• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.307-319
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• 2022

60+ Years of nuclear power generation has led to a significant legacy of radioactively contaminated land at a number of nuclear licenced "mega sites" around the world. The safe management and remediation of these sites is key to ensuring there environmental stewardship in the long term. Bioremediation utilizes a variety of microbially mediated processes such as, enzymatically driven metal reduction or biominerialisation, to sequester radioactive contaminants from the subsurface limiting their migration through the geosphere. Additionally, some of these process can provide environmentally stable sinks for radioactive contaminants, through formation of highly insoluble mineral phases such as calcium phosphates and carbonates, which can incorporate a range of radionuclides into their structure. Bioremediation options have been considered and deployed in preference to conventional remediation techniques at a number of nuclear "mega" sites. Here, we review the applications of bioremediation technologies at three key nuclear licenced sites; Rifle and Hanford, USA and Sellafield, UK, in the remediation of radioactively contaminated land.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1644-1650
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• 2023

In spent fuel reprocessing, UO₂(DBP)₂ (U-DBP) can be deposited in stainless steel equipment. U-DBP must be removed by dissolution and the process must not cause corrosion to stainless steel. This study was conducted to find the best scheme for dissolution. U-DBP was manufactured by the titrimetric sedimentation method. The effects of different factors on the dissolution of U-DBP were investigated. For example, solid-liquid ratio, hydrazine carbonate solutions with different mass components, mixed solutions containing different concentrations of H₂O₂, and different carbonates. The results indicated that U-DBP does not have a regular crystal morphology. With the increase of the solid-liquid ratio and the mass fraction of hydrazine carbonate, the concentration of U(VI) at the dissolution equilibrium increases gradually. The addition of H₂O₂ has a great promotion effect on the dissolution. However, when the concentration of H₂O₂ is greater than 0.5 M, the dissolution solution may have an erosive effect on the stainless steel. (NH₄)₂CO₃ can increase the dissolution capacity of dissolved U-DBP, but it may also accelerate the corrosion of stainless steel.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.235-248
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• 2010

To construct the standard methods for evaluation of physicochemical characteristics of tailings in Korea, specific gravity, paste pH, grain size, mineral compositions and heavy metal concentrations of total 26 tailings from 21 metallic mines were analyzed. Specific gravity of tailings ranged from 2.61 to 4.31 (avg. 3.04), and sand and silt grain were dominant in the tailings. Ranges of paste pH were 2.1-9.5 in tailings (7.1-9.2 at magmatic, skarn and hydrothermal replacement deposits and 2.1-9.5 at hydrothermal vein deposits). Additionally, hydrothermal vein deposits could be reclassified into three categories: (1) paste pH>7.0, (2) 4.0

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.21-35
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• 2011

Inorganic and organic geochemical characteristics of Devonian bitumen carbonates in Alberta were studied using two drilling cores, Saleski 03-34-88-20w4 and Saleski 08-01-88-20w4, taken from the Core Research Center of Canada. The results of elements analyses showed high Total Inorganic Carbon, low Total Nitrogen and Total Sulfur, and Rock-Eval pyrolysis showed double $CO_2$ peaks in the oxidation part. These mean that the Devonian bitumen carbonates are mainly composed of dolomite formed by diagenesis, and its crystal texture is dominantly subhedral to anhedral but often euhedral. Bitumen contents were 3.6~19.0% in Saleski 3-34-88-20w4 and 5.0~16.4% in Saleski 08-01-88-20w4, respectively. As samples color become dark, bitumen and Total Organic Carbon contents are generally increasing in two cores. The results of biomarker analyses showed that the contents of resins and asphaltenes were 5~28% higher than those of saturated hydrocarbon, interring that the bitumen has been heavily biodegradated. According to the results of carbon isotope analyses in each component of bitumen, asphaltenes had highest values and the others had constant values. However, their values were varied in the range of normal crude oil (-18~-30‰).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.75-87
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• 2003

