• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2004

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of geochemical approaches for investigating and assessing heavy metal contamination in abandoned mine sites. Major sources of contaminants at the abandoned mine sites are mine water, waste rocks, tailings, and chemicals used in beneficiation and mineral processing. Soil, sediment, surface and ground water, and ecological system can be contaminated by heavy metals, which are transported due to erosion of mine waste piles, discharge of acid mine drainage and processed water, and dispersion of dust from waste rocks and tailings. The abandoned mine sites should be characterized using various methods including chemical analysis, mineralogical analysis, acid generation prediction tests, leaching/extraction tests, and field tests. Potential and practical environmental impacts from the abandoned mines should be assessed based on the site characterization.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.523-532
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• 2008

A phase II site investigation and feasibility study was conducted at a military mortar shooting range near the demilitarized zone (Kyunggi, South Korea) to assess the extent of contaminants migration to the nearby Imjin river in which a flood control dam is under construction. The results showed that silty-clay soils around target areas were co-contaminated with heavy metals (Cd, Cu, and Pb) and explosives (HMX, RDX, and TNT). The total amount of contaminant was estimated to be 497.1 kg-RDX, 20.6 kg-HMX, 1.4 kg-TNT, 35.2 kg-Cd, 4,331 kg-Cu, and 5,115 kg-Pb, respectively. Both heavy metals and explosives were almost equally distributed on each soil particle size fraction. Neither subsurface soil samples nor ground water samples showed signs of contamination above the environmental criteria. The major migration route of contaminants was soil particles in surface run-off during rain at which a mass discharge rate of 30.0 mg-RDX/hour was observed.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.81-89
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• 2001

Soil-bentonite mixture is often used for barrier wall to prevent seawater intrusion. In this study, the effect of seawater on the permeability of soil-bentonite mixture is examined, and the effect of permeability change on the seawater intrusion is investigated. Seawater intrusion in coastal areas was modeled using a finite element method. Seawater intrusion in the seawater-contaminated zone was determined by considering the hydraulic conductivity changes using the residual flow procedure (RFP) in the simulation model. Steady state and unsteady state conditions with variations in ground water levels in an inland area were investigated. The interface between fresh water and seawater, found by the proposed method, was located lower at the seawater side and the level at the fresh water side is higher than those by conventional methods.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.39-46
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• 2008

Due to the growth in industrialization, potential hazards in subsurface environments are becoming increasingly significant. The extraction of the contaminant from the soil and movement of the water are restricted due to the low permeability and adsorption characteristics of the reclaimed soils. There are a number of approaches to in-situ remediation that are used in contaminated sites for removing contaminants. These include soil flushing, dual phase extraction, and soil vapor extraction. Among these techniques, soil flushing was the focus of the investigation in this paper. Incorporated technique with PVDs has been used for dewatering from fine-grained soils for the purpose of ground improvement by means of prefabricated vertical drain systems. The laboratory model tests were performed by using the flushing tracer solutions for silty soils and recorded the tracer concentration changes with the elapsed time and flow rates. The modeling was intended to predict the effectiveness and time dependence of the remediation process. Modeling has been performed on the extraction, considering tracer concentration and laboratory model test characteristics. The computer model used herein are SEEP/W and CTRAN/W, this 2-D finite element program allows for modeling to determine hydraulic head and pore water pressure distribution, efficiency of remediation for the subsurface environment. It is concluded that the coefficient of permeability of contaminated soil is related with vertical velocity and extracted flow rate. The vertical velocity and extracted flow rate have an effect on dispersivity and finally are played an important role in-situ soil remediation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1995

Wastes produce groundwater contamination, offensive odor, and hazardous gases. This study investigates the contamination of groundwater at the Seokdae waste landfill area and seeks the desirable ways to minimize the groundwater contamination. Groundwater levels, water chemistry and aquifer characteristics of wells were examined around the Seokdae waste landfill. The water chemistry of the Dong stream, the groundwater distribution and flow were also studied. The results of this research show that the estimated quantity of the percolation from the landfill base to the ground is 520 ㎥/day and the extent of groundwater contamination is about 1-1.5 km from the center of the waste landfill. The groundwater contains heavy metals and other toxic elements. The conservation and management of the groundwater of the waste landfill need several monitoring wells to check the quantity and quality of groundwater, pumping wells to extract the contaminated groundwater, and slurry walls to protect the movement of contaminated groundwater.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2014

