• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.799-811
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate heavy metal contamination and pollution index of agricultural soils around industrial complexes in the Jeon-Buk Regions of Korea. Soil samples near industrial complexes in 2017 were collected at two depths (0 - 15 and 15 - 30 cm) within a 500- and 1000-meter radius before planting. Eight heavy metals (Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), Cupper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and zinc (Zn)) and the pollution index (PI), geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and soil pollution index (SPI) were evaluated based on soil contamination warning standard (SCWS). Overall, the heavy metal concentrations were below the SCWS. The PI ranged from 0.1 to 0.9 and categorized into Group 1 which is not polluted with any heavy metals. The average Igeo values of all the soil samples ranged from - 2.56 to 3.22. The Igeo values of Cd and Hg may not represent well the pollution index because the heavy metal concentrations in the soil is lower compared to the SCWS. In fact, based on the heavy metal concentrations, the Igeo for monitored soils should be categorized into Group 1, uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. However, the Igeo of Cd and Hg are classified into heavily contaminated. These results suggest that for calculating the Igeo, the heavy metal concentration and background concentration should be used very carefully if the heavy metal concentration in the soil is lower than the background concentration. SPI for all the soil samples ranged from 0.00 to 0.11 which indicates no heavy metal pollution was observed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2017

There is an increasing concern over heavy metal(loid) contamination of soil in agricultural areas including paddy soils. This study was conducted to determine the bioconcentration factor (BCF) for heavy metal(loid)s to brown rice grown in paddy soils vulnerable to heavy metal(loid)s contamination, for the quantitative health risk assessment to the residents living nearby the metal contaminated regions. The samples were collected from 98 sites nationwide in the year 2015. The mean and range BCF values of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in brown rice were 0.027 (0.001 ~ 0.224), 0.143 (0.001 ~ 2.434), 0.165 (0.039 ~ 0.819), 0.028 (0.005 ~ 0.187), 0.006 (0.001 ~ 0.048), and 0.355 (0.113 ~ 1.263), respectively, with Zn showing the highest. Even though the relationship between heavy metal(loid) contents in the vulnerable soils and metal contents in brown rice collected at the same fields was not significantly correlated, the relationship between log contents of heavy metal(loid)s in the vulnerable soils and BCF of brown rice wes significantly correlated with As, Cd, Cu, and Zn in rice. In conclusion, soil environmental risk assessment for crop uptake should consider the bioconcentration factor calculated using both the initial and vulnerable heavy metal(loid) contents in the required soil and the crop cultivated in the same fields.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.63-74
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• 2022

In analyzing heavy metals in soil samples, the standard protocol established by Korean Minstry of Environment (KSTM) requires two different pretreatments (A and B) based on soil particle size. Soil particles < 0.15 mm in diameter after sieving are directly processed into acid extraction (method A). However, if the quantity of soil particles < 0.15 mm are not enough, grinding of the particles within 0.15 mm ~ 2 mm is required (method B). Grinding is often needed for some field samples, especially for the soil samples retrieved from soil washing process that contain relatively large-sized soil grains. In this study, two soil samples with different particle size distribution were prepared and analyzed for heavy metals concentrations using two different pretreatment to investigate the effect of grinding. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations tend to increase with the increase of the fraction of small-sized particles. In comparison of the two pretreatments, pretreatment A yielded higher heavy metal concentration than pretreatment B, indicating significant influence of grinding on analytical results. This results suggest that the analytical values of heavy metals in soil samples obtained by KSTM should be taken with caution and carefully reviewed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.768-775
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• 2016

Heavy metal pollution in arable field is an critical problem due to crop safety. For this reason, national survey of heavy metal pollution in the arable field near at the industrial area has been conducted from 1999 in Korea. The main purpose of this research was to monitor heavy metal pollution in Chungnam/chungbuk province and to evaluate pollution index (PI) in soil. Total of 15 sampling locations were examined and average concentration of each heavy metals were following: As - $2.99{\pm}2.63$, Cd - $0.23{\pm}0.07$, Cu - $9.35{\pm}6.48$, Ni - $9.26{\pm}8.03$, Pb - $10.18{\pm}3.32$, Zn - $52.9{\pm}17.18$. No sampling site was exceeded threshold level of each heavy metals. Calculated PI in soil was ranged between 0.03 - 0.27 indicating that also no heavy metal pollution is occurred in examined sampling locations. Although, no heavy metal pollution was observed in the examined sites but monitoring of heavy metal pollution should be continued for possible accidental pollution in arable field near at the industrial area.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2016

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural fields at the abandoned metal mines has been serious problems in Korea. In order to manage heavy metal pollution in surface water and soil, numerous remediation strategies have been established. Therefore, main purpose of this research was to examine feasibility of ecological toxicity assessment for establishing management strategy in heavy metal polluted agricultural fields. Heavy metal concentration in surface water and soil was monitored along with ecotoxicity experiment with Daphnia magna and Eisenia fetida. Result showed that high toxicity was observed in heavily polluted agricultural field with heavy metals. In case of mortality of Daphnia magna (85%) and Eisenia fetida (6.7%), the highest ratio was observed when heavy metal concentration in surface and soil was high. Calculated ecotoxicity index (EI) ranged 0.06-0.30 and the highest EI was observed in heavily polluted sites among 5 abandoned metal mines. Overall, ecological toxicity assessment is necessary to evaluate heavy metal pollution in agricultural fields near at the abandoned metal mines along with chemical concentration analysis.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.95-105
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• 2011

