• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.315-323
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• 1996

An apatite drain was constructed on September 30, 1994 at the Green Valley Abandoned Coal Mine site near Terre Haute in west central Indiana. The primary objective of this experiment is to evaluate the long-term ability of the apatite drain to mitigate acid mine drainage (AMD) under field conditions. The drain 9 m long, 3.3 m wide, and 0.75 m deep, contain 95 rum to No. 30 mesh-size apatite ore (francolite) and receive AMD seepage from reclaimed gob piles, and designed according to the laboratory testing. The apatite drain was covered with limestone riprap and filter fabric to protect the drainage system from stormwater and siltation. The drain consists of about 50 metric tons of apatite ore obtained from a phosphate mine in Florida. A gabion structure was constructed downstream of the apatite drain to create a settling pond to collect precipitates. Apatite effectively removed iron up to 4,200 mg/l, aluminum up to 830 mg/l and sulfate up to 13,430 mg/l. The pH was nearly constant for the influent and effluent, ranging between 3.1 and 4.3. Flow rate measured at the gabion structure ranged from 3 to 4.5 l/m. Precipitates of iron and aluminum phosphate (yellow and white suspendid solids) continued to accumulate in the settling pond.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.588-595
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• 2018

This study has focused on evaluation of heavy metal contamination in seepage from 23 mine waste dumping sites in Korea. Seepage samples from the sites were taken and analyzed for heavy metals. The maximum levels (mg/L) in the samples were Al 53.98, As 16.19, Cd 1.15 Cu 37.30, Fe 28.64, Mn 39.00, Ni 0.097, Pb 0.750, and Zn 80.18. Among the sites, six mines were selected as continuous monitoring sites. As results of three months' monitoring of the sites, over the water guidelines for As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and Al in seepage samples were found at two abandoned Au-Ag mines, Cd, Mn, Zn and Al at two Pb-Zn mines, and As, Fe and Mn at two other Fe-W mines. Therefore, those six mines need continuous monitoring on contamination assessment of seepage due to mining activities.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.59-64
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• 2019

This study suggests a conceptual strategy and methodology for the risk assessment of the domestic abandoned mine fillers with fly ash. The fillers are composed of coal fly ash and solidification materials, and contain little toxic substances such as carbonates but also some heavy metals; therefore, those requires a risk assessment. The risk assessment should primarily focus on estimation of the effects to human health both on carcinogen and non-carcinogen aspects. The significant data such as toxicity and partition coefficients can be obtained from the national soil or mine environmental risk assessment guidelines. Accurate risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in the fillers may consume lots of time and efforts through site survey and instrumental analyses, etc. Moreover, it is inefficient to explore all of the factors as concentrations and categories in every heavy metal in the fillers, due to a high variety and complexity. Therefore, implementation of a preliminary risk assessment is suggested by using the literature data and the basic characteristics of the filler samples prior to the detailed risk assessment. Certainly, this presumes a thorough understanding of reliable sample analysis methods, exposure pathways, and relevant physicochemical and biological mechanisms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.553-563
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• 2018

In this study, the location conditions and optimal technologies required for creating urban municipalities that can utilize the space in an abandoned mine area, where there is no infrastructure related to recycling wastes and valuable metals, are investigated. The urban mining industry deals with mineral resources through the processing of high value-added industrial by-products and wastes, and it is a useful linkage industry for the development of mineral resources and prevention of mining hazards. Urban mining technologies targeted at the abandoned mine area constitute screening, extraction, and smelting for recycling waste products. By analyzing the technologies available, an industrial network can be developed for recycling waste batteries and catalysts, which are promising raw materials. It is also important to establish an appropriate location for related industries that can generate value-added resources, rather than the resource supply and demand conditions seen in general urban mines. In order to overcome the accessibility and infrastructure limitations, the economic foundation of the abandoned mine area should consider the linkage of raw material supply, key technologies for recycling useful mineral resources that are derived from urban mines, spatial and site conditions, and industrial characteristics.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.136-142
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• 2021

Open-pit mine development requires continuous management because of topographical changes and there is a risk of accidents if the current status survey is performed directly in the process of calculating the earthwork. In this study, the application of UAV photogrammetry, which can acquire spatial information without direct human access, was applied to open-pit mines development area and analyzed the accuracy, earthwork, and mountain restoration plan to determine its applicability. As a result of accuracy analysis at checkpoint using ortho image and Digital Surface Model(DSM) by UAV photogrammetry, Root Mean Square Error(RMSE) is 0.120 m in horizontal and 0.150 m in vertical coordinates. This satisfied the tolerance range of 1:1,000 digital map. As a result of the comparison of the earthwork, UAV photogrammetry yielded 11.7% more earthwork than the conventional survey method. It is because UAV photogrammetry shows more detailed topography. And result of monitoring mountain restoration showed possible to determine existence of rockfall prevention nets and vegetation. If the terrain changes are monitored by acquiring images periodically, the utility of UAV photogrammetry will be further useful to open-pit mine development.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.271-281
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• 2001

