several mines including Namil, Solim and Jungbong which are located in the Gyeonggi and Kangwon province have been abandoned and closed since 1980 due to "The promotion policy of mining industry". An enormous amount of mining wastes was disposed without proper treatment, which caused soil pollution in tailing dam and ore-dressing plant areas. However, any quantitative assessment was not performed about soil and water pollution by transporting mining wastes such as acid mine drainage, mine tailing, and rocky waste. In this research, heavy metals in mining wastes were analyzed according to leaching method which used 0.1 N HCl and total solution method which used Aqua-regia to recognize the ecological effect of distance from hot spot. We sampled tailings, rocky wastes and soils around the abandoned mine. Chemical and physical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (TOC), soil texture and heavy metal concentration were analyzed. The range of soil's pH is between 4.3 and 6.4 in the tailing dam and oredressing plant area due to mining activity. Total concentrations of As, Cu, and Pb in soil near ore dressing plant area are 250.9, 249.3 and 117.2 mg/kg respectively, which are higher than any other ones near tailing dam area. Arsenic concentration in tailing dams is 31.0 mg/kg, which is also considered as heavily polluted condition comparing with the remediation required level(RRL) in "Soil environment conservation Act".

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.743-747
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• 2005

In South Korea, about 900 metal mines have been abandoned, and about 88 million-t metal mine wastes have been discarded in recent years. The treatment of the tailings which are the main wastes in the abandoned metal mines becomes a social problem because they cause environmental pollution such as acidic waste water generation, groundwater contamination, and dust generation. Since almost whole quantities of the tailings have disposed by landfill now, the development of effective recycling methods for the tailings are strongly requested. It is expected that the fine tailings obtained by centrifugal separation process among the tailings can be utilized as admixture for cement. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the micro-structure of cement mortar admixed with fine tailing. Various admixtures were made of Fine tailings and 2 Types of OPC, fly-ash and blast furnace slag. The hydration reactivity of cement mortar with FT was examined by Porosity, XRD and SEM morphology analysis. The anolytical result about hardened hydrates shows that waste fine tailing help hydrates none densified due to it,s filling-space, These densified effect is concluded with improving the resistance to attack of cement mortar including waste fine tailing.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.183-193
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• 2006

Several metalliferous and coal mines, including Seojin and Okdong located at the Kangwon province, were abandoned or closed since 1989 due to the mining industry promotion policy and thus disposed an enormous amount of mining wastes without a proper treatment facilities, resulting in water and soil pollution in the downstream areas. However, no quantitative assessment was made on soil and water pollution by the transport of mining wastes such as acid mine drainage, mine tailing, and rocky waste. In this research, total and fractional concentrations of heavy metals in mining wastes were analyzed and accordingly the degree of water and soil pollutions in the stream area were quantitatively assessed employing the several pollution indices. Concentrations of Ni, Cd, and Pb in soils near the abandoned coal mine areas were 1,240.0, 25.0 and 1,093.0 mg/kg, respectively, and these concentrations were higher than those in soils near the closed metalliferous mine areas. Also Cu concentrations in soils near the tailing dams were about 1967 mg/kg, which is considered as very polluted level. Results demonstrated that soil at the abandoned mine areas were highly contaminated by AMO, tailing, and effluents of the mining wastes. Therefore, a prompt countermeasure on the mining waste treatment and remediation of the codntaminated water and soil should be made to the abandoned or closed metalliferous and coal mines located at the abandoned mine area.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.87-101
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• 1999

This study has been carried out to examine the feasibility of washing technique for reducing the heavy metal contamination level of tailing wastes and agricultural soil surrounding abandoned metal mines. Some organic acids with low molecular weight were used as washing solution. Initial contamination levels of copper and lead for some soil samples were found to exceed the standard levels of countermeasure and concern, and those of cadmium to approach the standard level of countermeasure. Experimental results using sequential extraction method revealed that more than half of copper and lead existing in tailing wastes are adsorbed forms available for plants. There are some proportional relationships between metal concentrations determined by using 0.1N HCI solution and those determined by sequential extractions. Citric acid was turned out to be superior to oxalic acid and acetic acid with low molecular weight in washing above three metals. When citric acid is used for washing heavy metals from soil, it is desirable to operate at pH less than 5.5 for better washing effect. Metal removal effect by citric acid solution has been proved to depend upon solution concentration and the mass ratio of solution to soil. Addition of SDS(Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) to citric acid improved the washing effect of cadmium among three metal most significantly. while copper removal did not change. Washing technique using citric acid for removal of heavy metals from agricultural soil or tailing wastes is recognized to be an effective remediation method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.75-80
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• 2002

