• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 2008

A geochemical technique based on rare earth element geochemistry was used to clarity the source of the Asian dust (Yellow sand) in the Daejeon area. The Asian dusts were collected 4 times during 31th March- 2nd April and 25th May-27th May 2007. The Yellow sand shows PAAS (Post Archean Australian Shale)-normalized REE pattern of the flattened LREE and slightly depleted LREE without Eu anomaly, whereas the Daejeon soil has slightly enriched LREE and depleted HREE with negative Eu anomaly. Our results show that REE patterns of the Asian dust are LREE-flattened similar to those of the sediment from the south-eastern part of Ordos desert. This suggests that Asian dust in the Daejeon area might be derived from the south-eastern part of Ordos desert.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2012

In this study, we investigated the chemical characteristics of soils collected from the several deserts and loess in China known as the typical source areas of Asian dust (the Taklamakan desert, the Alashan desert, the Ordos desert and the Loess Plateau). Based on our analysis, we examined the possibility of adverse effects on environments and human health. In each desert and loess, major elemental compositions of soils did not show large variations, implying that the long-periodic mixing of soils in each area made their chemical compositions homogeneous. Minor elements of soils in each desert and loess showed more complicated patterns with strong correlations each other (e.g., Cr, Cu, As, Co, Ni, V, Y, Sc, Sn, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cs, Li, Th, U). These results thus enable us to discriminate the soil of the Loess Plateau from those of the other deserts in China. The results of sequential extraction experiments for soils showed that the chemical speciation of Fe was dominant in residual fraction (>85%) in all deserts and loess, but the fractions of Mn and Ca chemical speciations were very different in each area. In the case of Mn, the fraction of amorphous Fe-Mn hydroxides (55.4%) in the Central Loess Plateau and the carbonate fraction (33.8%) in Taklamakan desert were higher as much as 2 to 5 times than other deserts. The chemical speciations of Ca are dominant in carbonate fraction in Taklamakan (75.9%) and Alashan (50.5%) deserts, but carbonate fractions of Ca in the Loess Plateau and Ordos deserts were low (6.6% and 2.1%, respectively). According to the mobility of trace elements inferred from the results of sequential extraction procedure, we could classify them into five groups, and the mobility of Cd, Pb and Cu are more than 87%, 33% and 30%, respectively. Therefore, Cd, Pb and Cu in soils of deserts and loess could be easily dissolved when interacted with surface water. As such, they could give adverse effects on surficial environments and human health.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.474-479
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• 2008

Radioactivity of naturally occurring radioactive nuclides (NORN) such as $^{226}Ra$, $^{228}Ac$ and $^{40}K$ were investigated for surface sediments collected from Ordos, Alashan, Taklimakan deserts and Loess plateau regions in China. By a Gamma-ray spectrometry, specific activity (SA) and SA ratio (SAR) of the NORN were determined for each source region of Asian dust. Characterization of the source regions of Asian dust was performed with the SA and SAR values. SA of $^{226}Ra$ in the three desert regions have almost same values in the range of mean value 17.9~21.9 Bq/kg, however, the SA in Loess Plateau has much higher values in the mean value of 35 Bq/Kg. SA of $^{228}Ac$ in the Ordos and Alashan desert regions have almost same values in the range of mean value 27.1~27.2 Bq/kg, and those in Taklimakan desert and Loess Plateau were 31.7 and 49.0 Bq/kg, respectively. In case of 40K, the SA in all regions have similar values in the range of 636~943 Bq/kg. The mean SAR value of $^{226}Ra/^{228}Ac$ in four source regions was almost same in the range of 0.708-0.721. It is shown that relationship between $^{226}Ra$ and $^{228}Ac$ is clearly presented in the source regions. The mean SAR values of $^{226}Ra/^{40}K$, $^{228}Ac/^{40}K$ are 0.0209-0.056, 0.0287-0.0773, respectively.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.315-326
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• 2008

Recently, the occurrence and intensity of Asian Dust have dramatically increased in Korean peninsula, resulting in severe damages to the domestic social and economic field. The most useful way to prevent the damage of Asian Dust is the restraint of the occurrence of Asian Dust itself. However, Asian dust is the one of the natural phenomena, thus there is a basic limit to manage the Asian Dust. Though it is impossible to restrain the occurrence of Asian Dust in short time at present, it is a urgent matter to minimize the damage of Asian Dust. It is necessary to construct the basic data for understanding the harmfulness of Asian Dust, and to elucidate the source area of Asian Dust in connection with the maleficence of itself. In this study, the source area of Asian Dust in spring, 2007, is investigated using the Sr-Nd isotopic ratios which is the most common method to trace the source of geological materials. The relationships of Sr-Nd isotope ratios indicate that Asian Dust was originated from Central Loess Plateau and/or Ordos desert in spring, 2007.