• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.575-589
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• 2009

Groundwater has been extracted for irrigation in Sacheon-Hadong area, which is close to the South Sea. We analyzed chemical components of groundwater to examine the effects of seawater intrusion and agricultural activities in the study area. Most groundwater samples displayed the Na/Cl concentration ratios similar to that of seawater (0.55) with an increasing tendency of electrical conductivity ($227-7,910\;{\mu}S/cm$) towards the coast. In addition, statistical interpretation of the cumulative frequency curves of Cl and $HCO_3$ showed that 30.1% of the groundwater samples were highly affected by seawater intrusion. Groundwaters in the study area mostly belonged to the Ca-Cl and Na-Cl type, demonstrating that they were highly influenced by seawater intrusion and cation exchange. The result of oxygen-hydrogen isotope analysis demonstrated slightly higher $\delta^{18}O$ ((-8.53)-(-6.13)‰) and ${\delta}D$ ((-58.7)-(-43.7)‰) comparing to mean oxygen-hydrogen isotope ratios in Korea. As a result of nitrogen isotope analysis, the $\delta^{15}N-NO_3$ values ((-0.5)-(19.1)‰) indicate two major sources of nitrate pollution (organic nitrogen in soil and animal and human wastes) and mixed source of the two. However, denitrification may partly contribute as a source of nitrogen. According to factor analysis, four factors were identified among which factor 1 with an eigenvalue of 6.21 reflected the influence of seawater intrusion. Cluster analysis indicated the classification of groundwater into fresh, saline, and mixed ones.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2012

Geochemical composition of fracture filling minerals and groundwater was investigated to characterize geochemical characteristics of groundwater system at the KURT site. Minerals such as calcite, illite, laumontite, chlorite, epidote, montmorillonite, and kaolinite, as well as I/S mixed layer minerals were detected in the minerals extracted from the fracture surfaces of the core samples. The groundwater from the DB-1, YS-1 and YS-4 boreholes showed alkaline conditions with pH of higher than 8. The electrical conductivity (EC) values of the groundwater samples were around $200{\mu}S/cm$, except for the YS-1 borehole. Dissolved oxygen was almost zero in the DB-1 borehole indicating highly reduced conditions. The Cl- concentration was estimated around 5 mg/L and showed homogeneous distribution along depths at the KURT site. It might indicate the mixing between shallow groundwater and deep groundwater. The shallow groundwater from boreholes showed $Ca-HCO_3$ type, whereas deep groundwater below 300 m from the surface indicated $Na-HCO_3$ type. The isotopic values observed in the groundwater ranged from -10.4 to -8.2‰ for ${\delta}^{18}O$ and from -71.3 to -55.0‰for ${\delta}D$. In addition, the isotope-depleted water contained higher fluoride concentration. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic values of deep groundwater were more depleted compared to the shallow groundwater. The results from age dating analysis using $^{14}C$ indicated relatively younger (2000~6000yr old) groundwater compared to other european granitic groundwaters such as Stripa (Sweden).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.166-173
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• 2006

This research has been performed to clarify the relationship between hydrogeochemistry and bacterial community structure in groundwater contaminated with landfill leachate. We collected and analyzed samples from 5 sites such as leachate (KSG1-12), treated leachate (KSG1-16), two contaminated groundwaters (KSG1-07 and KSG1-08) and non-contaminated groundwater (KSG1-13). pH was 8.83, 8.04, 6.87, 6.87 and 6.53 in order; redox potential (Eh) 108, 202, 47, 200 and 154 mV; electric conductivity (EC) 3710, 894, 1223, 559 and 169.9 $\mu$S/cm; suspended solids (SS) 86.45, 13.74, 4.18, 0.24 and 11.91 mg/L. In KSG01-12, the ion concentrations were higher especially in $Cl^-$ and $HCO_3^-$ than other sites. The concentrations of Fe, Mn and $SO_4^{2-}$ were higher In KSG1-07 than in KSG1-08, and vise versa in $NO_3^{2-}$. In the comparison of DGGE fingerprint patterns, the similarity was highest between KSG1-13 and KSG1-16 (57.2%), probably due to common properties like low or none contaminant concentrations. Otherwise KSG1-08 showed lowest similarities with KSG1-13 (25.8%) and KSG1-12 (27.6%), maybe because of the degree of contamination. The most dominant bacterial species in each site were involved in $\alpha$-Proteobacteria (55.6%) in KSG1-12, $\gamma$-Proteobacteria (50.0%) in KSG1-16, $\beta$-Proteobacteria (66.7%) in KSG1-07, $\gamma$-Proteobacteria (54.5%) in KSG1-08 and $\beta$-Proteobacteria (36.4%) in KSG1-13. These results indicate that the microbial community structure might be changed according to the flow of leachate in grounderwater, implying changes in concentrations of pollutants, available electron accepters and/or other environmental conditions.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.40-53
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• 2008

