• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Heavy metals discharged from various sources contaminate the soil and water and the residuals can persistently be accumulated. In this study, the concentration of soil heavy metals was assessed over the whole regions of Korea based on the contamination factor and the geoaccumulation index. METHODS AND RESULTS: The data of averaged concentrations of heavy metals and fluorine were collected from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the research papers published. In order to classify the levels of heavy metal concentration, the contamination index, including the contamination factor and the geoaccumulation index, based on the relative ratio of the actual concentration of heavy metals in the soil to the background concentration was calculated. In addition, the distribution of heavy metals in soils was visualized by using the geographic information system (GIS). As a result, the Cd contamination in the soils was the most concerned. CONCLUSION(S): This study very roughly indicated the outline of heavy metal concentration over the whole regions of Korea. The change in heavy metals' concentration over the time should further be monitored and the larger data of heavy metal contamination are needed for better understanding in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2003

Shihwa tidal freshwater marsh was constructed recently to treat pollutants entering Shihwa lake. In this study, we examined the spatial and temporal patterns of heavy metal accumulation in soils of Shihwa marsh and sought correlations between several soil variables (pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, and acid ammonium oxalate-extractable Fe and Al contents) and the heavy metal concentration of soils. Surface soil samples (0∼20 cm) were collected in June 2000, November 2000, and July 2001, and were analyzed for heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, As, and Hg) and soil chemical properties. The neutral pH and water-saturated conditions of Shihwa marsh appeared to favor immobilization of heavy metal through adsorption onto soils. The concentrations of heavy metal (especially Zn, Cu, and Cr) in soils of Shihwa marsh increased along the sampling occasions, suggesting that soils of Shihwa marsh serve as a sink of heavy metal. Among the sub-marshes, metal concentrations were highest in Banweol high marshes and lowest in Samhwa marshes. The temporal and spatial variations in the heavy metal concentrations of soils were correlated positively with organic matter and oxalate extractable Fe and Al contents, but negatively with electrical conductivity. These results suggest that organic matter and hydrous oxide of Fe/Al may playa key role in removing heavy metals in soils of Shihwa marsh, and that heavy metal removing capacity would increase with desalinization. However, the removal patterns of heavy metal by reeds warrant further studies to evaluate the total removal capacity of heavy metals by Shihwa marsh.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.278-284
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• 2015

In general, plant roots accumulate more heavy metals than the above ground organs such as leaf, stem, and fruit. This implies that root medicinal plants would be an issue with excessive heavy metal accumulation. Therefore, the current study was carried out to investigate the distribution of heavy metal (focused on Cd and Pb) concentrations in soils and medicinal plant roots grown in different region of Korea. Total 293 samples for each soil and plant were collected along the national wide. Soil pH, total and phytoavailable metal concentrations (1 M $NH_4NO_3$ extracted) in soils were determined and heavy metal concentrations in root of the medicinal plants were analyzed. Heavy metal concentrations of the soil samples studied were not exceeded standard limits legislated in 'Soil Environmental Conservation Act', except 2 samples for Cu. However, substantial amount of Cd was accumulated in medicinal plant roots with 29% samples exceeding the standard limit legislated in 'Pharmaceutical Affairs Act' while all plant samples were lower than the standard limit value for Pb. Also the current study demonstrated that cadmium concentrations in the roots were governed by the phytoavailable Cd in soils, which decreased as soil pH increased. From this result, application of heavy metal immobilization technique using a pH change-induced immobilizing agents can be suggested for safer root medicinal plant production.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 1997

To investigate the distribution of heavy metal concentrations in Onsan bay, concentrations of cadmium, copper, zine and lead in surface sediments and the periwinkles (Littorina brevicula) were determined in Feburary and July, 1996. The ranges of cadmium, copper, zinc and lead concentrations in the surface sediments were 0.08-3.72, 3-307, 49-1273 and 15-399 ${\mu}g/g$ dry weight, respectively, The decrease of concentration in heavy metals with distance from Daejeong stream indicated that this stream is the pollutant source of heavy metals in Onsan Bay. The concentrations of cadmium, copper, zinc and led in L. brevicula were 0.11-11.81, 21-212, 30-96 and 0.26-4.12 ${\mu}g/g$ dry weigth in February and 1.01-24.9, 66-325, 54-225 and 0.68-8.41 ${\mu}g/g$ dry weight in July, respectively. These concentrations in L. brevicula were the significantly different (p<0.001) with the season of sampling. However, overall distribution of concentrations of heavy metals in L. brevicula had very similar tendency that concentrations of heavy metal decreased with the distance from the pollutant source irrespective of the two seasons. Therefore, L. brevicula is considered as a useful indicator for heavy metals pollution, According to analysis of the organs, tissues such as the digestive gland, gill and viceral mussel accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.339-347
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• 1998