The Haman-Gunbuk mineralized area is located within the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin along the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. Major ore minerals, magnetite, scheelite, molybdenite and chalcopyrite, together with base-metal sulfides and minor sulfosalts, occur in fissure-filling tourmaline, quartz and carbonates veins contained within Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks anu/or granodiorite (118{\pm}$3.0 Ma). The ore and gangue mineral paragenesis can be divided into three distinct stages: Stage 1, tourmaline+quartz+Fe-Cu ore mineralization; Stage II, quartz+sulfides+sulfosalts+carbonates; Stage 111, barren calcite. Earliest fluids are recorded in stage I and early por-tions of stage II veins as hypersaline (35~70 equiv. wt.% NaCl+KCl) and vapor-rich inclusions which homogenize from ~30$0^{\circ}C$ to $\geq$50$0^{\circ}C$. The high-salinity fluids are complex chloride brines with significant concentrations of sodium, potassium, iron, copper, and sulfur, though sulfide minerals are not associated with the early mineral assemblage produced by this fluid. Later solutions circulated through newly formed fractures and reopened veins, and are recorded as lower-salinity(less than ~20 equiv. wt.% NaCl) fluid inclusions which homogenize primarily from ~200 to 40$0^{\circ}C$. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of fluid in the Haman-Gunbuk hydrothermal system represents a progressive shift from magmatic-hydrothermal dominance during early mineralization stage toward meteoric-hydrothermal dominance during late mineralization stage. The earliest hydrothermal fiuids to circu-late within the granodiorite stock localiring the ore body at Haman-Gunbuk could have exsolved from the crystal-lizing magma and unmixed into hypersaline liquid and $H_2O$-NaCl vapor. As these magmatic fluids moved throughfractures, tourmaline and early Fe, W, Mo, Cu ore mineralization occurred without concomitant deposition of othersulfides and sulfosalts. Later solutions of dominantly meteoric origin progressively formed hypogene copper and base-metal sulfides, and sulfosalt mineralization.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.93-107
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• 1998

Because of its stable quantity and quality, groundwater has long been a reliable source of drinking water for domestic users. Rapid economic growth and rising standards of living have in recent years put severe demands on drinking water supplies in Korea. Groundwaters that are currently being used for natural mineral water were hydrochemically evaluated and investigated in order to maintain their quality to satisfy strict health standards. There exist 15 natural mineral water plants in the Okcheon metamorphic belt. Characteristics of groundwaters are different from those of other areas in that electrical conductivity, hardness, contents of Ca, Mg and $HCO_3$are relatively high. The content of major cations is in the order of Ca>Mg, Na>K, whereas that of major anions shows the order of $HCO_3$>$SO_4$>Cl>F. The fact that the Ca-Mg-HCO$_3$type is mostly predominant among water types reflects that dissolution of carbonates that are abundantly present in the metamorphic rocks plays an important part in groundwater chemistry. Representative correlation coefficients between chemical species show Mg-$HCO_3$(0.92), Ca-$HCO_3$(0.88), Ca-Mg(0.80), Ca-Cl(0.78), Mg-$SO_4$(0.78), Ca-$SO_4$(0.71), possibly due to the effect by dissolution of carbonates, gypsum or anhydrite. Determinative coefficients between some chemical species represent a good relationship, especially for EC-(K+Na+Ca), Ca-$HCO_3$, Ca-Mg, indiacting that they are similar in chemical behaviors. According to saturation index, most chemical species are undersaturated with respect to major minerals, except for some silica phases. Groundwater is slightly undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite, whereas it is still greatly undersaturated with respect to gypsum, anhydrite and fluorite, Based on the Phase equilibrium in the systems $NA_2$O-$Al_2$$O_3$-$SiO_2$-$H_2$O and $K_2$O-$Al_2$$O_3$-$SiO_2$-$H_2$O, it is clear that groundwater is in equilibrium with kaolinite, evolved from the stability area of gibbsite during water-rock interaction. It is expected that chemical evolution of groundwater continue to proceed with increasing pH by reaction of feldspars, with calcite much less reactive.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.3 s.49
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• pp.171-187
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• 2006

