• Title/Summary/Keyword: Remediation measures

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German Policies on Soil Protection and Remediation of Contaminated Sites

  • Lepke, Thomas
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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    • 2003.10a
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    • pp.28-57
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    • 2003
  • Germany as a densely populated and heavily industrialised country has a long and broad experience in handling contaminated sites. With this presentation we want to describe some main aspects of the soil protection policies and the remediation of contaminated sites in Germany. Due to the history of working on contaminated sites in Germany the Federal Soil Protection Act came into force in 1998. A lot of programmes and network in Germany and in Europe, funded by the State or the European Union, helped developing new measures and techniques for remediation and also for implementing regulations for the involved authorities. Questions like 'who is responsible?' and 'who has to pay for measurements and the remediation?' became more and more important. In the near future there will be an official European Soil Protection Policy (is expected in June 2004). Besides the contaminated sites also other soil protection policies as 'Reducing the land consumption' are pursued and an indicator is developed.and an indicator is developed.

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Geoinformation decision support system for remediation of the 137Cs contaminated agricultural lands after the Chernobyl NPP accident

  • Titov, Igor Evgenievich;Krechetnikov, Viktor Vladimirovich;Mikailova, Rena Aleksandrovna;Panov, Aleksei Valerievich
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.54 no.6
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    • pp.2244-2252
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    • 2022
  • Based on GIS technologies, a decision support system (GIDSS) has been developed to remediate agricultural lands in the Bryansk region (Russia) contaminated by 137Cs after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. GIDSS is a multilevel system consisting of basic, information and computational layers. GIDSS allows justifying a targeted approach for the remediation of agricultural lands belonging to agricultural enterprises for the production that meets the established radiological requirements for the content of radionuclides. Evaluation of the effectiveness of alternative remediation technologies and the selection of optimal measures were carried out at the level of elementary plots using radiological criteria. The introduction of GIDSS will enable agricultural producers in the south-western districts of the Bryansk region to conduct radiation-safe agro-industrial production in radioactively contaminated areas, which will help improve the socio-economic situation of the region and return it to normal living conditions.

Enhanced Natural Purification of Crude Oil Contaminated Tidal Flat (원유로 오염된 갯벌 지역의 자연정화 기능 향상 기술의 개발)

  • Kim, Young-A;Sung, Ki-June
    • Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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    • v.16 no.5
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    • pp.24-30
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    • 2011
  • Tidal flats which are ecologically sensitive, are hard to remediate once they are contaminated by oil spill accidents. Traditional oil remediation measures focus on removal efficiency, and their improper implementation can adversely affect crude oil contaminated coastal areas and greatly disrupt the structure and functions of crude oil contaminated tidal flats. In this study, the oil degradation due to the implementation of remediation measures naturally enhanced using air and natural oil sorbents was evaluated in the lower strata of tidal flats. The effects of air and natural oil sorbents on oil degradation for two concentration levels (< 500 ppm and > 500 ppm) were tested at artificially contaminated tidal flats. Fifty days after these treatments, the natural oil sorbent treatment showed the lowest total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration ($4.46{\pm}1.47%$) at the low concentration level, whereas both air and natural oil sorbent treatments showed high degradation efficiencies at the high concentration level ($29.30{\pm}4.39%$). Although the phosphatase activity decreased for all treatments, there was no significant difference between the decreases for the different treatments; on the other hand, B-glucosidase activities were high for both air and natural oil sorbent treatments. Although degradation efficiencies decreased as the concentration increased, the air provision and natural oil sorbent treatment could be an effective ecological restoration measure for oil contaminated tidal flats while minimizing the environmental impact of the remediation efforts.

Building capacity for ecological assessment using diatoms in UK rivers

  • Kelly, Martyn
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.36 no.1
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    • pp.89-94
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    • 2013
  • Diatoms have become an integral part of the UK's freshwater monitoring strategy over the past two decades, mostly in response to increasingly stringent European Union (EU) legislation. The use of diatoms is based on strong correlations between diatom assemblages and environmental variables, and from knowledge of the "expected" (= "reference") state of each river. The nationwide overview of the ecological health of rivers this gives allows those stretches of rivers which fail to meet EU criteria to be identified. This, in turn, allows appropriate remediation measures to be planned. Because diatom assemblages vary in space and time, even within a single water body, effective use of diatoms requires a consistent approach in order to minimise uncertainty. This includes the use of methods which comply with European Standards, a training and accreditation scheme for analysts, and a suite of quality assurance methods. Those aspects of uncertainty that cannot be readily controlled have been quantified and all estimates of ecological status are accompanied by the appropriate "confidence of class" and "risk of misclassification". This, in turn, helps planners prioritise those locations which are most likely to benefit from remediation.