Groundwater pollution prediction methods have been developed to plan the sustainable groundwater usage and protection from potential pollution in many countries. DRASTIC established by US EPA is the most widely used groundwater vulnerability mapping method. However, the DRASTIC showed limitation in predicting the groundwater contamination because the DRASTIC method is designed to embrace only hydrogeologic factors. Therefore, in this study, three different methods were applied to improve a groundwater pollution prediction method: US EPA DRASTIC, Modified-DRASTIC suggested by Panagopoulos et al. (2006), and LSDG (Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, Geology) proposed by Rupert (1999). The Modified-DRASTIC is the modified version of the DRASTIC in terms of the rating scales and the weighting coefficients. The rating scales of each factor were calculated by the statistical comparison of nitrate concentrations in each class using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test; while the weighting coefficients were modified by the statistical correlation of each parameter to nitrate concentrations using the Spearman's rho test. The LSDG is a simple rating method using four factors such as Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, and Geology. Classes in each factor are compared by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test which gives a different rating to each class if the nitrate concentration in the class is significantly different. A database of nitrate concentrations in groundwaters from 149 wells was built in Keumsan area. Application of three different methods for assessing the groundwater pollution potential resulted that the prediction which was represented by a correlation (r) between each index and nitrate was improved from the EPA DRASTIC (r = 0.058) to the modified rating (r = 0.245), to the modified rating and weights (r = 0.400), and to the LSDG (r = 0.415), respectively. The LSDG seemed appropriate to predict the groundwater pollution in that it contained land use as a factor of the groundwater pollution sources and the rating of each class was defined by a real pollution nitrate concentration.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.09a
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• pp.119-120
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• 2004

Urban groundwater has a unique hydrologic system because of the complex surface and subsurface infrastructures such as deep foundation of many high buildings, subway systems, and sewers and public water supply systems. It generally has been considered that increased surface impermeability reduces the amount of groundwater recharge. On the other hand, leaks from sewers and public water supply systems may generate the large amounts of recharges. All of these urban facilities also may change the groundwater quality by the recharge of a myriad of contaminants. This study was performed to determine the factors controlling the recharge of deep groundwater in an urban area, based on the hydrogeochemical characteristics. The term ‘contamination’ in this study means any kind of inflow of shallow groundwater regardless of clean or contaminated. For this study, urban groundwater samples were collected from a total of 310 preexisting wells with the depth over 100 m. Random sampling method was used to select the wells for this study. Major cations together with Si, Al, Fe, Pb, Hg and Mn were analyzed by ICP-AES, and Cl, N $O_3$, N $H_4$, F, Br, S $O_4$and P $O_4$ were analyzed by IC. There are two groups of groundwater, based on hydrochemical characteristics. The first group is distributed broadly from Ca-HC $O_3$ type to Ca-C1+N $O_3$ type; the other group is the Na+K-HC $O_3$ type. The latter group is considered to represent the baseline quality of deep groundwater in the study area. Using the major ions data for the Na+K-HC $O_3$ type water, we evaluated the extent of groundwater contamination, assuming that if subtract the baseline composition from acquired data for a specific water, the remaining concentrations may indicate the degree of contamination. The remainder of each solute for each sample was simply averaged. The results showed that both Ca and HC $O_3$ represent the typical solutes which are quite enriched in urban groundwater. In particular, the P$CO_2$ values calculated using PHREEQC (version 2.8) showed a correlation with the concentrations of maior inorganic components (Na, Mg, Ca, N $O_3$, S $O_4$, etc.). The p$CO_2$ values for the first group waters widely ranged between about 10$^{-3.0}$ atm to 10$^{-1.0}$ atm and differed from those of the background water samples belonging to the Na+K-HC $O_3$ type (<10$^{-3.5}$ atm). Considering that the p$CO_2$ of soil water (near 10$^{-1.5}$ atm), this indicates that inflow of shallow water is very significant in deep groundwaters in the study area. Furthermore, the P$CO_2$ values can be used as an effective parameter to estimate the relative recharge of shallow water and thus the contamination susceptibility. The results of our present study suggest that down to considerable depth, urban groundwater in crystalline aquifer may be considerably affected by the recharge of shallow water (and pollutants) from an adjacent area. We also suggest that for such evaluation, careful examination of systematically collected hydrochemical data is requisite as an effective tool, in addition to hydrologic and hydrogeologic interpretation.ion.ion.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.115-132
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• 2002

