• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.137-148
• /
• 2010

The Myoungbong mine located in Boseong-gun, Jellanamdo consists of Au-Ag bearing quartz veins which filled the fissures of Bulguksa granitic rocks of Cretaceous. The tailings obtained from the Myungbong mine were used to investigate the effects of various processes, such as oxidation of primary sulfides and formation(alteration) of secondary and/or tertiary minerals, on arsenic immobilization in tailings. This study was conducted via both mineralogical and chemical methods. Mineralogical methods used included gravity and magnetic separation, ultrasonic cleaning, and instrumental analyses(X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalyzer) and aqua regia extraction technique for soils was applied to determine the elemental concentrations in the tailings. Iron (oxy)hydroxides formed as a result of oxidation of tailings were identified as three specific forms. The first form filled in rims and fissures of primary pyrites. The second one precipitated and coated the surfaces of gangue minerals and the final form was altered into yukonites. Initially, large amounts of acid-generating minerals, such as pyrite and arsenopyrite, might make the rapid progress of oxidation reactions, and lots of secondary minerals including iron (oxy)hydroxides and scorodite were formed. The rate of pH decrease in tailings diminished, in addition, as the exposure time of tailings to oxidation environments was prolonged and the acid-generating minerals were depleted. Rather, it is speculated that the pH of tailings increased, as the contribution of pH neutralization reactions by calcite contained in surrounding parental rocks became larger. The stability of secondary minerals, such as scorodite, were deteriorated due to the increase in pH, and finally arsenic might be leached out. Subsequently, calcimn and arsenic ions dissociated from calcites and scorodites were locally concentrated, and yukonite could be grown tertiarily. It is confirmed that this tertiary yukonite which is one of arsenate minerals and contains arsenic in high level plays a crucial role in immobilizing arsenic in tailings. In addition to immobilization of arsenic in yukonites, the results indicate that a huge amount of iron (oxy)hydroxides formed by weathering of pyrite which is one of typical primary minerals in tailings can strongly control arsenic behavior as well. Consequently, this study elucidates that through a sequence of various processes, arsenic which was leached out as a result of weathering of primary minerals, such as arsenopyrite, and/or redissolved from secondary minerals, such as scorodite, might be immobilized by various sorption reactions including adsorption, coprecipiation, and absorption.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
• /
• 2016.11a
• /
• pp.196-196
• /
• 2016

치과나 기공소로부터 높은 원가로 인한 재료선택에 어려움을 겪고 있어 귀금속 금합금의 물성을 가질 수 있도록 하면서 가격급등으로 인한 문제 해결하기 위한 비귀금속 합금으로 대체가 필요하기에 이에 따른 연구가 이루어져 국산 제품의 상품화를 위해 파라듐을 이용하여 적합한 새로운 합금을 개발하는 것이 필요하다. 치과용 골드합금은 미국치과의사 협회의 구정에 의하면 1형부터 4형까지 분류하고 있으며 3형에 해당하는 강도와 기계적인 특성을 갖도록 파라듐으로 대체하는 연구가 진행중이거나 시판되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 2형, 3형 및 4형을 대체가능하도록 팔라듐을 기반으로 한 새로운 합금을 설계하고 합금의 성분원 소인 Au(1~5), Pd(20~25), Ag(70~75), In(1.5) 및 Zn(2)등으로 조성을 변화시켜 측량 후 합금을 제조하기 위하여 아르곤 분위기하의 진공아크용해로를 이용하여 용해하였다. 정량된 금속을 진공아크 용해로에 장입하고 용해는 균질한 합금이 되도록 최소한 6회 이상 용융을 실시하며 합금성분의 손실이 발행하지 않도록 보정을 하였다. 합금의 미세조직 관찰을 위하여 샘플을 고속 다이아몬드 정밀 절단기(Acculom-5, STRUERS, Denmark)를 이용하여 절단한 후 2000 grit의 Sic 연마지에서 단계적으로 $0.3{\mu}m$ 알루미나 분말까지 연마한 후 초음파 세척을 하였다. 준비한 시편은 KCN과 $(NH_4)_2S_2O_8$을 1:1로 혼합한 부식액으로 에칭한 후 OM과 SEM을 이용하여 조직을 관찰하였으며 각 샘플의 성분변화는 EDS 분석을 통해 확인하고 결정구조는 XRD를 사용하여 분석하였다. 경도시험은 비커스경도시험기를 이용하여 5kg의 하중을 30초간 작동시켜 압흔을 연결된 micron으로 평균값을 측정하였다. 각 시편의 부식거동은 POTENTIOSTAT(Model PARSTAT 2273, EG&G, USA)을 이용하여 구강 내환경화 유사한 $36.5{\pm}1^{\circ}C$의 0.9% NaCl에서 실시하였다. 인가전위는 -1500mV에서 1000mV까지 1.67 mV/min의 주사속도로 인가하여 시험을 수행하였으며 분극곡선으로부터 부식전위와 부식전류밀도 및 부동태영역의 전류밀도로 금속의 용출거동을 조사하였으며 부식이 끝난 시편은 FE-SEM과 EDS를 사용하여 조사하였다. 기계적인 특성은 Pd-Ag에 3wt%의 Au를 첨가한 합금이 Pd-Ag에 1.5wt%합금을 첨가한 경우에 비하여 기계적인 특성이 증가하고 내식성이 크게 증가하였다. 이들 합금에 Cu를 11wt%를 첨가한 경우는 비커스경도가 200이상으로 높게 나타났지만 내식성이 크게 감소하였다.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.125-139
• /
• 2010