The characteristics of the heavy metal contamination in the soils affected by the tailings of the Palbong mine have been studied. The soils in the studied area consist mostly of loam by the particle size analysis, but a little of it, located near the stream, consist of loamy sand to sandy loam, finally to loam downward. The organic contents of soils are significantly low aoom 2 percent and the pH is in acidic ranging 6.0 $\pm$ 0.1. The samples of the parent rocks, the normal soils, the tailings and the channel deposits from the studied area were chemically analysed. From the result, the heavy metal concenlration of the soils is a little Jow compared with that of the parent rocks, shows the hydrologic process of the surface and the groundwater. The contamination of the tailings from the ore mining are high in lead, copper and arsenic. In the channel deposits the concenlrations of lead and copper are abnormally high but that of arsenic is uniquely low. And most of heavy metal contamination are decreased with the distance from the mine. It is caused by the properties of the surface and the ground water during the process of the heavy metal migration. The correlation-coefficient between sand and silt contents and the concentrations of Cd, Cu and Pb are significant but the amounts of As and Hg are increased with the clay contents. The dispersion of the heavy metals with the distance shows that the concentrations of them in the soils sampled at distance of 100 m to 200 m along the stream started near the Palbong mine are extremely high compared with those from other distances. These discrepancies are significant in Cd, Cu, Pb and Hg, but low in As. All the samples contain below detection limit of Cr+6 In the present stream water the concentrations of the heavy metals are not detected. So, it is interpreted that the concentrations in the soils are caused by the activities of the mining during the operation and have been continued by the dispersion from the tailings since after the closure of the mining, especially by the surface and ground water. The concentrations are diminished with the distance from the mining site, but in the interval of 800-2000 m increases abruptly. In the soil samples counted on the dispersion direction by wind, the lowering of the concentration is relatively uniform with the distance from the mining site. So, the rapid increase of the heavy metal concentrations is presumed to have been caused by the ground-water movement. In the migration of the heavy metals, the groundwater conditions, such as pH, Eh, the contents of colloidal particles, and Mn and Fe oxides are closely involveo. Integrating with these factors, it is interpreted that the groundwater conditions which have caused the heavy metal contamination of the studied area are those that the pH is about 3 in oxidized conditions, the contents of the colloidal particles are low, and Mn and Fe oxides are not involved in the migration of the heavy metals. Meanwhile, the vegetables growing on the soils in the studied area are not affected by the contamination of the heavy metals.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.1
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• pp.118-130
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• 2024

Rehabilitation of mining areas can reduce damage to ecosystems. However, the effects of rehabilitation on ecosystem services (ESs) and its contribution to local communities are not well known. Thus, the aims of this study were to clearly identify the ES beneficiaries affected by mining activities, to determine how the beneficiaries profit from surrounding areas in cooperation with local stakeholders, and to manage the rehabilitation areas for the ESs that the beneficiaries want. This study chose 18 ESs (4 provisioning, 7 regulating, 5 cultural, and 2 habitat services) based on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. A semi-structured questionnaire survey using an 11-point Likert scale was conducted among 87 community residents to investigate social awareness and identify key ESs. The survey results from two local communities showed high awareness and demands mainly on cultural (mental and physical health, aesthetic appreciation, and recreation) and regulating services (local climate and air quality, and moderation of extreme events). These services were related to the daily lives of residents in local communities, provided positive benefits, and potentially improved the residents' future livelihoods. However, the average questionnaire scores were limited to 6-7 points, indicating that the benefits to local communities were meager. The residents' awareness of provisioning service was negative, even if it provided goods and profit opportunities. This indicated a disconnection between local communities and provisioning services due to forest rehabilitation that did not consider local communities that traditionally relied on specific provisioning services before the onset of mining activities. Future forest rehabilitation in abandoned mine areas must consider the welfare of local communities for sustainable use of rehabilitated forests and enhancing ESs. In this study, only a qualitative evaluation based on frequency analyses was conducted. The quantification and valuation of key ESs are warranted in the future to promote ESs from forest rehabilitation in abandoned mine areas. The study results would be useful for developing site-specific ES promotion strategies for reforesting mine areas.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.296-303
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• 2010