To distinguish the anthropogenic inputs from the chemical weathering with water-rock interaction on the chemical compositons of groundwater in Kwangju city, four different water groups were established based on the landuse type, lithology and topology. The sample from greenbelt area belongs to Group Ⅰ, whereas those from green buffer zone, urban area and industrial area belong to Group II, Group Ⅲ and Group Ⅳ, respectively. The geology of this city mainly consists of biotite granite and granitic gneiss. The concentration of main cations is subject to the behavior of feldspars, micas and carbonate minerals. Cl$\^$-/ and NO$_3$$\^$-/ are supplied by anthropogenic inputs such as domestic sewage whose concentration of these anions is highest in the Group Ⅲ samples. With the Piper diagram, the groundwaters of Group Ⅲ are mainly plotted in CaSO$_4$-CaCl$_2$ type, whereas those of other groups are plotted in Ca(HCO$_3$)$_2$ type, The calculation for the activities of ions and saturation indices of some minerals shows that most of the minerals are undersaturated and plotted in the area of equlibrium with kaolinite. Three factors were extracted from the factor analysis for chemical data. Factor 1 controlled by HCO$_3$$\^$-/, Ca$\^$2-/, SO$_4$$\^$2-/, Mg$\^$2+/ and Na$\^$+/, explains the dissolution of carbonate minerals. mica and plagioclase. Factor 2, controlled by Cl$\^$-/ and NO$_3$$\^$-/, explains the influence of artificial pollution. Factor 3, controlled by Mn, Fe and Zn is subject to the industrial waste water, but the evidence is not clear. Factor 1 is dominant in the Group I and II, indicating that those samples are subjected to natural chemical weathering, The higher scores of factor 2 in the Group Ⅲ samples indicate the potential artificial pollution.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2018

Groundwaters in different rock types (Mesozoic granite, Precambrian gneiss, and schist) of Ganghwa island, Incheon City were characterized by using naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and hydrogeochemical constituents. For the study, groundwater samples from 69 wells had been collected over eight years. Statistical methods were applied to relate hydrogeochemical components and NORM in the groundwater samples. The groundwater samples belonged to $Ca(Na)-HCO_3$ types. The uranium concentrations in three groundwater samples exceeded 30 ug/L of United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL). The radon concentrations in 28 groundwater samples exceeded 4,000 pCi/L (picocuries per Liter) of US EPA alternative maximum contaminant level (AMCL). Gross-alpha in all the groundwater samples did not exceed 15 pCi/L of US EPA MCL. The average concentrations of uranium and radon in groundwater were the highest in granite area, and then gneiss, schist areas in order. In schist area, the correlation coefficient (R) between radon and $HCO_3$ is -0.40 and R between uranium and $SO_4$ is 0.54. In gneiss area, the R between radon and uranium is 0.55 and the R between uranium and $SO_4$ is 0.41. According to factor analysis, each geological area shows different chemical characteristics. The statistical analysis of whole groundwater resulted in nearly no significant relationship among uranium, radon and chemical constituents. Subsequently, more detailed studies on hydrogeological, geochemical, and geological characteristics related to NORM are required to better understand the behavior and fate of NORM.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.463-471
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• 2006

Electrical resistivity surveys were conducted at areas of abandoned landfills in Cheonan and Wonju. Geology and extent of leachate migration around the landfills were evaluated with collected resistivity data by 2-D and 3-D resistivity inverse modeling. The Cheonan landfill is located above the paddy fields and the resistivity survey lines were crossed to examine possible pollution at the paddy fields by leakage of the landfill leachate. In Wonju, the landfill and the downgradient paddy fields are divided by a concrete barrier wall. At the bottom of the landfill, there is a leachate settlement system, which has not been in operation. To evaluate leachate leakage into the paddy fields, a total of 4 survey lines were used. According to the resistivity survey results, the landfill leachate in Cheonan appeared to be restricted only within the interior of the landfill, not to migrate into the subsurface of the paddy fields. These results are well consistent with electrical conductivity values of groundwaters obtained from a periodic analysis of water qualities. In Wonju, however, it was inferred that the leachate emanating from the landfill migrated beneath the abandoned leachate settlement system and the leachate would reach the downgradient paddy fields. Low resistivity area was observed in the old reservoir area and it appeared to be derived from convergence of groundwater flows from the surrounding valley and the moist wet land. In addition, groundwater flow into the paddy fields occurs beneath the old reservoir embankment at depths of $7{\sim}8m$. This paper reports details of the resistivity surveys for the uncontrolled landfills.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.185-199
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• 1998

