• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.195-200
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• 2017

Background: The natural ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) stable isotopes can be varied in some specific living organisms owing to various isotopic fractionation processes in nature. Therefore, the analysis of C, N, and S stable isotope ratios in ginseng can provide a feasible method for determining ginseng authenticity depending on the cultivation land and type of fertilizer. Methods: C, N, and S stable isotope composition in 6-yr-old ginseng roots (Jagyeongjong variety) was measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Results: The type of cultivation land and organic fertilizers affected the C, N, and S stable isotope ratio in ginseng (p < 0.05). The ${\delta}^{15}N_{AIR}$ and ${\delta}^{34}S_{VCDT}$ values in ginseng roots more significantly discriminated the cultivation land and type of organic fertilizers in ginseng cultivation than the ${\delta}^{13}C_{VPDB}$ value. The combination of ${\delta}^{13}C_{VPDB}$, ${\delta}^{15}N_{AIR}$, or ${\delta}^{34}S_{VCDT}$ in ginseng, except the combination ${\delta}^{13}C_{VPDB}-^{34}S_{VCDT}$, showed a better discrimination depending on soil type or fertilizer type. Conclusion: This case study provides preliminary results about the variation of C, N, and S isotope composition in ginseng according to the cultivation soil type and organic fertilizer type. Hence, our findings are potentially applicable to evaluate ginseng authenticity depending on cultivation conditions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.119-127
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• 1996

Electrum-sulfide minerals of the Namsan Au-Ag mine were deposited in two stages of quartz and calcite veins that fill fault planes in Mesozoic granitic rocks (230~155 Ma). The K/Ar radiometric dating of hydrothermal sericite indicates that mineralization is early Cretaceous age ($127{\pm}3.0Ma$). Mineralogic, fluid inclusion and sulfur isotopic data show that ore minerals were deposited at temperatures between $340^{\circ}C$ and $200^{\circ}C$ from fluid with salinities of 3 to 6 equiv. wt % NaCl. Evidence of fluid boiling (and $CO_2$ effervescence) indicates a maximum pressures of 100 bars. The formation temperature and $fs_2$, of Au-mineralization from the Namsan mines are mainly $280{\sim}230^{\circ}C$ and $10^{-11}{\sim}10^{-13}$ atm, respectively. Au deposition was likely a result of boiling caused to chemical change (pH, $f_{O2}$, ${\Sigma}_{H_2S{\cdot}{\cdot}}$) of ore-fluids. Sulfur isotope composition of sulfide minerals (${\delta}^{34}S=5.1$ to 8.2‰) are consistent with ${\delta}^{34}S_{{\Sigma}{H2S}}$ value of +6 to +7‰, suggesting an igneous source of sulfur partially mixed with wall-rock sulfur.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.237-237
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• 2003

Preliminary studies on the seasonal variations in abundance of stable isotopes were carried out on the snow and rainwater samples from urban area. Stable isotopes and other geochemical data as a tool for characterizing the seasonality and source of pollutants were examined in study areas, especially to trace the sources of sulfate in precipitation and to distinguish sulfates of natural and anthropogenic origin. (omitted)

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.169-177
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• 1987

The Manjang copper magnetite-fluorite orebodies are imbedded within the limestone beds of the Hwajonri Formation. The ore deposits are characterized by magnetite-fluorite bearing skarn orebody in the west orebody and copper sulfide veins of the central and main orebodies. This study includes fluid inclusion geothermometry, salinity analysis, stable isotope analysis, and application of phase rule to mineral associations in skarn ore. Ore minerals are closely associated with the skarn silicates such as garnet, wollastonite and epidote. Magnetite and fluorite are remarkable in the west orebody whereas chalcopyrite is dominate in the central and main orebodies where pyrite and pyrrhotite also appear as sulfide gangues. Homogenization temperature and salinity of fluid inclusions are measured ranging between $240^{\circ}C$ and $350^{\circ}C$, 6.3~12.9 wt. percent in quartz and $220^{\circ}C$ and $350^{\circ}C$, 8.5~9.9wt. percent in fluorite, respectively. This indicates that the filling temperature and salinity are higher in quartz than in fluorite with the tendency of both to be linearly decreased suggesting an attribution of meteoric water to the mineralization. $T-fo_2$ diagram in the Ca-Fe-Si system at 1 kb and $Xco_2$=0.02 shows that the mineral assemblages with decreasing temperature are andradite-hedenbergite-calcite, hedenbergite-andradite-quartz, magnetite-andradite-quartz, and magnetite-quartz-calcite, indicating that magnetite crystallizes mostly late skarn stage at lower temperature. According to the carbon and oxygen isotopic values of the host limestone and calcite in ores, the sourec of carbon might be mixture of host limestone and deep seated carbons. Sulfur isotope data imply that ore fluids be relatively homogeneous in sulfur isotopic composition, mainly derived from igneous source.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1990

