• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to determine the order of priority for the use of amendments, matching the optimal amendment to the specific site in Korea. This decision-making process must prioritize the stabilization and economic efficiency of amendment for heavy metals and metalloid based on domestic site contamination scenarios. For this study, total 5 domestic heavy metal contaminated sites were selected based on different pollution scenarios and 13 amendments, which were previously studied as the soil stabilizer. Batch extraction experiments were performed to quantify the stabilization efficiency for 8 heavy metals (including As and Hg) for 5 soil samples, representing 5 different pollution scenarios. For each amendment, the analyses using XRD and XRF to identify their properties, the toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) test, and the synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) test were also conducted to evaluate the leaching safety in applied site. From results of batch experiments, the amendments showing > 20% extraction lowering efficiency for each heavy metal (metalloid) was selected and the top 5 ranked amendments were determined at different amount of amendment and on different extraction time conditions. For each amendment, the total number of times ranked in the top 5 was counted, prioritizing the feasible amendment for specific domestic contaminated sites in Korea. Mine drainage treatment sludge, iron oxide, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, calcite, iron sulfide, biochar showed high extraction decreasing efficiency for heavy metals in descending order. When the economic efficiency for these amendments was analyzed, mine drainage treatment sludge, limestone, steel making slag, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide were determined as the priority amendment for the Korean field application in descending order.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.25-31
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• 2013

Civil and military firing ranges are usually contaminated with heavy metals such as lead and copper and remediation is required. Acid washing and extraction are common remediation methods. Lead contaminated firing range soil samples were collected and a preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of the contamination and the contribution of high specific gravity particles. Ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid(EDTA) extraction was applied for the removal of heavy metal but the extraction was not feasible for the firing range soil. Even after the repeated EDTA extraction, the contamination were still over the Korean environmental standard indicating that soil particles highly contaminated with heavy metal which release the heavy metal ion even after the repeated extraction. Some colored and higher specific gravity particles were separated from the soil samples and analyzed. The colored particles have specific gravity of 2.5-6.6. The saturation ratio of Pb and EDTA was 4.9-32%. After removal of these colored particles, the sandy soil showed moderate contamination which can be treated with soil washing. This was proved with the five-level sequential extraction and TCLP tests.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.251-263
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• 2011

In order to investigate treatment effects of limestone and steel refining slag for paddy soils contaminated with arsenic and heavy metals, a lab-column test was carried out under reducing environments of flooded paddy soils. In conditions of the flooded paddy soils, at the point of time when iron and manganese were reduced and leached rapidly, heavy metals also leached rapidly, and some leachate samples from an untreated soil exceeded regulatory standards. On the contrary, all samples from soils treated with limestone 5% and steel refining slag 5% respectively were below the regulatory standards, showing much lower heavy metal concentrations than in the untreated soil. Arsenic increased continuously during the observation period according to its typical characteristics, and along with decreasing redox potential, arsenic was expected to leach as $H_3AsO_3$-of form $A^{3+}$ with high mobility and strong toxicity. Limestone and steel refining slag showed high treatment effects against heavy metals present in soil and steel refining slag especially showed the high treatment effects against arsenic.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.574-579
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• 2016

This study assessed feasibility of making granular fertilizer with fly ash from a sewage sludge incinerator in Korea. Composition, characteristics, strength, and heavy metal contents of the granular fertilizers were investigated. Due to its high contents of phosphorus, fly ash from a sewage sludge incinerator could be used to make fertilizers. Granulation rates (2-4 mm granules) over 80% could be achieved as the fly ash contents were 15% or less of the fertilizer. Leaching tests of the fertilizers, based upon the Korean Standard Methods for Solid Wastes, showed the concentrations of heavy metals less than the risk limits. However, contents analysis of the fertilizers, based upon the Korean Standard Methods for Soils, experienced higher levels of heavy metals than the risk limits as the fly ash content exceeded 7% of the fertilizer. Thus, the fly ash needs to be added less than 7% of the fertilizer if there is no pretreatment to remove heavy metals.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.79-86
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• 2015

Korean territories has formed about 70% of mountainous areas that have acidified serious level to average pH 4-5. There are a number of abandoned metal mines about 1,000 in Korea. However, mine tailings and waste rock included heavy metals are exposed to long-term environment without prevention facility or treatment system. Thus, ongoing management and monitoring of soil environment are required. Most of abandoned mine scattered in forest areas of slopes. Soil erosion due to continuous rainfall in the slopy areas can cause the secondary pollution by the influence eutrophication of water system and the productivity loss of the plant. Therefore, this study would like to estimate pH leaching rate by artificial rainfall using waste neutralization-agent in lysimeter. Moreover, the potentially of secondary pollution related to precipitation is figured out through the experiments, and the optimal planting methods would examinate after neutralizing treatment in soil. Experiments composed three kinds of lysimeter; lysimeter 1 had filled only acidic soil, lysimeter 2 had neutralized soil, and lysimeter 3 had planting plants after neutralized soil. In the results, lysimeter 2 showed the lowest pH leaching, and there is not specific relativity with pH leaching of the seasonal characteristics.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.187-193
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• 2011

