• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.52-61
• /
• 2014

Metal concentrations in the former Janghang smelter area were determined and human health risk of arsenic (As) with bioaccessibility was investigated. Site investigation of the area within 1.5 km from the Janghang smelter showed the As concentrations of 4.8~169.8 mg/kg (avg. 37.8 mg/kg). For 85 samples out of 126 samples, As concentrations were higher than the Worrisome Level of the Korean Soil and Environment Conservation Act, and seven samples exceeded the Countermeasure Standard. Risk assessment for As incorporated with the bioaccessibility revealed that potential human health risk of the carcinogenic ($1.8{\sim}5.0{\times}10^{-5}$) was above the acceptable risk range ($10^{-5}{\sim}10^{-6}$) while the risk of the non-carcinogenic was not found. Remediation goals based on risk incorporated with bioaccessibility of As ranged from 10.8 to 20.0 mg/kg. Such difference in the remediation goals resulted from various bioaccessibility of As (i.e., between 8.7~66.3%) at the study site.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.14-21
• /
• 2016

This study evaluated the applicability of stabilization of arsenic (As)-contaminated soil with iron (Fe) oxides at the former Janghang smelter site. Three Fe oxides (magnetite, goethite, and hematite) were tested as stabilizing agents to one soil sample collected from the study site. Amendment of 5% of magnetite, goethite, or hematite for one week showed the 64, 58, and 36% of reduction of the SBRC (Solubility/Bioavailability Research Consortium)-extractable (bioaccessible) As, respectively. Duration of stabilization more than one week did not show an additional reduction in SBRC-extractable As. Amendment of 5% of magnetite, which showed the highest As stabilization efficiency, was applied to 24 soil samples collected from the same site for one week, and 72% of reduction in the bioaccessible As was observed. The potential carcinogenic human health risk at the study site caused by As was $1.7{\times}10^{-5}$, which could be reduced to $8.1{\times}10^{-6}$ by the amendment of 5% magnetite for one week.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.21-31
• /
• 2012

This paper presents the short-term and long-term measures to determine the fugitive dust concentration in a contaminated site, which is a crucial step for the determination of particulate emission factor (PEF) for risk assessment. As a long-term measure, USEPA method employing Q/C value (inverse of the ratio of the geometric mean air concentration to the emission flux at center of a 0.5-acre square source) seems to be suitable as it reflects regional-specific meteorological conditions. However, it requires nation-wide database collection and interpretation. Use of ASTM method is an alternative as a short-term measure. The method is readily field-applicable as PEF calculation equation is simple and input parameters can be easily derived at the site of interest as well without the nation-wide efforts. Using ASTM method, PEF at the Former Janghang Smelter Site was determined. According to various mode of aggregate size distribution and fractions of vegetative cover, which are the most important factors in PEF calculation, PEF values at the Former Janghang Smelter Site varied greatly. When the mode of aggregate size distribution was set at 0.25 mm, PEF values at the Former Janghang Smelter Site was 5~20 times higher than the default PEF value (i.e., 35 ${\mu}g/m^3$) shown in the current Korean Soil Contamination Risk Assessment Guidance. On contrast, when the mode was set at 2 mm, PEF values at the Former Janghang Smelter Site was 160~640 times lower than the default PEF value in the Korean Guidance.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.139-147
• /
• 1997

