• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.257-262
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• 2008

In the study it was investigated the diffusion characteristics of heavy metal pollutions such as Cu, Pb, Hg and As which was the main pollution sources of soils from abandoned mines. The pollution of Cu and Pb was caused by Mine A, that of Hg was caused by Mine 3, that of Pb was caused by Mine C and that of Cu, Pb, As was caused by Mine D. Though the high concentration was detected within 100m from abandoned mines, the low concentration was detected over than 100m from abandoned mines in all heavy metals investigated except As. It means that it was very difficult to estimate the pollution level of As caused abandoned mines. The results were discussed in the concentrations of Cu, Pb and distances showed a good relationship with 0.71 and 0.68 as the coefficient of correlation, respectively. In particular the relativity of Cu to Pb as very strong with 0.84 as the coefficient of correlation. It was consistent with the chemical behavior in soils in the case of Cu and Pb. Therefore it will be a promising approach to remove Cu and Pb with estimated values in the study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.527-537
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• 2018

Column tests of a sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) bioreactor were conducted to determine the design factors for sulfate-rich mine drainage. Various substrates were applied to the bioreactor, including cow manure and its mixture with a mushroom compost, with rice straw and limestone as subsidiary materials. This procedure provided a removal efficiency of up to 82% of the total sulfur with the mixture of cow manure (70%), mushroom compost (10%) and rice straw (20%), and higher efficiencies were observed after 2 days of retention time. In the downflow condition of the flow direction, oxygen supply and re-oxidation of the sulfates occurred, causing a decrease in sulfate removal efficiency. The addition of an inorganic sludge containing heavy metals, which was intended for production of metal-sulfides in the bioreactor, had a negative effect on the long-term operation owing to arsenic release and toxicity to the SRB. The results thus show that a bioreactor using a mixed substrate with cow manure and operating in the downflow direction could reduce sulfates and total dissolved sulfur content; this process confirms the applicability of the SRB bioreactor to sulfate-rich saline drainage.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.157-165
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• 2023

In Korea, a major contaminant of farmland soils in the vicinity of abandoned mines is arsenic, for which the general soil reclamation method is contaminated soil stabilization and cover the stabilized soil with clean soil at a thickness of 40 cm. In a previous pot experiment study we confirmed the feasibility of a lower thickness (20 cm) of covering soil for such reclamation in abandoned coal mines, where arsenic contamination levels are generally lower than in metal mines. In this subsequent study a field experiment including rice plant cultivation in field test plots was conducted. For over 4 months, the transfer of arsenic from the contaminated soil to the unpolished rice grains was reduced by 44% when a clean soil covering with a thickness of 20 cm was applied. The maximum decrease (56%) was shown when the stabilization process was performed before the covering. These results reveal a lower thickness of clean soil covering has a high feasibility and it can increase cost-efficiency in the reclamation of an abandoned coal mine.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.12-27
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• 2011

DOWA group has been working on metal recycling applying the smelting and refining process of KOSAKA Smelter. DOWA has developed it's metal recycling technologies through the treatment of black ore(complex sulfide ores) that contain many kinds of non-ferrous metals. In addition to these special technologies, DOWA has strengthened its hydrometallurgical process of precious metals and ability to deal with low-grade materials such as used electrical appliances or vehicles. On the other hand, JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation(JX-NMMC) carries out its metal recycling and industrial waste treatment businesses employing advanced separation, extraction and refining technologies developed through its extensive experience in the smelting of non-ferrous metals. JX-NMMC collects approximately 100,000t/y of copper and precious metal scraps from waste sources such as electronic parts, mobile phones, catalytic converters, print circuit boards and gold plated parts. These items are recycled through the smelting and refining operations of Saganoseki smelter and Hitachi Metal-recycling complex(HMC). In this like, metal recycling industries combined with environmental business service in Japan have been developed through excellent technologies for mineral processing and non-ferrous smelting. Also, both group, Dowa and JX-NMMC, were contributed to establish Japan's recycling-oriented society as the typical leading company of non-ferrous smelting. Now. it is an important issue to set up the collection system for e-waste.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 2003