Behavior of heavy metals and arsenic in the tailings of Songcheon Au-Ag mine was characterized via both mineralogical and geochemical methods. Mineral composition of the tailings was investigated by X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) and total concentrations of heavy metals and arsenic and their chemical forms were analyzed by total digestion of aqua regia and sequential extraction method, respectively. The results of mineralogical study indicate that the tailings included mineral particles of resinous shape mainly consisting of galena, sphalerite, pyrite, quartz, and scorodite, and specifically socordite was identified in the form of matrix. EPMA quantitative analyses were performed to evaluate the weatherability of each mineral, and the results suggest that it decreased in the sequence of arsenopyrite > galena > sphalerite > pyrite. The weathering pattern of galena was observed to show distinctive zonal structure consisting of secondary minerals such as anglesite and beudantite. In addition, almost all of arsenopyrite has been altered to scorodite existing asmatrix and galena, sphalerite, and pyrite which have lower weatherability than arsenopyrite were identified within the matrix of scorodite. During the process of alteration of arsenopyrite into scorodite, it is likely that a portion of arsenic was lixiviated and caused a great deal of detrimental effects to surrounding environment. The results of EPMA quantitative analyses verify that the stability of scorodite was relatively high and this stable scorodite has restrained the weathering of other primary minerals within tailings as a result of its coating of mineral surfaces. For this reason, Songcheon tailings show the characteristics of the first weathering stage, although they have been exposed to the surface environment for a long time. Based on the overall results of mineralogical and geochemical studies undertaken in this research, if the tailings are kept to be exposed to the surface environment and the weathering process is continuous, not only hazardous heavy metals, such as lead and arsenic seem to be significantly leached out because their larger portions are being partitioned in weakly-bound (highly-mobile) fractions, but the potential of arsenic leaching is likely to be high as the stability of scorodite is gradually decreased. Consequently, it is speculated that the environmental hazard of Songcheon mine is significantly high.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.791-799
• /
• 2015

This study focuses on the algae growth restraining. Many researches on a critical damage from algae growth are published, but it is hard to find how th restrain. Abnormal algae increasing is a problem, because it makes red tides, biodeterioration, etc. Therefore this study aims to decrease the damage from algae growth. Some metal ions have been used microorganism killing materials from old times. Especially, Cu ions are highly effective. Based on these uses of the metal ions, a functional mortar which restrains algae growth is developed. The mortar contains soluble glass which dissolve in water. The soluble glass was made of Cu ions and phosphates. When the soluble glass is dissolved, Cu ions are soaked out stably from the soluble glass. Culture mediums which incubate algae were made to evaluate the developed mortar specimens. Culture mediums were filled with fresh water and sea water. Algae were incubated for fourteen days in culture mediums. The evaluating methods are measuring volume of the dissolved organic carbon and the chlorophyll. Using these two measurements, the mortar specimens are judged that can restrain algae or not. According to the result, the functional mortars of culture medium filled with fresh and sea water shows similar trend. The functional mortar for restraining algae growth performs that's role well.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.445-455
• /
• 2009