A couple of Au-Ag-bearing epithermal quartz veins of Cretaceous(87.9Ma) in age are developed in the Cretaceous(112Ma) granodiorite batholith which was emplaced in Mesozoic Baegyari sedimentary formation. Au minerals consist mostly of electrum with a 54.2-61.9 wt% Au and are closely associated with sulfide minerals including pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, galena and sphalerite. Homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in quartz, fluorite and calcite are $196-368^{\circ}C$ (avg. $240^{\circ}C$), $74-176^{\circ}C$ (avg. $115^{\circ}C$) and $75-200^{\circ}C$ (avg. $119^{\circ}C$) respectively. Sulfur isotopic compositions( +5- +8‰) of ore sulfides indicate a deep-seated sulfur origin. Oxygen isotope compositions of different stages of quartz vary from +5.6 to +9.3‰ and calculated ${\delta}^{18}O$ values of ore fluid at $250^{\circ}C$ range from -3.2 to +0.4‰, reflecting an isotopically evolved ore fluid mixed with a $^{18}O$ depleted meteoric water under the variable mixing ratios between hydrothermal and meteoric waters. Isotopic data of calcite minerals support the above conclusions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.1476-1484
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• 2023

Laboratory experiments and point monitoring of reservoir sediments have proven that stable sulfate reduction (SSR) can lower the concentrations of toxic metals and sulfate in acidic groundwater for a long time. Here, we hypothesize that SSR occurred during in situ leaching after uranium mining, which can impact the fate of acid groundwater in an entire region. To test this, we applied a sulfur isotope fractionation method to analyze the mechanism for natural attenuation of contaminated groundwater produced by acid in situ leaching of uranium (Xinjiang, China). The results showed that δ³⁴S increased over time after the cessation of uranium mining, and natural attenuation caused considerable, area-scale immobilization of sulfur corresponding to retention levels of 5.3%-48.3% while simultaneously decreasing the concentration of uranium. Isotopic evidence for SSR in the area, together with evidence for changes of pollutant concentrations, suggest that area-scale SSR is most likely also important at other acid mining sites for uranium, where retention of acid groundwater may be strengthened through natural attenuation. To recapitulate, the sulfur isotope fractionation method constitutes a relatively accurate tool for quantification of spatiotemporal trends for groundwater during migration and transformation resulting from acid in situ leaching of uranium in northern China.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 1992

Mineral assemblages, mineral chemistries and stable isotope compositions of altered rocks of the Ogmae, Seongsan, Haenam and Gusi mines near the Haenam volcanic field in the southwestern part of the Korea peninsula were studied. Characteristic hydrothermal alteration zones in these deposits occurring in the Cretaceous volcanics and volcanogenic sediments, acidic tuff, and rhyolite, were outlined. Genetic environment with particular reference to the spatial and temporal relationships for these deposits were considered. The alteration zones defined by a mineral assemblage in the Ogmae and Seongsan deposits can be classified as alunite, pyrophyllite, kaolinite or dickite, quartz, illite or illite/smectite. Alunite was not developed in the Gusi and Haenam deposits. Boundaries between the adjacent zones are always gradational except for vein-type alunite. Alteration zones are superimposed upon each other in some localities. These deposits formed $71.8{\pm}2.8{\sim}76.6{\pm}2.9$ Ma ago, which is the almost same age of later volcanic rocks $79.4{\pm}1.7{\sim}82.8{\pm}1.2$ Ma, the Haenam Group, corresponding to Campanian. It indicates that hydrothermal alteration of these deposits appeared to be related to felsic volcanism in the area. Consideration of the stability between kaolinite, alunite, pyrite and pyrophyllite, and the geothermometry based on the mineral chemistry of illite and chlorite suggests that the maximum formation temperature for alunite and pyrophyllite can be estimated at about $250^{\circ}C$ and $240{\sim}290^{\circ}C$, respectively. It also suggests that these deposits were formed by acidic sulfate solution with high aqueous silica and potassium activity in a shallow depth environment. Compositional variation of alunite also suggests that the physico-chemical conditions fluctulated considerably during alteration processes, indicating shallow depth environment. The Haenam deposit was formed at a relatively greater depth than the others. The sulfur isotope composition of alunite and pyrite indicates that sulfur probably had a magmatic source, and the oxygen isotope composition for kaolinite indicates that the magmatic hydrothermal solution was diluted by circulating meteoric water.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.153-163
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• 2013

