• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2009

In this study, the effect of pH and temperature on the adsorption behavior of acid mine drainage (AMD) on coal mine drainage sludge (CMDS) has been investigated during the treatment of coal mine drainage (CMD) by electrical purification method. The pH$_{zero\;point\;charge}$ (pH$_{zpc}$) of CMDS was 5. The removal ratio of copper, zinc, cadmium, iron were increased according to the increase of pH value. The adsorption amount of copper showed 0.64 mg g$^{-1}$ sludge. It was independent of pH value. The adsorption amount of the other metals showed l.l times when pH was 3. The adsorption amount of chromium was a little bit increased at the pH value higher than 7 due to a small amount of the chromium was eluted as $Cr(OH)_6^{3-}$. The amount of metals' absorption were decreased according to temperature was increase at pH value was 3. The selectivity order was Cd>Fe > Zn > Cu. The amount of absorption showed q$_{max}$ Cu 2.747 mg g$^{-1}$ andZn 2.525 mg g$^{-1}$ when pH value higher than 5. It was independent of temperature.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.19-21
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• 2001

The Shiheung mine was closed in 1972 and has been abandoned since then. Although some restoration work has been done, there still remain mine failings in and around the mine, posing a potential environmental hazard. Mine tailings and the porewater extracted from the tailing were investigated to see any evidence of elemental release and migration to adjacent groundwater and soil in the field. The pHs of the tailing range from 6.24 to 7.23. Calcite in the studied area seems to influence on such neutral pH range. Depth profile of mine tailing demonstrate elements have been leached and removed as a consequence of weathering during disposal. This is also supported by the findings from porewater analysis, corresponding the trends in the mine tailings. The concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn in the tailing porewater exceed the standard value of EPA for drinking water and this implies groundwater can be contaminated through infiltration of the porewaters, which ultimately will be discharged as leachate from the mine tailing. Groundwater samples collected near the mine area do not show high metal concentrations, except for Fe, which were detected over drinking water standard.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.529-539
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• 2019

In this study, heavy metal removal and precipitation characteristics with pH change were studied for artificial acid mine drainage. Artificial acid mine drainage was prepared using sulfates of iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, manganese which contained in acid mine drainage from abandoned mines. The single and mixed five heavy metal samples of Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, and Mn were prepared at initial concentrations of 30 and 70 mg/L. Fe and Al were mostly removed at pH 4.0 and 5.0, respectively, and other heavy metals gradually decreased with increasing pH. Concentration changes with increasing pH show generally similar trend for single and mixed heavy metal samples. The effect of removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions is not related to the initial concentration and depends on the pH change. XRD were used for mineral identification of precipitates and crystallinity of the mineral tended to increase with increasing pH. The precipitates that produced by decreasing the concentration of heavy metals in the aqueous solution composed of Fe-goethite(FeOOH), Al-basaluminite(Al₄(SO₄)(OH)₁₀·4H₂O), Cu-connellite(Cu₁₉(OH)₃₂(SO₄)Cl₄·3H₂O) and tenorite(CuO), Zn-zincite(ZnO), and Mn-hausmannite(Mn₃O₄).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.73-86
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• 2004

In order to estimate the post-ingestion bioavailability of heavy metals and to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to toxic heavy metals, environmental geochemical surveys were undertaken around the Dogok Au-Ag-Cu and the Hwacheon Au-Ag-Pb-Zn mine sites. Human risk assessment of toxic heavy metals was performed with the results of the SBET(simple bioavailability extraction test) analysis for soil and chemical analytical data for crop plant and water. Arsenic and other heavy metals were highly elevated in tailings from the Dogok(218 As mg/kg, 90.2 Cd mg/kg, 3,053 Cu mg/kg, 9,473 Pb mg/kg, 14,500 Zn mg/kg) and the Hwacheon(72 As mg/kg, 12.4 Cd mg/kg. 578 Pb mg/kg, 1,304 Zn mg/kg) mines. These significant concentrations can impact on soils and waters around the tailing dumps. The quantities of As, Cd and Zn extracted from paddy soils in the Hwacheon mine using the SBET analysis were 55.4%, 20.8% and 26.4% bioavailability, respectively, and for farmland soils in the Dogok mine, 40.8%, 37.6% and 33.0% bioavailability, respectively. From the results of human risk assessment, HI(Hazard Index) value exceeded 1.0 for As in the Hwacheon mine and for Cd in the Dogok mine. Thus, toxic risks for As and Cd exist via exposure(ingestion) of contaminated soil, water and rice grain in these mine sites. The cancer risk for As by the consumption of rice and groundwater in the Hwacheon mine area was 8E-4 and 1E-4, respectively. This risk level exceeds the acceptable risk(1 in 100,000) for regulatory purpose. Therefore, regular ingestion of locally grown rice and ground-water by the local population can pose a potential health threat due to long-term arsenic exposure.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.325-337
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• 2002

