• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.183-193
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• 2006

Several metalliferous and coal mines, including Seojin and Okdong located at the Kangwon province, were abandoned or closed since 1989 due to the mining industry promotion policy and thus disposed an enormous amount of mining wastes without a proper treatment facilities, resulting in water and soil pollution in the downstream areas. However, no quantitative assessment was made on soil and water pollution by the transport of mining wastes such as acid mine drainage, mine tailing, and rocky waste. In this research, total and fractional concentrations of heavy metals in mining wastes were analyzed and accordingly the degree of water and soil pollutions in the stream area were quantitatively assessed employing the several pollution indices. Concentrations of Ni, Cd, and Pb in soils near the abandoned coal mine areas were 1,240.0, 25.0 and 1,093.0 mg/kg, respectively, and these concentrations were higher than those in soils near the closed metalliferous mine areas. Also Cu concentrations in soils near the tailing dams were about 1967 mg/kg, which is considered as very polluted level. Results demonstrated that soil at the abandoned mine areas were highly contaminated by AMO, tailing, and effluents of the mining wastes. Therefore, a prompt countermeasure on the mining waste treatment and remediation of the codntaminated water and soil should be made to the abandoned or closed metalliferous and coal mines located at the abandoned mine area.

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

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.143-156
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• 2007

This study has researched the management status and the pollution level of water, soil, stream sediments of 11 abandoned coal mines out of a total of 12 within Obong-Dam area except Bukyung mine, which was submerged when constructing Obong-Dam, and selected areas which are in needs to have pollution control facilities in the first place. From the results of examination on the runoff at the waste rock pile and mineheads, the runoff from Sueun mine (pH, Fe, Al), Samwon mine (pH, Al), Wangdo mine (pH, Al), Mose mine (pH, Fe, Al) and Daeryeong mine (pH) exceeded the permissible discharge standards of the water quality, but the water at merging point with Obong-Dam after joined with Doma branch satisfied both Water Quality Standards and Drinking Water Quality Standards. In regard to groundwater contamination, it is found that areas where exceeded the Drinking Water Quality Standards are Wangdo mine (pH), Jangjae mine (pH, Zn), Daeryeong mine (pH) whereas all areas satisfied Soil Contamination Warning Standards of Soil Environmental Conservation Law. When comparing a research result on underwater sediments of branches of abandoned mines to the EPA Guidelines for classification of great lakes harbor sediments, Dongguk Gaerim (Fe), Jungwon mine (Fe), Daebo mine (Mn), Samwon mine (Mn) and Daeryeong mine (Mn) showed mid-level of contamination, whereas Sueun (Fe, Mn), Daebo mine (Fe), Woosung mine (Fe, Mn), Wangdo mine (Fe, Mn), Mose mine (Fe) and Daeryeong mine (Fe) showed high-level of contamination. In addition, contamination levels of underwater sediments in Wangsan and Doma branch where abandoned mine's branches merge together, Wangsan branch showed no contamination at all whereas Doma branch shows mid-level of contamination which reflect the Doma branch is affected by waste rock pile and minehead runoff of the abandoned mines in the Doma branch area. It is concluded that Mose mine and Sueun mine required treatment of acid mine drainage. and Wangdo, Jungwon, and Samwon mines were in need of mine tailing and erosion control work. The Samwon mine additionally required a control system for closed minehead runoff. Although the Samwon mine reached a high concentration of Al, Mn $Ca^{2+}$, $SO{_4}^{2-}$ in the runoff, the levels decreased after it was combined with a tributary. It has been concluded that after further monitoring of the cause of pollution, a preventive measure system may be needed to be built.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.744-750
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• 2015