Enormous volumes of mining wastes from the abandoned and closed mines are disposed without a proper treatment at Southeastern part of Kangwon Province. Erosion of these wastes contaminates soil, surface water, and sediments with heavy metals. Objectives of this research were to fractionate heavy metals in the mine waste and to assess the potential S. P. A. G.(Soil Pollution Assesment Guidance) of each metal fraction. Mine wastes analyzed for physical and chemical properties. pH of wastes ranged from 3.3 to 8.0. Contents of total N and loss on ignition matter were in the ranges of 0.2~5.6%, and 0.8~15.3%, respectively. Heavy metals in the wastes were higher in the coal mines than those in the other mine wastes. Total concentrations of metals in the wastes were in the orders of Pb > Zn > Cu > Cd, exceeded the corrective action level of the Soil Environment Conservation Law and higher than the natural abundance levels reported from uncontaminated soils. Relative distribution of heavy metal fractions was residual > organic > reducible > carbonate > adsorbed, reversing the degree of metal bioavailability. Mobile fractions of metals were relatively small compared to the total concentrations. Soil Pollution Assesment Guidance(SPAG) values were ranged from 0.08 to 9.14 based on labile fraction of metal concentrations. SPAG values of labile concentration were lower than those of total concentration.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2001

Enormous volumes of mining wastes from the abandoned and closed mines are disposed without a proper treatment in the upper Okdong River basin at Southeastern part of Kangwon Province. Erosion of these wastes contaminates soil, surface water, and sediments with heavy metals. Objectives of this research were to fractionate heavy metals in the mine tailing stored in the Sangdong Tungsten tailing dams and to assess the potential pollution index of each metal fraction. Tailing samples were collected from tailing dams at different depth and analyzed for physical and chemical properties. pH of tailings ranged from 7.3 to 7.9. Contents of total N and organic matter were in the ranges of 3.2~5.5%, and 1.3~9.1%, respectively. Heavy metals in the tailings were higher in the newly constructed tailing dam than those in the old dam. Total concentrations of metals in the tailings were in the orders of Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cd, exceeded the corrective action level of the Soil Environment Conservation Law and higher than the natural abundance levels reported from uncontaminated soils. Relative distribution of heavy metal fractions was residual > organic > reducible > carbonate > adsorbed, reversing the degree of metal bioavailability. Mobile fractions of metals were relatively small compared to the total concentrations. Distribution of metals in the tailing dam profiles was metal specific. Concentrations of Cu at the surface of tailing dams were higher than those at the bottom. Pollution index (PI) values of each fraction of metals were ranged from 4.27 to 8.51 based on total concentrations. PI values of mobile fractions were lower than those of immobile fractions. Results on metal fractions and PI values of the tailing samples indicate that tailing samples were contaminated with heavy metals and had potential to cause a detrimental effects on soil and water environment in the lower part of the stream. A prompt countermeasure to prevent surface of tailings in the dams from water and wind erosions is urgently needed.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2007

Vitrified aggregates obtained by using mine tailings were evaluated using various leaching methods to assess their environmental safety. The leaching tests in this study include continuous batch leaching, Dutch availability leaching, pH-stat and tank diffusion test as well as TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure), which is commonly adopted. Vitrification technique has successfully been applied treating some solid wastes containing high level of heavy metals, such as EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) dust and mine tailings. The potentially most leachable element among trace metals was As and theoretically about 7% of total concentrations in the aggregate can be released under extreme condition. Zinc was leached about 4% and the other trace metals including Cd, Cr and Pb were hardly released from the vitrified mine tailing aggregate.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.29 no.A
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• pp.55-60
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• 2009

Stabilization treatment is one of processes for wastes and their components to reduce their toxicity and migration rates to surroundings. Inorganic binders such as calcium hydroxide, blast furnace slag and red mud were tested for their potential applicability to in-situ stabilization of heavy metal contaminated tailings in the abandoned metal mines. Columns(150mm dia. ${\times}$ 450mm length) filled with mixtures of inorganic binders and tailing from the Geumjang mine with various mixing ratios of binders to tailings, 5%, 7% and 9% were applied artificial rainfall tests for 28 days. Effluents from columns filled with calcium hydroxide and tailing showed high pH's of ~12.5 and a increasing trend of concentration in Pb and Zn with a significant decrease in permeability in terms of elapsed days. Those with burning slag and tailing showed pH's of ~8.5 and significantly low concentrations in heavy metals with a stable permeability. In case of red mud, effluents showed significantly low concentrations in heavy metals but a decreased permeability with pH's of ~10.5. Conclusively, this basic study suggests burning furnace slag be a potential stabilizer for effective treatment of heavy metal contaminated mine tailings.