• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.163-183
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• 2019

We investigated acid mine drainage (AMD) of Bongyang abandoned coal mine, Danyang, Chungbuk Province with emphasis on geochemical contaminants in AMD and precipitates using chemical analyses, XRD, SEM, IR, and $^{27}Al$ NMR. Water chemistry changes with pH and oversaturation of chemical species. According to calculation of saturation index, the AMD is saturated with various Fe, Al minerals. Orange or orcher precipitates are composed of schwertmannite and goethite, associated with Leptothrix orchracea bacteria, whereas whitish precipitates are composed mostly of alumimous minerals such as basaluminite with poor crystallinity. The whitish precipitates include trace $Al_{13}$-Tridecamer. It is important to control the precipitation and solubility of aluminous species for ensuring remediation and control for the AMD discharged from the Bongyang abandoned coal mine.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.455-465
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• 2016

The collapse of underground mine development void for mineral resources can cause the subsidence of ground surface. In order to prevent the subsidence of ground, data such as maps or pictures of past mining site is important information for current mine reclamation works. In particular, mine subsidence management was based on mining maps and pictures. The process of the mining area surveys, safety evaluation, and ground reinforcement are normally possible with information such as maps and pictures in past mining. During the Japanese colonial period and 1960's, a lot of mines were developed in Korea indiscriminately. However, mining information at that time is limited to use. In the future, mining information will become even more rare. MIRECO intends to establish a realistic alternative solution. In this study, the basic numerical information of developed mine tunnels in Korea is statistically reviewed, and advanced underground cavity measuring technology was studied. 4,473 mine tunnel opening data of 1,784 abandoned mines in korea were collected and sorted. As a result of the analysis, the average value of small mine tunnel openings in Korea was 1.982 m in height and 1.959 m in width. The mean value of shape factor was analyzed as 0.485. The summary of these numerical mine data will be helpful for understanding and researching Korean abandoned mines. Therefore, the development of measurement technology for abandoned mine cavities and tunnels is expected to facilitate more effective mine subsidence management works in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1010-1015
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• 2011

The objectives of this study were to investigate soil chemical characteristics for forest rehabilitation and suggest management in abandoned coal mine areas in Hwasun-gun, South Jeolla Province. Total study sites were 8 sites, and soil analysis particular were soil pH, TOC, total-N, C/N ratio, Avail. $P_2O_5$, and CEC. Average soil pH was 5.8 (4.7~6.4). Average contents of TOC, total-N and C/N ratio were 1.1% (0.2~2.0%), 0.08% (0.02~0.13%) and 15.0 (7.9~31.4), respectively. Average Avail. $P_2O_5$ was $8.3mg\;kg^{-1}$ (2.7~15.0) and Average CEC was $13.7cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$ ($9.9{\sim}18.5cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$). Soil pH was decreased according to elapsed time from forest rehabilitation, while TOC, total N and CEC were increased. Av. $P_2O_5$ did not show any relationship with elapsed time. Soil pH was stable comparing with general forest soil in South Jeolla Province (5.1), while contents of TOC and total N were lower than general forest soil in South Jeolla Province (4.9% and 0.18%, respectively). Therefore, sustainable managements such as fertilization for TOC and total N are necessary for good rooting and growth of vegetation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.483-494
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• 2021

This study was carried out to investigate the feasibility of reducing clean cover soil using a flooded column test in arsenic-contaminated farmland reclamation of abandoned coal mine area that shows generally low or about worrisome level (25 mg/kg) of Korea soil environment conservation act unlike abandoned metal mine. During the monitoring period of soil solution for 4 months, chemical properties (pH, EC, ORP, Fe, Mn, Ca, and As) in each layer (clean soil cover and contaminated/stabilized soil) showed different variation. This result revealed that soil solution in stabilized or contaminated soil rarely affected that in cover soil. Whether stabilized or not, arsenic concentrations in the rice roots grown in the soil covers with the thickness of 40 cm decreased by 98% in compared with the that grown in the control soil. In case of the soil covers with 20 cm thickness on stabilized soil, it decreased by 80% and this was 22 percentage point higher than when the soil of lower layer was not stabilized. Thus, reducing clean cover soil could be possible in contaminated farmland soil reclamation if appropriate stabilization of contaminated soil is carried.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.95-107
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• 2023