Hydrogeochemical and environmental isotope studies were undertaken for various kinds of water samples collected in 1995-1996 from the Bugok geothermal area. Physicochemical data indicate the occurrence of three distinct groups of natural water: Group I ($Na-S0_4$ type water with high temperatures up to $77^{\circ}C$, occurring from the central part of the geothermal area), Group II (warm $Na-HCO_{3}-SO_{4}$ type water, occurring from peripheral sites), Group III ($Ca-HCO_3$ type water, occurring as surface waters and/or shallow cold groundwaters). The Group I waters are further divided into two SUbtypes: Subgroup Ia and Subgroup lb. The general order of increasing degrees of hydrogeochemical evolution (due to the degrees of water-rock interaction) is: Group III$\rightarrow$Group II$\rightarrow$Group I. The Group II and III waters show smaller degrees of interaction with rocks (largely calcite and Na-plagioclase), whereas the Group I waters record the stronger interaction with plagioclase, K-feldspar, mica, chlorite and pyrite. The concentration and sulfur isotope composition of dissolved sulfate appear as a key parameter to understand the origin and evolution of geothermal waters. The sulfate was derived not only from oxidation of sedimentary pyrites in surrounding rocks (especially for the Subgroup Ib waters) but also from magmatic hydrothermal pyrites occurring in restricted fracture channels which extend down to a deep geothermal reservoir (typically for the Subgroup Ia waters). It is shown that the applicability of alkaliion geothermometer calculations for these waters is hampered by several processes (especially the mixing with Mg-rich near-surface waters) that modify the chemical composition. However, the multi-component mineral/water equilibria calculation and available fluid inclusion data indicate that geothermal waters of the Bugok area reach temperatures around $125^{\circ}C$ at deep geothermal reservoir (possibly a cooling pluton). Environmental isotope data (oxygen-18, deuterium and tritium) indicate the origin of all groups of waters from diverse meteoric waters. The Subgroup Ia waters are typically lower in O-H isotope values and tritium content, indicating their derivation from distinct meteoric waters. Combined with tritium isotope data, the Subgroup Ia waters likely represent the older (at least 45 years old) meteoric waters circuated down to the deep geothermal reservoir and record the lesser degrees of mixing with near-surface waters. We propose a model for the genesis and evolution of sulfate-rich geothermal waters.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.33-44
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• 2009

Water curtain of an underground LPG storage cavern is a facility to prevent leakage of high pressure gases, for which groundwater should flow freely towards the cavern and groundwater level also must be stably maintained. In this study, in order to evaluate qualities of seepage water and surrounding groundwater of an underground LPG storage cavern in Yeosu, 4 rounds of samplings, field measurements and laboratory analyses (February, May, August, October of 2007) were conducted. According to field measurements, pH was weak acidic to neutral but it gradually increased with time. Electrical conductivity (EC) of groundwater near a salt stack showed very high values between 10.47 and 38.50 mS/cm. Dissolved oxygen (DO) showed a very wide range of 0.20~8.74 mg/L and a mean of oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) was 159 mV, which indicated an oxidized condition. Levels of $Fe^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ were mostly less than 3 mg/L. All of seepage waters showed a Na-Cl type while only groundwater near the salt stack showed a Na-Cl type with a high total dissolved solid. The other groundwaters exhibited typical $Ca-HCO_3$ types. Levels of aerobic bacteria were mostly very high (573-39,520 CFU/mL). Based on the analyses of these hydrochemistry and biological characteristics, it is concluded that there are no particular problems in groundwater and seepage water, which not causing a trouble in the cavern operation. However, both for control of bio-clogging and for sustainable operation of the water curtain system, a regular hydrochemical and microbiological monitoring is required for the seepage water and surrounding groundwater.