• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2009

This study is for the occurrence types of asbestos within 2 serpentinite mines, Baekdong and Kwangsi, Chungnam. They were exploited as serpentinite mines for several decades and closed in the 1980's. Asbestos with associated minerals were collected from the serpentinite bodies. They were examined with microscopes and FESEM, and analysed with EPMA, XRD and EDX to confirm for the types and/or compositions of the minerals. The serpentinites contain asbestos and nonasbestos minerals. Asbestos include chrysotile, tremolite and actinolite. The chrysotiles occur as veins of several mm to cm thickness with random directions. The tremolite and actinolite occur along cracks and fractures of several cm to ten cm thickness. They show mineralogical characteristics showing common asbestos under the microscope. Non-asbestos including chrysotile, lizardite, antigorite, tremolite and actinolite were also found within the serpentinite. The serpentines form pseudomorphic mesh textures, and also show hourglass or ribbon textures. The tremolite and actinolite were formed from the alterations of the pyroxenes and amphiboles, and plot between tremolite and magnesio hornblende. Tremolitic grains are colorless and occur as commonly elongated grains whereas the magnesio hornblende grains mainly show light green and occur as subhedral to euhedral grains. Overall results suggest that three types of asbestos are found in the Baekdong and Kwangsi serpentinite mines with varieties of the occurrences. Based on the occurrence types for the asbestos, additional studies are required for the asbestos of the top soil and the air.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.158-159
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• 2005

This study showed that the highest temperature point of the Dongrae thermal spring in Pusan was moved to the north direction of the Dongrae fault as times goes by. The Br concentration(1.5mg/L) in Dongrae thermal waters indicated the influence of 2% seawater mixing. If the simple mixing without hydrochemical reaction occurs between seawater and thermal water, the concentration of Mg will be about 20mg/L. But the low concentration(0.1 mg/L) of Mg, contrary to high concentration(10 mg/L) of surrounding groundwater not affected by thermal water, suggested the thermal water, seawater and rock interactions. The calculation of saturation index(SI) by using the geochemical code of EQ3NR showed that the Mg in thermal groundwater, which was introduced by seawater, was removed by the precipitation of Antigorite (SI: log Q/K =71.753, $Mg_{48}Si_{24}O_{85}(OH)_{62}$) and Tremolite (SI: 8.463, $Ca_2Mg_5Si_8O_{22}(OH)_2$), Talc (SI: 6.409, $Mg_3Si_4O_{10}(OH)_2$), Dolomite (SI: 2.014, $CaMg(CO_3)_2$), Chrysotile (SI: 3.698, $Mg_3Si_2O_5(OH)_4$) in the crack of fault zone. The highest temperature point in the study area will move to north direction and stop in the Jangjun area without the input of seawater.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.102-112
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• 1996

The precious serpentine, referring to a rare and highly valuable gem variety of serpentine group minerals, is found to occur in serpentinite from Booyo Gren Jade Mine which is located in Oesan-myun, Booyo-gun of Chungchungnam-do. Geommological properties of the precious serpentine have been investigated by use of polarizing microscope, specific gravity balance, refractometer, hardness pencils, X-ray diffractometer, XRF, ICP-MS analyser, and infrared absorption spectroscope.The precious serpentine from Booyo is colored deep green with oily luster and semi-transparent. It is highly tough and Mohs's scale of hardness is measured to be 5-6. Specific gravity is determined to be 2.67, and a single refractive index ND=1.56 is observed by a spot method, using sodium light source. X-ray powder diffraction data is represented by the reflection lines at 7.40(100), 4.64(25), 3.68(68), 2.757(69), 2.530(49), 2.549(32), and 1.710(21${\AA}$), which compares very well with that of antigorite of serpentine group minerals. The major chemical compositions of the precious serpentine group minerals. The major chemical compositions of the precious serpentine are SiO2 42.49%, MgO 39.08%, Fe2O3 3.85%, and H2O 11.87%. Besides, trace elements such as Cr(2188), Ni(1110ppm), Co(58ppm), and Ta (108ppm) are relatively spectrum shows peaks at 3670, 1190, 1070, 980 and 610cm-1. Strong absorption at 3670cm-1 is due to OH stretching, and 1190, 1070 and 980cm-1 due to SiO stretching. The absorption 610cm-1 is formed by alteration of pre-existing ultramafic rock, namely peridotite, with an introduction of fluid with very little content of CO2, under 400$^{\circ}C$ environment. Magnetite inclusions, finely disseminated in the precious serpentine, may be a result of Fe precipitation, during serpentinization of olivine-bearing country rock.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2013

