• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.427-438
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• 2023

Thermodynamic sorption modeling can enhance confidence in assessing and demonstrating the radionuclide sorption phenomena onto various mineral adsorbents. In this work, Ca-montmorillonite was successfully purified from Bentonil-WRK bentonite by performing the sequential physical and chemical treatments, and its geochemical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, cesium-saturation method, and controlled continuous acid-base titration. Further, batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the adsorption properties of Cs(I) and Sr(II) onto the homoionic Ca-montmorillonite under ambient conditions, and the diffuse double layer model-based inverse analysis of sorption data was performed to establish the relevant surface reaction models and obtain corresponding thermodynamic constants. Two types of surface reactions were identified as responsible for the sorption of Cs(I) and Sr(II) onto Ca-montmorillonite: cation exchange at interlayer site and complexation with edge silanol functionality. The thermodynamic sorption modeling provides acceptable representations of the experimental data, and the species distributions calculated using the resulting reaction constants accounts for the predominance of cation exchange mechanism of Cs(I) and Sr(II) under the ambient aqueous conditions. The surface complexation of cationic fission products with silanol group slightly facilitates their sorption at pH > 8.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.55-63
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• 2013

The study deals with the geochemical analyses on the stratigraphy and sedimentation of the paleofluvial outcrop under Jeongok basalt layer in Chugaryeong Rift Valley. The results of field survey and analysis show that the paleofluvial sand and gravel layers had been constructed before the arrival of basaltic lava in Jeongok area of Hantan River valley in central Korea. XRF, for the main elements analysis, results present that JG2-3, a test sample from basalt weathering layer, has different characteristics from 5 other samples in the aspects of chemical weathering levels. ICP-MS, for analysis of the rare earth elements analysis, estimates that gravel layer, in the lowest part of the outcrop, had been originated from pre-lava bedrocks near the upper reach of the Hantan River, so the layer is almost not related to basalt layers. Finally, the OSL dating results in paleofluvial sedimentation had been in process until nearly 40,000 BP, before formation of lava plateau in the Jeongok area.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2018

Baekasan Acheon cave located in Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do is a natural limestone cave only found in this province. In this study, the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of speleothems collected from Baekasan Acheon cave were identified and the capability of carbonate mineral formation by aerobic microorganisms enriched from the cave and the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of carbonate minerals formed by the microorganisms were investigated. The samples of sediments (clay) and speleothems (shelfstone and cave coral) were collected at three sites in the cave. The samples of shelfstone and cave coral were identified mainly as carbonate mineral, Mg-rich calcite, and clay minerals were composed of quartz, muscovite, and vermiculite by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. To cultivate the carbonate forming microorganisms, parts of the sediment and speleothems were placed in D-1 medium containing urea, respectively, and the growth of microorganisms was observed under the aerobic condition at room temperature. The capability of carbonate mineralization of the cultured Baekasan Acheon cave microorganisms was examined through adding 1% (v/v) of the cultured microorganisms and calcium sources, Ca-acetate or Ca-lactate, into the D-1 medium. XRD analysis showed that the microorganisms cultured in cave deposits formed calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$) under all conditions, and these microbial carbonate minerals included calcite and vaterite. The morphological characteristics and chemical composition of biologically formed minerals were observed by SEM-EDS showed various crystal forms such as rhomboid, spherical, perforated surface with Ca, C, and O of major chemical components. The existence of such microorganisms in the cave can contribute the formation of carbonate minerals, and it is likely to affect the geochemical cycles of carbon and calcium in the cave.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.241-255
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to investigate environmental geochemical characteristics for the acid mine drainage and stream sediments in the abandoned Honam coal mine area. For the chemical analysis, stream winter samples were collected at 54 sites and for the mineralogical and chemical analysis, stream sediments samples were collected at 34 sites. Physical and chemical characteristics of stream water were measured at the site and chemical compositions were analyzed by ICP-AES, ICP-MS and IC. Mineralogical characteristics of stream sediments samples were determined using XRD, SEM and EDS. In physical and chemical properties, stream water shows thats pH 2.85~8.12, Eh -62~215 mV, EC 0.205~146 ms/m, ER 0.234~255 {$\Omega}{\cdot}$m, DO 0.03~1068 mg/L and TDS 10.96~1420mg/L. In chemical compositions, we obtain that K 0.118~3.184 mg/L, Mg 2.1~114.48 mg/L, Ca 2.59~l25.02 mg/L, Al 0.01~44.72 mg/L, Fe 0.108~89.49 mg/L and Na 5.45~125.41 mg/L. Stream sediments are commonly composed of quartz, illite and goethite in the result of x-ray diffraction. After heat treatment at 98$0^{\circ}C$, the hematite peaks are distinctly shown. In consideration of heavy metals (include Fe) for steam sediments, Fe ranges 22575~34713 ppm, Zn 41.66~970.3 ppm, Cd 0.52~52.07 ppm, Cu 1.25~198.5 ppm and Pb 0.43~77.35 ppm.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2022

