• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.68-74
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• 2005

This study was carried out to evaluate the feasibility of field-scale sequential soil washing process for remediation on Kyongsangnamdo D mine soils which was heavily contaminated by arsonic. Arsenic concentration of untreated soils was $321\pm32mg/kg$. By applying the basic operating condition which was proposed from several pilot-scale experiments, arsenic concentration of treated soils was reduced 2.04 mg/kg ($99\%$ removal efficiency). We optimized the basic operating condition (mainly on washing solution concentration, cut-off size, and mixing ratio) to improve efficiently and economically the field-scale sequential soil washing process. The resulting optimized conditions were that solution concentration is 0.2M HCl, 1.0M HCl, 1.0M NaOH, that the cut-off size is 0.15mm (seive $\sharp$100), and that the mixing ratio is 1 3. Also, the optimized pH value for soil washing effluent treatment was 6 (33 ppb), in which the precipitation disruption caused by supersaturation of the floe did not occur. Results of TCLP tests showed that arsenic concentration from the washed gravels was 1.043 mg/L, that from soils ND (not detected), and that from filter cakes 0.066 mg/L. Also, the water content as a percentage of dewatered sludges was low $(48\%)$ and so the dewatered sludges can be disposed by landfilling. Through these results, we can concluded that tile field-scale sequential soil washing process developed in this study is adopted for remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.360-365
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• 2002

The variety and density of entomopathogenic nematodes from the polluted soils of heavy metals were examined. In order to investigate the pollution of heavy metals in soil, 300 sites in kyungsangbuk-do were collected from March to October in 2001. We measured the contents of seven heavy metal elements (Cd, Cu, As, Hg, Pb, Cr^{6+}$, CN) and than cheesed soil of 25 sites with high concentration of heavy metals. The seven strains of nematodes were isolated from seven samples by silkworm host (Bombyx mori mori) and white trap. Isolated nematodes are composed of two families, one order. The members of Rhabditida were isolated in the soil with mean Cd content of 0.870 ppm. And they were isolated in the soil samples with As content less than 0.745 ppm. However they were isolated regardless of concentration of Cu and Pb. The members of Cylindrocorpidae were isolated in the soil samples with Cr^{6+}$ content less than 0.05 ppm. Any entomopathogenic nematode was not detected in the CN polluted soil. Isolated nematodes successfully cultured on the silkworm host and were confirmed the pathogenicity, multiplicity, and tolerance against various condition of preservation. Which proved its potential usefulness as biological agent.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.6 s.181
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• pp.699-710
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• 2006

Batch scale experiments to investigate the efficiency of the solidification process for metal mine tailing treatment were performed. Portland and MSG (micro silica pouting) cements were used as solidifier and three kinds of mine tailings (located at Gishi, Daeryang, and Aujeon mine) were mixed with cements to paste solidified matrices. Single axis com-pressible strengths of solidified matrices were measured and their heavy metal extraction ratios were calculated to investigate the solidification efficiency of solidified matrices created in experiments. Solidified matrices ($5cm{\times}5cm{\times}5cm$) were molded from the paste of tailing and cements at various conditions such as different tailing/cement ratio, cement/water ratio, and different cement or tailing types. Compressible strengths of solidified matrices after 7, 14, and 28 day cementation were measured and their strengths ranged from 1 to $2kgf/mm^2$, which were higher than Korean limit of compressible strength for the inside wall of the isolated landfill facility ($0.21kgf/mm^2$). Heavy metal extractions from intact tailings and powdered matrices by using the weak acidic solution were performed. As concentration of extraction solution for the powdered solidified matrix (Portland cement + Gishi tailing at 1:1 w.t. ratio) decreased down to 9.7 mg/L, which was one fifth of As extraction concentration for intact Gishi tailings. Pb extraction concentration of the solidified matrix also decreased to lower than one fourth of intact tailing extraction concentration. Heavy metal extraction batch experiments by using various pH conditions of solution were also performed to investigate the solidification efficiency reducing heavy metal extraction rate from the solidified matrix. With pH 1 and 13 of solution, Zn and Pb concentration of solution were over the groundwater tolerance limit, but at pH $1{\sim}13$ of solution, heavy metal concentrations dramatically decreased and were lower than the groundwater tolerance limit. While the solidified matrix was immerged Into very acidic or basic solution (pH 1 and 13), pH of solution changed to $9{\sim}10$ because of the buffering effect of the matrix. It was suggested that the continuous extraction of heavy metals from the solidified matrix is limited even in the extremely high or low pH of contact water. Results of experiments suggested that the solidification process by using Portland and MSG cements has a great possibility to treat heavy metal contaminated mine tailing.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.29-46
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• 2004

It is important to identify geometries of fracture that act as a conduit of fluid flow for characterization of ground water flow in fractured rock. Fracture geometries control hydraulic conductivity and stream lines in a rock mass. However, we have difficulties to acquire whole geometric data of fractures in a field scale because of discontinuous distribution of outcrops and impossibility of continuous collecting of subsurface data. Therefore, it is needed to develop a method to describe whole feature of a target fracture geometry. This study suggests a new approach to develop a method to characterize on the whole feature of a target fracture geometry based on the Fourier transform. After sampling of specimens along a target fracture from borehole cores, effective frequencies among roughness components were selected by the Fourier transform on each specimen. Then, the selected effective frequencies were averaged on each frequency. Because the averaged spectrum includes all the frequency profiles of each specimen, it shows the representative components of the fracture roughness of the target fracture. The inverse Fourier transform is conducted to reconstruct an averaged whole roughness feature after low pass filtering. The reconstructed roughness feature also shows the representative roughness of the target subsurface fracture including the geometrical characteristics of each specimen. It also means that overall roughness feature by scaling up of a fracture. In order to identify the characteristics of permeability coefficients along the target fracture, fracture models were constructed based on the reconstructed roughness feature. The computation of permeability coefficient was performed by the homogenization analysis that can calculate accurate permeability coefficients with full consideration of fracture geometry. The results show a range between $10^{-4}{\;}and{\;}10^{-3}{\;}cm/sec$, indicating reasonable values of permeability coefficient along a large fracture. This approach will be effectively applied to the analysis of permeability characteristics along a large fracture as well as identification of the whole feature of a fracture in a field scale.

• 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.