• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.4B
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• pp.261-266
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• 2012

In this study, soil environmental impact assessment using risk-based approach was compared with that using concentration-based approach. For this, heavy metal contaminant exposure was characterized in an abandoned mine area. According to the estimated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, soil ingestion was identified as the most dominant exposure pathway. When contaminant concentrations exceeded the Korean Soil Contamination Warning Standards, their corresponding risk values also exceeded the Total Soil Risk Standard. Even the cases of satisfying the Korean Soil Contamination Warning Standards mostly showed higher risk levels than the Total Soil Risk Standard, re-confirming a more sensitivity of the risk-based assessment than concentration-based assessment. However, the in-depth analysis of the estimated non-carcinogenic risk values revealed a few cases for soil contact pathway showing contaminant concentrations higher than the Korean Soil Contamination Warning Standards although their non-carcinogenic risk values satisfied the level of Hazard Index Standard. The findings from this study support a necessity of shifting policy paradigm from concentration-based approach into risk-based approach for reliable risk assessment in abandoned mine areas, and also suggest a necessity of further fundamental studies regarding risk factors and standards.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.255-265
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• 2007

As the mechanism and effect range of subsidence are altered according to the various conditions (the ground condition, the earth pressure, the geometric condition of underground cavity and the structure load), the analysis and prediction of subsidence in abandoned mining area are very difficult. Also, as the geological characteristics and the mining methods are differed in each mines, the application of the pre-existing reinforcements without improvement has a lot of difficulties and limits. In this study, the various underground investigation such as long-depth core drilling, seismic tomography and BIPS (borehole image processing system) were performed, the distribution of underground cavity and coal seam and rock relaxation condition were analyzed. And we predicted the type of subsidence and estimated the subsidence by theories of mining subsidence. With these results, we analyzed the mechanism of subsidence occurrence in the research object area. Finally, we improved existing methods which were applied to the abandoned mining area and also we established the rational reinforcement for the ground and structure foundation against each subsidence cause.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.29-36
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• 2010

Several mines including Namil, Solim and Jungbong which are located in the Gyeonggi and Kangwon province have been abandoned and closed since 1980 due to "The promotion policy of mining industry". An enormous amount of mining wastes was disposed without proper treatment, which caused soil pollution in tailing dam and ore-dressing plant areas. However, any quantitative assessment was not performed about soil and water pollution by transporting mining wastes such as acid mine drainage, mine tailing, and rocky waste. In this research, heavy metals in mining wastes were analyzed according to leaching method which used 0.1 N HCl and total solution method which used Aqua-regia to recognize the ecological effect of distance from hot spot. We sampled tailings, rocky wastes and soils around the abandoned mine. Chemical and physical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (TOC), soil texture and heavy metal concentration were analyzed. The range of soil's pH is between 4.3 and 6.4 in the tailing dam and oredressing plant area due to mining activity. Total concentrations of As, Cu, and Pb in soil near ore dressing plant area are 250.9, 249.3 and 117.2 mg/kg respectively, which are higher than any other ones near tailing dam area. Arsenic concentration in tailing dams is 31.0 mg/kg, which is also considered as heavily polluted condition comparing with the remediation required level(RRL) in "Soil environment conservation Act".

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.75-80
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• 2002

Enormous volumes of mining wastes from the abandoned and closed mines are disposed without a proper treatment at Southeastern part of Kangwon Province. Erosion of these wastes contaminates soil, surface water, and sediments with heavy metals. Objectives of this research were to fractionate heavy metals in the mine waste and to assess the potential S. P. A. G.(Soil Pollution Assesment Guidance) of each metal fraction. Mine wastes analyzed for physical and chemical properties. pH of wastes ranged from 3.3 to 8.0. Contents of total N and loss on ignition matter were in the ranges of 0.2~5.6%, and 0.8~15.3%, respectively. Heavy metals in the wastes were higher in the coal mines than those in the other mine wastes. Total concentrations of metals in the wastes were in the orders of Pb > Zn > Cu > Cd, exceeded the corrective action level of the Soil Environment Conservation Law and higher than the natural abundance levels reported from uncontaminated soils. Relative distribution of heavy metal fractions was residual > organic > reducible > carbonate > adsorbed, reversing the degree of metal bioavailability. Mobile fractions of metals were relatively small compared to the total concentrations. Soil Pollution Assesment Guidance(SPAG) values were ranged from 0.08 to 9.14 based on labile fraction of metal concentrations. SPAG values of labile concentration were lower than those of total concentration.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.48-58
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• 2004