The status of heavy metal contamination was investigated using chemical analyses of stream waters and sediments obtained from Samsanjeil and Sambong Cu mining area in Goseong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. In addition, the degree and the environmental risk of heavy metal contamination in stream sediments was assessed through pollution index (Pl) and danger index (DI) based on total digestion by aqua regia and fractionation of heavy metal contaminants by sequential extraction, respectively. Not only the degree of heavy metal contamination was significantly higher in Samsanjeil area than in Sambong area, but its environmental risk was also revealed much more serious in Samsanjeil area than in Sambong area. The differences in status and level of contamination and environmental risk between both two mining areas may be attributed to existence of contamination source and geology. Acid mine drainage is continuously discharged and flows into the stream in Samsanjeil mining area, and it makes the heavy metal contamination in the stream more deteriorated than in Sambong mining area in which acid mine drainage is not produced. In addition, the geology of Samsanjeil mining area is mainly comprised of andesitic rocks including a small amount of calcite and having lower pH buffering capacity fer acid mine drainage, and it is likely that the heavy metal contamination cannot be naturally attenuated in streams. On the contrary, the main geology of Sambong mining area consists of pyroclastic sedimentary Goseong formation containing a high content of carbonates, particularly calcite, and it seems that these carbonates of high pH buffering capacity prevent the heavy metal contamination from proceeding downstream in stream within that area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 1993

At the Janggun mine, boulangerite usually occurs as needles or irregularly-shaped grains, up to $500{{\mu}m}$ in longer dimensions, closely associated with galena, minerals of a tetrahedrite-freibergite series and bournonite in the peripheries of South A and B orebodies and the zone of manganoan carbonates surrounding them. In some places, especially at the top of South B orebody, it occures as "feather ore" consisting of its fine needles or "hairs" in small drusy cavities together with fine-grained euhedral galena, pyrite, manganoan carbonates, quartz, etc. In reflected light, it is bluish grey in colour exhibiting moderate bireflectance and is strongly anisotropic without any internal reflections. Reflectance in air is $R_{max}=43.2$, $R_{min}=35.7$ percent at wavelength of 580 nm, and VHN: $146-173\;kg/mm^2$ at a 50 g-load. The chemical composition on the average from 23 complete spot analyses by electron microprobe is, Pb 56.1, Sb 25.1, S 18.5, Total 99.6 (all in weight percent); the corresponding chemical formula calculated on the basis of S=11 is; $Pb_{5.16}Sb_{3.93}S_{11.0}$ which fulfils approximately the ideal formula $Pb_5Sb_4S_{11}$. The strongest reflections on the X-ray diffraction pattern are; $3.73\;{\AA}\;(10)$, $3.22\;{\AA}\;(5)$, $3.03\;{\AA}\;(4)$ and $2.82\;{\AA}\;(5)$ and the pattern is in harmonic with space group $C^5_{2h}-P2_1/a$. From the textural evidence of the microscopic observations, the mineral is considered to have been formed at the latest stage of hydrothermal lead-zinc-silver mineralization.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.523-535
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• 1994

