• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.369-379
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• 2015

Objectives: The lack of reliable information on environmental pollution and health impacts related to asbestos contamination from abandoned mines has drawn attention to the need for a community health study. This study was performed to evaluate asbestos-related health symptoms among residents near abandoned asbestos mines located in the Chungcheong Provinces. In addition, exposure assessment for asbestos is needed although the exposure to asbestos was in the past. Methods: Past exposure to asbestos among inhabitants near abandoned asbestos mines was estimated by using surface sampling of deposited dust in indoor and outdoor residences. A total of 54 participants were divided into two groups with (34 cases) and without (20 controls) diseases related to asbestos. Surface sampling of deposited dust was carried out in indoor and outdoor residences by collecting 105 samples. Deposited dust for sampling was analyzed by polarization microscope (PLM) and scanning electron microscope?energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX) to detect asbestos. Subsequently, the elements of the deposited dust with asbestos were analyzed by SEM-EDX to assess the contribution of sources such as abandoned mines, slate and soil. Results: Among the 105 samples, asbestos was detected by PLM in 29 (27.6%) sampling points, and detected by SEM in 56 (48.6%) sampling points. Asbestos in indoor residences was detected by PLM in four sampling points, and by SEM in 12 sampling points. Asbestos detection in indoor residences may be due to ventilation between indoors and outdoors, and indicates long-term exposure. The asbestos detection rate for outdoor residences in the case group was higher than that in the control group. This can be explained as the case group having had higher exposure to asbestos, and there has been continuous exposure to asbestos in the control group as well as the case group. Conclusion: Past residential asbestos exposure may be associated with asbestosis among local residents near abandoned asbestos mines. Odds ratios were calculated for asbestos detection in outdoor residence by logistic regression analysis. Odds ratio between asbestos detection and asbestosis pulmonum was 3.36 (95% CI 0.90-12.53) (p=0.072), adjusting for age, sex, smoking status and work history with multi-variable logistic regression by PLM analysis method.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.419-424
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• 2007

The contents were investigated by the monitoring survey from the soils and tailings caused by numerous abandoned mines in Korea. Cause heavy metals due to abandoned metal mines are raising significant environmental problems. But it is an important key such as a leaching and a transfer mechanism to evaluate contamination levels caused by abandoned mines. In this study the column test was carried in order to calculate a leaching level from soils and tailings. It was demonstrated that the leaching of Pb, Cd and Mn was expressed with similar behaviors and that of As and Cu was expressed with similar behaviors. For Zn, the leaching behavior was shown a serious leaching level with 40 mg/kg during the 45days. This was explained by Zn high contents of soils Zn in a natural world and ORP conditions where the leaching of Zn was occurred easily. Hence it was necessary that the survey of ORP was a key as well as total contents for the management of abandoned metal mines. We could estimate the chemical forms of heavy metals using the physical index such as ORP and pH and reduce the risk from heavy metals caused by abandoned metal mines.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.2
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• pp.717-720
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• 2006

In this study, we predicted locations vulnerable to ground subsidence hazard using fuzzy logic and geographic information system (GIS). Test was carried out at an abandoned underground coal mine in Samcheok City, Korea. Estimation of relative ratings of eight major factors influencing subsidence and determination of effective fuzzy operators are presented. Eight major factors causing ground subsidence were extracted and constructed as a spatial database using the spatial analysis and the probability analysis functions. The eight factors include geology, slope, landuse, depth of mined tunnel, distance from mined tunnel, RMR, permeability, and depth of ground water. A frequency ratio model was applied to calculate relative rating of each factor, and the ratings were integrated using fuzzy membership function and five different fuzzy operators to produce a ground subsidence susceptibility map. The ground subsidence susceptibility map was verified by comparing it with the existing ground subsidences. The obtained susceptibility map well agreed with the actual ground subsidence areas. Especially, ${\gamma}-operator$ and algebraic product operator were the most effective among the tested fuzzy operators.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.71-85
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• 2011

In Okdong coal mine abandoned area, every year large amount of mine wastes have been swept away due to heavy rains in summer. Because pH of coal-mine waste is in the early 4, plant naturally does not grow there due to unfavorable condition for growing plant. This study had an experiment to grow plant for 6 months using Mycorrhizae which can be adapted well in acid soil. As a result of Experiment, In the infected experiment pot, 90% of the plants survived but in case of uninfected experiment pot, only 25% were alive. From Growth Experiment, it appeared that average stem length increase (cm/month), average fresh weight increase ($g^{fw}/month$), average dry weight increase ($g^{dw}/month$) were increased by 60%, 21%, 31% respectively. Especially, Mycorrhizae plays an important role in providing nutrients and water when seeding are established. Mycorrhizae prevents death caused by lack of nutrients and water and helps growth and development of plant when seeding are established in the early stage. This study proved that Mycorrhizae is comparatively effective in plant growth and prevention of erosion in coal-mine abandoned area.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.124-137
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• 2010