The objectives of this study were to investigate soil chemical characteristics for forest rehabilitation and suggest management in abandoned coal mine areas in Boryeong City, Chungcheongnam-do. Total study sites were seven sites, and soil properties analyzed were soil pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total-N, C/N ratio, and available $P_2O_5$ (A.v. P). Average soil pH (range) was 5.9 (4.5~7.0). Three study sites (Samgwang, Shinsung1, and Shimwon1) showed lower soil pH than standard (pH 5.6~7.3) of Korea Industrial Standards (KS) for abandoned coal mine forest rehabilitation. Average contents of TOC, and total-N were 1.5% (0.1~4.7%), and 0.10% (0.03~0.23%), respectively. Five study sites where the collapsed time was less than 10 years (Wangjashingang, Wonpoong, Samgwang, Shinsung1, and Shinsung2) showed lower TOC level than standard of KS (more than 1.2%). Wangjashingang, Wonpoong, Samgwang, and Shinsung1 showed lower level of total-N than standard of KS (more than 0.09%). C/N ratio of six study sites except Shimwon1 was out of proper range (15:1~30:1). Average A.v. P (range) was $20.7mgkg^{-1}$ (4.8~63.1), less than other abandoned coal mine fores rehabilitation areas in Mungyong City, and Hwasun-gun. TOC, total N and A.v. P increased with elapsed time from forest rehabilitation, while other soil properties did not show distinct pattern. Betula platyphylla was planted in Samkwang and Sinsung where soil pH was less than KS standard. Because the growth of Betula platyphylla can be limited in acid soil, it is necessary to neutralize soil pH to proper level with some soil amendment such as lime or shell of oyster. Furthermore, TOC, total-N and A.v. P in early stage of forest rehabilitation showed lower level than proper to vegetation growth. Therefore it needs continuous monitoring of soil characteristics and fertilization for vegetation growth and influx from surrounding forest in early stage of rehabilitation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.499-508
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• 1998

The Imgok Creek is located in the Gangreung coal field, which has been known that sulfides are more abundant than other coal fields in Korea, and it has been severly contaminated by acid mine drainage (AMD) discharging from the abandoned coal mines, such as the Youngdong, the Dongduk and the Waryong coal mines. The purposes of this study are to synthetically assess the contamination of natural water, stream sediment and cultivated soils, and to provide the basic data for AMD treatment. Geochemical samples were collected in December, 1996 (dry season) and April, 1997 (after three day's rainfall). TDS of the Youngdong mine water was remarkably higher than those of other mine waters. In the Imgok Creek, concentrations of most elements, except Fe decreased with distance by dilution caused by the inflow of uncontaminated tributaries. From the results of NAMDI and $I_{geo}$ calculation, the Youngdong coal mine was the main contamination source of the study area. Groundwater pollution was not yet confirmed in this study and the paddy and farm land soils were also not yet contaminated by mining activity based on the pollution index ranging from 0.27 to 0.47.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1996.06c
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• pp.1136-1145
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• 1996

This study was to develop the most effective cooling system which is needed to cool greenhouse during summer night to get early blooming of strawberries. Various cooling systems were designed and constructed to utilize the cool air and water from tan abandoned coal mine. Cooling systems built for this study were an evaporative cooling system with pad, cooling system using a small or large radiator , and duct cooling system using cool are drawn from coal mine. These systems were individual tested to investigate their effects on cooling greenhouse during summer night. Also, a combined cooling system was tested with operating an evaporative cooling system, small radiator, and duct cooling system simultaneously. The results in this study showed that individual cooling systems such as evaporative cooling system, small radiator, and cooling duct had about the same effect on cooling greenhouse. The combined system had little better cooling effect than that of individual cooling syst m except the large radiator . The most effective system for cooling of greenhouse was obtained with using a large a large radiator as the heat exchanger. With operating a large radiator, temperature inside the greenhouse was dropped to about 15-16$^{\circ}C$ while outside temperature was 23-24$^{\circ}C$ during summer night.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.37-47
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• 2004

