• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2004.09a
• /
• pp.72-75
• /
• 2004

The potential of electrokinetic (EK) technology has been successfully demonstrated for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated fine-grained soils through laboratory scale and field application studies. Arsenic contamination in soil is a serious problem affecting both site use and groundwater quality. The EK technology was evaluated for the removal of arsenic from two soil samples: kaolinite clay artificially contaminated with arsenic and arsenic-bearing tailing soil taken from the Myungbong (MB) mining area. The effect of cathodic electrolyte on the process was investigated using three different types of electrolyte: deionized water (DIW), potassium phosphate (KH$_2$PO$_4$) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The result of experiments on the kaolinite clay shows that the potassium phosphate was most effective in extracting arsenic, probably resulting from anion exchange of arsenic species by phosphate. On the contrary, the sodium hydroxide seemed to be most efficient in removing arsenic from the tailing soil, and it is explained by the fact that sodium hydroxide increased the soil pH and accelerated ionic migration of arsenic species through increase in desorption and dissolution of arsenic species into pore water.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.203-215
• /
• 2011

Geochemical and mineralogical properties of a contamited soil should be taken into account to decide a remediation strategy for a given contaminant because development and optimization of soil remedial technologies are based on geochemical and mineralogical separation techniques. The objective of this study was to investigate the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of arsenic-contaminated soils. The arsenic-contaminated soil samples were obtained from Chonam gold mine, Gwangyang, Chonnam, Particle size analysis, sequential extraction, and mineralogical analyses were used to characterize geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the As-contaminated soils. Particle size analyses of the As-contaminated soils showed the soils contained 17-36% sand, 25-54% silt, 9-28% clay and the soil texture were sandy loam, loam, and silt loam. The soil pH ranged from 4.5 to 6.6. The amount of arsenic concentrations from the sequential soil leaching is mainly associated with iron oxides (1 to 75%) and residuals (12 to 91%). Major minerals of sand and silt fractions in the soils were feldspar, kaolinite, mica, and quartz and minor mineral of which is an iron oxide. Major minerals of clay fraction were composed of illite, kaolinite, quartz, and vermiculite. And minor minerals are iron oxide and rutile. The geochemical and mineralogical analyses indicated the arsenic is adsorbed or coprecipitated with iron oxides or phyllosilicate minerals. The results may provide understanding of geochemical and mineralogical characteristics for the site remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.108-113
• /
• 2022

Arsenic (As) uptake and accumulation from agricultural soil to rice vary depending on the soil environmental conditions such as soil pH, redox potential, clay content, and organic matter (OM) content. Therefore, these factors are important in predicting changes in the uptake and accumulation of As in rice plants. Here, we studied the chemical properties of As-contaminated and/or rice straw compost (RSC)-treated soils, the growth responses of RSC-applied rice plants under As-contaminated soils, the changes in As content of soil, and the relationship between As uptake and accumulation from the RSC-treated soils to the rice organs under As-contaminated soils. Rice plants were cultivated in 30 mg kg^-1 As-contaminated soils under three RSC treatments: 0 (control), 12, and 24 Mg ha^-1. No significant differences were indicated in the chemical properties of pre-experimental (before transplanting rice seedling) soils, with the exception of EC, OM, and available P₂O₅. As the treatment of RSC under 30 mg kg^-1 As-contaminated soils increased, EC, OM, and available P₂O₅ increased proportionally in soil. Increased soil RSC under As-contaminated soils increased shoot dry weight of rice plants at harvesting stage. As content in roots increased proportionally with RSC content, whereas As content in shoots decreased under As-contaminated soil at all stages of rice plants. Nevertheless, As accumulation were significantly decreased in both roots and shoots of RSC-treated rice plants than those in the plants treated without RSC. These results indicate that the use of RSC can mitigate As phytotoxicity and reduce As accumulation in rice plants under As-contaminated soils. Therefore, RSC can potentially be applied to As-contaminated soil for safe crop and forage rice production.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.89-97
• /
• 2017