We examined the contamination of stream water and stream sediments by heavy metal elements with respect to distance from the abandoned Backun Au-Ag-Cu mine. High contents of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Mn, and Fe) and aluminum in the waters connected with mining and associated deposits (dumps, tailings) reduce water quality. In the mining area, Ca and SO$_4$ are predominant cation and anion. The mining water is Ca-SO$_4$ type and is enriched in heavy metals resulted from the weathering of sulfide minerals. This mine drainage water is weakly acid or neutral (pH; 6.5-7.1) because of neutralizing effect by other alkali and alkaline earth elements. The effluent from the mine adit is also weakly acid or neutral, and contains elevated concentrations of most elements due to reactions with ore and gangue minerals in the deposit. The concentration of ions in the Backun mining water is high in the mine adit drainage water and steeply decreased award to down stream. Buffering process can be reasonably considered as a partial natural control of pollution, since the ion concentration becomes lower and the pH value becomes neutralized. In order to evaluate mobility and bioavailability of metals, sequential extraction was used for stream sediments into five operationally defined groups: exchangeable, bound to carbonates, bound to FeMn oxide, bound to organic matter, and residual. The residual fraction was the most abundant pool for Cu(2l-92%), Zn(28-89%) and Pb(23-94%). Almost sediments are low concentrated with Cd(2.7-52.8 mg/kg) than any other elements. But Cd dominate with non stable fraction (68-97%). Upper stream sediments are contaminated with Pb, and down area sediments are enriched with Zn. It is indicate high mobility of Zn and Cd.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.53-54
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• 1999

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.808-816
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• 2008

In the present paper, a study has been performed on remediating mine tailings around abandoned mine contaminated with high concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals using the technique of soil washing. Through the removal experiment of arsenic, the optimal conditions in the type and concentration of washing reagent, mixing ratio of mine tailings and washing reagent, and washing time were derived. Results showed that the most effective washing reagents to remove arsenic from mine tailings were oxalic acid(72% removal efficiency) and phosphoric acid(65%), while the oxalic acid(89%) was the most effective in removing the heavy metals containing Cu. In addition, the most economical and efficient washing concentration was 0.25 M and the most suitable washing time was 30 minutes. The optimal mixing ratio of mine tailings and washing reagent was 1 : 20(mass/vol) from the viewpoint of minimization of wastewater produced after the washing, as well as the washing effectiveness. Although the mixture of washing reagents did not help in removal of arsenic, it could lead to much elevated synergy effect on removing Cu and Zn, compared with the single reagent.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2004

This study was investigated the distribution characteristics of heavy metal concentrations in soils around abandoned mines in Pochon city. The abandoned mines were Youngjung, Yongsog and Pochon. The results were as follows: 1) Heavy metal mean concentrations in minewastes were detected Cr 100.119 mg/kg, Cu 189.400 mg/kg in Youngjung mine, Cr 198.440 mg/kg, As 160.480 mg/kg in Yongsog mine and Cr 84.680 mg/kg, Zn 50.280 mg/kg in Pochon mine. 2) The mean concentrations in soils which is around mines were Cu 62.351 mg/kg in Youngjung mine, and As 95.024 mg/kg, Hg 11.279 mg/kg in Yongsog mine. All materials in Pochon mine were detected low level. 3) The concentrations of heavy metal showed low or not detected in water system (groundwaters, streams and sediments).

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.75-80
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• 2005

Several metalliferous including Guedo mine, Manjung mine and Joil mine located at the upper watershed of Namhan river, were abandoned or closed since 1988 due to the mining industry promotion policy and thus disposed an enormous amount of mining wastes without a proper treatment facilities, resulting in soil pollution. In this research, total and fractional concentrations of heavy metals in mining wastes were analyzed and accordingly the degree of soil pollutions in the abandoned mine area were quantitatively assessed employing the several pollution indices. The mining waste samples from Guedo mine, Manjung mine and Joil mine recently abandoned were collected for the evaluation of the potential of water pollution by mining activities. Index of geoaccumulation fractional composition and removal efficiency of some heavy metals by different concentration of HCl treatment were analyzed. Index of geoaccumulation of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr are 6, $4\~6,\;0\~6,\;4\~5$, 2 and 0 respectively. The index of geoaccumulation of Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu reveals the mining wastes has high pollution potential in the area. According to sequential extraction of metals in the mine wastes organic fraction of Cu, reducible fraction of Pb, residual fraction of Ni and Zn were the most abundant fraction of heavy metals in mining wastes.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1986

The distribution of giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrrhiza) and small duckweed (Lemna aequinoctialis) was investigated at lead-zinc mine area and the limiting factors for their distribution were studied by laboratory experiments. The metal investigated of water affected on the growth of giant duckweed and small duckweed. Under filed conditions, both giant duckweed and small duckweed did not persist at more acidic conditions than pH 4.8 or at conditions more than 0.30 ppm of Cd concentration. Giant duckweeds were intolerable, under conditiions with less than 0.30 ppm of Cd and above than 0.07ppm of Zn, but small duckweeds were tolerable under conditions of more than 0.07 ppm of Zn concentration. However, neither can live above 7.50ppm of Zn concentration. These field observations corresponded with the results of the laboratory experiments.