• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.184-188
• /
• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2002.09a
• /
• pp.287-290
• /
• 2002

To examine the denitrification process in an alluvial aquifer in the Cheonan site, hydrological and hydrogeochemical studies were carried out. Elevated levels of NO$_3$ (maximum 77.6 mg/L) were observed in shallow groundwaters of the area, as a result of poultry and agricultural activity. However, the nitrate concentrations were found to be consistently attenuated down to very low levels (<1.0 mg/L). The abrupt removal of nitrate coincided with the pattern of redox change and indicated that denitrification is the most plausible process. The hydrochemistry and mass balance approach using geochemical modeling (phreeqc 2.0) and redox chemistry indicated that chemo-autotrophic denitrification via pyrite oxidation is the key Process to control the nitrate attenuation in the study area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.39 no.1 s.176
• /
• pp.75-82
• /
• 2006

Acid drainage occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to an oxidizing environment. The objective of this study was to examine the optimum condition for creating a phosphate coating on standard pyrite surfaces for reduction of pyrite oxidation. The solution of $10^{-2}M\;KH_2PO_4,\;10^{-2}M\;H_2O_2$ was identified as the best phosphate coating agent for the reduction of pyrite oxidation. The formation of an iron phosphate coating on pyrite surfaces was confirmed with ore microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The temperature did not significantly affect the formation of phosphate coating on the surface of pyrite. However, the phosphate coating was less stable at higher temperature than at lower temperature. The phosphate coating was quitely stable at wide range of pH and $H_2O_2$ concentration. The less than $3.4\%$ of phosphate was dissolved at pH 2.79 and 10.64 and less than $1.0\%$ of phosphate was dissolved at 0.1M $H_2O_2$. On the basis of these results, the phosphate coating can effectively reduce the negative environmental impact of acid rock drainage.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.183-199
• /
• 2008

This study is focused on characterization of the physio-chemical and mineralogical properties, investigation of their vertical changes in the tailing profile of the Guryoung mining area, classification of the profile into distinct zones, and condition conceptual model of physio-chemical conditions and phases-water relationships controlling the element behaviors in the tailings. The upper part of the groundwater is characterized by the high contents of $Fe_2O_3$ and $SO_3$ for whole rock analysis, low pH, and the occurrence of jarosite, schwertmannite and Fe-oxyhydroxide as the secondary mineral phases. The tailing profile can be divided into the covering soil, jarosite zone, Fe-sulfate zone, Fe-oxyhydroxide and gypsum-bearing pyrite zone, calcite-bearing pyrite zone, soil zone, and weathered zone on the based of the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics. The profile can be sampled into the oxidized zone and the carbonate-rich primary zone with the dramatic changes in pH and the secondary mineral phases. The conceptual model proposed for the tailing profile can be summarized that the oxidation of pyrite is the most important reaction controlling the changes in pH, the dissolution of the primary silicates and carbonates, the precipitation of secondary mineral phases, acid-neutralizing, and heavy metal behaviors through the profile.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.124-130
• /
• 1999

To evaluate the technical of microbial coal desulfurization during the storage in coal dumps, microbial pyrite oxidation in a packed column reactor with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans has been investigated. For microbial desulfurization in a packed reactor system, coal particle size over 1.0 mm with uniform size distribution seems to be most suitable as fas as drainage behavior and accessability of pyrite are concerned. When coal samples of 1∼2 and 2∼4 mm particle size were size were used, about 32∼42% of pyritic sulfur was removed within 70 days. The rate of pyritic sulfur oxidation was in the range of 348∼803 mg S/kg coal ·d, and the sulfur removal rates in packed columns were about 15∼25% of those in suspension cultures. Without any circulation of liquid medium, microbial coal desulfurization could be possible by the inoculation of T. ferrooxidans along on the coal dump. It was concluded that a microbial percolation process is one of possible processes for the desulfurization of high sulfur coal during a long-term storage.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.115-120
• /
• 2000

Oxidation of pyrite has caused a serious environmental problem such as the acidification of soil and surface water. The mineralogical change of acid sulfate weathering of hydrothermally altered andesite which contained 11.8% of pyrite and was exposed in atmosphere by lay out works for a residential area and a golf course was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electronmicroscopes. Ferrihydrite, jarosite, and an unidentified water soluble phase were observed as weathering products of the andesite. Under electronmicroscopes, showed aggregate of platy microcrystals; jarosite was platy morphology: water soluble Phase was columnar. Morphology of fresh Pyrite in the andesite changed from pyritrohedron to cubic in its frequency with increasing its particle size. The drainage water was acidic (pH 3.5) and in an equilibrium state with both ferrihydrite and jarosite.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.311-317
• /
• 2000

