• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2004

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of geochemical approaches for investigating and assessing heavy metal contamination in abandoned mine sites. Major sources of contaminants at the abandoned mine sites are mine water, waste rocks, tailings, and chemicals used in beneficiation and mineral processing. Soil, sediment, surface and ground water, and ecological system can be contaminated by heavy metals, which are transported due to erosion of mine waste piles, discharge of acid mine drainage and processed water, and dispersion of dust from waste rocks and tailings. The abandoned mine sites should be characterized using various methods including chemical analysis, mineralogical analysis, acid generation prediction tests, leaching/extraction tests, and field tests. Potential and practical environmental impacts from the abandoned mines should be assessed based on the site characterization.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1609-1618
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• 2014

In this study, as a fundamental study for the remediation of the radionuclides-contaminated soil, the adsorption of cobalt, strontium, and cesium on natural soil and kaolin were experimently investigated and adsorption characteristics were evaluated by using several adsorption kinetic and isotherm models. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model (PFOM), pseudo-second-order kinetic model (PSOM), one-site mass transfer model (OSMTM), and two compartment first-order kinetic model (TCFOKM) were used to evaluate the kinetic data and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was the best with good correlation. The adsorption equilibria of cobalt, strontium, and cesium on natural soil were fitted successfully by Redlich-Peterson and Sips models. For kaolin, the adsorption equilibria of cobalt, strontium, and cesium were fitted well by Redlich-Peterson, Freundlich, and Sips models, respectively. The amount of adsorbed radionuclides on natural soil and kaolin was in the order of cesium > strontium > cobalt. It is considered that these results could be useful to predicting the adsorption behaviors of radionuclides such as cobalt, strontium, and cesium in soil environments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.183-186
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• 2002

The objective of this study is to predict behavior of a contaminant plume and concentration of contaminants in soil through tile relations between the concentrations of contaminants in groundwater and in soil on the shallow sandy aquifer contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. The current state of the plume and its fate in the study area was simulated by using the MODFLOW-RT3D model and geochemical parameters of grounwater had been monitored and measured during 3 years (1999~2001). The relations between the concentrations of contaminants in each medium were taken from the investigation of site characterization conducted in 1999. Simulation results showed the center of the plume would migrate 407m twenty years later. At that time, the concentration would be decreased down to about 26 mg/$\ell$(93%). In comparison TEX concentration in the groundwater with that in the soil, the value of correlation coefficient (r=0.876) was as high as it could be used. Based on the high r-value, the linear equation was obtained from regression analysis. The results of model simulation by RT3D engine showed that the highest TEX concentration in the groundwater would be 58.8 mg/$\ell$ 16 years later, and then the TEX concentration in soil would be below the alarming level (80 mg/kg) of regulation criteria.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.61-66
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• 1980

We studied four patients with muscle necrosis associated with acute renal failure to evaluate the diagnostic value of the bone scan in this disease. The illness followed carbon monoxide poisoning in two patients, acute physical exertion in one and contaminated intramuscular injection in the other. Whole-body rectilinear bone scans using technetium 99m-methyldiphosphonate were done. In all patients, increased muscle labelling at the regions of suspected muscle injury was showed, and in one, it was after normalization of serum muscle enzyme levels. In one patient, the bone scan was rechecked 8 months later and showed no residual abnormality. Above all, the site and precise extent of muscle injury could be detected and the degree of muscle labelling seemed to correlate with the severy of muscle injury. These findings suggest that isotope scanning may be useful in the diagnosis of patients with acute muscle necrosis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.274-277
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• 2017

Objectives: Legionnaires' disease (LD) is a severe type of pneumonia caused by inhalation of aerosols contaminated with Legionella. On September 22, 2016, a single case of LD was reported from a newly built apartment building in Gyeonggi province. This article describes an epidemiologic investigation of LD and identification of the possible source of infection. Methods: To identify the source of LD, we interviewed the patient's husband using a questionnaire based on the Legionella management guidelines from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Water samples from the site were collected and analyzed. An epidemiological investigation of the residents and visitors in the apartment building was conducted for 14 days before the index patient's symptoms first appeared to 14 days after the implementation of environmental control measures. Results: Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from the heated-water samples from the patient's residence and the basement of the apartment complex. Thirty-two suspected cases were reported from the apartment building during the surveillance period, yet all were confirmed negative based on urinary antigen tests. Conclusions: The likely source of infection was the building's potable water, particularly heated water. Further study of effective monitoring systems in heated potable water should be considered.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.46-51
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• 2000

Environmental quality regulations are used to establish the maximum permissible concentrations of heavy metals before a site can be deemed to be polluted or contaminated. This paper compares the results obtained by 0.IN HCl extraction and acid extraction method(HNO$_3$+HClO$_4$.HCl). The leaching efficiency of 0.1N HCl extraction is directly proportional to the final pH of leachate, due to the different solubilities of the heavy metals at different pH values, The severe differences between 0.1N HCl-extractable and total metal contents result mainly from the buffering effect of carbonates, present in sediment. samples. Application of sequential extraction experiments to some sediments collected from gully pot in Seoul illustrates a much stronger scavenging effect by Fe and Mn-hydroxides, carbonates and organic phases. As deduced from both sequential extraction and leaching experiments, the relative mobility of heavy metals is found to be: Mn>Zn>>Co>Cd>>Cu>Pb>Cr>Fe, in spite of large differences in heavy metal content and localization. Changes in the physicochemical environments (such as acidification) caused by a traffic accident may result in the severe environmental pollution of heavy metals of surrounding area( surface water and rivers).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.942-948
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• 2003

