• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2002

The present study is focused on the granite weathering and soil formation, and the heavy metal contamination in soils in the Onsan industrial area. For profile study, soil sampling was conducted on each depth and experimental analyses have been conducted on those samples. X-ray diffraction analyses show that clay minerals consist mainly of kaolin minerals, vermiculite, and minor illite. Most of kaolin minerals in the lower kiwi of the profile consist of halloysite as confirmed by formamide intercalation, but the content of halloysite decreases gradually toward the surface since it has been transformed to kaolinite in the upper part of the profile. Thermal treatment by heating at $110^{\circ}C,\;300^{\circ}C,\;and\;550^{\circ}C$ shows a diffuse and broad peak the between 10 and $14\;{\AA}$ region in X-ray diffractograms. This suggests the possible existence of the hydroxy-Al interlayerecl vermiculite. Na-citrate extraction method reaconfirms this result showing transition of $14\;{\AA}$ peak to $10\;{\AA}$ In by removing the interlayer materials and restoring the vermiculite to its original state. The occurrence of hydroxy-Al interlayered vermiculite is also supported by soil pH distribution room 3.9 In the lower part to 3.6 in the upper part of the profile. Sequential extraction experiment was conducted to investigate the states of heavy metals in soils. The experiment shows that relatively high amounts of heavy metals are concentrated in the upper part of the profile and that most of them are bound to Fe/Mn oxides and organic matters while less concentration in clay minerals. The result indicates that most of heavy metal pollutants are concentrated in the surface soil and that the low concentrations of heavy metals in clays are mainly due to the low adsorption capacities of clay minerals such as kaolin minerals and hydroxy-Al interlayered vermiculite in acidified soil condition.