Assessment of Pollution Level and Contamination Status on Mine Tailings and Soil in the Vicinity of Disused Metal Mines in Kangwon Province

The objectives of this study was to assess pollution level and contamination status on tailings and soil in the vicinity of four disused metal mines in Kangwon province. As the result of total metal concentrations analysis, the pollution degree of tailings and soil decreased in the order of Wondong > Second Yeonhwa > Sinyemi ${\fallingdotseq}$ Sangdong mines. Total metal concentrations of mine tailings in this study were $1.2{\sim}78.2$ and $1.1{\sim}80.6$ times higher than those in the background soil and the tolerable levels suggested by Kloke, respectively. From these results, we found that tailings served as contamination source of nearby soil. According to sequential extraction of metals, large proportion of heavy metals in all mine tailings existed in the form of a residual fraction, and heavy metals in non-residual form was mainly associated with Fe-Mn oxide fraction and sulfidic-organic fraction. Fe-Mn oxide fraction and sulfidic-organic fraction of heavy metals may be released into and contaminated the nearby environment under the oxidation or reduction condition in long-term. In particular, the proportions of the exchangeable and carbonate fraction of Cd in mine tailings from Second Yeonhwa mine were relatively high. This suggests that Cd may be easily released into and contaminated the nearby environment in the near time. Concentrations of heavy metals in mine tailings and the nearby soil exceeded the standard (agricultural area) of Soil Environment Conservation Law. So it was thought that remediation for mine tailings and the nearby soil is needed. The pollution indices of the samples in this study were for higher than 1.0 and the pollution degree was very serious. Priority remediation site for these mines was Wondong. As Results of danger indices, it was showed that exchangeable form in Wondong and Fe-Mn oxide form in the rest mines should be removed preferentially.

강원도 폐금속광산지역의 광미와 주변토양의 중금속 오염현황 및 오염도 평가

본 연구에서는 강원도내 4개의 폐금속광산에서 발생되는 광미와 주변 토양의 중금속 오염현황 및 오염도를 평가하였다. 광미와 주변 토양의 오염정도는 총 중금속농도 기준으로 원동>제2연화>신예미${\fallingdotseq}$상동 순이었으며, 이들 광미는 배경토양 및 Kloke 값보다 각각 $1.2{\sim}78.2$와 $1.1{\sim}80.6$배가 높은 농도로서 주변 토양을 오염시키고 있었다. 광미내 대다수 중금속의 화합물형태는 잔류성이 대부분이었다. 비잔류형태 화합물에서는 상당부분이 환원성과 산화성이어서 장기간에 걸쳐 산화환경조건에 따라 중금속이 유출될 것으로 보이며 특히, 제2연화의 Cd은 교환성과 탄산염 화합물이 쉽게 유출되어 단기간에 주변 환경을 오염시킬 가능성이 클 것으로 판단된다. 우리나라 토양오염기준치의 초과여부 검토결과 많은 시료에서 토양환경보전법의 우려기준 및 대책기준 이상인 것으로 나타나 이에 대한 처리대책이 필요하였다. PI에 의한 오염도평가에서는 4개의 광산지역 모두 1.0 이상보다 훨씬 높아 오염정도가 심각하였으며 복원시 최우선 광산은 원동이었다. 또한, DI에 의한 복원수준정도 평가결과에서 원동광산은 단기간에 유출 가능한 교환성부터, 나머지 광산은 중 장기간에 걸쳐 유출되는 환원성부터 우선적으로 제거해야 할 것으로 나타났다.