As a part of a study on the development of microbiological methods for petroleum exploration, the distribution of the avarafe survival rate for heterotrophs to various heavy metal ions and hydrocarbons were surveyed and compared by the use of plate count method. In consequence of the avarage survival rate to heavy metal ions(2 hours treatment) and hydrocarbons(1 hour treatment) for heterotrophs isolatinf from soil samples(50cm depth) which located in Doum mountain(A, B and D site) and Aedowon(C site) at Pohang area, the survival rate of heterotrophs for nickel(600ppm), cobalt(500ppm), cadmiun(100ppm), mercury(20ppm), zinc(400 ppm) and lead(500ppm) were 73.7%, 82.6%, 76.8%, 9.5%, 77.8% and 73.6% at A site and 67.9%, 82.5%, 86.0%, 5.8%, 82.5% and 91.7% at B site, 87.8%, 79.8%, 87.5%, 7.0%, 84.2% AND 47.7% AT c SITE, AND 71.8%, 76%, 85.9%, 1,2%, 79.6% AND 88.3% AT D site, respectively. Also the survival rate of heterotrophs from A,B,C and D site to pentane and hexane(each concentration is 20%) were 26.7% and 42.5%, 11.8% and 8.1%, 44.3% and 36.2%, and 12% and 3.5%, respectively. therefore, heterotrophs from B and D site that alternated gravelstone, muddy sandstone and sandstone were higher survival rate to the heavy metal ions than heterotrophs from A site which mainly composed gravelstone. Also, heterotrophs from C site which mainly composed muddy sandstone and once produced natural gas were showed relatively higher survival rate to the heavy metal ions and hydrocarbons than the other sites. Consequently, we confirmed that the distributions of tolerant heterotrophs to heavy metal ions and hydrocarbons were differ from the lithological compositon.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.969-980
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• 2015

In order to certificate the distribution and pollution of heavy metal of surface sediments in Nakdong River were collected and analyzed for grain size, water content, ignition loss and heavy metal content. Surface sediments mainly composed of sand(avg. 94.6%) and water content and ignition loss were 20.46%, 1.53% on average. Grain size were relatively fine and organic matter content were relatively high in the Hoichun and Sunakdonggang. Most of heavy metal content(Zn > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu > Hg) in the Deokcheongang and Sunakdonggang were higher than the other streams. The Igeo were non polluted(less than 0) in all streams and the EF were relatively high in the small stream and PLI were non polluted(less than 1). In addition, organic matter, heavy metal content and pollution were highly correlation with grain size. Surface sediments in study area, heavy metal pollution of the Sunakdonggang were relatively high compared to the other stream but these results were not serious pollution that exceed the sediment pollution evaluation standard of river and lake in Korea and pollution levels adversely affected the majority of benthos were not.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.341-354
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• 2002

Heavy metal concentration/distribution in sediments and bivalves from the tidal flats in Saemankeum coastal area, western Korea, were investigated, Among 6 sampling sites, S2, S5 and S6 showed the higher levels of Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu and Cd contamination and S1 did the higher level of Pb contamination than other sites, while S-4 showed the lowest levels of these metal contamination. Overally, the levels of Zn, Cu and Pb concentrations in Sinonovacula constricta were estimated to be relatively high. The shell lengths of the collected mussels were linearly related to their dry weights of the whole soft parts, but the mussels collected from S3 were in a poor nutrition, resulting in the distinctively high levels of metal concentrations in the body. It was shown that in S. constricta, Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn are distributed equally into the whole soft parts or a little more into the flesh, after absorption, while Fe, Cd, Pb and Mn are transferred more into the non-flesh parts than into the flesh parts. In S. constricta, the heavy metal concentrations in the flesh increase with those in the whole soft parts. The bioaccumulation factors(heavy metal concentration in S. constricta/heavy metal concentration in sediment) showed that, of the examined metals, Cd is the most cumulative in the body of S. constricta, followed by Zn and Cu, while Mn, Cr, Ni and Pb are not cumulative.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.106-116
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• 2005

