• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.133-145
• /
• 2020

Soil in mine waste-rock fields, and at the pithead, sediments and farmlands around an abandoned mine in the Chungcheong Province of South Korea were investigated to assess the distribution of metallic elements and to understand the scope of the pollution. Reddening was observed from the mine up to a distance of 61 m. Losses of waste rock around the mine were assessed over a section of 1800 ㎥. Yellowish precipitates on the bottom of a stream were identified as ferrihydrite and goethite. For anions, a mean sulfate ion level over 773.6 mg/L was found during August in the river water samples. Mine drainage at the site was shown to have a pH of 4.9 and a sulfate concentration of 1557.8 mg/L during the August rainy season. A possible cause of the metallic element contamination in the mine is waste-rock loss, because mine waste-rock is located on the slope in this area. In conclusion, the total soil area to be treated, based on the amount that exceeded the recommended Korean soil pollution levels, was assessed to be 10,297 ㎡.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2006.04a
• /
• pp.209-212
• /
• 2006

Using sulfur sotope analysis of dissolved sulfate in surface water, we have investigated the source of sulfate in order to identify the abandoned metallic mines, which have the potential of heavy metal contamination within watershed. The range of the sulfur isotope values for dissolved sulfate in stream waters (DD-1 and 2) are similar to those of sulfides from the Dunjun mine, which suggests that oxidation of sulfides is the principal source of $SO_4^{2-}$ in these stream waters. Also, heavier sulfur isotopes in waters near Baekjun and Hamchang mines imply the possibility of contamination in waters by these metallic mines.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.363-370
• /
• 2005

There are approximately 2,000 metallic mines which have been abandoned in Korea. Most of the mines are located in the watershed area, which is main source of drinking water for Seoul Metropolitan area. Untreated mining wastes are remained around abandoned mines in study area. These mining wastes, flowing into farmland and stream in the downstream of abandoned mines, would cause water and soil pollution. 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 mine waste. Index of geoaccumulation($M\"{u}ller$, 1979), 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, $4{\sim}6,\;0{\sim}6,\;4{\sim}5$, 2 and 0 respectively. Index of geoaccumulation of Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu reveals the mining wastes has high pollution pottential in the area. 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.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2001.09a
• /
• pp.75-89
• /
• 2001

There are 334 coal mines and about 900 metal mines abandoned. The environmental problems such as acid mine drainage from adits etc. and the subsidence has occurred in the abandoned mines. In addition, soil has been contaminated by tailings. According to analysis of mine drainages, some of them from adits in the abandoned coal and metallic mines were acidic and polluted by heavy metals. Especially, water quality of coal mine drainages were different by areas. Treatment of mine drainage by conventional chemical treatment has the drawback because the operating cost is very expensive. The treatment system used in mine drainage is the natural treatment system such as anoxic limestone drain in adits and the constructed wetland. The method of reclamation for abandoned waste rocks and tailings impoundments are mainly landfilling.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.59-61
• /
• 2005

In Korea, hundreds of abandoned and closed coal and metallic mines are present in the steep mountain valleys due to the depression of the mining industry since the late 1980s. From these mines, enormous amounts of coal waste were dumped on the slopes, which causes sedimentation and acid mine drainage (AMD) to be discharged directly into streams causing detrimental effects on soil and water environments. A limestone slurry by-product (lime cake) is produced from the Solvay process in manufacturing soda ash. It has very fine particles, low hydraulic conductivities ($10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-9}cm/sec$), high pH, high EC due to the presence of CaO, MgO and $CaCl_2$ as major components, and traces of heavy metals. Due to these properties, it has potential to be used as a neutralizer for acid-producing materials. A field plot experiment was used to test the application of lime cake for reclaiming coal wastes. Each plot was 20 x 5 m (L x W) in size on a 56% slope. Treatments included a control (waste only), calcite ($CaCO_3$), and lime cake. The lime requirement (LR) for the coal waste to pH 7.0 was determined and treatments consisted of adding 100%, 50%, and 25% of the LR. The lime cake and calcite were also applied in either a layer between the coal waste and topsoil or mixed into the topsoil and coal waste. Each plot was hydroseeded with grasses and planted with trees. In each plot, surface runoff and subsurface water were collected. The lime cake treatments increased the pH of coal waste from 3.5 to 6, and neutralized the pH of the runoff and leachate of the coal waste from 4.3 to 6.7.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.463-473
• /
• 2000

This research was carried out to investigate chemical pretreatment using limestone in treating abandoned metallic mine drainage with anaerobic biological treatment, and to estimate application of papermill and livestock sludge as carbon sources for SRB (Sulfate Reducing Bacterial. Capacity of anaerobic limestone bed was steeply decreased. But if limestone was utilized as pretreatment process in treating them with anaerobic biological treatment. it could look forward to stabilize system because it did initally neutralize them. Effluent SCOD in R-4 was lower than R-l~R-3 in inital HRT 5day but its concentration was high in HRT 1day after passed time. Therefore in point of durability and supply of organic matter. it seemed that R-4 was useful became organic matter in R-4 was not consumed by excessive degradation within short period. In all reactors, pH was suitable for SRB growth in whole HRT, but on the evidence of ORP, SRB was active after HRT 2day. Fixation trend of heavy meta s showed high as $SO_4{^{2-}}$ reduction efficiency increased, and $SO_4{^{2-}}$ reduction and fixation of heavy metals were relatively high in HET 2day.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.123-135
• /
• 1997

