• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.7-18
• /
• 2015

The characteristics of As and heavy metals depend on the oxidation/reduction condition of the soil environment. The most heavy metals are immobilized by the reduction condition whereas As, Fe and Mn become more soluble. Therefore this study estimated the stabilization efficiency of the agricultural paddy soil in the vicinity of the abandoned mine using a flooded column test including analysis of the soil solution, contaminants fractionation and rice grain. Limestone and steelmaking slag were used as amendments for stabilization of the contaminated soil. In an analysis of the soil solution, the mobile characteristics of Fe and Mn, which were used as electron acceptors of the microorganisms, were controlled by increasing the pH by adding alkali amendments. This means that the contaminants combined with Fe and Mn can be stable under flooded reduction condition. However, the concentrations of cationic heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Zn) were also decreased without amendments because the carbonates produced from microbial respiration increased the pH of the soil solution. In the amended soil, the specific sorbed fraction of As and carbonates fraction of heavy metals were increased when compared to the control soil at the end of the column test. Especially in heavy metals, the increase of carbonates fraction seems to be influenced by alkali amendments rather than microbial respiration. Because of the stabilization effect in the flooded paddy soil, the contents of As and Zn in rice grain from amended soil were lower than that of the control soil. But additional research is needed because of the relatively higher Pb content identified in the rice grain from the amended.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.7
• /
• pp.2339-2358
• /
• 2022

The review discusses various alternative approaches for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) reprocessing in aqueous carbonate media. The main stages, schemes, and methods of the most well-known and well-described processes for reprocessing SNF and some high-level radioactive waste using carbonate systems developed by research groups in Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, and the Russian Federation described and compared. The main advantages of such methods are outlined compared to the SNF reprocessing in nitric acid media. The levels of development and proximity of the designed processes to the industrial implementation are shown. The main principle achievements, prospects, and routes for the refinement of such methods for the technology of SNF reprocessing and handling of high-level radioactive waste formulated.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.90-103
• /
• 2015

The agricultural soil, meets soil environmental standards whereas agricultural product from the same soil does not meet permissible level of contaminants, is identified in the vicinity of the abandoned mine in Korea. This study estimated the stabilization efficiency of Cd and Pb using limestone through the flood pot test for this kind of agricultural paddy soil. We had the concentration of the monitored contaminants in soil solution for 4 months and analyzed fractionations in soil and concentrations in rice plant. In soil solution of plow layer, the reductive Mn had been detected constantly unlike Fe. The concentrations of Mn in limestone amended soil was relatively lower than that in control soil. This reveals that the reductive heavy metals which become soluble under flooded condition can be stabilized by alkali amendment. This also means that Cd and Pb associated with Mn oxides can be precipitated through soil stabilization. Pb concentrations in soil solution of amended conditions were lower than that of control whereas Cd was not detected among all conditions including control. In contaminants fractionation of soil analysis, the decreasing exchangeable fraction and the increasing carbonates fraction were identified in amended soil when compared to control soil at the end of test. These results represent the reduction of contaminants mobility induced by alkali amendment. The Cd and Pb contents of rice grain from amended soil also lower than that of control. These result seems to be influenced by reduction of contaminants mobility represented in the results of soil solution and soil fractionation. Therefore contaminants mobility (phytoavailability) rather than total concentration in soil can be important factor for contaminants transition from soil to agricultural products. Because reduction of heavy metal transition to plant depends on reduction of bioavailability such as soluble fraction in soil.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.325-337
• /
• 2002

We examined the contamination of stream water and stream sediments by heavy metal elements with respect to distance from the abandoned Backun Au-Ag-Cu mine. High contents of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Mn, and Fe) and aluminum in the waters connected with mining and associated deposits (dumps, tailings) reduce water quality. In the mining area, Ca and SO$_4$ are predominant cation and anion. The mining water is Ca-SO$_4$ type and is enriched in heavy metals resulted from the weathering of sulfide minerals. This mine drainage water is weakly acid or neutral (pH; 6.5-7.1) because of neutralizing effect by other alkali and alkaline earth elements. The effluent from the mine adit is also weakly acid or neutral, and contains elevated concentrations of most elements due to reactions with ore and gangue minerals in the deposit. The concentration of ions in the Backun mining water is high in the mine adit drainage water and steeply decreased award to down stream. Buffering process can be reasonably considered as a partial natural control of pollution, since the ion concentration becomes lower and the pH value becomes neutralized. In order to evaluate mobility and bioavailability of metals, sequential extraction was used for stream sediments into five operationally defined groups: exchangeable, bound to carbonates, bound to FeMn oxide, bound to organic matter, and residual. The residual fraction was the most abundant pool for Cu(2l-92%), Zn(28-89%) and Pb(23-94%). Almost sediments are low concentrated with Cd(2.7-52.8 mg/kg) than any other elements. But Cd dominate with non stable fraction (68-97%). Upper stream sediments are contaminated with Pb, and down area sediments are enriched with Zn. It is indicate high mobility of Zn and Cd.