Geotechnical evaluation on the reactive drain pile which can achieve simultaneously both the soft ground improvement and the remediation of contaminated pore water in reclamation site was performed. Applicability of steel-making slag used as a inside reactive material was confirmed. To investigate the consolidation characteristics of the soft ground improved by reactive drain pile, testing devices to form and install the reactive drain pile were developed and laboratory tests were performed according to the existence of outside sand drain and the length of impermeable barrier. Test results showed that the consolidation time was decreased as the shortening of impermeable barrier. However, the effect of outside sand drain on consolidation time was dominant compared with the length of impermeable barrier.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.129-132
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• 2000

In this research, we proposed the immobilization zone where the organic contaminant would be fixed, so that ground water could be prevented from the organic contaminants. The surfactant was adsorbed on the soil particles and the organic contaminants were partitioned into the hydrophobic tails of the surfactant in the immobilization zone. Surfactants with different molecular structures-SDDBS (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid), MADS (monoalkylated disulfonated diphenyl oxide), DADS (dialkylated disulfonated diphenyl oxide) - were used in this study. Up to the present, the research on the immolization simulated the saturated condition. But many site contaminated with organic contaminants and the zones where immobilization would be applied are unsaturated. In this research, in order to investigate the behaviors of surfactants and organic contaminants in unsaturated condition, the unsaturated columns were experimented, and their results were compared with the saturated case.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.129-135
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• 2000

Four types of land use were selected for sampling and study with different characteristics of heavy metal contamination during the period from August 1998 to June 2000. A series of studies have been carried out concerning the physicochemical characteristics of the sediments settling down in a gully pot to evaluate the contamination of Pb, Zn, Cd, Co, Cr and Cu. An examination of six elements indicated that Zn, Cu and Pb were the heavy metals severely impacted by anthropogenic input in Seoul. An assessment of 60 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urban runoff and ground water was conducted based on samples collected from 31 sites and 12 wells, respectively, in Seoul City. The higher levels of alkyl benzenes in urban runoff indicated that Seoul areas were mainly contaminated through traffic sources.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.119-122
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• 2002

Soil contaminants are common in industrialized sites, They can affect directly soil and indirectly ground water and food. Soil mutagens and carcinogens are of great interest due to their potentially hazardous effects on human health. The aim of this study was to monitor the genotoxicity of contaminated soils, Soil leachates were collected from two polluted sites and one control site in Cheongju. Tradescantia BNL 4430 clone was used as experimental matierials. Chromosomal damages induced by soil leachates were detected by the Tradescantia-micronucleus assay. It is known from the result that Tradescantia-micronucleus assay is an excellent botanical tool for detection of biological risk due to environmental toxicants.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.19-31
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• 2011

This study had been carried out to investigate spatial and temporal variations of the concentrations of trace metals for contaminated surface water in creek affected by leachate from the tailings impoundment of the Yeonhwa II mine for about 2 years. It was also to ascertain the metal removal efficiency for potentially deleterious metals by the artificial and natural attenuation processes such as retention ponds and hydrologic mixing of uncontaminated tributaries. The concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, and Cu for leachate in the rainy season were not detected. On the other hand, the concentrations of Zn, Fe, Mn, Al, and $SO_4^{2-}$ in the rainy season for leachate were 2-66 times higher than those in the dry season, due to the oxidation of the sulfide minerals and the dissolution of the secondary minerals. The concentrations of Zn and Cd for leachate and surface water of the upper creek in the rainy season exceeded the criteria of River Water Quality and Drinking Water Quality but in the dry season, those of analyzed all the metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cd, Fe, Mn, and Al) for surface water sampled at the study area were below the criteria of River Water Quality and Drinking Water Quality. In regard of the attenuation efficiency for the concentrations of metals, Fe, Mn, Al, Zn, Cd, As, and Cu were removed highly at retention ponds, while the removal efficiency for major cations and sulfate ($SO_4^{2-}$) were related to mixing of the uncontaminated tributaries. Therefore, the major attenuation processes of the metal and sulfate contents in creek affected by leachate from a tailing dump were precipitation (accompanied by metal co-precipitation and sorption), water dilution, and neutralization.