• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.88-94
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• 2015

An investigation was conducted on the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus etunicatum on the formation of soil aggregate and mycorhizal development in the roots of Robinia pseudoacacia seedlings in coal mine tailings and forest soil. G. etunicatum formed mycorrhizas by 35.1 % in coal mine tailings and by 48.9 % in forest soil. Its infection was the typical Arum-type forming inter-cellular hyphae and intra-cellular arbuscules. Ergosterol contents were 3.20 ppm in forest soil and 1.92 ppm in coal mine tailings. The formation of soil aggregate per 50 g pot soil was 19.6 g and 9.5 g in inoculated and noninoculated forest soil and 16.5 g and 11.0 g in inoculated and non-inoculated coal min tailings, respectively. In conclusion, G. etunicatum inoculation increased the formation of soil aggregate both in forest soil and coal mine tailings, but was less effective in the latter.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.54-62
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• 2010

In order to obtain the basic data for recycling of coal mine tailings, the characteristics of coal mine tailings, the formation of AMD from the tailings and the leaching of heavy metal from the tailings were studied. The samples were characterized in terms of chemical composition, mineral composition and content of heavy metal of the tailings were investigated. The effects of time, temperature, content of pyrite, sulfide minerals on the formation of AMD were also investigated. For the leaching tests, the KS method, TCLP method and column test were used. From the investigated data, we can see that the coal mine tailings can be used as aggregate for filling used gallery. We can also see that the formation of AMD from coal mine tailings can be prevented by mixing 4% or more limestone with it.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.383-392
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• 2019

How to safely and economically dispose mining tailings is a challenge to mine operators. This paper presents an alternative upstream method for tailings dam construction, termed as the template construction method (TCM), which has been successfully implemented at Zhelamuqing tailings impoundment since 2004. By the beginning of 2015, the tailings dam wall had reached 95 m in height for the 46 upstream raises, with the total height of the dam including the starter dyke being 128 m. The proposed TCM is relatively simple and cost-effective and provides a good way for constructing rapidly raising tailings dam based on this case.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.75-81
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• 2012

Porous pellets for immobilizing heavy metals were manufactured from coal tailings and iron oxide powder. Coal tailings was pulverized and mixed with iron oxide powder. The mixed powder was granulated into spherical pellets and roasted. Over $1100^{\circ}C$, residual coal in coal tailings reduced iron oxide to ZVI(Zero-Valent Iron). The pellets have 34.63% of porosity, 1.31 g/mL of bulk density, and 9.82.urn median pore diameter. The pellets were reacted with synthetic solutions containing each heavy metals: arsenic(V), copper(II), chrome(VI), and cadmium(II), respectively. On the test of immobilizing heavy metal, the pellets made at $1100^{\circ}C$ were superior to the other pellets made under $1000^{\circ}C$. Immobilizing over 99.9% of 10ppm heavy metal solutions required I hour for arsenic, 2 hours for chrome, and 4 hours for copper. However, immobilizing capacity of cadmium was inferior to that of the other metals and it was decreased in reversely proportion to initial concentration of the solutions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.372-378
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• 2003

This study investigates the fractional composition and the leaching characteristics of heavy metals in polluted soils due to mining activities. The fractionated composition of heavy metals is classified into five fractions, adsorbed, carbonate, reducible, organic and residual fraction. The status of humic substances in mine wastes of most sites are polyhumic except tailing from Sangdong mine. According to the sequential extraction procedures (SEPs), leaching probabilities of Cd in coal wastes and tailing are relatively low due to high percentage of residual fraction. 46.4% of Ni in tailings from Sangdong mine is probably leached under oxidized environment, and 39.4% of Cu in these tailings is readily extracted under strongly oxidized environment by organic fraction. According to leaching condition of pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, the amount of heavy metals leached out of coal wastes and tailing increases to 1/2 hours. At pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, concentration of Ni in tailing increases up three times of the initial value. Heavy metals released from coal wastes and tailing were not influenced significantly by leaching time.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.85-92
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• 2020