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 neutralizing the AMD from runoff and leachate in an attempt find the sink to dispose the lime wastes and alleviate the environmental problems caused by the closed coal mines. The pH changes of the runoff and leachate collected in the tanks at the end of the experimental plots, averaged over measurements from April to August, indicated that the runoff pH of the coal overburden was 4.3 but increased significantly to the ranges of 6.7 to 7.1 with treatments of tile calcites and lime wastes. This might be related with the decreases in Fe concentrations in the runoff and leachate from the coal overburdens. The Fe concentrations in tile runoff seemed to increase with the amounts of precipitation. Results demonstrated that the amounts of lime wastes at 25% of the lime requirement were sufficient for neutralizing the acidic coal overburden. Either layering between the coal waste and topsoil or mixing with coal overburdens could be adopted as the lime waste treatment method. 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.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.251-254
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• 2005

Microgravity survey was carried out in order to detect an abandoned mineshaft. We tested the feasibility of cavity detection by means of numerical modeling and applied microgravity survey to detecting an abandoned mineshaft in the vicinity of Hawson mines, Junnam. The result shows the response of mineshaft where we expected.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.984-999
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• 2010

A long-term field demonstration experiment of selected stabilization method to reduce the heavy metal mobility in farmland soil contaminated by heavy metals around abandoned mine site was conducted. Field demonstration experiments were established on the contaminated farmland with the wooden plate(thickness=1cm) which dimension were width=200cm, Length=200cm, height=80cm and filled with treated soil, which was mixed with lime stone and steel refining slag except on control plot. Soil samples in the plots were collected and analyzed during the experiment period(2008. 2~2008. 8) after the installation of the plots. Field demonstration experiments results showed that the application ratio of lime stone 5% was effective for immobilizing heavy metal components in contaminated farmland soil.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.145-153
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• 2005

Two hundred seventy-four microorganisms were isolated from the soil of abandoned mines around for selecting the heavy metal-degrading strains and their microbial diversity was analyzed. The specimens of macrofungi were isolated from the soil of abandoned mines around for selecting the heavy metal-degrading strains. Eunseong and Dogok in Gyeongsangbuk-do, for selecting the heavy metal-degrading strains. Soil was also collected from same location. Contents of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, and As) were determined spectrometically in fruiting bodies of forty eight wild macrofungi specimens with soils. When the analysed their transfer factor from soil to fruiting body, Amanita volvata have the highest transfer factor of cadmium and arsenic. And Mycena pura showed the highest in mercury, Marasmius pulcherripes in zinc, Laccaria laccata in nickel, and Collybia confluens in chrome. When compare the population of mushrooms between the contaminated mines and Mt. Chiak as the healthy area, Genus Russula and Collybia were collected both area, but Leucocoprinus, Coprinus, Suillus, Lepiost, Gyroporus, Lepista, Microstoma, Stropharia, and Agrocybe were only in the contaminated mine area.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.62-71
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• 2000

The abandoned mines causing settlement of the surface above and collapse of the cavities are the major influencing factor on the stability of the nearby underground structures. To prevent the harmful effect, the backfill methods are commonly applied to the cavities although the design criteria and the analysis method are not properly addressed in some cases. An approximate analytical method together with the numerical technique is considered in this study to simulate the gradual deterioration of the rock masses around the cavities and, therefore, the influential zone to the underground structures passing through the cavities. Also considered in this study is the backfill effect on the stability of the rock masses around the cavities. Specifically, the incomplete backfill effect is compared with that of the idealized backfill method by adopting elasto-plastic analysis involving a strain softening material law.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.119-127
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• 2022

In recent years, the intensity of typhoons has increased due to climate change. It is presumed that the tailings and waste rock in the mining area harm the environment owing to flood damage. The Gangneung area has been affected by the largest typhoons in Korea, including No. 3,693 (1936), Rusa (2002), Maemi (2003), and Megi (2004). This study was based on a case in which high concentrations of arsenic were detected in the surroundings along a stream after floods caused by typhoons. Although the environmental damage-related law clarifies the responsibility of polluters, careful implementation is required in potential natural disaster areas. The pollutants from abandoned mines can be widely exposed due to typhoons as artificial causes may be mixed. To minimize the impact of natural disasters in these areas, it is necessary to improve and link relevant laws. This study is expected to help cope with mixed pollutants in downstream areas.