• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.515-517
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• 2003

In order to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to arsenic and heavy metals influenced by past mining activities, environmental geochemical surveys were undertaken in the abandoned metal mine areas (Dongil Au-Ag-Cu-Zn, Okdong Cu-Pb-Zn, Songcheon Au-Ag, Dongjung Au-Ag-Pb-Zn, Dokok Au-Ag-Cu and Hwacheon Au-Ag-Pb-Zn mines). Arsenic and other heavy metals were highly elevated in the tailings from the Dongil, the Songcheon and the Dongjung mines. High concentrations of heavy metals except As were also found in tailings from the Okdong, the Dokok and the Hwacheon mines. These significant concentrations can impact on soils and waters around the tailing dumps. Risk compounds deriving from mine sites either constitute a toxic risk or a carcinogenic risk. The hazard index (H.I.) of As in the Dongil, the Okdong, the Songcheon and the Hwacheon mine areas was higher value more than 1.0. In the Okdong and the Songcheon mine areas, H.I. value of Cd exceeded 1.0. These values of As and Cd were the highest in the Songcheon mine area. Therefore, toxic risks for As and Cd exist via exposure (ingestion) of contaminated soil, groundwater and rice grain in these mine areas. The cancer risk for As in stream or ground water used for drinking water from the Songcheon, the Dongil, the Okdong, the Dongjung and the Hwacheon mine areas was 3E-3, 8E-4, 7E-4, 2E-4 and 1E-4, respectively.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.305-317
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• 2004

Due to the steep and narrow characteristic of domestic coal beds, the slant chute caving or sub-level caving method have been mainly adopted in Korea, whereas the long-wall mining has been widely used all around world. However, the slant chute caving or sub-level caving method have disadvantage of not giving much information on the scale and characteristic of abandoned mines. Hence, those information on the abandoned mines in Korea are not easily available. In this study, based on the characteristic investigation of the domestic mining methods, the geological survey and safety analysis were carried out for Donghae highway section 2. Finally, the optimum ground reinforcement methods for that site were selected.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2006

This study was conducted to identify native ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi colonizing Pinus densiflora for revegetation of abandoned coal mines in Korea. Seedlings of P. densiflora growing on coal mining spoils of a study site in Samcheok were collected. ECM roots were observed under stereomicroscope and their DNA were extracted from each root tip for a seedling for molecular identification. A PCR primer pair specific to fungi, ITS1F and ITS4, was used to amplify fungal DNA. Restriction enzymes, Alul and Hinfl were used for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Combined with RFLP profiles and sequence analysis, total twenty one taxa were identified from the ECM root tips. Basidiomycetous fungi including Thelephoraceae, Pezizales, Laccaria, Pisolithus and Ascomycetous fungi including ericoid mycorrhizal fungi were identified from this study. Results showed that the most frequently found in the study sites was a species in Thelephoraceae. A possible use of ECM fungi identified in this study for the revegetation of abandoned coal mines with P. densiflora was discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.167-174
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• 2004

Several metalliferous and coal mines, including Myungjin, Seojin and Okdong located at the upper watershed of Okdong stream, were abandoned or closed since 1988 due to the mining industry promotion policy and thus disposed an enormous amount of mining wastes without a proper treatment facilities, resulting in water pollution in the downstream areas. AMD and waste effluents from the closed coal mines were very strongly acidic showing pH ranges of 2.7 to 4.5 and had a high level of total dissolved solid (TDS) showing the ranges of 1,030 to 1,947 mg/L. Also heavy metal concentrations in these samples such as Fe, Cu, Cd and anion such as sulfate were very high. These parameters of AMD and effluents were considered to be highly polluted as compared to those in the main stream area of the Okdong river and be major pollutants for water and soil in tile downstream area. Pollution indices of the surface water at the upper stream of Okdong river where AMD of the abandoned coal mines was flowed into main stream were in the ranges of 16.3 to 47.1. On the other hand, those at the mid stream where effluents from tailing dams and coal mines flowed into main stream were in tile ranges of 10.6 to 19.5. However, those at the lower stream were ranged from 10.6 to 14.9 These results indicated that mining wastes such as AMD and effluents from the closed mines were tile major source to water pollution at the Okdong stream areas.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.522-525
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• 2003