The Janghang smelter is the first lead, zinc and copper smelting facility in Korea which was operated for a half century from 1936 to 1989. The clay minerals and their heavy metal association in the soil profile around the smelter have been studied using XRD, EPMA, SEM-EDS, TEM, EPR and sequential extraction techniques. The soils in A horizon are highly acidic showing pH 4.45. The pH is going up with increasing depth. They have residual water contents of 1.18-1.51 wt%, loss on ignition of 6.32-7.79 wt%, and carbon contents of 0.08-0.88 wt%. Soils consist of quartz, feldspar, muscovite, kaolinite, vermiculite, biotite, chlorite, goethite and hematite in the decreasing abundance. The contents of clay minerals, especially vermiculite and chlorite, decrease with increasing depth. Sequential extraction experiments for the profile samples show that heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd) are highly concentrated in the A horizon of the soil profile as water-extractable (mostly amorphous), MgCl2-extractable (exchangeable in clay minerals), and organic phases. The heavy metal contents decrease with increasing depth. It suggests that the heavy metals are mainly associate with clay minerlas in an exchangeable state. It is also noted that heavy metals are highly concentrated in the manganese and iron oxide phases.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the performance of four commercial chemical agents in stabilizing arsenic (As) in soil at the forest area near the former Janghang smelter site. After amending the stabilizing agents (A, B, C, and D) into As-contaminated soil samples, synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) and solubility bioavailability research consortium (SBRC)-extractable As concentrations significantly decreased except for agent D, which is mainly composed of fly ash and calcium carbonate. Increase of SPLP and SBRC-extractable As concentrations in four soil samples (S1, S2, S3, and J2) was attributed to desorption of As adsorbed on iron oxides due to high pH generated by agent D. It is therefore necessary to consider application conditions according to soil characteristics such as pH and buffering capacity. Results of sequential extraction showed that readily extractable fractions of As in soil (i.e., sum of $SO_4-$ and $PO_4-extractable$ As in soil) were converted into non-readily extractable fractions by amending agents A, B, and C. Such changes in the As distribution in soil resulted in the decrease of SPLP and SBRC-extractable As concentration. A series of follow-up monitoring and management plan has been suggested to assess the longevity of the stabilization treatments in the site.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.40-48
• /
• 2016

A siderophore-producing bacterium (i.e., Pseudomonas aeruginosa) capable of chelating Fe³⁺ from its mineral form (i.e., iron oxides) was used to enhance As uptake by plants. Since As in soil is mainly associated with iron oxides, siderophore can play an important role in As mobilization through the dissolution of As-bearing iron oxides. A series of pot experiment using Pteris cretica showed that As removal by P. cretica with siderophore-producing bacteria addition increased more than three times compared to that without bacteria addition. Competition between indigenous bacteria and introduced bacteria (i.e., P. aeruginosa) was also observed, but such competition seemed not to be significant. This study suggests that enhanced-phytoremediation by siderophore-producing bacteria addition could be a visible option for longterm As removal in the forest area at the former Janghang smelter site.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.16-22
• /
• 2010

Heavy metals in soils exist in various forms dependent upon surrounding conditions. As the Janghang smelter area is of concern for its high elevated heavy metal concentrations, Korean government decided to remediate the area. Main objectives of this research were; to analyze heavy metal concentrations and their existing forms in the vicinity of the smelter; and to understand differences made by analysis techniques of heavy metals. Top soils of rice field, crop field, bare field, and forestry in the area were sampled and analyzed for their physicochemical characteristics. Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, and As were analyzed with two pretreatment techniques adopted using 0.1 N HCl and aqua regia. To analyze existing forms of heavy metals, Tessier's schemes for sequential extraction technique were adopted. Exchangeable fraction and carbonate bound fraction of heavy metals may pose potential threat to environment and were in the order of Pb > As > Cu > Cd. If assessing mobile fraction of heavy metals by land uses, the order was forestry > bare land > crop field > rice field. When analyzed using Tessier's scheme, high ratio of residual fractions to total arsenic concentration should be considered for remediation design of the area.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.42-50
• /
• 2011