The stormwater runoff from road or expressway is known as one of important nonpoint pollution sources. To reduce the pollutants discharge from road or expressway, many best management practices(BMPs) have been applied and planned. Among the BMPs, road sweeping can be effective way to prevent pollutant washoff to environment. This study is performed to evaluate the characteristics of particles collected from the road by sweeping car. Size distribution and pollutant concentration of particles were analyzed. Based on the pollutant concentration and the specification of road such as length, width, and unit for pollutant generation, total amount of pollutant to be removed by road sweeping was estimated. Most of sediments collected by road sweeping was classified into sandy soil and fraction of fine grained soil was low. Although the concentrations of pollutants such as heavy metals in road sediments did not exceed the soil contamination criteria, washout of pollutants during sweeping work by spraying water might cause leaching of pollutants contained in sediments and thus resulted in low pollutant concentrations. Reduced amounts of pollutant by road sweeping showed 31.4% TSS reduction for ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ region and 7.7% TSS for ${\triangle}{\triangle}$ region. Other pollutants showed low reduction rate, because of their leaching by water spraying. Results from this study indicate that detailed and well-planned investigation for the road sweeping is necessary for the accurate estimation of pollutant reduction from road or expressway.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.221-228
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• 2004

Basic properties of artificial lightweight aggregate by using waste dusts and strength properties of LWA concrete were studied. Bulk specific gravity and water absorption of artificial lightweight aggregates varied from 1.4 to 1.7 and 13 to 16%, respectively. Crushing ratio of artificial lightweight aggregate was above 10% higher than that of crushed stone or gravel. As a result of TCLP leaching test, the leaching amount of tested heavy metal element was below the leaching standard of hazardous material. Slump, compressive strength and stress-strain properties of LWA concrete made of artificial lightweight aggregate were tested. Concrete samples derived from LWA substitution ratio of 30 vol% and W/C ratio of 45 wt% showed the best properties overall. Thermal insulation and sound insulation characteristics of light weight concrete panel with the optimum concrete proportion were tested. Average overall heat transmission of 3.293W/㎡$^{\circ}C$ was observed. It was higher by about 15% than those of normal concrete made by crushed stone. Sound transmission loss of 50.9 ㏈ in frequency of 500 ㎐ was observed. It was higher by about 13% than standard transmission loss.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.329-336
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• 2006

Iron manufacturing process involves production of various by-product including slag, sludge, sintering and EAF(Electric Arc furnace dust). Some of the by-products such as EAF and sintering dust are disposed of as waste due to their high heavy metal contents. It has been notice for many years that the EAF dust also contain about 65% of Fe(0) and Fe(II) and then the possible utilization of the iron. One possibility is to apply the EAF as a lining material in conjunction with clay or HDPE liners, in waste landfill. The probable reaction between the leachate containing toxic elements such as TCE, PCE dioxine and $Cr^{6+}$ is reduction of the toxic materials in corresponding to the oxidation of the reduced iron and therefore diminishing the toxicity of the leachate. It is, however, prerequisite to evaluate the leaching characteristics of the EAF dust before application. Amelioration of the leachate would be archived only when the level of toxic elements in the treated leachate is less than that of in the untreated leachate. Several leaching techniques were selected to cover different conditions and variable environments including time, pH and contact method. The testing methods include availability test, pH-stat test and continuous column test. Cr and Zn are potentially leachable elements among the trace metals. The pH of the EAF dust is highly alkaline, recording around 12 and Zn is unlikely to be leached under the condition. On the contrary Cr is more leachable under alkaline environment. However, the released Cr should be reduced to $Cr^{3+}$ and then removed as $Cr(OH)_3$. Removal of the Cr is observed in the column test and further study on the specific reaction of Cr and EAF dust is underway.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2012

The stabilization using limestone ($CaCO_3$) and steel making slag as the immobilization amendments for Cu and Pb contaminated farmland soils was investigated by batch tests, continuous column experiments and the pilot scale feasibility study with 4 testing grounds at the contaminated site. From the results of batch experiment, the amendment with the mixture of 3% of limestone and 2% of steel making slag reduced more than 85% of Cu and Pb compared with the soil without amendment. The acryl column (1 m in length and 15 cm in diameter) equipped with valves, tubes and a sprinkler was used for the continuous column experiments. Without the amendment, the Pb concentration of the leachate from the column maintained higher than 0.1 mg/L (groundwater tolerance limit). However, the amendment with 3% limestone and 2% steel making slag reduced more than 60% of Pb leaching concentration within 1 year and the Pb concentration of leachate maintained below 0.04 mg/L. For the testing ground without the amendment, the Pb and Cu concentrations of soil water after 60 days incubation were 0.38 mg/L and 0.69 mg/l, respectively, suggesting that the continuous leaching of Cu and Pb may occur from the site. For the testing ground amended with mixture of 3% of limestone + 2% of steel making slag, no water soluble Pb and Cu were detected after 20 days incubation. For all testing grounds, the ratio of Pb and Cu transfer to plant showed as following: root > leaves(including stem) > rice grain. The amendment with limestone and steel making slag reduced more than 75% Pb and Cu transfer to plant comparing with no amendment. The results of this study showed that the amendment with mixture of limestone and steel making slag decreases not only the leaching of heavy metals but also the plant transfer from the soil.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.235-248
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• 2010

To construct the standard methods for evaluation of physicochemical characteristics of tailings in Korea, specific gravity, paste pH, grain size, mineral compositions and heavy metal concentrations of total 26 tailings from 21 metallic mines were analyzed. Specific gravity of tailings ranged from 2.61 to 4.31 (avg. 3.04), and sand and silt grain were dominant in the tailings. Ranges of paste pH were 2.1-9.5 in tailings (7.1-9.2 at magmatic, skarn and hydrothermal replacement deposits and 2.1-9.5 at hydrothermal vein deposits). Additionally, hydrothermal vein deposits could be reclassified into three categories: (1) paste pH>7.0, (2) 4.0