Total extraction method and environmental standards for heavy metals in soils were revised in regulation recently. In case of Area 3, as the law amended, the soil pollution level has gone up to 4 to 13 times higher depending on the type of heavy metal. In this study, it compares the properties of heavy metals of soil by sequential extraction and total extraction methods depending on the analysis method, using the soil around mine. In case of arsenic, the soil pollution level has gone up to 4 times higher, but 6 to 10 times in the sample soil. Also, according to the results of portability evaluation depending on the type of existence form of heavy metal it exists as residual form in mine waste rock, which is less likely to move, while it exists as migrated form in tailing. Therefore, it should be considered to evaluate the soil pollution and decide the contaminated bounds depending on the existence form of heavy metals on soil to restore the polluted soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2018

This paper is aimed at source tracking of soil heavy metal contamination at a site established by reusing construction wastes. The soil heavy metal concentration at the study site peaked at a depth range of 5-10 m. Column studies were conducted to investigate the possibility of the contamination scenario of infiltration of stormwater carrying heavy metals of ground origin followed by selective heavy metal accumulation at the 5-10 m depth range. Almost all amount of lead, zinc, cadmium, and nickel introduced to the columns each packed with 0-5 m or 5-10 m field soil were accumulated in the column. The very poor heavy metal mobility in spite of the weak association of the heavy metals with the soil (characterized by a sequential extraction procedure) can be attributed to the high pH (10-11) of the construction wastes. From the results, the heavy metal contamination of the subsurface soil by an external heavy metal source was determined to be very unlikely at the study site. The column study applied in the current study is expected to be a useful methodology to present direct evidence of the contaminant source tracking at soil contamination sites.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.798-804
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• 2012

Although siderophores are induced primarily in response to iron deficiency, soil and other ecological factors can affect on this process. This study was to evaluate the production of siderophores by different fungal species isolated from heavy metal contaminated and uncontaminated soils. More than thirty fungal strains were isolated from heavy metal contaminated and rhizosphere uncontaminated soils. Chrome azurol sulfonate (CAS) was used for both quantitative and qualitative evaluation of siderophores production. No significant correlations were observed between the tested variables such as ultraviolet (UV) irradiation method and CAS-agar plate and heavy metal concentration in both soils. The production of siderophores in rhizosphere fungi was higher than those isolated from the contaminated soil; however, the difference was not significant. The siderophore production (%) by fungi isolated from heavy metal contaminated soil using UV irradiation method was positively correlated with the qualitative values using CAS-plate method (P<0.05). Pearson correlation test indicated a positive correlation between the quantitative and qualitative methods of detection for fungi isolated from rhizosphere and also those isolated from heavy metal contaminated soil.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.267-275
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• 2009

To investigate the possible applications of plants to remediate heavy-metal-contaminated soil, a pilot experiment was performed for four years in a reclaimed dredging area using two Alnus species, i.e., Alnus firma and Alnus hirsuta. In a comparison of phytomass of the two species at two different planting densities, the phytomass of Alnus planted at low density was twice as high as that of Alnus planted at high density after four years. The Alnus species showed active acclimation to the heavy-metal-contaminated soil in a reclaimed dredging area. A. hirsuta showed greater accumulation of phytomass than A. firma, indicating that it is the better candidate for the phytoremediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soils. In the pilot system, Alnus plants took metals up from the soil in the following order; Pb > Zn > Cu > Cr > As > Cd. Uptake rates of heavy metals per individual phytomass was higher for Alnus spp. planted at low density than those planted at high density in the pilot system. Low plant density resulted in higher heavy metal uptake per plant, but the total heavy metal concentration was not different for plants planted at low and high density, suggesting that the plant density effect might not be important with regard to total uptake by plants. The quantity of leached heavy metals below ground was far in excess of that taken up by plants, indicating that an alternative measurement is required for the removal of heavy metals that have leached into ground water and deeper soil. We conclude that Alnus species are potential candidates for phytoremediation of heavy-metal- contaminated surface soil in a reclaimed dredging area.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.827-831
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• 2008

In this study, the effects of reclaimed wastewater irrigation on the concentration of heavy metals such as lead, zinc, cadmium, and copper in soil and vegetables were investigated by monitoring an experimental area irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. Three treatments and three replications on $10{\times}2$-m plots were installed and heavy metal concentrations in soil and vegetables were monitored from 2005 to 2007. The treatments applied in this study were groundwater irrigation (control treatment), wastewater irrigation, and irrigation with filtered reclaimed wastewater treated with ultraviolet light. The monitored results showed that the concentrations of Cu, Cd, and Pb in soil during the experimental period were lower than initial soil levels before irrigation, whereas Zn increased in all treatment plots. However, the ranges of Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb in soil were below the soil pollution standards in the Republic of Korea. Heavy metal concentrations in vegetables showed insignificant variations for all treatments.