The Ogcheon Au-Ag deposit consists of two quartz veins that fill the NE or NW-trending fissures in the metasedimentary rocks of unknown age. The quartz veins occur mainly in the massive type with partially breccia and cavity. They can be found along the strike for about minimum 50 m and varied in thickness from 0.1 to 0.3 m. The mineralogy of quartz veins from the Ogcheon deposit is mainly composed of hydrothermal alteration minerals such as pyrite, quartz, sericite, chlorite, clay minerals and sulfides including pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena. Fluid inclusion data from quartz indicate that homogenization temperatures and salinity of mineralization range from 184 to $362^{\circ}C$ and from 0.0 to 6.6 wt.% eq. NaCl, respectively. These suggest that ore forming fluids were progressively cooled and diluted from mixing with meteoric water. Sulfur(${\delta}^{34}S$: 0.4~8.4‰) isotope composition indicates that ore sulfur was derived from mainly magmatic source although there is a partial derivation from the host rocks. The calculated oxygen(${\delta}^{18}O$: 4.9~12.1‰) and hydrogen(${\delta}D$: -92~-74‰) isotope compositions suggest that magmatic and meteoric ore fluids were equally important for the formation of the Ogcheon deposit and then overlapped to some degree with another type of meteoric water during mineralization.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2011

The Geopung Cu deposit consists of two subparallel quartz veins that till the NE-trending fissures in Triassic Cheongsan granite. The quartz veins occur mainly massive with partially cavity and breccia. They can be followed along strike for about 500 m and varies in thickness from 0.2 to 2.2 m. Based on the mineralogy and paragenesis of veins, mineralization of quartz veins can be divided into hypogene and supergene stages. Hypogene stage is associated with hydrothermal alteration minerals such as sericite, pyrite, quartz, chlorite, clay minerals and sulfides such as pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, marcasite, sphalerite, stannite, chalcopyrite and galena. Supergene stage is composed of geothite. Fluid inclusion data from quartz indicate that homogenization temperatures and salinity of hypogene stage range from 163 to $356^{\circ}C$ and from 0.2 to 7.2 wt.% eq. NaCl, respectively. They suggest that ore forming fluids were progressively cooled and diluted from mixing with meteoric water. Sulfur (${\delta}^{34}S$: 4.3~9.2‰) isotope composition indicates that ore sulfur was derived from mainly magmatic source although there is a partial derivation from the host rocks. The calculated oxygen (${\delta}^{18}O$: 0.9~4.0‰) and hydrogen (${\delta}D$: -86~-69‰) isotope compositions suggest that magmatic and meteoric ore fluids were equally important for the formation of the Geopung Cu deposit and then overlapped to some degree with another type of meteoric water during mineralization.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2008

The Bongsang gold-silver deposit consists of quartz veins that fill along the fault Bone within Cretaceous andesitic lapilli tuff. Mineralization is occurred within fault-breccia zones and can be divided into two stages. Stage I which can be subdivided into early and late depositional stages is main ore mineralization and stage II is barren. Stage I began with deposition of wall-rock alteration minerals and base-metal sulfides, and was deposited by later native silver, Ag-bearing tetrahedrite, polybasite and base-metal sulfides such like pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena. Fluid inclusion data indicate that homogenization temperatures and salinities of stage I range from 137 to $336^{\circ}C$ and from 0.0 to 10.6 wt.% NaCl, respectively. It suggests that ore forming fluids were cooled and diluted with the mixing of meteoric water. Also, temperature and sulfur fugacity deduced mineral assemblages of late stage I are $<210^{\circ}C\;and\;<10^{-15.4}$ atm, respectively. Sulfur(3.4%o) isotope composition indicates that ore sulfur was mainly derived from a magmatic source as well as the host rocks. The calculated oxygen{2.9%o, 10.3%o(quartz: 7.9%o, 8.9%o, calcite: 2.9%o, 10.3%o)}, hydrogen(-75%o) and carbon(-7.0%o, -5.9%o) isotope compositions indicate that hydrothermal fluids may be meteoric origin with some degree of mixing of another meteoric water for paragenetic time.