In this study, we evaluated effect of particle size on arsenic solid-state speciation and bioaccessibility in soils highly contaminated with arsenic from smelting and mining. Soils were partitioned into six particle size fractions ($2000-500{\mu}m$, $500-250{\mu}m$, $250-150{\mu}m$, $150-75{\mu}m$, $75-38{\mu}m$, <$38{\mu}m$), and arsenic solid-state speciation and bioaccessibility were characterized in each particle size fraction. Arsenic solid-state speciation was characterized via sequential extraction and XRD analysis, and arsenic bioaccessibility was evaluated by SBRC (Solubility Bioaccessibility Research Consortium) method. In smelter site soil, arsenic was mainly present as arsenic bound to amorphous iron oxides. Fine particle size fractions showed higher arsenic concentration, but lower arsenic bioaccessibility. On the other hand, arsenic in mine site soil showed highest concentration in largest particle size fraction ($2000-500{\mu}m$), while higher bioaccessibility was observed in smaller particle size fractions. Arsenic in mine site soil was mainly present as arsenolite ($As_2O_3$) phase, which seemed to affect the distribution of arsenic and arsenic bioaccessibility in different particle size fractions of the mine soil.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.169-178
• /
• 2010

The microbial community structure in Thailand soils contaminated with low and high levels of arsenic was determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Band pattern analysis indicated that the bacterial community was not significantly different in the two soils. Phylogenetic analysis obtained by excising and sequencing six bands indicated that the soils were dominated by Arthrobacter koreensis and $\beta$-Proteobacteria. Two hundred and sixty-two bacterial isolates were obtained from arsenic-contaminated soils. The majority of the As-resistant isolates were Gramnegative bacteria. MIC studies indicated that all of the tested bacteria had greater resistance to arsenate than arsenite. Some strains were capable of growing in medium containing up to 1,500 mg/l arsenite and arsenate. Correlations analysis of resistance patterns of arsenite resistance indicated that the isolated bacteria could be categorized into 13 groups, with a maximum similarity value of 100%. All strains were also evaluated for resistance to eight antibiotics. The antibiotic resistance patterns divided the strains into 100 unique groups, indicating that the strains were very diverse. Isolates from each antibiotic resistance group were characterized in more detail by using the repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR (rep-PCR) DNA fingerprinting technique with ERIC primers. The PCR products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The genetic relatedness of 100 bacterial fingerprints, determined by using the Pearson product-moment similarity coefficient, showed that the isolates could be divided into four clusters, with similarity values ranging from 5-99%. Although many isolates were genetically diverse, others were clonal in nature. Additionally, the arsenic-resistant isolates were examined for the presence of arsenic resistance (ars) genes by using PCR, and 30% of the isolates were found to carry an arsenate reductase encoded by the arsC gene.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.65-73
• /
• 2021

Since the amount of red mud, generated from aluminum smelting process as a by-product, has increased worldwide, the recycle and metal resource recovery from the red mud is becoming more important. In this study, in order to recycle the red mud as a soil stabilizer to remediate arsenic contaminated soils, neutralization of red mud was investigated. Red mud was neutralized by washing with distilled water and NaCl, CaCl₂, FeCl₃, and HCl solutions and heating at 200-800℃, and arsenic stabilization characteristics in soils were evaluated with the neutralized red mud. Although washing with distilled water was not effective in neutralizing red mud, the application of the washed red mud to soils lowered the soil pH compared to the application of untreated red mud. Among NaCl, CaCl₂, FeCl₃, and HCl solutions, washing with FeCl₃ showed the most effective in lowering pH of the red mud from pH 10.73 to pH 4.26. Application of the neutralized red mud in soils resulted in quite different arsenic stabilization efficiency depending on soil samples. In M1 soil, which showed relatively high arsenic stabilization efficiency by untreated red mud, the neutralization of red mud resulted in little effect on arsenic stabilization in soil. On the other hand, in M2 soil, which showed low arsenic stabilization efficiency by untreated red mud, the neutralization of red mud increased arsenic stabilization significantly. Soil characteristics such as clay minerals and pH buffering capacity seemed to affect reactions between red mud and soils, which resulted in different effects of the red mud application on soil pH and arsenic stabilization efficiencies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2008.03a
• /
• pp.229-241
• /
• 2008

