• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.504-515
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• 2012

Groundwater is widely used as drinking water supplies around the world. However, microbial contamination of groundwater is a serious environmental problem that degrades drinking water quality and poses a great threat to human health. Among the pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, viruses are not readily removed during transport through soils, having high mobility in groundwater environment due to their smaller size compared to bacteria and protozoa. Studies regarding the fate and transport of viruses in soils and aquifers are necessary to determine the vulnerability of groundwater to microbial contamination and to secure safe drinking water sources. Also, these studies provide important information to establish the regulations and policies related to public health. This review paper presented the field and laboratory studies conducted for the fate and transport of viruses in subsurface environments. Also, the paper provided the factors affecting the fate and transport of viruses, the characteristics of bacteriophages used for virus studies, and virus transport model/colloid filtration theory. Based on this review work, future researches should be performed actively to set up the viral protection zone for the protection of groundwater from viral contamination sources. Especially, the researches should be focused on the development of mathematical models to calculate the setback distance and travel time for the viral protection zone along with the accumulation of information related to the model parameters.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.85-96
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• 1981

A preliminary study of the isotope hydrology of the Han River Valley is presented. This investigation is part of a project whose overall aim is to relate the levels of heavy metal ions to the dynamics of the groundwater movement in order to establish (i) whether there is any evidence for the deterioration in groundwater quality associated with the release of industrial effluents and (ii) if so, to determine the migration path-ways. Evidence is adduced that the recharge mechanism is principally determined by the degree of urbanisation. In the metropolitan area of Seoul, river recharge dominates probably due to the combined effects of reduced infiltration and increased pumpage. In the inter-urban region, the major source of recharge is local precipitation. During the spring sampling period when the river levels were low. evidence was obtained for appreciable groundwater infiltration in the vicinity of the upstream transect. No significant correlations were observed between the levels of heavy metals in the groundwater, and the recharge mechanism, the distance from the river or the electrical conductivity of the samples.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.359-369
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• 2008

For the design and effective management of underground storage caverns, preliminary investigation on the hydrogeologic parameters around caverns and analysis on the groundwater flow must be carried out. The data collection is very imporatnat task for the hydrogeologic design so various hydraulic tests have been performed. When analyzing the injection/fall off test data, existing graphical method to estimate the parameters in Theis' equation is widely used. However this method has some sources of error when estimating parameters by means of human faults. Therefore the method of estimating parameters by means of statistical methods such as regression type is evaluated as a useful tool. In this study, nonlinear regression analysis for the Theis' equation is suggested and applied to the estimation of parameters for the real field interference data around underground storage caverns. Damping parameter which reduce the iteration numbers and inhance the convergence is also introduced.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.20-30
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• 2006

Hydrogeochemistry of deep geothermal water (temperature: $42.2-47.9^{\circ}C$) at Heunghae, Pohang was evaluated using core logging, temperature and electrical conductivity (EC) logging before and after pumping tests, chemical analysis of geothermal water with depth, and observation of water quality variations during pumping tests. The geology of the area is composed of highly fractured marine sedimentary rocks. The hydrogeochemistry of geothermal water varies with drilling depth, distance from the coast, and pumping duration. According to the temperature and EC variations during 4 times of pumping tests, main aquifer of the area is considered as the fractured zones (540 to 900 m) developed in rhyolitic rocks. The high content of Na and $HCO_3$ in geothermal water can be explained by the inflow of deep groundwater from inland regulated by dissolution of silicates and carbonates. High TDS, Na and Cl concentrations indicate that the geothermal water was also strongly affected by seawater. The molar ratios of Na:Cl ($0.88{\sim}2.14$) and Br:Cl ($21.0{\sim}24.9{\times}10^{-4}$) deviate from those of seawater (0.84 and $34.7{\times}10^{-4}$, respectively), suggesting that water-rock interaction also plays an important role in the formation of water quality.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.40-53
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• 2008

Groundwater pollution prediction methods have been developed to plan the sustainable groundwater usage and protection from potential pollution in many countries. DRASTIC established by US EPA is the most widely used groundwater vulnerability mapping method. However, the DRASTIC showed limitation in predicting the groundwater contamination because the DRASTIC method is designed to embrace only hydrogeologic factors. Therefore, in this study, three different methods were applied to improve a groundwater pollution prediction method: US EPA DRASTIC, Modified-DRASTIC suggested by Panagopoulos et al. (2006), and LSDG (Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, Geology) proposed by Rupert (1999). The Modified-DRASTIC is the modified version of the DRASTIC in terms of the rating scales and the weighting coefficients. The rating scales of each factor were calculated by the statistical comparison of nitrate concentrations in each class using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test; while the weighting coefficients were modified by the statistical correlation of each parameter to nitrate concentrations using the Spearman's rho test. The LSDG is a simple rating method using four factors such as Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, and Geology. Classes in each factor are compared by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test which gives a different rating to each class if the nitrate concentration in the class is significantly different. A database of nitrate concentrations in groundwaters from 149 wells was built in Keumsan area. Application of three different methods for assessing the groundwater pollution potential resulted that the prediction which was represented by a correlation (r) between each index and nitrate was improved from the EPA DRASTIC (r = 0.058) to the modified rating (r = 0.245), to the modified rating and weights (r = 0.400), and to the LSDG (r = 0.415), respectively. The LSDG seemed appropriate to predict the groundwater pollution in that it contained land use as a factor of the groundwater pollution sources and the rating of each class was defined by a real pollution nitrate concentration.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.445-466
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• 2017

Yeongdong area is located in the contact zone between central southeastern Ogcheon belt and Yeongnam massif, in which Cretaceous Yeongdong basin exists. Therefore, the study area has complex geological environment of various geological age and rock types such as Precambrian metamorphic rocks, age-unknown Ogcheon Supergroup, Paleozoic/Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic igneous rocks and Quaternary alluvial deposits. This study focuses on the link between the various geology and water type, and discussed the source of some major ions and their related water-rock interaction. For this study, the field parameters and ion concentrations for twenty alluvial/weathered and eighty bedrock aquifer wells were used. Statistical analysis indicates that there was no significant differences in groundwater quality between wet and dry seasons. Although various types were observed due to complex geology, 80 to 84 % of samples showed $Ca-HCO_3$ water type. Some wells placed in alluvial/weathered aquifers of Precambrian metamorphic and Jurassic granitic terrains showed somewhat elevated $NO_3$ and Cl concentrations. $Mg-HCO_3$ typed waters prevailed in Cretaceous Yeongdong sedimentary rocks. The deeper wells placed in bedrock aquifers showed complicated water types varying from $Ca-HCO_3$ through $Ca-Cl/SO_4/NO_3$ to $Na-HCO_3$ and Na-Cl type. Groundwater samples with $Na-HCO_3$ or Na-Cl types are generally high in F concentrations, indicating more influences of water-rock interaction within mineralized/hydrothermal alteration zone by Cretaceous porphyry or granites. This study revealed that many deep-seated aquifer had been contaminated by $NO_3$, especially prominent in Jurassic granites area. Based on molar ratios of $HCO_3/Ca$, $HCO_3/Na$, Na/Si, it can be inferred that Ca and $HCO_3$ components of most groundwater in alluvial/weathered aquifer wells were definitely related with dissolution of calcite. On the other hand, Ca and $HCO_3$ in bedrock aquifer seem to be due to dissolution of feldspar besides calcite. However, these molar ratios require other mechanism except simple weathering process causing feldspar to be broken into kaolinite. The origin of $HCO_3$ of some groundwater occurring in Cretaceous Yeongdong sedimentary rock area seems to be from dissolution of dolomite($MgCO_3$) or strontianite($SrCO_3$) as well.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.95-111
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• 2012

This study investigated the relationship between the geochemical environment and the occurrence of natural radioactive materials (uranium and Rn-222) in borehole groundwater at an Icheon site. The drill core recovered from the study site consists mainly of biotite granite with basic dykes. The groundwater samples were collected at four different depths in the borehole using the double-packed system. The pH range of the groundwater was 6.5~8.6, and the chemical type was Ca-$HCO_3$. The ranges of uranium and Rn-222 concentrations in the groundwater were 8.81~1,101 ppb and 5,990~11,970 pCi/L, respectively, and concentrations varied greatly with depth and collection time. The ranges of uranium and thorium contents in drill core were 0.53~18.3 ppm and 6.66~17.5 ppm, respectively. Microscope observations and electron microprobe analyses revealed the presence of U and Th as substituted elements for major composition of monazite, ilmenite, and apatite within K-feldspar and biotite. Although the concentration of uranium and thorium in the drill core was not high, the groundwater contained a high level of natural radioactive materials. This finding indicates that physical factors, such as the degree of fracturing of an aquifer and the groundwater flow rate, have a greater influence on the dissolution of radioactive materials than does the geochemical condition of the groundwater and rock. The origin of Rn-222 can be determined indirectly, using an interrelationship diagram of noble gas isotopes ($^3He/^4He$ and $^4He/^{20}Ne$).