This study was started with the objective of restoring abandoned embanked farms, which are recently increasing, to mud flat by putting in least amount of energy in the aspect of environmental restoration. For the direction and establishment of the proposal for the restoration of mud flat using embanked farms, a case of Maipo Wetland in Hongkong was analyzed, and a proposal was prepared considering the condition of mud flat in Gochang. The restoration of mud flat in Gochang is intended to create various wetland ecological spaces as well as to provide opportunities for experience, education, recreation, and tourism. Effort was made to development an environment closest to the local ecological environment considering the shape and topographical condition of existing abandoned farms. For construction of the habitat, a target species was chosen and the plan for selection, planting, and management of species of trees suitable for the target species was established. In addition, the water level will be controlled by water gates to conform to the resting, spawning, breeding, and migration period considering the behavioral pattern of waders, the target species. The research on the restoration of mud flat in Korea is in incipient stage and this study provided an opportunity to review the possibility of restoration of abandoned embanked farms to mud flat. For the success of mud flat restoration from a long-term perspective, development of acclimating design infrastructure, technology improvement for mud flat restoration, and basis of partnership for the maintenance should be prepared in a systematical way.

• Korea Real Estate Review
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.21-34
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• 2017

In this study, we defined abandoned vacant housing, as well as analyzed where and how the vacancies occurred. The temporal range of this study is 2005 and 2010, while the spatial range is nationwide. The minimum unit of space for the analysis is city district. First, we suggested that in the rural areas, it is necessary to manage an aged detached housing, while in the urban areas, it is necessary to manage aged apartments in order to prevent a large amount of old apartment buildings from becoming an abandoned vacant houses. Second, we proposed to select and manage the priority area in the empty area management. Finally, in the areas where other vacant houses are populated, the abandoned housing problem should be discussed with different measures from a long-term point of view in terms of population movement, population decline, and aging population.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.42 no.12
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• pp.1113-1124
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• 2009

The abandoned channel restoration is one of methods to enhance the environmental function and ecological habitat as well as the functions of water-utilization and flood control. The channel-forming or dominant discharge must be evaluated and defined to design the cross-sectional and plane geometries of the stable and equilibrium channel for the abandoned channel restoration project. In general, bankfull discharge, specified recurrence interval discharge, and effective discharge have been used to decide the channel-forming discharge. In this study, bankfull discharge, specified recurrence interval discharge, and effective discharge were calculated and compared for the abandoned channel restoration site of Cheongmi Stream and their relations to historical bed changes were analyzed. The bankfull discharge, 488 $m^3/s$, of the abandoned channel restoration site of Cheongmi Stream was calculated using HEC-RAS data and ranged between 1.5-year and 2-year recurrence discharges. Also, the effective discharge evaluated with the sediment rating curve and mean daily discharge data is greater than the bankfull discharge. According to the survey data of 1994 and 2008, the bed elevation of the study reach was decreased over time. It is indicated that the channel bed is changing to the stable condition to allow the effective discharge.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.53-63
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• 2013

It is well known that problem for contaminated soil with heavy metals is mainly produced from agricultural land around abandoned metal mine and the cost to solve them is much higher than those of water and air pollution in addition, it takes much more time to clarify the contaminated soil. Until now, economical and practical many techniques to remediate contaminated soils with heavy metals have been developed and proposed. Therefore, in this study, characteristic, merit and weakness for various techniques which are developing and commercializing recently in domestic/foreign country will be reviewed.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.28 no.B
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• pp.65-69
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• 2008

The tailings piled in abandoned mines are well-known potential sources of soil contamination. Hydrated limes were applied as cementing materials to solidify heavy metal contaminated tailings for the purpose of reducing their toxicity and migration rates. The optimum mixing ratio of tailings, hydrated lime, and water was determined through a preliminary test. The mixtures of mine tailings and hydrated lime solidified through pozzolanic reaction were tested for their durability against repeated freezing and thawing processes. After repeated freezing and thawing, the uniaxial compressive strengths of all the solidified mixture specimens decreased in comparison with those before test but still higher than $3.5kgf/cm^2$, the standard recommended for land reclamation solids by EPA(Environmental Protection Agency), which suggested that hydrated lime be a potential material to treat the abandoned mine tailings for the environmental purpose.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.27-33
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was in search of native plant species showing metal-resistant property and excessively accumulating heavy metals in metal-contaminated soil or abandoned mines as well as in evaluation of applicability of phytoremediation. In the study area, species showing excessively accumulating heavy metals were a shepherd´s purse, pampas grass, a Korean lettuce, a Hwansam vine, the Korean persicary, a foxtail, a goosefoot, and a water pepper. The first screened plant species in Sambo mine were as shepherd's purse, Korean lettuce and pampas grass Among them the shepherd´s purse can be excluded because it is a seasonal plant and has lower removal capacity for heavy metals. The Korean lettuce was also excluded because of having lower removal capacity for heavy metals. Pampas grass is a highly bionic plant species constantly growing from spring. However it has weak points such as little accumulation capacity for zinc as well as small values of an accumulation factor and a translocation factor. Another problem is regarded as removal of roots after the clean up if pampas grass is applied to a farmland. In Sanyang mine, wormwood and Sorijaengi were considered as adaptable species.