The strata-bound type iron ore bodies in the Chungju mine are interbedded with metamorphic rocks which are intruded by Mesozoic granitic rocks. The iron ore deposit occurs as layer or lens shape which are concordant with the metamorphic rocks. The iron ore is classified into banded and massive types based on the mode of texture and occurrence. Grain size and iron-oxides tend to become coarser toward massive ore than banded ore. Banded ores commonly contain internal layers defined by alternating magnetite- rich, hematite-rich, magnetite-hematite, and quartz-rich mesobands. The banded iron ore consists of hematite, magnetite, quartz, feldspar, and minor amounts of biotite, muscovite, chlorite, carbonates, epidote, allanite, and zircon. Massive ores which are characterized by high magnetite content occur in contact of granitic rocks. The massive iron ores consist mostly of magnetite and quartz, with minor amounts of hematite, pyrite, microcline, biotite, muscovite, chlorite, carbonates, epidote, allanite and zircon. Magnetite from banded and massive ores is almost pure $Fe_3O_4$ in composition, including 0.14 to 0.27 wt.% MnO and 0.10 to 0.15 wt.% MnO, respectively. Hematite of the ore contains 0.87 to 1.27 wt.% $TiO_2$ in banded ore and 3.44 to 6.96 wt.% $TiO_2$ in massive ore, respectively. Biotite shows a little compositional variation depending on ore types. Biotite of the banded ore has lower FeO, $TiO_2$ and $Al_2O_3$, and higher MgO and $SiO_2$ than the massive ore. The modes of occurrence and petrography of ore implies that massive ores might have been formed either under more reducing environments or higher temperature condition than banded ore. Banded ores might represent early episode of iron enrichment due to regional metamorphism. Massive ores might be related to the contact metamorphism resulting from late granitic intrusion.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.713-726
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• 2007

The Daebong deposit consists of gold-silver-bearing mesothermal massive quartz veins which fill fractures along fault zones($N10{\sim}20^{\circ}W,\;40{\sim}60^{\circ}SW$) within banded gneiss or granitic gneiss of Precambrian Gyeonggi massif. Ore mineralization of the deposit is composed of massive white quartz vein(stage I) which was formed in the same stage by multiple episodes of fracturing and healing and transparent quartz vein(stage II) which is separated by a major faulting event. The hydrothermal alteration of stage I is sericitization, chloritization, carbonitization, pyritization, silicification and argillization. Sericitic zone occurs near and at quartz vein and includes mainly sericite, quartz, and minor illite, carbonates and epidote. Chloritic zone occurs far from quartz vein and is composed of mainly chlorite, quartz and minor sericite, carbonates and epidote. Fe/(Fe+Mg) ratios of sericite and chlorite range 0.36 to 0.59($0.51{\pm}0.10$) and 0.66 to 0.73($0.70{\pm}0.02$), and belong to muscovite-petzite series and brunsvigite, respectively. Calculated $Al_{IV}-Fe/(Fe+Mg)$ diagrams of sericite and chlorite suggest that this can be a reliable indicator of alteration temperature in Au-Ag deposits. Calculated activities of chlorite end member are $a3(Fe_5Al_2Si_3O_{10}(OH){_6}=0.00964{\sim}0.0291,\;a2(Mg_5Al_2Si_3O_{10}(OH){_6}= 9.99E-07{\sim}1.87E-05,\;a1(Mg_6Si_4O_{10}(OH){_6}=5.61E-07{\sim}1.79E-05$. It suggest that chlorite from the Daebong deposit is iron-rich chlorite formed due to decreasing temperature from $T>450^{\circ}C$. Calculated $log\;{\alpha}K^+/{\alpha}H^+,\;log\;{\alpha}Na^+/{\alpha}H^+,\;log\;{\alpha}Ca^{2+}/{\alpha}^2H^+$ and pH values during wall-rock alteration are $4.6(400^{\circ}C),\;4.1(350^{\circ}C),\;4.0(400^{\circ}C),\;4.2(350^{\circ}C),\;1.8(400^{\circ}C),\;4.5(350^{\circ}C),\;5.4{\sim}6.5(400^{\circ}C)\;and\;5.1{\sim}5.5(350^{\circ}C)$, respectively. Gain elements (enrichment elements) during wallrock alteration are $K_2O,\;P_2O_5,\;Na2O$, Ba, Sr, Cr, Sc, V, Pb, Zn, Be, Ag, As, Ta and Sb. Elements(Sr, V, Pb, Zn, As, Sb) represent a potentially tools for exploration in mesothermal and epithermal gold-silver deposits.