Potential risk of heavy metals to various receptors including humans depends on the bioavailability of the heavy metals in soil. In this study, the heavy metal extraction methods using 0.1N HCl and aqua regia were compared with the Tessier's sequential extraction method to assess whether these two methods can be used to determine the plant-available heavy metal concentrations. The contamination characteristics of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) found in soils collected from 75 sites around the closed Janghang smelter were analyzed by extracting heavy metals using 0.1 N HCl, aqua regia, and the Tessier's sequential extraction method. The portion of metals bioavailable to plants is considered as the sum of the fraction 1 (exchangeable) and the fraction 2 (carbonates binding) of the Tessier's 5-step sequential extraction method, which were determined to be 3.1 ${\pm}$ 3.82, 0.6 ${\pm}$ 0.15, 20.6 ${\pm}$ 18.78, and 7.0 ${\pm}$ 6.48 mg/kg for Cu, Cd, Pb, and As, respectively, in this study. When the extraction using aqua regia and the Tessier's extraction method were compared, the extracted Cu and Pb concentrations did not show significant differences, whereas the extracted Cd and As concentrations showed significant differences. These results indicate that the portion of Cd and As in the fraction 5 of the Tessier's sequential extraction can not be extracted using aqua regia. Using aqua regia, which is the official test method, higher concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb and As were extracted than the sum of the fraction 1 and 2. The results show that only 9, 40, 39 and 10% of Cu, Cd, Pb and As using aqua regia can be uptaken by plants (i.e., plant-available). Using 0.1N HCl, the portion of Cd equivalent to about 66% the fraction 1 could be extracted, while, with Pb, the portion of the fraction 1 and about 90% of the fraction 2 could be extracted. With As, the portion equivalent to the fraction 1, 2 and 79% of the fraction 3 was extracted, while with Cu, the portion equivalent to the fraction 1, 2, 3 and 20% of the fraction 4 was extracted using 0.1N HCl.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.131-141
• /
• 1994

To investigate differences in Cd and Zn contents in paddy soils and rice plants polluted by aerial emissions from the Janghang smelter, soil samples in the different directions and at the surface (0-15cm) and subsurface (15-30cm) in 1982 and 1990, and rice plants at the corresponding sampling sites in 1990 were collected from the Janghang Smelter Area. Soil samples were extracted with $4M-HNO_3$ and plant samples were digested with a mixture of $HNO_3$ and $HClO_4$for analyzing by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Cd and Zn contents in soils ranged from 0.09 to 4.42 and from 16.0 to 959.5mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively. The average contents of Cd and Zn in 1990 were higher than those in 1982. The Cd and Zn contents of soils near the center of the smelter were higher than those of soils farther from the center and also decreased in the order of east > north-north east > north east > north. The Cd and Zn levels in surface soils were higher than those in subsurface soils. The contaminated areas of Cd and Zn were within 4km in the east, and within 3km in the north-north east and the north east. Metal contents in brawn rice were the lowest in rice plants. The Cd content of brown rice was one sixth of that in leaf blade and in leaf sheath. The Cd content of leaf blade, stem and panicle axis were significantly correlated with the levels of Zn, Cu and Pb in soils, and Zn content of stem was significantly correlated with the levels of Cu and Pb. The Cd and Zn content in brown rice ranged from 0.05 to 0.25mg $kg^{-1}$ and from 10.5 to 30.9㎎ $kg^{-1}$ in the smelter area, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.185-193
• /
• 1992

To investigate differences in lead content in soils and paddy rices, affected by air pollutants from the Janghang Smelter, soil samples at the different directions, distances, and depths, surface(0-15cm depth) and subsurface(15-30cm depth) in 1982 and 1990, and rice plants at soil sampling sites in 1990 were separately collected at the Janghang Smelter area affected by combustible waste gas from the smelter chimney. Soil samples were extracted with $4M-HNO_3$ and plant samples were digested with mixture of $HNO_3$ and $HCIO_4$ for analyzing by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Pb contents in soils ranged from 10.3 to 644.8mg $kg^{-1}$. The average content in 1990 was higher than that in 1982. The Pb content in soils at sites nearer the center of the smelter was higher than that at sites farther from the center. The highest lead content was found at the east direction, and was low in order of east>north-north east>north east > north. The variation of Pb level in soils at east sites was more considerable than other directions. The Pb level in surface soils was higher than that in subsurface soils. The contaminated radius of Pb was until 3km all at east, north-north east and north east. A significant correlation was found between Pb content in surface soils of 1982 and that in surface soils of 1990, between Pb content in soils and contents of Cd and Zn in soils, and between Pb content in soils and soil properties as organic matter, available silicate, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable $Ca^{++}$, $Mg^{++}$ and $Na^+$. Pb content in brown rice was low in the panicle axis, and brown rice, and Pb content in stem was 3.26 times of that in brown rice. Pb content in brown rice ranged from 2.2 to 9.0 mg $kg^{-1}$.