Sampling of waters from each stage of treatment system (Successive Alkalinity Producing System; SAPS), tailings seepage, and spring near the Hanchang coal mine of Kangwon Province were carried out seasonally and analyzed to evaluate the source and possible path of groundwater contamination by acid mine drainage (AM). Sulfur isotope compositions were measured to identify the origin of groundwater contaminations and the sulfate reduction processes in the SAPS. Low pH and high metal concentration of spring water indicates possibility of the groundwater contamination by AMD. Removal efficiency of acidity of the SAPS was 18.17 g/$\textrm{m}^2$/day on an average and the metal removal efficiency was almost 100%, which was higher than those of other treatment systems. However, no appreciable decrease of sulfur content and almost similar sulfur isotope compositions of water from each stage of the treatment system may suggest incomplete or very poor sulfate reduction by sulfate reducing bacteria. Chemical and sulfur isotope compositions showed that spring water was contaminated by seepage from mine tailings. And seepage of stonewall, a part of treatment system was affected by both tailings seepage and mine adit drainage. In this study site, the treatment system was constructed for the only AMD from mine adit not for tailings seepages, which resulted in the groundwater contamination from tailing seepages. Similar situation is expected in other abandoned coal mine areas.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.297-302
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• 2001

To compare the relationship between the vertical distribution of heavy metals in paddy soil and soil pH near four abandoned metal mines, 40 paddy surface soils $(0{\sim}15\;cm)$ and 12 soils with soil depths ($0{\sim}20$, $20{\sim}40$, $40{\sim}60$, $60{\sim}80$ and $80{\sim}100$ cm) were collected. Both total and extractable heavy metal contents in soils were analyzed after acid digestion $(HNO_3:HClO_4:H_2SO_4)$ and 0.1 N-HCl extraction, respectively. The 0.1 N-HCl fraction ratio over total contents of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were 57, 30, 23, and 19% respectively. Vertical distribution of heavy metals varied considerably among the different mines. In Choil mine, there was no difference in concentrations of all the metals with soil layers. However, Cu and Pb contents in Gahak mime were high at $0{\sim}20\;cm$ depth, and Zn was high at $0{\sim}40\;cm$ depth. In Sinyemi mine, Cd and Cu contents were high at $0{\sim}40\;cm$ depth. Cd, Cu, and Pb contents in Okcheon mine were high through all soil profiles up to 100 cm soil depth. The 0.1 N-HCl fraction ratio over total contents of heavy metals with soil layers were very high at $0{\sim}20\;cm$ depth. As soil depth increased, fraction ratio of heavy metals decreased at the high soil pH (Gahak, Sinyemi, and Choil mines). However, the ratios of Cd, Cu, and Pb in Okcheon mine, having a relatively lower soil pH than other sites, were relatively similar through all the soil profiles up to 100 cm soil depth. Therefore, it was estimated that the mobility and availability of heavy metals in soils were affected by soil pH.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.537-549
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• 2007

The characteristics of the mineralization and geology in the northern Mt. Taebaek mining district are found to be similar with those reported from Nevada district where the Carlin-type gold deposit occurs characteristically as repeated metallic ore deposits in space and time. Though two spots of hs and several spots of Sb anomalies were recognized in the Yeongweol area, they have no relationship with any metalliferous mineralization. On the other hand, two spots of As anomaly in the Jeongseon area have shown to be related with metalliferous ore deposits (mainly Ag-Au), and they are closely associated with Sb anomaly. Some elements of altered limestones in the study such as Au, Ag, As, Sb, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Mo area are closely associated together, and are more enriched in the Jeongseon area than in the Yeongweol area. In particular, Sb and As which may reflect the occurrence of the Carlin-type gold deposit are highly enriched. However, the base metals such af Zn and Pb are highly variable according to samples. The patterns of the enrichment factor for Sb and As, as well as those for Ag and Au, are very similar with those reported from the Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada. These similarities in elemental distribution may imply that hydrothermal ore mineralization in the study areas was possibly originated from a fluid with the characteristics of the Carlin-type gold mineralization found in Nevada, China, and Indonesia. However, the pattern of base metals and Mo are different. This may result from different chemistry and/or mineralogy of host rock in the study areas.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.235-248
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• 2010

