• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.219-228
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• 1972

Geochemical investigation of river waters and reservoirs in Seoul city on fluorine contents were conducted between June in 1969 and February in 1970. Fluorine contents of most river waters and reservoirs in Seoul city were between 0.09 and 0.32 mg/l. It was found that fluorine contents of Han River and rivers running through the outskirt of the city were relatively less than those of the river waters running through the residential areas and the industrial areas. Fluorine contents were less seasonally variable than chlorine ones. Some implications of those results were discussed in detail.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 2005

In this study, we offered the results of geophysical and geochemical survey on the municipal waste disposal area to delineate the size and extent of leachate contamination. Preliminary to intensive geochemical investigation, we performed two geophysical methods to characterize the survey area. Electromagnetic (EM) and magnetic method were used far site investigation. From the EM method, we can get the information of soil conductivity directly related to the leachate of the contaminations and from magnetic anomalies we can find the boundary of landfill which is not identified on the surface due to soil capping. The results of geophysical survey were well matched to those of geochemical method carried out inside and near the landfill. Electric conductivity (EC) of the groundwater sampled from low resistivity anomaly region of EM result was higher than background value and the border estimated from the magnetic survey showed good agreement with that estimated from the soil gas detection survey.

• 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.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.353-365
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• 2000

After their first appearance on Earth, bacteria have exerted significant influence on geochemical behavior of elements. Numerous evidence of their control on geochemistry through geologic history has been observed in a variety of natural environments. They have mediated weathering rate, formation of secondary minerals, redox transformation of metals and metalloids, and thus global cycling of elements. Such ability of bacteria receives so considerable attention from microbiologists, mineralogists, geologists, soil scientists, limnologists, oceanographers, and atmospheric scientists as well as geochemists that a new and interdisciplinary field of research called 'geomicrobiology' is currently expanding. Some recent subjects of geomicrobiology which are studied extensively are as follows: 1) Functional groups distributed on bacterial cell walls adsorb dissolved cations onto cell surfaces by electrostatic surface complexation, which is followed by hydrous mineral formation. 2) Dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria conserve energy to support growth by oxidation of organic matter coupled to reduction of some oxidized metals and/or metalloids. They can be effectively used in remediating environments contaminated with U, As, Se, and Cr. 3) Bacteria increase the rate of mineral dissolution by excreting proton and ligands such as organic acids into aqueous system. 4) Thorough investigation on the effects of biofilm on geochemical processes is needed, because most bacteria are adsorbed on solid substrates and form biofilms in natural settings.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.717-726
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• 2022

This study was conducted to assess the geochemical contamination degree of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn in the soil and water samples from an abandoned gold mine. Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were carried out to assess the geochemical contamination degree of the soil samples. Variations of sulfate and heavy metals concentration in water samples were determined to identify the geochemical distribution with respect to the distance from the mine tailing dam. Geochemical pollution indices indicated significant contaminated with As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in the soil samples that areas close to the mine tailing dam, while, Sb showed similar indices in all soil samples. These results indicated that the As, Cd, Pb, and Zn dispersion has occurred via anthropogenic sources, such as mining activities. In terms of water samples, anomalies in the concentrations of As, Cd, Zn, and SO₄^2- was determined at specific area, in addition, the concentrations of the elements gradually decreased with distance. This result implies the heavy metals distribution in water has carried out by the weathering of sulfide minerals in the mine tailing and soil. The study area has been conducted the remediation of contaminated soil in the past, however, the geochemical dispersion of heavy metals was supposed to be occurred from the potential contamination source. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the soil and water is necessary after the completion of remediation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.151-155
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• 1998

The Anyang river drains a highly polluted industrial area and enters the lower part of Han river. In this preliminary study for the comprehensive understanding of geochemical behaviour of elements in the stream sediments and its implications on the river chemistry and ecology, major and trace elements in stream sediments, suspended solids and stream water were analysed to look into elemental enrichments and elemental behaviour with distance from upper part of the stream. Chemical analyses of the stream sediments show enrichements of heavy metals including Cr, Zn, Ni, Co between 10 to 100 times. Other trace elements, Cd, Pb and As are also enriched between several to 10 times, based on relative ratio with Al in fresh rock. Chemical analyses of the sediments, suspended solids and water show indications of anthroporgenic impact for the heavy metal accumulation. It was nortworth Hg is detected between 2 and 4 ppb in the water.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.6 s.175
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• pp.663-673
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• 2005

