• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.787-798
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• 2005

The objectives of this study were to assess extraction kinetics of heavy metals with extraction times and to assess extraction efficiencies of heavy metals with concentrations and kinds of washing solutions. Target materials were obtained from disused metal mines. Washing solutions were water, HCl(0.1, 0.3, 1.0 N), EDTA(0.01, 0.05, 0.1 M), and sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS, 0.1. 0.5, 1.0%). Extraction efficiencies of heavy metals by water and SDS were below 1%, and extraction efficiencies of Zn and Cd were higher than those of Pb and Cu. As results, water and SDS were not effective in extracting heavy metals from mine tailings as washing solution, but extraction efficiencies of Pb and Cu with SDS solution increased as extraction time increased. Extraction kinetics of heavy metals with HCl and EDTA were faster than those with water and SDS. The majority of heavy metals were extracted within 6 hours, and extraction kinetics was almost independent of the solution concentration. Extraction kinetics of heavy metals after 6 hours was slow, but extraction kinetics was dependent on the solution concentration. Also, as concentrations of HCl and EDTA solution were stronger, heavy metals were extracted rapidly and extraction efficiencies were increased. The extraction efficiency was high in order of Cd>Pb>Zn>Cu in using 1.0 N HCl, and Pb>Cd>Zn>Cu in using 0.1 M EDTA. Consequently, extraction effectiveness was highest for Pb in using HCl, and for Pb and Cd in using EDTA with concentration increase. Extraction time of over 6 hours was not effective in extracting heavy metals.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.525-534
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• 2014

Environmental problems typically occurring in abandoned mine lands (AML) include: contaminated and acidic surface water and groundwater; stockpiled waste rock and mill tailings; and ground subsidences due to mining operations. This study examines the effectiveness of various geophysical techniques for mapping potential hazard and contaminated zones. Four AML sites with sedimentation contamination problems, acid mine drainage (AMD) channels, ground subsidence, manmade liner leakage, and buried mine tailings, were selected to examine the applicability of various geophysical methods to the identification of the different types of mine hazards. Geophysical results were correlated to borehole data (core samples, well logs, tomographic profiles, etc.) and water sample data (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and heavy metal contents). Zones of low electrical resistivity (ER) corresponded to areas contaminated by heavy metals, especially contamination by Cu, Pb, and Zn. The main pathways of AMD leachate were successfully mapped using ER methods (low anomaly peaks), self-potential (SP) curves (negative peaks), and ground penetrating radar (GPR) at shallow penetration depths. Mine cavities were well located based on composite interpretations of ER, seismic tomography, and well-log records; mine cavity locations were also observed in drill core data and using borehole image processing systems (BIPS). Damaged zones in buried manmade liners (used to block descending leachate) were precisely detected by ER mapping, and buried rock waste and tailings piles were characterized by low-velocity zones in seismic refraction data and high-resistivity zones in the ER data.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 1992

In this study, a talc flotation was fundamentally carried out with dolomite origin talc ore produced in Dong Yang Talc Mine at Chung-Ju. This ores are mainly composed with talc as a valuable mineral, dolomite as a gangue mineral and other minor minerals of hornblende, tremolite, actinolite, chlorite, calcite, epidote and iron oxide. In order to obtain some of fundamental data for the talc flotation from low grade dolomitic talc tailings which were abandoned -25mm +17 mm size, after the treatment of crude talc ores by screening and hand -picking at the mine, flotation characteristics of the pure talc and dolomite in this ores were first investigated by measuring floatability of the minerals at some experiment conditions. Furthermore, Several times of batch flotations for talc were performed experimentally to recover talc from the low grade dolomitic talc tailings. From the results obtained in this experiment, the conclusions can be summarized as follows ; 1) In the flotation of pure talc, the use of Dowfroth 250 as frother was the most effective in various kinds of frother and the proper addition amount was about 50 mg/${\ulcorner}$(200g/t) at the condition of this experiment. 2) In the flotation of pure talc, the use of kerosene as collector was not adequate, at the addition over 50mg/l of Dowfroth 250. 3) The adequate pH of pulp ranged from pH6 to pH9 in the talc flotation using Dowfroth 250 as frother. 4) The use of Quebracho as depressant for dolomite was not adequate for the recovery of talc, and more selective depressant was required. 5) In the talc flotation on D sample(dolomitic talc tailing), the suitable number of cleaning time was about 3. 6) At this experimental conditions for the talc flotation on D sample, the talc flotation concentrates of 1. 40% CaO and 84.5 whiteness could be recovered with the talc recovery of about 53%.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.30-40
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• 2021