The Arctic Ocean is very sensitive to global warming and Arctic Ocean sediments provide a records of terrestrial climate change, analyzing their composition helps clarify global warming. The gravity core sediment ARA07C-St02B was collected at the East Siberian margin during an Arctic expedition in 2016 on the Korean ice-breaking vessel ARAON, and its provenance was estimated through sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical analysis. The core sediment was divided into four units based on sediment color, sand content and ice-rafted debris content. Units 1 and 3 had higher sand and ice-rafted debris contents than units 2 and 4, and contained a brown layer, whereas units 2 and 4 were mainly composed of a gray layer. Correlation analysis using the adjacent core sediment ARA03B-27 suggested that the sediment units were deposited during marine isotope stage 1 to 4. The bulk mineral, clay mineral, and geochemical compositions of units including a brown layer differed from units including a gray layer. Bulk and clay mineral compositions indicated that coarse and fine sediments had a different origin. Coarse sediments might have been deposited mostly by the East Siberian Coastal Current from the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea or by the Beaufort Gyre from the Chukchi Sea, whereas fine sediments might have been transpoted mostly by currents from the East Siberian Sea, the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea. Some of the coarse sediments in unit 1 and fine sediments in unit 3 might have been deposited by iceberg ice, sea ice or current from the Beaufort Sea and the Canada Archipelago. Investigating the geochemical composition of the potential origins will elucidate the origin and transportation of the study area's core sediments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.605-622
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• 2007

Elemental, Rock-Eval pyrolysis and isotopic analysis of the core sediments from the northwestern and eastern Ulleung Basin of the East were carried out to identify their geochemical characteristics, spatial and vertical variation and origin of organic matter in Upper Quaternary sediments from the northwestern and eastern Ulleung Basin of the East Sea. TOC, m and TS did not show spatial variation between the sampling locations whereas they showed systematic vertical variation associated with MIS stages related to the sea-level change of the East Sea. It is suggested that these past changes of sea-level influenced the sedimentary depositional environments and/or diagenesis which resulted the patterns observed in this study. Based on the results of TOC/N, TS/TOC, ${\delta}^{13}C_{org}\;and\;{\delta}^{15}N_{org}$ analysis, organic matters in the study area appears to be predominantly originated from the marine algae rather than land plant and deposited under normal marine oxic condition during MIS I and MIS III period, and under euxinic/anoxic condition during MIS II period. TOC/N, ${\delta}^{13}C_{org}\;and\;{\delta}^{15}N_{org}$ have a relatively constant value irrespective of MIS stages, implying that the organic matter source does not change by the sea-level fluctuations. However, the results of Rock-Eval pyrolysis indicates that the organic matter is in immature stage and originated from land-plant (Type III), locating in the immature stage land plant (Type III). Similar differences were reported from other areas such as the Atlantic Ocean, Iberia Abyssal Plain, Mediterranean Sea, suggesting that Rock-Eval method does not exactly reflect the characteristic of immature organic matters. Accordingly, the application of Rock-Eval pyrolysis for delineating the source of immature organic matters should be approached with caution and all other geochemical proxies should be considered altogether at the same time.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.491-503
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• 2010

Geochemical characteristics of the Moisan epithermal gold-silver deposit with total 140 samples in Haenam area, Jeollanamdo were studied by using multivariate statistical analysis (correlation analysis, factor analysis and cluster analysis). The correlation analysis reveals that Ag, Cu, Bi, Te are highly correlated with Au in the both non-mineralized and mineralized zone. It is resulted from the presence of Au-Ag bearing minerals (electrum, sylvanite, calaverite and stuezite) and non Au-Ag containing minerals (chalcopyrite, tellurobismuthite and bismuthinite). Mo shows relatively much higher correlation at the mineralized zone (0.615) than non-mineralized zone (0.269) which implies Mo content is strongly affected by Au-mineralization. While Mn, Cs, Fe, Se correlated with Au at the nonmineralized zone, they have negative correlation at the mineralized zone. Therefore, they seem to be eluviated elements from the host rock during gold mineralization. Sb is enriched during the gold mineralization showing high correlation at the mineralized zone and negative correlation at the non-mineralized zone. According to the factor analysis, Se, Ag, Cs, Te are the indicators of gold mineralization presence due to the strong affection of gold content in the non-mineralized zone. In the mineralized zone, on the other hand, Mo, Te and Sb, Cu are the indicators of gold and silver mineralization, respectively. While the cluster analysis reveals that Cd-Zn-Pb-S, Bi-Fe-Cu-Mn, Se-Te-Au-Cs-Ag, As-Sb-Ba are the similar behavior elements groups in the non-mineralized zone, Cd-Zn-Mn-Pb, Fe-S-Se, As-Bi-Cs, Ag-Sb-Cu, Au-Te-Mo are the similar behavior elements groups in the mineralized zone. Using multivariate statistical analysis as mentioned above makes it possible to compare the behavior of presented minerals and difference of geochemical characteristics between mineralized and non-mineralized zone. Therefore, it will be expected a useful tool on the similar type of mining exploration.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.11-21
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• 2013