This study investigates the relationship between the geochemical maps and the gold-silver deposit locations. Geochemical maps of 21 elements, which are published by KIGAM, locations of gold-silver deposits, and 1:1,000,000 scale geological map of Korea are utilized far this investigation. Pixel size of the basic geochemical maps is 250m and these data are resampled in 1km spacing for the statistical analyses. Relationship between the mine location and the geochemical data are investigated using bayesian statistics and decision tree algorithms. For the bayesian statistics, each geochemical maps are reclassified by percentile divisions which divides the data by 5, 25, 50, 75, 95, and $100\%$ data groups. Number of mine locations in these divisions are counted and the probabilities are calculated. Posterior probabilities of each pixel are calculated using the probability of 21 geochemical maps and the geological map. A prediction map of the mining locations is made by plotting the posterior probability. The input parameters for the decision tree construction are 21 geochemical elements and lithology, and the output parameters are 5 types of mines (Ag/Au, Cu, Fe, Pb/Zn, W) and absence of the mine. The locations for the absence of the mine are selected by resampling the overall area by 1 km spacing and eliminating my resampled points, which is in 750m distance from mine locations. A prediction map of each mine area is produced by applying the decision tree to every pixels. The prediction by Bayesian method is slightly better than the decision tree. However both prediction maps show reasonable match with the input mine locations. We interpret that such match indicate the rules produced by both methods are reasonable and therefore the geochemical data has strong relations with the mine locations. This implies that the geochemical rules could be used as background values oi mine locations, therefore could be used for evaluation of mine contamination. Bayesian statistics indicated that the probability of Au/Ag deposit increases as CaO, Cu, MgO, MnO, Pb and Li increases, and Zr decreases.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.101-113
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• 2016

To properly manage and remediate groundwater contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (TCE), it is necessary to assess natural attenuation processes of contaminants in the aquifer along with investigation of contamination history and aquifer characterization. This study evaluated natural attenuation processes of TCE at an industrial site in Korea by delineating hydrogeochemical characteristics along the flow path of contaminated groundwater, by calculating reaction rate constants for TCE and its degradation products, and by using geochemical and reactive transport modeling. The monitoring data showed that TCE tended to be transformed to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) and further to vinyl chloride (VC) via microbial reductive dechlorination, although the degree was not too significant. According to our modeling results, the temporal and spatial distribution of the TCE plume suggested the dominant role of biodegradation in attenuation processes. This study can provide a useful method for assessing natural attenuation processes in the aquifer contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons and can be applied to other sites with similar hydrological, microbiological, and geochemical settings.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.65-73
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• 2015

The hydrofluoric acid (HF) leakage accident occurred on September 2012 in Gumi, Korea affected the surrounding soils and plants. In this study, we investigated fluoride migration in Gumi area through geochemical properties of soil-liquid phase (pore water F and water-soluble F). The concentrations of porewater F and water-soluble F were obtained from N.D (Not detected) to 9.79 mg/L and from 0.001 to 21.4 mg/L, respectively. F in pore water seemed to be affected by artificial and natural origin, and PHREEQC results implied that fluorite is F control factor. F concentrations of soil and soil-liquid phase did not exceed concern level of regulatory criteria and showed similar trends compared by previous studies. Therefore, F contents remained in the soil and soil-liquid phase were considered to be not affected by HF leakage accident.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.323-335
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• 2015

Although the Daljeon Basalt in the Pohang Basin is important for interpreting the basin evolution, its relative chronology, stratigraphic position, and isotopic age still remain controversial. In order to clear up the controversies, this study carried out detailed field investigation to determine its distribution and occurrence together with reanalysis of its previous geochemical data and $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ age dating. Based upon the field investigation, the basalt occurring in the central part of the Pohang basin is composed of three main bodies and a dozen of minor dikes and sills that intruded into the Yeonil Group. Their mineral assemblages consist of phenocrysts such as olivine and clinopyroxene and fine groundmasses of clinopyroxene, plagioclase, olivine, and opaque oxide, impling the porphyritic texture of alkaline basalt. All their geochemical data also show the similar geochemical characteristics in TAS, Zr-Ti, and REE/trace elements distribution diagrams. The samples are plotted on alkalic field in the total alkali-versus-silica diagram and show similar patterns to enrichment oceanic basalt or within plate basalt in trace elements. In addition, $^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$ isochron age of 13.82Ma is obtained. These results indicate that the Daljeon Basalt is an alkaline intrusive rock belonging to the middle Miocene Yeonil Group.