• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.588-595
• /
• 2018

This study has focused on evaluation of heavy metal contamination in seepage from 23 mine waste dumping sites in Korea. Seepage samples from the sites were taken and analyzed for heavy metals. The maximum levels (mg/L) in the samples were Al 53.98, As 16.19, Cd 1.15 Cu 37.30, Fe 28.64, Mn 39.00, Ni 0.097, Pb 0.750, and Zn 80.18. Among the sites, six mines were selected as continuous monitoring sites. As results of three months' monitoring of the sites, over the water guidelines for As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and Al in seepage samples were found at two abandoned Au-Ag mines, Cd, Mn, Zn and Al at two Pb-Zn mines, and As, Fe and Mn at two other Fe-W mines. Therefore, those six mines need continuous monitoring on contamination assessment of seepage due to mining activities.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.771-779
• /
• 2020

This study was performed to develop a priority list for post-managements of leachates from 64 mine waste dump sites in Korea. For this, leachate quality, leachate quantity, and other factors were considered as evaluation criteria and the weights of 10 subfactors were calculated using Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) based on a survey from 20 experts in the field of mining environment. Calculated weights were 0.769, 0.147 and 0.084 for leachate quality, leachate quantity, and others, respectively, indicating that experts consider leachate quality as most important. Based on this approach, we classified the 64 mine waste dump sites into five grades from Grade I to Grade V. Ten were classified as Grade I, 1 as Grade II, 1 as Grade III, 33 as Grade IV, and 19 as Grade V.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.19-32
• /
• 2023

This study was conducted to remove fluorine (F) (initial concentration of 9.5 mg/L) from leachate of reclaimed mine waste dump site via different methods: (1) co-precipitation using Ca-based materials; (2) adsorption using activated carbon and fly ash; and (3) coagulation and sedimentation using alum. The F removal efficiencies of each case were estimated as 65.6% (Ca co-precipitation), 27.9% (adsorption of activated carbon), 71.5% (adsorption of fly ash), and 96.6% (alum coagulation and sedimentation). In addition, the applicability of the continuous treatment process using alum coagulation was evaluated by lab-scale experiments using simulated mine drainage containing F of lower (6.4 mg/L) and higher (15.7 mg/L) concentrations, and it was confirmed that the treatment of both cases met the domestic standard (below 3 mg/L) for discharged water in clean areas. Furthermore, the results of bench-scale field tests indicated that the water quality standard of discharged water could be satisfied with the proper operation and management of the process.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.207-216
• /
• 2009

In this study, water quality variation in borehole groundwaters and surface leachate waters were investigated on a seasonal sampling and remote monitoring basis within the waste impoundments at the Geopung mine site where previous rehabilitation measures were unsuccessful to prevent acidic drainage. All groundwaters were typical acidic drainage with acidic pH (3.3${\sim}$4.6) and high TDS (338${\sim}$3330 mg/L) values during the dry season, but increases in metal contents (TDS 414${\sim}$4890 mg/L) and decrease of pH (2.7${\sim}$3.6) were observed during the rainy season. Surface leachate waters showed a similar pattern in water quality variation. Surface runoff waters during rain events had acidic pH (3.0${\sim}$3.4) through direct reactions with waste rocks. Good correlations were found between major and trace elements measured in water samples, but no significant seasonal variation in chemical compositions was shown except relative changes in contents. It can be suggested that dissolution of soluble secondary salts caused by flushing of weathered waste rocks and tailings directly influenced the water quality within the waste impoundments. Increases in acid and metal concentrations and their loadings from mine wastes are anticipated in the rainy season. More appropriate cover systems on waste rocks and tailings necessitate consideration of more extreme conditions in the study mine.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2001.09a
• /
• pp.75-89
• /
• 2001

There are 334 coal mines and about 900 metal mines abandoned. The environmental problems such as acid mine drainage from adits etc. and the subsidence has occurred in the abandoned mines. In addition, soil has been contaminated by tailings. According to analysis of mine drainages, some of them from adits in the abandoned coal and metallic mines were acidic and polluted by heavy metals. Especially, water quality of coal mine drainages were different by areas. Treatment of mine drainage by conventional chemical treatment has the drawback because the operating cost is very expensive. The treatment system used in mine drainage is the natural treatment system such as anoxic limestone drain in adits and the constructed wetland. The method of reclamation for abandoned waste rocks and tailings impoundments are mainly landfilling.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.23-31
• /
• 2016

It was found that there was no problem in recycling by-products (waste rock and tailings) from Yangyang iron mine themselves through matter conversion because they are not hazardous according to results of KSLT method. In case of using tailings as sub-materials of cement, it recommended the use of less than 3% tailings dosage not to exceed 0.6% of total alkali ($R_2O$) content based on standard quality of portland cement (KS L 5201). Non sintered eco-brick corresponding to class 1 quality of recycled clay brick (KS I 3013) can replace 15% of cement with tailings and 100% of general fine aggregate with waste rock from iron mine. As mentioned above, recycling the by-products (waste rock and tailings) as sub-materials of cement and non sintered eco-brick could gain both environmental and economic benefits, that is, reduction of scale and maintenance cost of tailing ponds, decrease of energy use and $CO_2$ emission.