In-situ test to find the change of $Fe^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ concentrations and ion contents in groundwater was conducted during two pumping tests at the riverbank filtration site, where is the riverine area of the Nakdong River in Changnyeong-Gun. Groundwater was sampled at one pumping well and 10 monitoring wells during a 5 steps drawdown pumping test with the rates from $500m^3/day$ to $900m^3/day$ and a constant pumping test with $800m^3/day$. The change in ion concentration of groundwater was more remarkable during a step drawdown pumping test than a constant pumping test. Especially, the decrease in $Fe^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ concentrations was distinct in a step drawdown pumping test and it happens predominantly along the direction that the radius of pumping influence was small due to a good aquifer connectivity to a pumping position. The precipitation and the oxidation of iron and manganese were caused by an air inflow and a disturbance in groundwater flow due to an abrupt change in pumping rate. The pumping rate and spatial distribution of an aquifer around a pumping well need to be considered as an important factor for the development of in-situ iron and manganese treatment technology.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.153-163
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• 2020

Mineral and geochemical analysis were conducted on two sections (~3.5 m) of red-brown claysilt sediments covering the gneiss and granite weathering zones in Suwon-si for establishing Quaternary paleoenvironmental changes in Korea. The sections were divided into four sedimentary layers (Unit 1-4) by vertical changes in mineral composition and chemical composition. The lowermost unit 1 was a sandy sediment with a high K-feldspar content with a significant contribution of weathered bedrock. Unit 2 was a transition layer showing intermediate characteristics. Unit 3 was a reddish brown clay-silt sediment, with a total clay content of 58% on average, and the main clay minerals were illite-smectite mixed layer minerals and hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite/smectite. Unit 3 contained almost no plagioclase, while the content of kaolin minerals derived by the plagioclase weathering was higher than in the other layers. Unit 4 had similar mineral composition and chemical properties to Unit 3, but had a higher content of plagioclase and chlorite and lower content of kaolin minerals. The chemical compositions of the sections were compared with those in other regions of Korea, suggesting the eolian origin of Units 3 and 4. The paleoenvironmental change in the sedimentary section of this region was interpreted as follows. Weathered products of gneiss and granite, which are bedrocks of this region, were eroded and deposited as sandy sediments in the periphery to form the lower layers (Unit 1, 2), followed by the deposition of the claysilty rich eolian sediments (Unit 3) during the glacial. Unit 3 was chemically weathered during the warm humid climate during the last interglacial, developing a reddish brown color. After that, a eolian sediment layer (Unit 4) was deposited during the last glacial.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.149-157
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• 2003

Deep sea core samples were taken in the southwestern part of the Ulleung Basin in order to characterize the properties of shallow gases in the sediment. Amount of shallow gases in the sediments were calculated by head space techniques, and chemical and isotopic compositions of hydrocarbon gases were analyzed. Geochemical analyses were carried out on the gas bearing sediments to find out relationship between natural gas contents and organic characteristics of the sediments. Seismic characteristics of shallow gases in the sediments were also examined in this study. The amount of the hydrocarbon gases in the sediments range from 0.01% to 11.25%. Calculation of volume of gas per volume of wet sediment varies from 0.1 to 82.0 ml HC/L wet sediment. Methane consists 98% of the total hydrocarbon gases except for two samples. Based on the methane content and isotopic composition$(\delta^{13}c)$: -94.31$\textperthousand$~-55.5$\textperthousand$), the hydrocarbon gases from the sediments are generated from bacterial activities of methanogenic microbes. Contents of hydrocarbon gases are variable from site to site. Volume of shallow gases in the sediments shows no apparent trends vs. either characteristics of organic matter or particle sizes of the sediments. Gas concentration is high in the area of seismic anomalies such as blanking zone or chimney structures in the section. Physicochemically the pore water and the formation water systems are saturated with gases in these areas. Concentration of hydrocarbon gases in the sediments in these area shows favorable condition for generation of gas hydrate, as far as the other conditions are satisfied.