• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.93-108
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• 2013

This study is aimed to prepare the effective detail survey methods(Phase II) of abandoned metal mines through the contamination assessment for mine types and facilities in the abandoned metal mine areas. The study sites of 12 abandoned mines are located in Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do and those were chosen among 310 sites that the Phase II survey was conducted from 2007 to 2009 after considering the results of Phase I for abandoned mines scattered all over the country. 12 study sites were classified into four types; Type I sites only have pit mouth. Type II sites have pit mouth and mine-waste field. Type III sites have pit mouth and tailing sorting field. Type IV sites have pit mouth, tailing sorting field and concentrator(s). In forest land, paddy soil and farm land of Type I, As and Cd were showed average concentration, and Cu and Pb were high on the pit mouth area in one mines where the pit mouth was developed within 500 m. In the mines of Type II, Cu and Pb were showed average concentration too, but As and Cd were slightly high in pit mouth and mine-waste field. The mines of Type III which had grinding particle process through physical separation milling or hitting showed similar tendency with Type II. However, mines of Type IV pit mouth, mine-waste field and showed various results depending on defining the contamination sources. For example, if contamination source was pit mouth, the mixed results of Type I, II, II were showed. In tailing sorting field which was regarded as the most important source and having high mobility, however, if there were no facilities or it was difficult to access directly, field sampling was missed occasionally during phase I and phase II survey. For that reason, the assessment for tailing sorting field is missed and it leads to completely different results. In the areas of Type I mines, the concentration of heavy metals exceeded precautionary standards of soil contamination or not within 1,000 meters of pit mouth. Nickel(Ni) was the largest factor of the heavy metal contamination in this type. The heavy metals except Arsenic(As) were shown high levels of concentration in Type II areas, where pit mouth and mine-waste field were operated for making powder in upriver region; therefore, to the areas in the vicinity of midstream and downstream, the high content of heavy metals were shown. The tendency of high level of heavy metals and toxic materials contained in flotation agent used during sorting process were found in soil around sorting and tailing field. In the abandoned-pit-mouth area, drygrinding area and tailing sorting field area, the content of Cupper(Cu) and Zinc(Zn) were higher than other areas. Also, the contaminated area were larger than mine reclamation area(2,000 m) and the location of tailing sorting field was one of the important factors to estimate contaminated area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.265-276
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• 2012

Current study includes the analysis of mine tailings and leachate water and prediction of species originated from the tailings. The variation of contaminants were measured upon the distance from the tailings to the nearby stream. The ions concentration was highest at the tailings and pit mouth and it becomes lower as it goes far away from the origin. This is the reason that the leachate was diluted with the uncontaminated stream water. The tailings were mainly classified into reddish one and yellow one. The main mineral of reddish tailings were quarts, illite, plumbojarosite and a small amount of sphalerite. The main mineral of yellow tailings were muscovite, quarts, plumbojarosite, and a small amount of chalcopyrite and sphalerite. Pb and Zn were found in the leachate in high concentration and become the major contaminants. These come from the dissolution of plumbojarosite and sphalerite contained in the mine tailings.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.433-437
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• 2008

It's essential to build an earth retaining structure at the beginning and end point of a tunnel constructed in a colluvium area. A large scale of colluvial soil may cause a problem to the stability of the excavation ground. An excavation in colluvium has different behavior characteristics from those in a sandy soil due to unstable elements and needs counter measures for it. There are few systematic research efforts on the behavior characteristics of an earth retaining structure installed in colluvial soil. Thus this study set out to collect measuring data from an excavation site at the tunnel pit mouth in colluvium and set quantitative criteria for the safety of an earth retaining structure. After comparing and analyzing the theoretical and empirical earth pressure from the measuring data, the lateral earth pressure distribution acted on the earth retaining wall was suggested.