Acid sulfate soil and potential acid sulfate soil material are worldwide in distribution and are problematic in agriculture and environment due to their present and potential acidity developed by the oxidation of sulfides. Most of them are sedimentary origin and a few cases are reported as volcanic or metamorphic origin. We report a potential acid sulfate soil material originated from volcanic activity during Mesozoic. A profile of Bongsan series-weathered nonpyritic andesite-hydrothermally altered pyrite rich andesite was studied with field examination, chemistry, and mineralogy. Once, the pyrite rich andesite was exposed to atmosphere by excavation and leveling works for a residential area and the lay out site had subsequent acidification problem of soil and surface water. The parent material and soil profile of Bongsan series had no signs of presence of pyrite and acid sulfate weathering such as yellow mottles. However, the hydrothermally altered andesite substrata contained significant amount of pyrite showing characteristics of hydrothermal origin such as cubic and pyritohedron morphology and occurrence along cracks.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2005.03a
• /
• pp.491-498
• /
• 2005

Acid Rock Drainage(ARD) is the product formed by the atmospheric(i.e. by water, oxygen and carbon dioxide) oxidation of the relatively common iron-sulphur minerals pyrite($FeS_2$). ARD causes the acidification and heavy metal contamination of water and soil and the reduction of slope stability. In this study the generation characteristics and the prediction of ARD of various road cut slopes were studied. An attempt to classify the rocks into several groups according to their acid generation potentials was made. Acid Base Accounting(ABA) tests, commonly used as a screening tool in ARD predictions, were performed. Sixteen rock samples were classified into PAF(potentially acid forming) group and four rock samples into NAF(non-acid forming) group. The chemical analysis of water samples strongly suggested that ARD with high content of heavy metals and low pH could pollute the ground water and/or stream water.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.501-512
• /
• 2018

The acid leachate derived from the sulfide mineral such as pyrite can cause problems such as aging of infrastructure and environment contamination around the civil construction site. The purpose of this study is to assess the environmental effect of an acid leachate derived from pyrite in the Miryang area under road construction. In this study, 13 samples of situ core were used for the net acid generation (NAG) experiment. The chemical composition including pH, oxidation and reduction potential (ORP) and electrical conductance of water samples produced from the NAG test was analyzed. In additional, five polished thin sections of rock cores were made for electro microprobe analyses. In the results of the NAG tests, 7 samples showed lower values than pH 3.5. It strongly indicated that these areas are under the environmental and infrastructure damage by the acid leachate. The chemical type of the 7 samples was classified as the $Fe(Ca)-SO_4$ type, which is totally a different type compared to general groundwater. The concentration of total sulfur ranges from 0.004% to 12.5%. 6 rock samples are plotted on a potentially acid forming zone in the relation diagram between the total sulfide and NAG-pH. In conclusion, it is suggested that a protection method against an environmental demage and an infrastructure corrosions by the acid leachate should be prepared in all of areas under a road construction.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.39-48
• /
• 2003

The removal of chromate from aqueous solution using finely ground pyrite and biotite was investigated by batch experiments and the kinetics and the mechanism of chromate reduction were discussed. The chromate reduction by pyrite was about hundred times faster than that by biotite and was also faster at pH 3 than at pH 4. When pyrite was used, more than 90% of initial chromate was reduced within four hours at pH 4 and within 40 min. at pH 3. However, more than 400 hours was taken for the reduction of 90% of initial chromate by biotite. The results indicate that the rate of chromate reduction was strongly depending on the amount of Fe(II) in the minerals and on the dissolution rate of Fe(II) from the minerals. The reduction of chromate at pH 4 resulted in the precipitation of (Cr, Fe)(OH))$_3$$_{ (s)}$, which is believed to have limited the concentrations of dissolved Cr(III) and Fe(III) to less than expected values. When biotite was used, amounts of decreased Fe(II) and reduced Cr(Ⅵ) did not show stoichiometric relationship, which implying there was not only chromate reduction by ferrous ions in the acidic solution but also heterogeneous reduction of ferric ions by the structural ferrous iron in biotite. However, the results from a series of the experiments using Pyrite showed that concentrations of the decreased Fe(II) and the reduced Cr(Ⅵ) were close to the stoichiometric ratio of 3:1. It was because the oxidation of pyrite rapidly created ferrous ions even in oxygenated solutions and the chromate reduction by the ferrous ions was significantly faster than ferrous ion oxygenation.