Chromium as a constituent of rocks occurs naturally in the environment in varying concentrations. However, the human activity has changed the geochemical cycle of chromium in the environment and has caused the chromium accumulation in soils. Korean soils revealed a wide range of chromium contents depending on parent material and land use. The total chromium contents of volcanic ash soils in Jeju, which were determined using $HNO_3$ + $HClO_4$ + HF, ranged from 434 to 1,164 mg $kg^{-1}$. The 'ecological' total chromium contents extracted using conc. HCl + conc. $HNO_3$ (aqua regia) in the same soils varied in a lower range of 50-189 mg $kg^{-1}$ (averaged percentage of aqua regia contents in $HNO_3$ + $HClO_4$ + HF contents: 14.9%). Serpentine soils in Andong showed a 'ecological' total chromium content of 309 mg $kg^{-1}$ and against it granitic soils in Andong only 20 mg $kg^{-1}$. In uncontaminated forest soils of Korea, the 'ecological' total chromium contents varied from 4.89 to 106 mg $kg^{-1}$ and the soluble chromium contents determined using 0.1 M HCl ranged from 0.01 to 0.64 mg $kg^{-1}$ (averaged percentage of 0.1 M HCl contents in aqua regia contents: 0.4%). Arable lands contained more soluble chromium than reported in forest soils (averaged soluble chromium: 0.36 and 0.09 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively). In particular, the soluble chromium contents in greenhouse, orchard and upland soils were higher than in contaminated soils near mine and industrial site (maximum contents: greenhouse 15.3 mg $kg^{-1}$; upland 12.1 mg $kg^{-1}$; orchard 8.29 mg $kg^{-1}$; mine site 4.76 mg $kg^{-1}$; industrial site 2.80 mg $kg^{-1}$). On the basis of these results a accumulation of chromium in some specific arable lands can be assumed, probably by long-continued applications of fertilizers or soil amendments containing chromium. In Korean Enforcement Decree of the Soil Environment Conservation Act soil standards for total chromium do not exist yet.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.419-443
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• 2007

Recently, the branch-out of foreign companies into domestic markets through M&A and the opened followed by the Free Trade Agreement(FTA) with America have made the environmental site assessments of specific site more necessary. In this study, through case study of conducting actual environmental site assessment by use of a toolbox approach at a large scale of chemical plant with various contaminants located in a coastal area, the problems of guideline of domestic environmental assessment of soil were complemented. And an efficient and economical assessment was achieved. All six steps such as basic investigation, environmental site history survey, sampling and analysis, installation of monitoring wells and hydrogeological survey, and data interpretation were conducted in this study. All results of document survey, geological lineament analysis, field geology survey of surrounding area, geophysical prospecting of the site, hydraulic conductivity, measurement of groundwater flow rate and direction, sampling and analysis at each step were associated and estimated as an integrated tool box approach. As a consequence of this study, toolbox approaches were very useful techniques for contamination level and site characterization of subsurface media. The given conditions to conduct a basic survey for domestic soil environment assessment of site by use of existing documents, as well as interviews with the owner/manager/user of all adjacent properties and thorough review of all practically reviewable records pertaining to the property and surrounding properties within "Guideline for Soil Environment Assessment" radii are very poor. As a result, the application of toolbox approach in the environment site assessment of site is not only more efficient and economical, but also could be very useful assessment to integrate the soil and groundwater contamination.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2001

New technologies will have a large impact on the discovery of new herbicide site of action. Genomics, combinatorial chemistry, and bioinformatics help take advantage of serendipity through tile sequencing of huge numbers of genes or the synthesis of large numbers of chemical compounds. There are approximately $10^{30}\;to\;10^{50}$ possible molecules in molecular space of which only a fraction have been synthesized. Combining this potential with having access to 50,000 plant genes in the future elevates tile probability of discovering flew herbicidal site of actions. If 0.1, 1.0 or 10% of total genes in a typical plant are valid for herbicide target, a plant with 50,000 genes would provide about 50, 500, and 5,000 targets, respectively. However, only 11 herbicide targets have been identified and commercialized. The successful design of novel herbicides depends on careful consideration of a number of factors including target enzyme selections and validations, inhibitor designs, and the metabolic fates. Biochemical information can be used to identify enzymes which produce lethal phenotypes. The identification of a lethal target site is an important step to this approach. An examination of the characteristics of known targets provides of crucial insight as to the definition of a lethal target. Recently, antisense RNA suppression of an enzyme translation has been used to determine the genes required for toxicity and offers a strategy for identifying lethal target sites. After the identification of a lethal target, detailed knowledge such as the enzyme kinetics and the protein structure may be used to design potent inhibitors. Various types of inhibitors may be designed for a given enzyme. Strategies for the selection of new enzyme targets giving the desired physiological response upon partial inhibition include identification of chemical leads, lethal mutants and the use of antisense technology. Enzyme inhibitors having agrochemical utility can be categorized into six major groups: ground-state analogues, group specific reagents, affinity labels, suicide substrates, reaction intermediate analogues, and extraneous site inhibitors. In this review, examples of each category, and their advantages and disadvantages, will be discussed. The target identification and construction of a potent inhibitor, in itself, may not lead to develop an effective herbicide. The desired in vivo activity, uptake and translocation, and metabolism of the inhibitor should be studied in detail to assess the full potential of the target. Strategies for delivery of the compound to the target enzyme and avoidance of premature detoxification may include a proherbicidal approach, especially when inhibitors are highly charged or when selective detoxification or activation can be exploited. Utilization of differences in detoxification or activation between weeds and crops may lead to enhance selectivity. Without a full appreciation of each of these facets of herbicide design, the chances for success with the target or enzyme-driven approach are reduced.