Soil samples were obtained from 5 sites contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These soil samples were cultured in using phenanthrene as a sole carbon and energy source, and 36 strains of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria were isolated from 3 sites. Most of them degraded 500 ppm of phenanthrene within 8 to 10 days, and these isolates could degrade a few other PAHs other than phenanthrene. Their genotypes were determined by restriction digests of the l6S rRNA genes [amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA)]. It was found that all the phenanthrene degrading isolates were included in 4 ARDRA types, and they showed a strict site endemism. l6S rDNAs of 12 strains selected from different sites were sequenced, and they were all confirmed as Sphingomonas strains. Their l6S rDNA sequences were compared for phylogenetic analysis; their sequence showed a similar result to ARDRA typing, thus indicating that these heterotrophic soil bacteria are not regionally mixed. In addition, it was found that the microbial diversity among sampling sites could be monitored by l6S rDNA PCR-RFLP pattern alone, which is simpler and easier to perform, without l6S rDNA sequence analysis.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2020

The effectiveness of in situ sediment capping as a technique for heavy metal risk mitigation in Hyeongsan River estuary, South Korea was studied. Sites in the estuary were found previously to show moderate to high levels of contamination of mercury, methylmercury and other heavy metals. A 400 m x 50 m section of the river was selected for a thin layer capping demonstration, where the total area was divided into 4 sections capped with different combinations of capping materials (zeolite, AC/zeolite, AC/sand, zeolite/sand). Pore water concentrations in the different sites were studied using diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) probes. All capping amendments showed reduction in the pore water concentration of the different heavy metals with top 5 cm showing %reduction greater than 90% for some heavy metals. The relative maxima for the different metals were found to be translated to lower depths with addition of the caps. For two-layered cap with AC, order of placement should be considered since AC can easily be displaced due to its relatively low density. Investigation of methylmercury (MeHg) in the site showed that MeHg and %MeHg in pore water corresponds well with maxima for sulfide, Fe and Mn suggesting mercury methylation as probably coupled with sulfate, Fe and Mn reduction in sediments. Our results showed that thin-layer capping of active sorbents AC and zeolite, in combination with passive sand caps, are potential remediation strategy for sediments contaminated with heavy metals.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.41-45
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• 2007

Polaromonas naphthalenivorans CJ2, responsible for naphthalene degradation at a coal tar contaminated site, was isolated on MSB agar media supplied with naphthalene vapor as the sole carbon source at $10^{\circ}C$. The strain is not isolated under the same isolation condition using the same soil sediment at $20^{\circ}C$ although its optimum temperature is about $20^{\circ}C$. In this work we explored the reason why strain CJ2 could not have been isolated on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $20^{\circ}C$. Dispersed CJ2 cells in PBS buffer formed colonies on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $10^{\circ}C$ with low naphthalene vapor pressure, but not at $20^{\circ}C$ with high naphthalene vapor pressure. However, streaked cells without resuspension grew on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $10^{\circ}C,\;20^{\circ}C$, and even $25^{\circ}C$. Investigation of scanning electron microscopy showed that CJ2 cells formed extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) capsules, which were released easily from CJ2 cells by just dispersion. Therefore, it is concluded that strain CJ2 is able to overcome the naphthalene toxicity by forming a capsule-type barrier around the cells although it is susceptible to naphthalene toxicity at high temperature.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.426-430
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• 2003

Subsurface biobarrier technology has potential applications to contain contaminated groundwater and/or to degrade toxic pollutants in groundwater. Effective biobarrier formation is need to assess of hydrogeologic characteristics and to conduct practical operation strategies and design based on this prior to design biobarrier. Thus, in this study, we examined hydrogeologic characteristics in biobarrier construction site. Hydraulic conductivities which calculated from slug test data have shown difference with each well as 1.20$\times$10$^{-3}$ -6.00$\times$10$^{-5}$ cm/sec. Tracer test is a method in which concentration of tracer solution during withdrawal in each well by vacuum extraction system is measured with time. Tracer solution was continuously injected by constant head tank. Measured tracer concentration versus time data were fitted to analytical solution of convection dispersion equation (CDE). The fitting data of CDE to the measured data at each extraction well yielded were 0.61cm/min(pore velocity), 5.38$\textrm{cm}^2$/min(dispersion coefficient) for discharge rate of 0.47 1/min and 1.75cm/min(pore velocity), 36.34$\textrm{cm}^2$/min(dispersion coefficient) for discharge rate of 0.93 1/min. As a result, we acquired fundamental parameters which need to design biobarrier and operation strategies.