This experiment was conducted to investigate available extraction capacity and potential mobility of heavy metal according to the distribution property and contamination level of heavy metals in soils and to suggest a reform measure of soil environment assessment methodology applied with soil quality and the official soil heavy metal test methods in domestic and foreign countries. The soils were collected from the natural forest paddy with long-term application of same type fertilizer, and paddies near metal mine and industrial complex. The post-treatment methods of soil were partial extraction, acid digestion and sequential extraction methods. For the heavy metal contents with different soil properties, it was shown that their natural forest and paddy soil were slightly low and similar to the general paddy soil, while their paddies near metal mine and industrial complex were higher than the standard level of Soil Environment Protection Act. Heavy metal concentrations in the soils with different soil properties had difference between $HNO_3\;and\;HNO_3+HCl$ extractant by US-EPA 3051a method. There were highly significant positive relationships in both two methods. It was appeared that the higher extractable concentration ratio with 0.1N-HCl to total heavy metal content with $HNO_3+HCl$ extractant the greater total heavy metal content. There were highly significant positive correlationship between total heavy metal content and extractable content with 0.1N-HCl. For extractable capacity of soil extractable solution compared to the total heavy metal content it was appeared that it extractable method with 0.1N-HCl was higher than those with EDTA and DTPA. In extractable ratio with 0.1N-HCl in the contaminated paddy soils near mine and industrial complex, it was shown that the lower soil pH, the higher total heavy metal content. The order of a potential mobility coefficient by distribution of heavy metal content with ie different typies in the soil was Cd>Ni>Zn>Cu>Pb. It could be known that contamination characteristics of heavy metals with different types of soils were affected by different heavy metal components, contamination degree and soil chemical properties, and heavy metal concentration with different extractable methods had great variations with adjacent environment. To be compared with assessment methodology of soil environment impact at domestic and foreign countries with our results, it might be considered that there was necessary to make a single analysis method based on total heavy metal content with environmental overloading concept because of various analysis methods for total heavy metal content and present analysis method with great variation according to soil environment. In spite of showing higher concentration of heavy metal with acidic digestion than the extractable method, it might be considered that there is need to be adjusted the national standard of soil heavy metal contamination.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.694-701
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• 2020

Objectives: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate heavy metal concentrations (Cd, As, Hg, Pb, Cr6+), particle size distribution, hydrochloric acid solubility, and parasite eggs in sand in five non-designated sandy beaches in Gyeonggi Province. Methods: The sampling sites are five non-designated Gyeonggi-do sandy beaches located in Ansan and Hwaseong. ICP-OES and UV, a Vibratory Sieve Shaker, and PCM were respectively used to analyze heavy metal concentrations, particle size distribution, and parasite eggs in the sand. Results: Heavy metals were detected within the beach's safety management standards and some of the detected As and Pb before and after beach opening were lower than one-quarter of the average value. In addition, the results of the T-test to confirm the As and Pb concentration changes before and after opening showed a significant difference in some beaches. The composition of sand was 86.53% according to the particle size distribution standard (2.0-0.02 mm), and the hydrochloric acid solubility was the highest at Gubongsolsup (4.9%) and the lowest at Bangameo-li (0.2%). Parasite eggs were undetected in all beach sand before and after opening. Conclusions: The safety of heavy metal concentrations in sandy beaches was secured in the selected five beaches in Gyeonggi Province. However, continuous efforts are required to make Gyeonggi-do's beaches suitable according to the Act on the Use and Management of Beaches.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.57-62
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• 2001

The study was conducted to measure the heavy metal pollution of soils at the playground for children and to investigate the characteristics of heavy metals distribution I city. The studied area was divided into two: the residential area and the industrial area. The samples of the sands and soils were collected from both areas. The results were obtained as follows. All average concentration of 6 different heavy metals was found to be lower than the standard of soil pollution. Zn, Pb and cu concentrations were higher than other species of heavy metals. The contents of heavy metals in the soil were higher than the sands. The average contents of Zn, Pb, Cu, As, Hg and Cd in soil were 38.36, 9.53, 7.31, 0.03, 0.18 and 0.09 mg/kg respectively. Comparing with the residential area, heavy metal concentrations of the industrial area were 4.60, 1.49, 2.60 and 4.29 times for Zn, Pb, Hg and Cd in soils, respectively.