The present study investigates the bioleaching efficiencies of arsenic via contact and non-contact mechanisms. The attachment of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was restricted by a partition system comprising a semi-permeable membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 12-14 kDa. The results were compared for two arsenic concentrations in the system (1.0% and 0.5% w/v) to maintain a homogeneous system. The overall bacterial performance was monitored by comparing total arsenic and iron concentrations, Fe ion speciation, pH, and solution redox potentials in flask bioleaching experiments over a period of 10 d. Our results indicated that bacterial attachment could increase arsenic extraction efficiency from 20.0% to 44.9% at 1.0 % solid concentrations. These findings suggest that the bacterial contact mechanism greatly influences arsenic bioleaching from mine tailings. Therefore, systems involving two-step or non-contact bioleaching are less effective than those involving one-step or contact bioleaching for the efficient extraction of arsenic from mine tailings.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.4A
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• pp.767-774
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• 2006

This study has focused on the possibility for recycling of tailings from the sangdong tungsten mine as powder (TA) of self-compacting concrete (SCC). The experimental tests for entrapped water ratio were carried out in accordance with the specified method by Okamura. The rheological measurements of cement paste were conducted by using a commercially digital Brookfield viscometer (Model LVDV-II+) equipped with cylindrical spindles, also tests for slump-flow, time required to reach 500 mm of slump flow (sec), time required to flow through V-funnel (sec) and filling height of U-box test (mm) were carried out in accordance with the specified by the Japanese Society of Civil Engineering (JSCE). The results of this study, entrapped water ratio was decreased with increasing replacement of TA. Thickness of pseudo water film was increased, and mean plastic viscosity was decreased with increasing replacement of TA. And slump-flow of SCC was decreased with increasing replacement of TA. But time required to reach 500 mm of slump flow (sec), time required to flow through V-funnel (sec) and filling height of U-box test (mm) were satisfied a prescribed range. The mechanical properties including compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and elastic modulus were checked with the requirements specified by Korean Industrial Standard (KS). The compressive strength of SCC was decreased with increasing replacement of TA, splitting tensile strength and elastic modulus were similar to those of normal concrete.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.192.4-192
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.174-174
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Resources Recycling Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.139-143
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• 2003

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.45-55
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• 2003

This study investigates the fractional composition and the leaching characteristics of heavy metals in polluted soils due to mining activities. The fractionated composition of heavy metals is classified into five fractions; adsorbed, carbonate, reducible, organic and residual fraction. The status of humic substances in mine wastes of most sites are polyhumic except tailing from Sangdong mine. According to the sequential extraction procedures (SEPs), leaching probabilities of Cd in coal wastes and tailing are relatively low due to high percentage of residual fraction. 46.4% of Ni in tailings from Sangdong mine is probably leached under oxidized environment, and 39.4% of Cu in these tailings is readily extracted under strongly oxidized environment by organic fraction. According to leaching condition of pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, the amount of heavy metals leached out of coal wastes and tailing increases to 1/2 hours. At pH 3.0 and pH 5.6, concentration of Ni in tailing increases up three times of the initial value. Heavy metals released from coal wastes and tailing were not influenced significantly by leaching time.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to review of environmental assessment of heavy metals derived from various metalliferous mines in Korea. As a results of national wide research for heavy metal contaminations in the vicinity of metalleferous mines, the main contaminants are mine waste materials including tailings. From the materials, toxic elements including As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn can be dispersed into downstream through wind and water. Thus, soils around the mines contain elevated levels of those elements, which are over the guide values for environmental regulation of soils in Korea. Arsenic is one of the most important elements contaminated by mining activities, to a less extent, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. In spite of remediation works for some metal mines by the government, there are still lots of abandoned mines which are necessary for reclamation of mining sites. This study also includes that metal concentrations in soils and tailings can be varied upon various decomposition methods including 0.1N HC1 and aqua regia and sequential extraction scheme, with differences in each element, too. This may be due to geochemical characteristics of the elements, such as solubility, mobility and chemical forms in the geochemical environment. Finally, it is suggested that a certain organization should be runned by Korean government for management of abandoned mines.