Microbiological sulfate reduction is the transformation of sulfate to sulfide catalyzed by the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria using sulfate as an electron acceptor. Low solubility of metal sulfides leads to precipitation of the sulfides in solution. The effects of microbiological sulfate reduction on in-situ precipitation of arsenic and copper were investigated for the heavy metal-contaminated soil around the Songcheon Au-Ag mine site. Total concentrations of As, Cu, and Pb were 1,311 mg/kg, 146 mg/kg, and 294 mg/kg, respectively, after aqua regia digestion. In batch-type experiments, indigenous sulfate-reducing bacteria rapidly decreased sulfate concentration and redox potential and led to substantial removal of dissolved As and Cu from solution. Optimal concentrations of carbon source and sulfate for effective microbial sulfate reduction were 0.2~0.5% (w/v) and 100~200 mg/L, respectively. More than 98% of injected As and Cu were removed in the effluents from both microbial and chemical columns designed for metal sulfides to be precipitated. However, after the injection of oxygen-rich solution, the microbial column showed the enhanced long-term stability of in-situ precipitated metals when compared with the chemical column which showed immediate increase in dissolved As and Cu due to oxidative dissolution of the sulfides. Black precipitates formed in the microbial column during the experiments and were identified as iron sulfide and copper sulfide. Arsenic was observed to be adsorbed on surface of iron sulfide precipitate.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.222-231
• /
• 2005

Most of the tailings have been left without any management in abandoned metalliferous mines and have become the main source of heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils and crops in the these areas. To compare of environmental assessment of heavy metals in tailings derived from various 25-metalliferous mines in Korea, 3 different analysis methods such as water soluble, 0.1 M-HCl extractable, and total acid digestion method (aqua regia) were used. The chemical composition of water soluble in mine tailing were in the order ${SO_4}^{2-}>Ca^{2+}>Mn^{2+},\;Na^+,\;Al^{3+}>Mg^{2+},\;Fe^{3+}>Cl^-$. Specially, pH, EC, ${SO_4}^{2-},\;and\;Ca^{2+}$ concentrations in tailing varied considerably among the different mines. The average total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As in tailing were 31.8, 708, 4,961, 2,275 and 3,235 mg/kg, respectively. Specially, the contents of Cd, Zn and As were higher than those of countermeasure values for soil contamination (Cd : 4, Zn : 700 and As : 15 mg/kg in soil) by Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. The rates of water soluble heavy metals to total contents in tailings were in the order Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb > As. The rates of 0.1M-HCl extractable Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As (1M-HCl) to total content were 17.4, 10.2, 6.5, 6.8 and 11.4% respectively. The enrichment factor of heavy metals in tailings were in the order As > Pb > Cd > Cu > Zn. The pollution index in tailing Au-Ag mine tailing were higher than those of other mine tailing. As a results of enrichment factor and pollution index for heavy metal contaminations in mine tailing of metalliferous mines, the main contaminants are mine waste materials including tailings.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.38 no.5 s.174
• /
• pp.535-545
• /
• 2005

Environmental survey from some abandoned metal mine areas was undertaken on to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to arsenic influenced by past Au-Ag mining activities. Elevated levels of As were found in tailings from the studied mine areas. This high concentration may have a impact on soils and waters around the tailing piles. In order to perform the human risk assessment, chemical analysis data of soils, rice grains and waters fur As have been used. The HQ values fer As via the rice grain and groundwater consumption were significantly higher compared with other exposure pathways in all metal mine areas. However, there were minimal soil and water dermal contact risks. The resulting Hl values of As from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas were higher than 5.0, and their toxic risk due to drinking water and rice grain was strong in these mine areas. The cancer risk of being exposed to As by the rice grain route from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas was $5.2\times10^{-4},\;6.0\times10^{-4}\;and\;8.1\times10^{-4}$, respectively. The As cancer risk via the exposure pathway of drinking water from these mine areas exceeded the acceptable risk of 1 in 10,000 fer regulatory purposes. Thus, the daily intakes of groundwater and rice grain by the local residents from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas can pose a potential health threat if exposed by long-term arsenic exposure.