• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.348-357
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to examine the relationship between heavy metal concentrations in the soil and the level of heavy metals in the blood or urine of 216 local residents living near abandoned metal mines. Methods: Residents around abandoned metal mines were interviewed about their dietary habits, including seafood consumption, medical history, cigarette smoking, and drug history. Metal concentrations in the soil were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AA-7000, Shimadzu, Japan). Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contents in the blood or urine were analyzed by GF-AAS (AA-6800, Shimadzu). Mercury (Hg) contents in the blood were determined by means of a mercury analyzer (SP-3DS, NIC). Arsenic (As) content in the soil and urine were measured by a HG-AAS (hydride vapor generation-atomic absorption spectrophotometer). Results: The heavy metal concentrations in the soil showed a log normal distribution and the geometric means of the four villages were 8.61 mg/kg for Pb, 0.19 mg/kg for Cd, 1.81 mg/kg for As and 0.035 mg/kg for Hg. The heavy metal levels of the 216 local residents showed a regular distribution for Pb, Cd, Hg in the blood and As in the urine. The arithmetic means were 3.37 ${\mu}g$/dl for Pb, 3.07 ${\mu}g$/l for Cd and 2.32 ${\mu}g$/l for Hg, 10.41 ${\mu}g$/l for As, respectively. Conclusions: As a result of multi-variate analysis for the affecting factors on the bodily heavy metal concentrations, gender and concentration in the soil (each, p<0.01) for blood lead levels; gender and smoking status (each, p<0.01) for blood cadmium levels; gender (p<0.01) for urine arsenic levels; gender, age and concentration in the soil (p<0.01) for blood mercury levels were shown to be the affecting factors.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.619-626
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• 2009

The price fluctuation of minerals are commonly occurred through the change of market condition, and the redevelopment of closed mines are usually happened if commercial requirement can be satisfied. After 2003, as the price of most of metals increased very rapidly, Korea government tried to find the possibility of reopening for some closed metal mines. The purpose of this article is to suggest the proper ways how effectively to regulate the mine pollution concerning the redevelopment of closed mines. For this work, with the recent price trends of metals and reopening possibility of closed metal mines in Korea were reviewed. And analysing the problems of regulations for the mine development permission and mine pollution control and reclamation process of Korea, several amendments of environmental and mining regulation regimes for redevelopment of closed mines were proposed.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2011

Since 1980's, many mines have been closed and abandoned due to the exhaustion of deposits and declining prices of international mineral resources. Because of the lack of post management for these abandoned mines, Farm land and rivers were contaminated with heavy metal ions and sludge. We studied on the solidification/stabilization of heavy metal ions, chromium ions and lead ions, using magnesia-phosphate cement. Magnesia binders were used calcined-magnesia and dead-burned magnesia. Test specimens were prepared by mixing magnesia binder with chromium ions and lead ions and activators. We analyzed the hydrates by reaction between magnesiaphosphate cement and each heavy metal ions by XRD and SEM-EDAX, and analyzed the content of heavy metal ions in the eruption water from the specimens for the solidification and stabilization of heavy metal ions by ICP. The results was shown that calcined magnesia binder is effective in stabilization for chromium ions and dead-burned magnesia binder is effective in stabilization for lead ions.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.419-424
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• 2007

The contents were investigated by the monitoring survey from the soils and tailings caused by numerous abandoned mines in Korea. Cause heavy metals due to abandoned metal mines are raising significant environmental problems. But it is an important key such as a leaching and a transfer mechanism to evaluate contamination levels caused by abandoned mines. In this study the column test was carried in order to calculate a leaching level from soils and tailings. It was demonstrated that the leaching of Pb, Cd and Mn was expressed with similar behaviors and that of As and Cu was expressed with similar behaviors. For Zn, the leaching behavior was shown a serious leaching level with 40 mg/kg during the 45days. This was explained by Zn high contents of soils Zn in a natural world and ORP conditions where the leaching of Zn was occurred easily. Hence it was necessary that the survey of ORP was a key as well as total contents for the management of abandoned metal mines. We could estimate the chemical forms of heavy metals using the physical index such as ORP and pH and reduce the risk from heavy metals caused by abandoned metal mines.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.132-137
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• 2001

To know a degree of pollution in agricultural products cultivated around 4 unworked mines located in Chollanam-Do, we investigated a concentration of trace metal to provide the basic data for its residual limits. 28 samples of seven kinds of agricultural products (lettuce, onion. potato, radish, pepper. pumpkin, bean) collected from 4 unworked mines located in Chollanam-Do in 1999 were analyzed by Mercury Analyzer for mercury and Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer for Pb, As, Cd. Cu, Mn, and Zn. Hg contents were detected N.D. ∼trace level (0.01 ppm and less) and As contents were detected N.D. ∼ 0.038 ppm but most of samples were not detected. Cd contents were detected N.D∼0.101 ppm. The results of Hg, As, Pb and Cd content showed that for all the 7 species of agricultural products studied, none have accumulated levels dangerous enough to pose health problems. The average contents of Cu were 4.356∼10.624 rpm in bean. the Mn were 4.332∼24.385 ppm in lettuce and the Zn were 4.072 ∼ 20.715 ppm in bean, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 1997

There are approximately 500 abandoned mining sites in Korea. Abandoned mines cause various environmental and safety problems such as landscape damage, soil, groundwater and stream pollution by heavy metal, acid mine drainage and soil erosion. According to the survey, there are significant numbers of mines causing environmental problems in Korea. For a environmentally sound management of abandoned mines, the Soil Pollution Control Act should include the regulation concerning soil pollution and recovery standards of the abandoned mines. Also, comprehensive survey about abandoned mines, setting-up of tile recovery priority, finance for clean-up are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.239-244
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Heavy metals contamination of soils in the vicinity of abandoned mines in South Korea has been investigated. However, PAHs contamination rarely has been studied. Both heavy metals and PAHs concentrations have been measured in this study. METHODS AND RESULTS: The samples of soil and sediment were collected from the vicinities of three abandoned coal mines and two abandoned metal mines for analysis of heavy metals contaminants and PAHs concentration from April to September 2012. After preparation of these samples following the Korean standard test method for soils, the concentrations of heavy metals contaminants and PAHs were measured using ICP-OES and GC-MS, respectively. It was observed that the concentration of Arsenic was above the concern level based on 'area 1' suggested by Korean soil conservation law, resulting that Arsenic is the main contaminant in these areas. Also Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were observed as a partial contaminants. The concentrations of other investigated components including benzo(a)pyrene were less than the concern level. CONCLUSION: The correlation observed between Arsenic (as main contaminant) and PAHs concentrations suggested that the contaminant source and pathway are different for each other. The effect of mine activity on PAHs concentration was rarely observed.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.1-8
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• 2004

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.34-43
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• 2001

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2016

There are a few thousand abandoned metal mines in South Korea. The abandoned mines cause several environmental problems including releasing acid mine drainage (AMD), which contain a very high acidity and heavy metal ions such as Fe, Cu, Cd, Pb, and As. Iron oxides can be formed from the AMD by increasing the solution pH and inducing precipitation. Current study focused on the formation of iron oxide in an AMD and used the oxide for adsorption of heavy metals. The heavy metal adsorbed iron oxide was separated with a superconducting magnet. The duration of iron oxide formation affected on the type of mineral and the degree of magnetization. The removal rate of heavy metal by the adsorption process with the formed iron oxide was highly dependent on the type of iron oxide and the solution pH. A high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) system successfully separated the iron oxide and harmful heavy metals.