This study adopted soil test and laboratory physical model experiments to simulate the tailings impoundment accumulation process according to the principle of similarity. Relying on the practical engineering, it analyzed the tailings deposition characteristics on dry beach surface during the damming process, as well as the variation rules of dam saturation line. Results suggested that, the tailings particles gradually became finer along the dry beach surface to inside the impoundment. The particle size suddenly changed at the junction between the deposited beach and the water surface, which displayed an obvious coarsening phenomenon. Besides, the deposited beach exhibited the vertical feature of coarse upward and fine downward on the whole. Additionally, in the physical model, the saturation line elevated with the increase in dam height, and its amplitude was relatively obvious within the range of 1.0-4.5 m away from the initial dam. Under flood condition, the saturation line height was higher than that under normal condition on the whole, with the maximum height difference of 4 cm. This study could provide an important theoretical basis for further studies on dam failure experiments and the evolution rules of leaked tailings flow.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.75-89
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• 2001

There are 334 coal mines and about 900 metal mines abandoned. The environmental problems such as acid mine drainage from adits etc. and the subsidence has occurred in the abandoned mines. In addition, soil has been contaminated by tailings. According to analysis of mine drainages, some of them from adits in the abandoned coal and metallic mines were acidic and polluted by heavy metals. Especially, water quality of coal mine drainages were different by areas. Treatment of mine drainage by conventional chemical treatment has the drawback because the operating cost is very expensive. The treatment system used in mine drainage is the natural treatment system such as anoxic limestone drain in adits and the constructed wetland. The method of reclamation for abandoned waste rocks and tailings impoundments are mainly landfilling.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 2003

Sampling of waters from each stage of treatment system (Successive Alkalinity Producing System; SAPS), tailings seepage, and spring near the Hanchang coal mine of Kangwon Province were carried out seasonally and analyzed to evaluate the source and possible path of groundwater contamination by acid mine drainage (AM). Sulfur isotope compositions were measured to identify the origin of groundwater contaminations and the sulfate reduction processes in the SAPS. Low pH and high metal concentration of spring water indicates possibility of the groundwater contamination by AMD. Removal efficiency of acidity of the SAPS was 18.17 g/$\textrm{m}^2$/day on an average and the metal removal efficiency was almost 100%, which was higher than those of other treatment systems. However, no appreciable decrease of sulfur content and almost similar sulfur isotope compositions of water from each stage of the treatment system may suggest incomplete or very poor sulfate reduction by sulfate reducing bacteria. Chemical and sulfur isotope compositions showed that spring water was contaminated by seepage from mine tailings. And seepage of stonewall, a part of treatment system was affected by both tailings seepage and mine adit drainage. In this study site, the treatment system was constructed for the only AMD from mine adit not for tailings seepages, which resulted in the groundwater contamination from tailing seepages. Similar situation is expected in other abandoned coal mine areas.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.45-55
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• 2003

This study investigates the fractional composition and the leaching characteristics of heavy metals in polluted soils due to mining activities. The fractionated composition of heavy metals is classified into five fractions; adsorbed, carbonate, reducible, organic and residual fraction. The status of humic substances in mine wastes of most sites are polyhumic except tailing from Sangdong mine. According to the sequential extraction procedures (SEPs), leaching probabilities of Cd in coal wastes and tailing are relatively low due to high percentage of residual fraction. 46.4% of Ni in tailings from Sangdong mine is probably leached under oxidized environment, and 39.4% of Cu in these tailings is readily extracted under strongly oxidized environment by organic fraction. According to leaching condition of pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, the amount of heavy metals leached out of coal wastes and tailing increases to 1/2 hours. At pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, concentration of Ni in tailing increases up three times of the initial value. Heavy metals released from coal wastes and tailing were not influenced significantly by leaching time.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.90-93
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• 2003

Sampling of waters from each stage of treatment system, SAPS (Successive Alkalinity Producing System), and spring water near the Hanchang coal mine of Kangwon. Province were carried out periodically and analyzed to evaluate the source and possible path of groundwater contamination by acid mine drainage(AMD). Chemical and sulfur isotope compositions showed that spring water was affected by seepage from mine tailings, and seepage of stonewall, a part of treatment system, was affected by both seepage from mine tailings and mine adit drainage. Through the treatment system no appreciable decrease of sulfur content was identified. And almost similar sulfur isotope compositions of water from each stage of the treatment system may suggest incomplete or very poor sulfate reduction by sulfate reducing bacteria.