In Korea, over three hundreds of the coal mines were closed or abandoned due to the depression of the mining industry since the late 1980s. Many of them locate in the steep mountain valleys and the coal mine wastes had been disposed without a proper treatment From these mines, enormous amounts of coal mine overburdens have been abandoned in the slopes and the ample amounts of acid mine drainage (AMD) from either portal or overburdens have been discharging directly to the streams, causing the detrimental effects on soil and water qualities. Objectives of this research were to reclaim the coal mine overburdens using the lime waste cake from the soda ash production by stabilizing the overburden slopes, introducing the vegetation alleviate the environmental problems caused by the closed coal mines. The percentages of the grass distribution ratio (%) and the surface coverage ($\textrm{cm}^2$) in each treatment plot were determined during June to August after seed spraying grasses such as orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L), Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and Eulalia (Miscanthus sinensis Anderss) at the end of May. The grasses covered only 15.5 % of the coal overburden plot at the early stage but the coverage was increased with time to 33% in August. Growth of such grasses was enhanced with the combined treatments of lime waste and topsoil resulting in the increased surface coverage by the grasses. The Increment of the surface coverage from June to August was higher with lime waste treatments. The distribution percentages and surface coverage were highest when the lime wastes were treated at 25 % of the lime requirement. This might be related with the high salt contents in the hire wastes. Results demonstrated that the amounts of lime wastes at 25% of the lime requirement were sufficient for neutralizing the acidic coal overburden and introducing the re-vegetation. Either layering between the coal waste and topsoil or mixing with coal overburdens could be adopted as the lime waste treatment method. The combined treatment of lime wastes and topsoil was recommended for re-vegetation in the coal overburden slopes. The lime wastes from the soda ash production might have a potential to be recycled for the reclamation of the abandoned coal mines to alleviate the environmental problems associated with coal mine waste.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.579-598
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• 2019

We investigated geochemical contaminants and Fe, Al behavior in precipitates of acid mine drainage (AMD) from the Donghae abandoned coal mine, Taebaek, Gangwon Province using aqueous chemical analyses, XRD, IR, and ²⁷Al NMR, Our results showed that water chemistry changed with pH and Eh, and saturation indices of chemical species in the AMD. According to saturation calculated by visual MINTEQ, the AMD was saturated with various Fe-, Al-oxyhydroxide minerals. Reddish brown precipitates are composed of schwertmannite, ferrihydrite, and goethite, whereas whitish precipitates are composed mostly of alumimous minerals such as poorly crystallized basaluminite with trace Al₁₃-Tridecamer. It is important to apply active treatment methods rather than simple storage pond and to control the precipitation and solubility of iron species and aluminous species for ensuring remediation and control for the AMD discharged from the Donghae abandoned coal mine.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.71-85
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• 2011

In Okdong coal mine abandoned area, every year large amount of mine wastes have been swept away due to heavy rains in summer. Because pH of coal-mine waste is in the early 4, plant naturally does not grow there due to unfavorable condition for growing plant. This study had an experiment to grow plant for 6 months using Mycorrhizae which can be adapted well in acid soil. As a result of Experiment, In the infected experiment pot, 90% of the plants survived but in case of uninfected experiment pot, only 25% were alive. From Growth Experiment, it appeared that average stem length increase (cm/month), average fresh weight increase ($g^{fw}/month$), average dry weight increase ($g^{dw}/month$) were increased by 60%, 21%, 31% respectively. Especially, Mycorrhizae plays an important role in providing nutrients and water when seeding are established. Mycorrhizae prevents death caused by lack of nutrients and water and helps growth and development of plant when seeding are established in the early stage. This study proved that Mycorrhizae is comparatively effective in plant growth and prevention of erosion in coal-mine abandoned area.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.163-183
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• 2019

We investigated acid mine drainage (AMD) of Bongyang abandoned coal mine, Danyang, Chungbuk Province with emphasis on geochemical contaminants in AMD and precipitates using chemical analyses, XRD, SEM, IR, and $^{27}Al$ NMR. Water chemistry changes with pH and oversaturation of chemical species. According to calculation of saturation index, the AMD is saturated with various Fe, Al minerals. Orange or orcher precipitates are composed of schwertmannite and goethite, associated with Leptothrix orchracea bacteria, whereas whitish precipitates are composed mostly of alumimous minerals such as basaluminite with poor crystallinity. The whitish precipitates include trace $Al_{13}$-Tridecamer. It is important to control the precipitation and solubility of aluminous species for ensuring remediation and control for the AMD discharged from the Bongyang abandoned coal mine.