Objectives: Asbestos contents of crushed serpentine rocks and airborne fiber concentrations of workers were determined at two serpentine quarries and a steel mill. Methods: Bulk samples of uncrushed and crushed serpentine rocks were collected and analyzed by PLM and TEM. Airborne asbestos samples were collected from the breathing zone of workers and the vicinity of working area and analyzed by PCM and TEM. Results: Chrysotile was identified with antigorite, lizardite and non-asbestiform actinolite in bulk samples. The arithmetic means of chrysotile contents in crushed serpentines were 0.11, 0.01, 0.42%(W/W) by quarry A, quarry B and a steel mill, respectively. The asbestos concentrations of all personal samples were less than 0.1 f/cc which is the permissible exposure limit of workers in Korea. The arithmetic means of airborne asbestos concentrations were 0.017 f/cc and 0.009 f/cc in personal samples collected from two serpentine quarries. The asbestos concentrations of all personal samples collected from a steel mill were less than LODs by PCM analysis but asbestos was detected in area samples by TEM. By the job tasks of serpentine quarries, crusher/separator operation generated the highest exposure to airborne asbestos. Conclusions: Although chrysotile contents in crushed serpentines of quarries were less the permissible level, the highest exposure of workers in serpentine quarries reached up to 76% of the permissible level of airborne asbestos. There were also possibilities of occupational exposure to airborne asbestos in a steel mill. The present exposure study should encourage further survey and occupational control of quarries producing serpentine or other types of asbestos-bearing rocks.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2012

Six serpentine mines are found in South Korea. We investigated occurrence, characteristics and origin of constituent minerals of Bibong serpentine mine in Chungcheongnam-do. We also analyzed the properties of serpentine minerals using XRD, XRF, SEM/EDS, FT-IR, EPMA and polarized microscope. The serpentinite of Bibong mine occurs as intruded body within the Precambrian metasedimentary rocks. Various minerals such as serpentine, forsterite, pyroxene, tremolite, magnetite, chlorite, mica, talc and dolomite are occurre. Five distinctive mineral assemblage types are observed in the serpentinite: (A) serpentine-forsterite, (B) serpentine, (C) serpentine-chlorite (vermiculite), (D) serpentine-tremolite, (E) tremolite-chlorite. Lizardite and antigorite are mainly occurred as serpentine minerals and chrysotile is partly included. From the study of mineral compositions and occurrence of serpentinite body, serpentine formed by hydrothermal alteration of ultramafic rock consisting mainly of forsterite, and altered minerals such as chlorite and tremolite subsequently formed by secondary hydrothermal alteration.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.323-336
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• 2023

We investigated the nickel potential and genesis of ultramafic rocks in the Yugu area to secure nickel resources in South Korea. The Yugu ultramafic rocks, located in the southwest of the Gyeonggi Massif, are characterized by spinel peridotite and exhibit strong serpentinization along their boundaries. The serpentinization is observed as olivine transformed to antigorite and chrysotile, while pentlandite, the nickel sulfide mineral, altered into millerite and awaruite. Serpentine displays distinct foliation, aligning subparallel to the ultramafic rock boundaries and foliation of Yugu gneiss. This suggests that the uplift of ultramafic rocks resulted in hydrothermal infiltration likely sourced from the Yugu gneiss metamorphism. The Yugu ultramafic rocks are residues after 5~18% partial melting of abyssal peridotite. Enriched light rare earth elements and Eu imply secondary metasomatism. Geochemistry suggests a link between the formation of Yugu ultramafic rock and the Triassic collision of the North and South China continents. The nickel content is around 0.17~0.21%, mainly contained in olivine and serpentine. Hence, in addition to the mineral processing study on the sulfide minerals, focused studies on oxide minerals for enhanced nickel recovery within the Yugu ultramafic rock are strongly suggested.