• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.523-532
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• 2008

A phase II site investigation and feasibility study was conducted at a military mortar shooting range near the demilitarized zone (Kyunggi, South Korea) to assess the extent of contaminants migration to the nearby Imjin river in which a flood control dam is under construction. The results showed that silty-clay soils around target areas were co-contaminated with heavy metals (Cd, Cu, and Pb) and explosives (HMX, RDX, and TNT). The total amount of contaminant was estimated to be 497.1 kg-RDX, 20.6 kg-HMX, 1.4 kg-TNT, 35.2 kg-Cd, 4,331 kg-Cu, and 5,115 kg-Pb, respectively. Both heavy metals and explosives were almost equally distributed on each soil particle size fraction. Neither subsurface soil samples nor ground water samples showed signs of contamination above the environmental criteria. The major migration route of contaminants was soil particles in surface run-off during rain at which a mass discharge rate of 30.0 mg-RDX/hour was observed.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.17-29
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• 2014

A remedial investigation was conducted at five military training ranges in northern Gyeonggi province to collect information necessary for the design of on-site treatment facilities for the abatement of explosive compounds release to the environment. These information includes (i) identification of dominant explosive compounds in each range, (ii) discharge/migration routes, and (iii) contaminant distribution in particle size fraction and settling velocity of the soils. The results of investigation showed that TNT and RDX are the major contaminants but the extent of contamination varied depending on the types of military training practices and topography of the site. RDX was also detected in the subsurface soil and in the nearby stream within the training ranges, suggesting release of contaminants to streams. The median concentrations of explosives in the surface soil were less than 20 mg/kg despite several 'hot spots' in which explosives concentrations often exceeds several hundred mg/kg. The average clay contents in the soil of target area was less than 5 % compared to 12 % in the control, indicating loss of smaller particles by surface runoff during rainfall due to lack of vegetative land cover. Analysis of explosive compounds and particle size distribution showed that the amount of explosive compounds in soil particles smaller than 0.075 mm was less than 10 % of the total. Settling column tests also revealed that the quantity of explosive compounds in the liquid phase of the effluent was greater than that in the solid phase. Therefore, pre-treatment of particulate matter in surface runoff of shooting range with a simple settling basin and subsequent effluent treatment with planted constructed wetlands as polishing stage for explosives in the aqueous phase would provide the shooting ranges with a self-standing, sustainable, green solution.