To construct the standard methods for evaluation of physicochemical characteristics of tailings in Korea, specific gravity, paste pH, grain size, mineral compositions and heavy metal concentrations of total 26 tailings from 21 metallic mines were analyzed. Specific gravity of tailings ranged from 2.61 to 4.31 (avg. 3.04), and sand and silt grain were dominant in the tailings. Ranges of paste pH were 2.1-9.5 in tailings (7.1-9.2 at magmatic, skarn and hydrothermal replacement deposits and 2.1-9.5 at hydrothermal vein deposits). Additionally, hydrothermal vein deposits could be reclassified into three categories: (1) paste pH>7.0, (2) 4.0

• Resources Recycling
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.91-99
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• 2013

Steel industry which has been accomplishes the base of our country economy, automobile and electronic industry are taking charge of the role, whose electroplating is important. Large amount of wastewater and various metal salts, including hazardous materials was generated from the electroplating pre-treatment, plating, washing and post-plating. Currently, the general wastewater follows in the environmental law and neutralization after controlling, sludge where the various metal is mixed reclaims below multiple regulative and trust it is controlling. The sludge which includes the gas price metal reclaims in the field and trust it controls. a reclamation price of land it is insufficient but and the control expense holds plentifully and it loses the gas price metal which is valuable. Consequently, The research regarding to recover a gas price metal actively from this waste water, it is advanced. A new method to recover valuable metals from electroplating wastewater synthesis of metal sulfides using topical methods utilizing iron oxidizing bacteria, reagent of sulfides and solvent extraction using an organic solvent, such as the development of the law to recover these metals and metal sulfides of wastewater using selective recovery have been studied. By using these wastewater treatment method under frequency above 95%, it has been obtained the valuable metal from the wastewater, where the metal ion of Fe, Cu, Zn and Ni complexes was mixed. As we discuss the wastewater, which has been discharged from electroplating process, it is important and will be applied to the resources of metal in the urban mine.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 2001

Contrasts in the style of the gold-silver mineralization in geologic and tectonic settings in Korea, together with radiometric age data, reflect the genetically different nature of hydrothermal activities, coinciding with the emplacement age and depth of Mesozoic magmatic activities. It represents a clear distinction between the plutonic settings of the Jurassic Daebo orogeny and the subvolcanic environments of the Cretaceous Bulgugsa igneous activities. During the Daebo igneous activities (about 200-130 Ma) coincident with orogenic time, gold mineralization took place between 197 and 127 Ma. The Jurassic deposits commonly show several characteristics: prominent association with pegmatites, low Ag/Au ratios in the ore-concentrating parts, massive vein morphology and a distinctively simple mineralogy including Fe-rich sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, Au-rich eIectrum. pyrrhotite and/or pyrite. During the Bulgugsa igneous activities (120-60 Ma), the precious-metal deposits are generally characterized by such features as complex vein morphology, medium to high AgiAu ratios in the ore concentrates, and abundance of ore minerals including base-metal sulfides, Ag sulfides, native silver, Ag sulfosalts and Ag tellurides. Vein morphology, mineralogical, fluid inclusion and stable isotope results indicate the diverse genetic natures of hydrothermal systems. The Jurassic Au-dominant deposits were formed at the relatively high temperature (about 300 to 450$^{\circ}$C) and deep-crustal level (>3.0 kb) from the hydrothermal fluids containing more amounts of magmatic waters (3180; 5-10 %0). It can be explained by the dominant ore-depositing mechanisms as CO2 boiling and sulfidation, suggestive of hypo/mesothermal environments. In contrast, mineralization of the Cretaceous Au-Ag type (108-71 Ma) and Agdominant type (98-71 Ma) occurred at relatively low temperature (about 200 to 350$^{\circ}$C) and shallow-crustal level «1.0 kb) from the ore-fonning fluids containing more amounts of less-evolved meteoric waters (15180; -10-5%0). These characteristics of the Cretaceous precious-metal deposits can be attributed to the complexities in the ore-precipitating mechanisms (mixing, boiling, cooling), suggestive of epilmesothermal environments. Therefore, the differences of the emplacement depth between the Daebo and the Bulgugsa igneous activities directly influence the unique temporal and spatial association of the deposit type.