Mine waters, surface waters and groundwaters were sampled around seven Au-Ag mine areas (Dongil, Okdong, Dongjung, Songcheon, Ssangjeon, Dogok and Gubong Au-Ag mines). The main contamination sources of As in these abandoned Au-Ag mines can be suggested as mine tailings and waste rocks including the sulfide gangue minerals (arsenopyrite). The relatively high concentration of As in mine waters was shown in the Dongil (524 ${\mu}g/L$) and the Dogok (56 ${\mu}g/L$) mine areas. Arsenic concentrations in stream waters from the Dongil ($0.9\~118{\mu}g/L$), the Songchon ($0.8\~63{\mu}g/L$), the Ssangjeon ($1.6\~109{\mu}g/L$) and the Gubong ($3.6\~63{\mu}g/L$) mine areas exceeded the permissible level for stream water in Korea. Groundwaters collected from the Dongil ($0.9\~64{\mu}g/L$ ), the Okdong ($0.2\~69{\mu}g/L$) and the Gubong ($0.5\~101{\mu}g/L$) mine areas contained high As concentration to cause the arsenicosis in these areas. In As speciation, the concentration ratios of As(III) to As(total) present up to $75\%$ and $100\%$ in stream waters from the Okdong and the Songcheon mines, and $70\%$ in groundwaters from the Okdong and the Dongjung mines. Arsenic concentration decreases downstream from the tailing dump correlatively with pH and Fe concentration. Highly elevated As concentrations are found in the dry season (such as April and March) than in the wet season (September) due to the dilution effect by heavy rain during summer in stream waters from the Dongil and the Songcheon mine areas.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.393-400
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• 2010

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.530-539
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• 2021

Background: In South Korea, areas around abandoned metal mines are designated as regions with high arsenic (As) contamination. However, studies assessing urinary As exposure, As metabolism, and relevant genetic polymorphisms in residents of these metal mine areas are lacking. Objectives: To identify factors associated with As exposure and evaluate the effects of MTHFR, As3MT, and GSTO1 genetic polymorphisms on As metabolism in residents of abandoned metal mine areas by measuring urinary As species. Methods: Urinary As species (arsenite [As³⁺], arsenate [As⁵⁺], monomethyl arsonic acid, and dimethylarsinic acid) were isolated using high-performance liquid chromatography in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). Four genetic polymorphisms (MTHFR A222V, MTHFR E429A, GSTO1 A140D, As3MT M287T) were analyzed in 144 residents of four areas around abandoned metal mines. Results: The study sample was comprised of 34.7% men and 65.3% women, with a mean age of 70.7±10.9 years. The urinary inorganic As concentration was higher among those consuming more than half locally produced rice (0.31 ㎍/L) than those consuming less than half such rice (0.18 ㎍/L). The urinary dimethylarsinic acid concentration was higher in the group that had consumed seafood in the past day (31.68 ㎍/L) than in those who had not (22.37 ㎍/L). Furthermore, individuals heterozygous in the MTHFR A222V and GSTO1 A140D polymorphism had higher urinary arsenic species concentrations than did individuals with a wild type or homozygous for the variant allele. Conclusions: Consumption of locally produced rice was associated with inorganic As exposure, whereas seafood consumption was associated with organic As exposure among residents of abandoned metal mine areas. There was no clear association between MTHFR A222V and GSTO1 A140D polymorphisms and As metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.920-924
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• 2012

This study was performed to estimate total contents of arsenic (As) by stepwise multiple-regression analysis using chemical properties and extractable contents of metal in paddy soil adjacent to abandoned mines. The soil was collected from paddies near abandoned mines. Soil pH, electrical conductively (EC), organic mater (OM), available phosphorus ($P_2O_5$), and exchangeable cations (Ca, K, Mg, Na) were measured. Total contents of As and extractable contents of metals were analyzed by ICP-OES. From stepwise analysis, it was showed that the contents of extractable As, available phosphorus, extractable Cu, exchangeable K, exchangeable Na, and organic mater significantly influenced the total contents of As in soil (p<0.001). The multiple linear regression models have been established as Log (Total-As) = 0.741 + 0.716 Log (extractable-As) - 0.734 Log (avail-$P_2O_5$) + 0.334 Log (extractable-Cu) + 0.186 Log (exchangeable-K) - 0.593 Log (exchangeable-Na) + 0.558 Log (OM). The estimated value in total contents of As was significantly correlated with the measured value in soil ($R^2$=0.84196, p<0.0001). This predictive model for estimating total As contents in paddy soil will be properly applied to the numerous datasets which were surveyed with extractable heavy metal contents based on Soil Environmental Conservation Act before 2010.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.323-331
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• 2012

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the possible effects of environmental cadmium (Cd) exposure on of bone mineral density (BMD) levels. Methods: A total of 171 residents around abandoned mines in Chungcheongnam-do were surveyed in 2008-2011. Urinary Cd and BMD were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry and Dual-Energy X-ray absorptionmetry, respectively. Osteoporosis and osteopenia were defined by T-scores set by the WHO; Tscore ${\geq}$ -1.0, normal; -1.0 > T-score > -2.5, osteopenia; and T-score ${\leq}$ -2.5, osteoporosis. Logistic and multiple linear regressions were applied to estimate the association between U-Cd levels and BMD. Results: The U-Cd geometric mean of 171 Koreans was 2.79 ${\mu}g/g{\cdot}cr$. The U-Cd concentration was significantly higher among women (2.98 ${\mu}g/g{\cdot}cr$) than men (2.39 ${\mu}g/g{\cdot}cr$). With the multiple regression model, the BMD was influenced by U-Cd, BMI, and monthly income. With the logistic regression model, osteoporosis was associated with U-Cd levels (OR = 3.239, 95% CI = 1.770-5.927). Conclusions: We conclude that exposure to cadmium is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.161-170
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• 1997