In this study, the effect of repeated traffic vibration on the long-term stability of mine openings is analyzed for re-utilization of abandoned mine galleries. The research mine in this study is an underground limestone mine which is developed by room-and-pillar mining method, and a dynamic numerical analysis is performed assuming that the research mine will be utilized as a logistics warehouse. The actual traffic vibration generated by the mining vehicles is measured directly, and its waveform is used as input data for dynamic numerical analysis, As a results of dynamic numerical analysis, after 20,000 repetitions of traffic vibration, the mine openings is analyzed to be stable, but an increase in the maximum principal stress and an additional area of plastic zone are observed in the analysis section. As shown in the changes of displacement, volumetric strain, and maximum principal stress which are measured at the mine opening walls. It is confirmed that if the repeated traffic vibration is continuously applied, the instability of the mine openings can be increased. Authors expect that the results of this study can be used as a reference for basic study on utilization of abandoned mine.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.71-75
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• 1998

The objective of this study is to investigate geochemical characteristics of mine wastes including tailings in various abandoned mines in Korea. Tailings and wastes were sampled in and around 39 metalliferous mines, and analysed heavy metal concentrations including Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn extracted by 0.1N HCl and aqua regia by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Measurements of paste pH and lime requirement were carried out to examine a general geochemical characteristics of the materials. Lots of mine wastes were characterized by very low pH values of 2 to 4 and high lime requirement to control neutralization of the wastes. In addition, elevated levels of heavy metals were found in various mine wastes extracted by both 0.lN HCl and aqua regia. Because the mine wastes can be dispersed into the downstream by clastic movement and wind-blow, it is necessary to control the materials with a proper method for their reclamation.

• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.168-172
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• 2012

In this study, the effect of soil ameliorators on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities in coal mine spoils was investigated. Organic fertilizers and slaked lime were applied as soil ameliorators in 3 abandoned coal mine spoils. One year after the initial treatment, roots of Pinus densiflora seedlings were collected and the number of ECM species, colonization rate, and species diversity were assessed. The results showed that the soil ameliorators significantly increased ECM colonization on the roots of P. densiflora. The results suggest that soil ameliorators can have a positive effect on ECM fungi in terms of growth of host plants and show the potential use of soil ameliorator treatment for revegetation with ECM-colonized pine seedlings in the coal mine spoils.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.670-674
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• 2005

The respiratory quinone profile was used as a tool for the study on microbial community structure in the mine tailings of abandoned mines over the depth. For the study, the area of Jingok mine located in Bongwha, Korea has been selected. The distributions of Cd, Cu, Pb, Al, Fe and Mn showed the following common patterns; the highest values in the upper part of mine failings (0-20 cm), rapid decrease with increasing depth. The dominant quinone species of the mine tailings were UQ-9 followed by UQ-10, suggesting that microbes had contributed to heavy metal degradation. The quinone contents in mine tailings ranged from 5.0 to 24.9 nmol/kg. The microbial diversity in the upper part of mine tailings (0-40 cm) was higher than that of lower part of mine tailings (100-120 cm).

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2007

Ecological risk assessment(ERA) to 5 abandoned mine drainage was investigated by using chemical measurement and bioassay experiment. From the results of chemical analysis, the high concentration of heavy metals are detected in most area. The Arsenite were mostly detected in Songcheon, Nakdong, and Dukum abandoned mine area, and various heavy metals were highly dispersed in Nakdong area. The study area have also high biological toxicity, resulted from the bioassay based on WET(Whole Effluent Toxicity) test by using Vibrio fisheri, Selenastrum copricornutum, and Daphnia magna. The maximum toxicity was shown in the point where the mine waters start to flow. The sensitivity of toxicity by S. capricornutum was relatively high considering the values of toxicity in all samples, from 1.3 to 32.0 TU. The different sensitivities of toxicity recommends the use of battery system, resulted from at least two test species for bioassay or ecological risk assessment of mine drainage. Besides, the results showed high hazard quotient(i.e., greater than 1 HQ value indicating potentially significant toxic risks) with regard to abandoned mine drainage area in this study. On the other hand, the biological toxicity results were sharply decreased by attenuation along further distance from discharging of mine waters. Therefore, environmental parameters including the dilution factor, dissolved organic matter, and hardness should be considered when the remediation and ERA of abandoned mine drainage is planned.