Characteristics of Groundwater Contamination in Uncontrolled Landfill and Pollution Control Measures (불량 매립지에서의 지하수 오염특성과 환경오염 방지방안)

  • 구자중;윤석표
    • Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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    • 1993.05a
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    • pp.28-44
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    • 1993
  • Remediation actions in uncontrolled landfill site should be conducted after the investigation of contamination status and potential health risk or damage. Based on the above, proper control measures should be established and operated. Also continuous monitoring should be followed. In this study, the status of ground water contamination around Nanji Landfill Site was investigated. Monitoring wells were installed around the landfill and ground water was sampled once a month and analyzed. Water quality of each monitoring well was different depending on the horizontal and vertical distance from the landfill, and the seasonal leachate characteristics were not significantly changed because percolating water stayed long time in the deep waste layer. It was predicted that major multivalent cations were mainly precipitated as metal carbonate form, and chemical mass balances (CMBs) could be applied for the apportionment of leachate contamination to ground water quality of surrounding areas of Nanji Landfill. Parameters required to estimate pollutant flux to the receptor near landfill were listed and discussion to get these parameters was made. Finally, based on the above data, control measures of ground water contamination were suggested and discussed.

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Agricultural Methods for Toxicity Alleviation in Metal Contaminated Soils: A Review

  • Arunakumara, Kkiu;Walpola, Buddhi Charana;Yoon, Min-Ho
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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    • v.46 no.2
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    • pp.73-80
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    • 2013
  • Due to the fact that possible risk associated with soil-crop-food chain transfer, metal contamination in croplands has become a major topic of wide concern. Accumulation of toxic metals in edible parts of crops grown in contaminated soils has been reported from number of crops including rice, soybean, wheat, maize, and vegetables. Therefore, in order to ensure food safety, measures are needed to be taken in mitigating metal pollution and subsequent uptake by crop plants. Present paper critically reviewed some of the cost effective remediation techniques used in minimizing metal uptake by crops grown in contaminated soils. Liming with different materials such as limestone ($CaCO_3$), burnt lime (CaO), slaked lime [$Ca(OH)_2$], dolomite [$CaMg(CO_3)_2$], and slag ($CaSiO_3$) has been widely used because they could elevate soil pH rendering metals less-bioavailable for plant uptake. Zn fertilization, use of organic amendments, crop rotation and water management are among the other techniques successfully employed in reducing metal uptake by crop plants. However, irrespectively the mitigating measure used, heterogeneous accumulation of metals in different crop species is often reported. The inconsistency might be attributed to the genetic makeup of the crops for selective uptake, their morphological characteristics, position of edible parts on the plants in respect of their distance from roots, crop management practices, the season and to the soil characteristics. However, a sound conclusion in this regard can only be made when more scientific evidence is available on case-specific researches, in particular from long-term field trials which included risks and benefits analysis also for various remediation practices.

A Feasibility Study for Decision-Making Support of a Radioactive Contamination Model in an Urban Environment (METRO-K) (도시환경 방사능오염 평가모델 METRO-K의 대응행위 결정지원을 위한 실용성 연구)

  • Hwang, Won-Tae;Han, Moon-Hee;Jeong, Hyo-Joon;Kim, Eun-Han;Lee, Chang-Woo
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.27-34
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    • 2008
  • A Korean urban contamination model METRO-K (${\underline{M}}odel$ for ${\underline{E}}stimates$ the ${\underline{T}}ransient$ Behavior of ${\underline{R}}adi{\underline{O}}active$ Materials in the ${\underline{K}}orean$ Urban Environment, which is capable of calculating the exposure doses resulting from radioactive contamination in an urban environment, is taking part in a model testing program EMRAS (${\underline{E}}nvironmental$ ${\underline{M}}odelling$ for ${\underline{RA}}diation$ ${\underline{S}}afety$) oragnized by the IAEA (${\underline{I}}nternational$ ${\underline{A}}tomic$ ${\underline{E}}nergy$ ${\underline{A}}gency$). For radioactive contamination scenarios of Pripyat districts and a hypothetical RDD (${\underline{R}}adiological$ ${\underline{D}}ispersal$ ${\underline{D}}evice$), the predicted results using METRO-K were submitted to the EMRAS's Urban Contamination Working Group. In this paper, the predicted results for the contamination scenarios of a Pripyat district were shown in case of both without remediation measures and with ones. Comparing with the predictied results of the models that have taken part in EMRAS program, a feasibility for decision-making support of METRO-K was investigated. As a predicted result of METRO-K, to take immediately remediation measures following a radioactive contamination, if possible, might be one of the best ways to reduce exposure dose. It was found that the discrepancies of predicted results among the models are resulted from 1) modeling approaches and applied parameter values, 2) exposure pathways which are considered in models, 3) assumptions of assessor such as contamination surfaces which might affect to an exposure receptor and their sizes, 4) parameter values which are related with remediation measures applied through literature survey. It was indentified that a Korean urban contamination model METRO-K is a useful tool for dicision-making support through the participation of EMRAS program.