In order to investigate stabilization effect on As-contaminated soils treated by zero-valent iron(ZVI) and industrial by-products, batch tests and column tests were carried out with As-contaminated soils collected from farmland around the abandoned mine site. In batch tests, ZVI and industrial by-products(blast furnace slag, steel refining slag and oyster shell powder) were used as treatment materials to reduce As. Industrial by-products were mixed with As-contaminated soils, in the ratio of 1%, 3%, 5% and 7% on the weight base of dried soil. After incubation, all samples showed the reduction of As concentration and it was expected that ZVI and steel refining slag were effective treatment materials to remove As among treatment materials used in batch test. In column tests, columns were made by acrylic with the dimension of diameter=10cm, height=100cm, thickness=1cm and these columns were filled with untreated soils and treated soils mixed with ZVI and steel refining slag(mixing ratio=3%). Distilled water was discharged into the columns with the velocity of 1 pore-volume/day. During test, pH, EC, Eh and As concentration were measured in the regular term(1 pore-volume). As a result, ZVI and steel refining slag were shown 93%, 62% reduction of As concentration respectively by comparison with untreated soils. Therefore, if ZVI and steel refining slag are used as treatment materials in As-contaminated soils, it is expected that the As concentration in soils is reduced effectively.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.185-193
• /
• 2008

This study has been carried out to examine the feasibility of soil washing process for reducing arsenic contamination level of soil around $Dalch\hat{e}n$ Mine. The results of physicochemical tests of the target soil showed that pH was weak alkalic ($pH{\simeq}7.8$), soil texture was coarse sand, and organic contents (5.7%) and CEC (Cation exchange capacity; 21.5 meq/100 g) were similar with those of soils generally found in Korea. Contamination levels of arsenic were found to over 201 mg/kg which exceed the Korea standard levels of countermeasure and concern. To investigate chemical partitioning of heavy metals, sequential extraction procedures were adopted and it was found that arsenic was predominantly associated with the residual fraction among five fractional forms as much as over 85%, which is demonstrating that only less than 15% of all might be vulnerable to a selected washing agents. Among 6 kinds of washing agents applied on the screening for arsenic-contaminated soil, HCl and $H_3PO_4$ solution were selected as promising washing agents. In comparison with HCl and $H_3PO_4$ solutions for arsenic washing by kinetic experiment in the change of pH, soil-solution ratio, temperature, and washing solution concentration, $H_3PO_4$ solution was determined to best one of agents tested, which showed faster washing rate than HCl to accomplish regulatory goal.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.13-20
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was to develope the remediation method of contaminated soils with metals and petroleum. The diesel degrading strain was isolated and identified from the soil contaminated by petroleum at industrial sites. Diesel biodegradation experiment was performed by diesel degrading bacteria in both solution and soil slurry. Contaminated soils by Zn or As and diesel were treated consecutively by steam-vapor extraction, biodegradation, and acid washing. The strain was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and named as Pseudomonas aeruginosa TPH1. The optimal culture conditions of TPH1 were $20^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0, 3% of diesel concentration. Biodegradation of diesel was performed using the separated strain in liquid medium, and 63% of diesel was degraded in 72 hours. And 52% of diesel was removed in the tested soils. In the treatment of contaminated soils with diesel and Zn or As, 29% ~ 44% of diesel was reduced by steamvapor extraction, 60% ~ 71% of diesel was removed after biodegradation. 47% of Zn and 96% of As were removed after acid(mixture of sulfuric and oxalic acids) washing. It is recommended that consecutive treatment method of steam-vapor extraction, biodegradation and acid washing is effective for remediation of complex contaminated soils with metals and petroleum.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.68-74
• /
• 2005

This study was carried out to evaluate the feasibility of field-scale sequential soil washing process for remediation on Kyongsangnamdo D mine soils which was heavily contaminated by arsonic. Arsenic concentration of untreated soils was $321\pm32mg/kg$. By applying the basic operating condition which was proposed from several pilot-scale experiments, arsenic concentration of treated soils was reduced 2.04 mg/kg ($99\%$ removal efficiency). We optimized the basic operating condition (mainly on washing solution concentration, cut-off size, and mixing ratio) to improve efficiently and economically the field-scale sequential soil washing process. The resulting optimized conditions were that solution concentration is 0.2M HCl, 1.0M HCl, 1.0M NaOH, that the cut-off size is 0.15mm (seive $\sharp$100), and that the mixing ratio is 1 3. Also, the optimized pH value for soil washing effluent treatment was 6 (33 ppb), in which the precipitation disruption caused by supersaturation of the floe did not occur. Results of TCLP tests showed that arsenic concentration from the washed gravels was 1.043 mg/L, that from soils ND (not detected), and that from filter cakes 0.066 mg/L. Also, the water content as a percentage of dewatered sludges was low $(48\%)$ and so the dewatered sludges can be disposed by landfilling. Through these results, we can concluded that tile field-scale sequential soil washing process developed in this study is adopted for remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils.