• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.223-233
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• 1998

The environments in the vicinity of the Dalseong mine has been much contaminated by heavy metals related to CuW ore deposit, which is of hydrothermal pipe type mineralized by quartz monzonite in the andesitic rocks. Chalcopyrite and wolframite are major ore minerals and sphalerite, galena and others are associated. To investigate the contamination of heavy metals in plants, samples of plants and soils were analysed by ICP for Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd and Cr. Most of ore-related heavy metals are anomalously high in plants and soils, which were contaminated by the development of Taehan Tungsten Mining Company. The mine produced 48,704 tons (M/T) of 4 wt.% Cu and 1,620 tons (S/T) of 70 wt.% of $WO_3$ during active mining activity from 1961 to 1971 but was closed in 1975. Wild plants growing at the mine area may be used to remove heavy metals form soils, which cause contaminations of plants, stream waters and groundwaters in the vicinity of the mine.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.113-121
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• 2015

The contaminated soil at abandoned smelter areas present challenge for remediation, as the degraded materials are typically deficient in nutrients, and rich in toxic heavy metals and metalloids. Bioremediation technique is to isolate new strains of microorganisms and develop successful protocols for reducing metal toxicity with heavy metal tolerant species. The present study collected metal contaminated soil and characterized for pH and EC values, and heavy metal contents. The pH value was 5.80, representing slightly acidic soil, and EC value was 13.47 mS/m. ICP-AES analytical results showed that the collected soil samples were highly contaminated with various heavy metals and metalloids such as lead (183.0 mg/kg), copper (98.6 mg/kg), zinc (91.6 mg/kg), and arsenic (48.1 mg/kg), respectively. In this study, a bacterial strain, Bacillus cereus KM-15, capable of adsorbing the heavy metals was isolated from the contaminated soils by selective enrichment and characterized to apply for the bioremediation. The effects of heavy metal on the growth of the Bacillus cereus KM-15 was determined in liquid cultures. The results showed that 100 mg/L arsenic, lead, and zinc did not affect the growth of KM-15, while the bacterial growth was strongly inhibited by copper at the same concentration. Further, the ability of the bacteria to adsorb heavy metals was evaluated.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.41-47
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• 2020

This study was carried out to utilize the coal bottom ash generated in a circulating fluidized bed combustion boiler as a treatment agent for heavy metal ions, and experiments were conducted to remove heavy metal ions from the acid mine drainage. The batch experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of dosage of ash, initial concentration of solution on the removal capacity of heavy metal ions (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb). The results of the experiment showed that the total removal capacity of heavy metals was 30.8 mg/L and 46.4 mg/g, respectively, under the condition that the concentration of coal ash was added as 15 g/L of heavy materials and 10 g/L of light materials. After that, a long-term column experiment was performed to determine the maximum removal capacity of heavy metal ions (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, As), and the removal capacity for each metal component was investigated. After approximately 60 days of operation, the maximum removal capacity of heavy metals was 23.6 mg/g at pH 9.25.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2016

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to survey the levels of heavy metals in perennial root vegetables and to assess dietary exposure and risk to the Korean population health.METHODS AND RESULTS: Perennial root vegetables (n=214) including Panax ginseng C.A mayer, Woodcultivated ginseng, Codonopsis lanceolata, and Platycodon granditloum were collected from markets or harvested from farmhouse in Korea. Lead(Pb), cadmium(Cd) and arsenic (As) analysis were performed with microwave device and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Limit of detection for heavy metals were 0.010~0.050 μg/kg, while limit of quantitation were 0.035~0.175 μg/kg. The recovery results were in the range of 76~102%. The average contents of heavy metals in perennial root vegetables were in the range of Pb 0.013(Panax ginseng C.A Mayer)~0.070 (Wood-cultivated ginseng) mg/kg, Cd 0.009(Panax ginseng C.A Mayer)~0.034(Codonopsis lanceolata) mg/kg, and As 0.002(Panax ginseng C.A Mayer)~0.004(Plafycodon grandiflorum) mg/kg, respectively. For risk assessment, daily intakes of heave metals were estimated and risk indices were calculated in comparison with reference dose. The dietary exposures of heavy metals through usual intake were Pb 0.070 μg/day, Cd 0.041 μg/day and As 0.008 μg/day, taking 0.03%, 0.08% and 0.0003% as risk indices, respectively.CONCLUSION: The risk level for Korean population exposed to heavy metals through intake of perennial root vegetables was far low, indicating of little possibility of concern.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.435-444
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• 2009

In situ stabilization of heavy metals through adsorption onto indigenous bacterial biofilm developed on soil particles was investigated. Biofilms were developed in soil columns by supply of various carbon sources such as acetate, lactate and glucose. During development of biofilms, acetate, lactate, and glucose solutions were flew out from the soil columns with volume ratios of 98.5%, 97.3%, and 94.7%, respectively, when compared with soil column supplied with deionized water. Decrease in effluent amounts through the soil columns amended with carbon sources over time indicated the formation of biofilms resulting in decrease of soil porosity. Solutions of Cd, Cr(VI), Cu, Pb, and Zn were injected into the biofilms supported on soil particles in the columns, and the dissolved heavy metals in effluents were determined. Concentrations of dissolved Cd, Cr(VI), Cu, and Zn in the effluents through biofilm columns were lower than those of control column supplied with deionized water. The result was likely due to enhanced adsorption of the metals onto biofilms. Efficiency of metal removal by biofilms depended on the type of carbon sources supplied. The enhanced removal of dissolved heavy metals by bacterial biofilms in this study may be effectively applied to technical development of in situ stabilization of heavy metals in natural soil formation contaminated with heavy metals.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.15-23
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• 2004

Deicer operations provide traffic safety during winter driving conditions in urban areas. Using large quantities of de-icing chemicals (i.e., $CaCl_2$ and NaCl) can cause serious environmental problems and may change behaviors of heavy metals in roadside sediments, resulting in an increase in mobilization of heavy metals due to complexation of heavy metals with chloride ions. To examine effect of de-icing salt concentration on the leaching behaviors and mobility of heavy metals (cadmium, zinc, copper, lead, arsenic, nickel, chromium, cobalt, manganese, and iron), leaching experiments were conducted on roadside sediments collected from Seoul city using de-icing salt solutions having various concentrations (0.01-5.0M). Results indicate that zinc, copper, and manganese in roadside sediments were easily mobilized, whereas chromium and cobalt remain strongly fixed. The zinc, copper and manganese concentrations measured in the leaching experiments were relatively high. De-icing salts can cause a decrease in partitioning between adsorbed (or precipitated) and dissolved metals, resulting in an increase in concentrations of dissolved metals in salt laden snowmelt. As a result, run-off water quality can be degraded. The de-icing salt applied on the road surface also lead to infiltration and contamination of heavy metal to groundwater.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.1236-1241
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• 2007

The feasibility of soil washing was investigated in the laboratory to treat heavy metals-contaminated railway soil. Various organic acids including ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid as well as inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) and phosphoric acid were tested to evaluate washing efficiency. Generally, inorganic acid showed higher removal efficiency compared to organic acids. Specially, EDTA, which are well known as most effective washing agent to remove heavy metals from soil, was not efficient to remove heavy metals in this study. Among washing agents tested in this study, HCl was most effective. The removal of Cd, Cu, and Pb was high, however, that for Zn and Ni was less than 30% with 0.5 M HCl. This difference comes from analytical methods (Korean Standard Test Method for Soil). Aqua regia was used to extract Zn and Ni, however 0.1 N HCl was used for other metals. As a result, simple washing technology is not effective, to treat railway contaminated soil with heavy metals.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2014

Absorption and accumulation of heavy metals in plants were determined by phytoavailable contents rather than total contents of heavy metals. Therefore, phytoavailability-based management protocol should be prepared for safe food crop production in contaminated agricultural lands. This study was conducted to understand the distribution and phytoavailability of heavy metal in the Korean agricultural soils affected by abandoned mining sites along with investigation of soil properties (soil pH, OM, DOC, clay content, Al/Fe/Mn content) influencing on the metal phytoavailability. For this, 142 agricultural soils located nearby 39 abandoned mining sites distributed in five province in Korea, were analyzed. Among the four different heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) appeared to exist in more phytoavailable form than cupper (Cu) and lead (Pb). Soil pH was the main factor governing phytoavailable Cd, Pb, and Zn showing positive relationship with partitioning coefficients of the corresponding metals; Cd (r = 0.66, P < 0.001), Pb (r = 0.70, P < 0.001), and Zn (r = 0.62, P < 0.001). This implied higher phytoavailability of the corresponding metals with higher soil pH. In contrast, phytoavailability of Cu (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) was only negatively related with soil DOC (dissolved organic carbon).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2016

In this study, nine heavy metals were analyzed in seaweeds collected from market and laver culture farm of Korea and a food safety assessment were also carried out for these heavy metals. The level of heavy metal concentrations in seaweeds was in the following order: Fe>As>Zn>Cu>Cd>Pb>Cr>Ni>Hg. Except for zinc and cadmium, seven heavy metals were significantly higher in cultured laver than in processed laver. Significant correlation was observed Cr-Fe in cultured laver and Cu-Zn, Cd-Cu, Cd-Zn and Pb-Ni in processed laver and Cu-Cr, Cu-Zn, Cd-Cr and Ni-Fe in sea tangle and Zn-Fe, Cr-Fe, Cr-Zn, Cd-Ni, Cu-Cd and Cu-Pb in processed sea mustard. Considering differences in heavy metal concentration between processed laver and cultured laver and in correlation among heavy metals, removal efficiency of heavy metals may be attributed to seaweed treatment process. The average weekly intakes of Cu, Cd, Zn, Fe and Hg via seaweeds consumption were about 0.1~7.6% of PTWI (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes). Therefore, it was found that heavy metals in the seaweeds were very safe for consumption.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 1980

Certain heavy metals which may lead peoples to poisonous status are widely used in industry and their uses have been increasing along with rapid industrialization of this country. Such an increasement of metal uses aggravates the status of environmental pollution affecting foodstuffs which are the most important life supporting factor of animal and humanbeing. Concerning the safety measures to minimize food-borne transmission of such hazardous metals, surveillance is the backbone of them and probably more so with a potential problem such as intoxication. Theoretically, this surveillance should include the determination of levels of heavy metal toxicants in foods, the determination of food consumption patterns and typical total diet, and the estimation of total load of the metal contaminant from all sources of exposure including air, water, and occupational sources. In recent year, actually, such estimates on the total daily intake of some heavy metals from foods have been made in several developed countries and a wide variation of date by season, locality, and research method was recognized. Also in this country, this kind of research data is vitally needed to make up for the serious shortage or lack of references to estimate the total amount of heavy metal intake of the people. In this study, a modification model for estimation of the total daily intake of cadmium copper, nickel, zinc, and lead through foods was applied and concentrations of the above metals in crops cultivated in this country were measured with atomic absorption spectro photometer to get the following results. 1. Level of heavy metal concentration in crops Generally, the levels of such metals in essential crops such as rice, cucumber, radish. chinese cabbage, apple, pear, grape, and orange are similar or lower than those in Japan and other developed countries. By the way, a striking result on cadmium concentration was increasement of its concentration in rice from $0{\sim}0.035ppm$ in 1970 to 0.11ppm in this study. However, the value is still far below the. Japanese Permissible Lebel of 1.0ppm. 2. Estimation of total daily intake per capita from foods A new model for estimation was devised utilizing levels of metal concentration in foods, amount of food consumed, and other food factors. Based on the above method, the daily intake of cadmium was estimated to be $70.53{\mu}g/man/day$ in average which was as high as the Limit Value of ILO/WHO(up to $71.4{\mu}g/man/day$). Also, 3.89mg of Zinc, 1.65mg of cuppor, 0.32mg of lead were given as the total daily intake per capita by this research. 3. Efficacy of washing or skinning to decrease the amount of metals in crops After washing the crops sufficiently with commercial linear alkylate sulfonate, the concentration of heavy metals could be reduced to $50{\sim}80%$ showing decreasement rate of $20{\sim}50%$. Also, after skinning the fruits, decreasement rate of the heavy metal concentration shelved $0{\sim}50%$.