Changes of Soil Properties through the Remediation Processes and Techniques for the Restoration of Remediated Soils (오염 토양 정화공정에 의한 토양의 특성 변화 및 정화토의 회복기술)

  • Lee, Sang-Woo;Lee, Woo-Chun;Lee, Sang-Hun;Kim, Soon-Oh
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.53 no.4
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    • pp.441-477
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    • 2020
  • There have been raised other environmental issues related to remediated soils piled up in numerous carry-out processing facilities because a considerable quantity of them have been produced every year, but most of them have not been relevantly reused or recycled. Thus, this article reports the trend of researches on the development of techniques to restore the quality of remediated soils to activate their reuse and recycling. Firstly, the tendency of change in soil properties through remediation processes was looked over, and then the degradation of soil quality was characterized according to the type of remediation processes. Besides, the direction of policy to promote the reuse and recycling of remediated soils was introduced, and finally, the future works needed were suggested. This article was prepared based on the results of the survey of domestic and foreign literature. A number of literature were reviewed to scrutinize the change of soil properties due to remediation processes and diverse techniques for the amendment and restoration of remediated soils. Furthermore, the policies related to the reuse and recycling of remediated soils were arranged with the reference of the first and second versions of the Soil Conservation Master Plan of Korea. The literature survey focused on three kinds of remediation technologies, such as land farming, soil washing, and thermal desorption, which were most frequently used so far in Korea. The results indicate that the tendency of change in soil properties was significantly different depending on the type of remediation processes applied, and the degradation characteristics of soil quality were also totally different between them. The soil amendment and restoration can be categorized as three techniques depending on the type of substances used, such as inorganic, organic, and biological ones. Diverse individual materials have been used, and the soil properties improved or enhanced were dependent on the type of specific materials utilized. However, few studies on the restoration of soil qualities degraded during the remediation processes have not been carried out so far. The second Soil Conservation Master Plan states the quality certification and target management system of remediated soils, and it is expected that their reuse and recycling will be facilitated hereafter. With the consideration of the type of remediation processes implemented and public utility, the restoration technologies of remediated soils should be developed for the vitalization of their reuse and recycling. Besides, practical and specific measures should be taken to support the policy specified in the second Soil Conservation Master Plan and to promote reuse/recycling of remediated soils.

Case Study of the Stability of a Large Cut-Slope at a Tunnel Portal (터널 입구부 대절토 사면 안정성 사례 연구)

  • Park, Dong Soon;Bae, Jong-Soem
    • The Journal of Engineering Geology
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.115-129
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    • 2015
  • The cut-slope of a large-sectional tunnel portal is recognized as a potential area of weakness due to unstable stress distribution and possible permanent displacement. This paper presents a case study of a slope failure and remediation for a large-scale cut-slope at a tunnel portal. Extensive rock-slope brittle failure occurred along discontinuities in the rock mass after 46 mm of rainfall, which caused instability of the upper part of the cut-slope. Based on a geological survey and face mapping, the reason for failure is believed to be the presence of thin clay fill in discontinuities in the weathered rock mass and consequent saturationinduced joint weakening. The granite-gneiss rock mass has a high content of alkali-feldspar, indicating a vulnerability to weathering. Immediately before the slope failure, a sharp increase in displacement rate was indicated by settlement-time histories, and this observation can contribute to the safety management criteria for slope stability. In this case study, emergency remediation was performed to prevent further hazard and to facilitate reconstruction, and counterweight fill and concrete filling of voids were successfully applied. For ultimate remediation, the grid anchor-blocks were used for slope stabilization, and additional rock bolts and grouting were applied inside the tunnel. Limit-equilibrium slope stability analysis and analyses of strereographic projections confirmed the instability of the original slope and the effectiveness of reinforcing methods. After the application of reinforcing measures, instrumental monitoring indicated that the slope and the tunnel remained stable. This case study is expected to serve as a valuable reference for similar engineering cases of large-sectional slope stability.

Examination of Soil Contamination Status and Improvement Strategies within Urban Development Projects (도시개발사업 내 토양 오염 현황과 개선 방안 고찰)

  • Heo, Sujung;Lee, Dong-Kun;Kim, Eunsub;Jeon, Seong-Woo;Jin, Zhiying
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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    • v.27 no.3
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    • pp.45-56
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    • 2024
  • Heavy metals emitted from urban development do not decompose in the soil and remain for long periods, continually impacting the environment. Since the mid-1990s, there has been increasing societal concern in South Korea regarding soil contamination, prompting various legislative revisions to reduce pollution. This study utilizes the Environmental Impact Assessment Support System (EIASS) to investigate projects in the metropolitan area that have exceeded the Ministry of Environment's soil contamination concern levels from 1989 to 2022 and to examine improvements in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The results reveal that the average concentrations of nine contaminants-cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and fluoride (F)-have all increased over the years. Among these, Zn had the highest relative proportion, with 37.5% of the 40 sites exceeding environmental concern levels. Investigation of 19 specific projects at these exceedance sites showed that only 7 had documented analyses of contamination causes and remediation plans, and just one had contracted additional remediation services, though results from these efforts were found to be lacking. Furthermore, since 2019, a significant proportion of these sites were involved in residential developments, likely due to government initiatives in new city development and extensive housing supply plans. This research emphasizes the importance of public disclosure of the processes and outcomes of remediation efforts on historically contaminated soils prior to project development. It discusses improvements to the EIA by reviewing current legislation and international examples. The findings of this study are expected to heighten public awareness about heavy metal contamination and enhance transparency in soil remediation efforts, contributing to sustainable environmental management and development.