In order to investigate the dispersion patterns and contamination level of heavy metals in the soil-ecosystem and to evaluate the efficiency of soil remediation by reversed soil method, soils and plants were collected from the Dongjin Au-Ag-Cu mine area and analysed for heavy metals. The dispersion patterns of heavy metals in soils and plants show that heavy metal pollutions caused by waste rump around Dongjin mine are mainly found in the vicinity of the waste rump and in the southward slanting of mine. Toxic metallic pollutants from the mine influence heavy metal contents in paddy soils in downstream area, and may be a potential sources of heavy metal pollution on crop plants. Soil samples collected from the remediated rice farming field by reversed method show similar levels of heavy metal content to those from the polluted rice farming field, but topsoil enrichment of heavy metals are not found. Heavy metal contents of the rice plants collected from remediated rice farming field are significantly lower than those from polluted rice farming field, and it suggests that the reversed soil method is effective for the reduction of bioavailability of heavy metals.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2010

This study investigated the change of metal contamination levels according to amendment of enforcement regulation of the Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. As an analytical result of 87 samples in abandoned metallic mine area, the extracted amount of As, Pb and Cu with aqua regia was 4.3~29.6 times higher than that with hydrochloric acid extraction and the number of samples, which contamination levels were found to exceed soil contamination standards, was also increased. On the other hand, in case of Cd, Zn, and Ni, the number of samples, which contamination levels were found to exceed soil contamination standards, was decreased or similar. These results can be used as a preliminary material in comparison between the soil pollution data accumulated previously and the data obtained by the revised standard method for the examination of soil pollution.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.45-55
• /
• 1996

Although the Dongjin Au-Ag-Cu mine had been abandoned since about forty years ago, the results of this study on the dispersion patterns and contamination level of heavy metals in the hydrologic system flowing via the waste rump show that the environmental impacts from the mine wastes are still significant. The stream water in the vicinity of the waste rump is severely acidified (pH 3.8 to 4.4) and highly enriched in various dissolved heavy metals. The heavy metal contents of the stream water and stream sediments are systematically attenuated with increasing distance from the mine area. However, it is worth to note that continuous attenuation of heavy metal contents in both media were reenriched in downstream area more than 800 m apart from the mine because it can be acted as a secondary source of heavy metal pollution. The heavy metals, especially Cd, Cu and Zn of polluted downstream sediments mainly occur in Fe-Mn oxides and organic materials, which indicates that these elements are the main pollutants from the waste rump of the Dongjin mine. The heavy metal contents of crops, such as sesame, perilla, red Pepper and brown rice, collected from the polluted farm land in the downstream area are lower than those of land plants from stream sides, but significantly higher in Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn than those from the unpolluted farm land. Especially, almost all of the crops in polluted farm land have been severly contaminated by Cd (>0.4 ppm). On the other hand, the heavy metal contents of the crops collected from refreshed farm land by means of a soil addition method shows significantly lowered level comparing with those of polluted area, which indicates that a soil addition method was effective for the refreshment of polluted farm land by toxic metallic pollutants. Wormwoods from this area showed very high contents in a11 the heavy metals even in unpolluted area (Cd > 1 ppm, Cr > 1 ppm, Cu > 11 ppm, Pb> 4 ppm, Zn > 55 ppm), indicating that a special caution must be payed when one takes ingest them.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.31-44
• /
• 1998

The geochemical experiments were carried out to investigate a removal effect of heavy metals in abdndoned metallic mine wastes, and to conceive a treatment techniques of them. In order to prevent contamination, experiment appature was made of acrylic acid resin and polyethylene which resist to acid and alkali. Experiment models are devided into four groups based on the system environments, distribution patterns and a kind of filling materials. The first group is background model(model I ) which is filled with waste only and opened to air. The second one is four layer group which is subdivided into two models, opened and closed systems, and the third mix group which is subdivided into three models based on mixing ratio of filling materials and system environment like a layered group. The forth is composed of two layer model, lower one composed of waste and upper one limestone chips. Solution drained from Model Ishows a high contents of heavy metals on the all terms of experiments. Among the models, however, the closed mix model V and Ⅶ show the most effective removal of heavy metals liberated from wastes. Models having different mixing ratios of filling materials on closed systems does not affect in heavy metal removal effect. But, the distribution patterns of filling materials affect very much on removal effect of heavy metals. The closed models with same constitution ratios and distribution patterns of filling materials show more and less effective removal to the open models.