• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.265-273
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• 2005

Chemical properties and heavy metal concentrations of forest soils of four abandoned coal mine lands affected by coal mining activities in the Mungyeong area were investigated to provide basic information for revegetation of abandoned coal mine lands. Soil pH in abandoned coal mine lands ranged from 5.30 to 6.76 it in the control site was 5.23. Contents of organic matter and total N in abandoned coal mine lands were $4.46\~7.19\%\;and\;0.07\~0.15\%$, respectively. Available P contents were 6.54 for A (Samchang), 6.52 for B (Bongmyeong),3.94 fur C (Kabjung), 5.45 mg/kg for D (Danbong coal mine land) and 5.25 mg/kg for the control site, which had a positive correlation with soil pH. Contents of exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and Na in abandoned coal mile lands averaged 196.1, 88.7, 88.2 and $10.2cmol^+/kg$, with a range of $132.1\~242.1,\;24.2\~138.\; 64.9\~120.8\;and\;8\~12.2cmol^+/kg$, respectively. Those of the control site were 192.8, 95.8, 104 and $21.2 cmol^+/kg$, respectively. Heavy metals such as Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn of forest soil in abandoned coal mine lands have a larger content than those of the control site. Al, Mn and fb content was especially high in abandoned coal mine lands. The Al content of forest soil in abandoned coal mine lands ranged from 397 to 917 ppm, which was considered to be high enough to inhibit tree growth. Therefore, it is suggested that soils of abandoned coal mine lands contaminated by mining activities need to be properly treated for remediation of environmental problems.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.309-323
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• 2015

This study was initiated to propose the method for human risk assessment suitable to metal mine area. Using a variety of exposure parameters extracted from the investigation of abandoned metal mines, the proposed method was applied to assess the risk of As and heavy metal contamination for inhabitants (male and female adults and child) within an abandoned mine area. Based on the results of risk assessment, in addition, target remediation concentrations of each media (soil, groundwater, and surface water) were estimated. The results indicate that total carcinogenic risk (TCR) and hazard index (HI) representing carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, respectively, were calculated to exceed the tolerable levels (1.00E-6 and 1) with regard to two exposure pathways (groundwater and crop intakes) and As. Thus, the human risk of study area was evaluated to be significant. Based on the target risk (TR) for carcinogens, the remediation concentrations of soil were computed to be 6.83~6.85 mg/kg and 18.41~18.46 mg/kg for As and Pb, respectively. In terms of target hazard index (THI) for non-carcinogens, the remediation concentrations of soil were calculated to be 17.38 mg/kg for Cu and 9.13 mg/kg for As.

• 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.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).

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.515-517
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• 2003

In order to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to arsenic and heavy metals influenced by past mining activities, environmental geochemical surveys were undertaken in the abandoned metal mine areas (Dongil Au-Ag-Cu-Zn, Okdong Cu-Pb-Zn, Songcheon Au-Ag, Dongjung Au-Ag-Pb-Zn, Dokok Au-Ag-Cu and Hwacheon Au-Ag-Pb-Zn mines). Arsenic and other heavy metals were highly elevated in the tailings from the Dongil, the Songcheon and the Dongjung mines. High concentrations of heavy metals except As were also found in tailings from the Okdong, the Dokok and the Hwacheon mines. These significant concentrations can impact on soils and waters around the tailing dumps. Risk compounds deriving from mine sites either constitute a toxic risk or a carcinogenic risk. The hazard index (H.I.) of As in the Dongil, the Okdong, the Songcheon and the Hwacheon mine areas was higher value more than 1.0. In the Okdong and the Songcheon mine areas, H.I. value of Cd exceeded 1.0. These values of As and Cd were the highest in the Songcheon mine area. Therefore, toxic risks for As and Cd exist via exposure (ingestion) of contaminated soil, groundwater and rice grain in these mine areas. The cancer risk for As in stream or ground water used for drinking water from the Songcheon, the Dongil, the Okdong, the Dongjung and the Hwacheon mine areas was 3E-3, 8E-4, 7E-4, 2E-4 and 1E-4, respectively.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.594-597
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• 2004

The ground subsidence that occurred in an abandoned coal mining area, Gaeun, Korea, was observed by using 25 JERS-1 SAR interferograms from November 1992 to October 1998. We estimated the subsidence on a subset of image pixels corresponding to point-wise permanent scatters (PSs) by exploiting a long temporal series of interferometric phases. The results were compared it with a distribution map of in situ examined crack level. PSs were identified by means of amplitude dispersion index and coherence of the interferograms. The measured subsidence rate represented the average velocity in a period of image acquisition and excluded complex nonlinear displacements such as an abrupt collapse. The mean line-of-sight velocity in the study area is 0.19cm/yr and an r.m.s. error is 0.18cm/yr. The center of the abandoned Gaeun coal mine (0.49cm/yr) and the area near to the Gaeun station (1.66cm/yr) were observed as most rapidly subsiding areas.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1081-1083
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• 2007

The study in river basin has been performed for the identify water quality impaired stream segments, to create a priority ranking of those segments, and to calculate the heavy metal ion distribution for each impaired segment based on chemical and physical water quality standards. Two methods for modeling the potential area-specific heavy metal distribution are pursued in this study. First, a novel approach focuses on distance. Heavy metal distribution can be associated with a particular small geographic area. Based on the derived estimates an distribution map can be generated. Second, the approach is used the near watershed by means of kriging interpolation algorithm. These approaches provide an alternative distribution mapping of the area. The exposure estimates from both of these modeling methods are then compared with other environmental monitoring data. A GIS-based model will be used to mimic the hierarchical stream structure and processes found in natural watershed. Specifically, the relationship between landscape variables and reach scale habitat conditions most influential found in the Abandoned mine will be explored.

• 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.

• 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.