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.33-44
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• 2005

On the basis of a stepwise and careful integration of various field and laboratory methods the analysis of groundwater flow characterization was performed with five boreholes (BH-1, -2, -3, -4, -5) on a pilot site of Natural Forest Park in Guemsan-gun, Chungcheongbook-do, Korea. The regional lineaments of NW-SE are primarily developed on the area, which results in the development of many fractures of NW-SE direction around boreholes made in the test site for the study. A series of surface geological survey, core logging, geophysical logging, tomography, tracer tests, and heat-pulse flowmeter logging were carried out to determine fracture characteristics and fracture connectivity between the boreholes. In the result of fracture connectivity analysis BH-1 the injection well has a poor connectivity with BH-2 and BH-3, whereas a good with BH-4 and BH-5. In order to analyse the hydraulic connectivity between BH-1 and BH-5, in particular, a conspicuous groundwater outflux in the depth of 12 m and influx in the depth of 65 m and 70 m, but partly in/outflux occurred in other depths in BH-5 were observed as pumping from BH-1. On the other hand, when pumping from BH-5 the strong outflux in the depths of 17 m and 70 m was occurred. The spatial connectivity between the boreholes was examined in the depth of 15 m, 67 m, and 71 m in BH-1 as well as in the depth of 15 m, 17 m, 22 m, 72 m, and 83 m in BH-5.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-53
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• 1997

Geochemical data of soil and water samples were presented in order to assess the environmental impart for drinking water sites. Microscopic observation of rock samples and physical and chemical analysis of soil and water samples were undertaken. The geology of study areas are classified into three groups such as granitic rocks, meta-sedimentary rocks and sedimentary rocks. Enrichment of heavy metals derived from those rocks is not found in this study areas. Soils were analyzed for Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Cr using AAS extracted by HNO$_3$+HClO$_4$ and 0.1 N HCl. Heavy metal concentrations in soils are within the range of those in uncontaminated soils. In comparison of metal contents extracted by 0.1 N HCl and HNO$_3$+HC1O$_4$, less than 10% of the heavy metals are present in the exchangeable fraction. In particular, an pollution index has been proposed to assess the degree of soil contamination. Pollution index in soils are between 0.03 and 0.47 therefore, soils are not polluted with heavy metals. Deep groundwaters within granitic rocks have been evolved into Na$\^$＋/-HCO$_3$$\^$-/ type, whereas other deep groundwaters evolved into Ca$\^$2＋/-HCO$_3$$\^$-/ type. The predominance of Na$\^$＋/ over Ca$\^$2＋/ in deep groundwaters within granitic rocks is a result of dissolution of plagioclase, but for sedimentary and meta-sedimentary rocks, dissolution of calcite is a dominant factor for their hydrogeochemistry. The pH, conductivity and contents of the most dissolved ions in the water increase with depth. Shallow groundwaters, however, are highly susceptible to pollution owing to agricultural activities, considering the fact that high contents of nitrate, chloride and potassium, and high K/Na ratio are observed in some shallow groundwaters. In a thermodynamic approach, most natural water samples are plotted within the stability fields of kaolinite and smectite. Therefore, microcline and other feldspars will alter to form clay minerals, such as kaolinite and smectite. From the modelling for water-rock interactions based on mass balance equation, models accord well with behavior of the ions and results of thermodynamic studies are derived.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.67-81
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• 2012

The physical, chemical, and biological properties of clogging materials formed within groundwater wells in the Mt. Geumjeong area, Busan, Korea, were characterized. The particle size distribution (PSD) of clogging materials was measured by a laser analyzer. XRD, SEM, and TEM analyses were performed to obtain mineralogical information on the clogging materials, with an emphasis on identifying and characterizing the mineral species. In most cases, PSD data exhibited an near log-normal distribution; however, variations in frequency distribution were found in some intervals (bi-or trimodal distributions), raising the possibility that particles originated from several sources or were formed at different times. XRD data revealed that the clogging materials were mainly amorphous ironhydroxides such as goethite, ferrihydrite, and lapidocrocite, with lesser amounts of Fe, Mn, and Zn metals and silicates such as quartz, feldspar, micas, and smectite. Reddish brown material was amorphous hydrous ferriciron (HFO), and dark red and dark black materials were Fe, Mn-hydroxides. Greyish white and pale brown materials consisted of silicates. SEM observations indicated that the clogging materials were mainly HFO associated with iron bacteria such as Gallionella and Leptothrix, with small amounts of rock fragments. In TEM analysis, disseminated iron particles were commonly observed in the cell and sheath of iron bacteria, indicating that iron was precipitated in close association with the metabolism of bacterial activity. Rock-forming minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and micas were primarily derived from soils or granite aquifers, which are widely distributed in the study area. The results indicate the importance of elucidating the formation mechanisms of clogging materials to ensure sustainable well capacity.