• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.712-722
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• 2007

This study screened three natural ores (iron, mangenase, and zinc), two types of slags, and two elemental metals (elemental iron and zinc) to evaluate transformation characteristics of CAH mixtures [e.g. Carbontetrachloride (CT), 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA), and Perchloroethene (PCE)]. To select an effective metal medium to treat the CAH mixtures, we measured transformation capacities (CAH mass ultimately transformed/mass of metal added) and the degree of dechlorination. We also considered economical efficiency of the metal media by comparing the value, CAH mass ultimately transformed divided by the price of metal medium added. A simplified mathematical model adapting CAH transformation capacity, first-order transformation kinetics, and available mass of metal transforming CAH was developed and used for estimating CAH transformation rate coefficient and longevity of the metal medium. CAH transformation capacity for elemental iron and elemental zinc were 4258~7129 and $4215{\sim}6330{\mu}g\;CAH\;transformed/g$ metal added, respectively, which are a factor of 80~200 higher than slags and natural ores. They also showed a factor of 1.1 to 2.2 greater degree of dechlorination than the others. Among natural ores and slags, Zinc ore showed the highest transformation capacity, $47{\sim}53{\mu}g\;CAH\;transformed/g$ metal added. Although zinc ore have smaller transformation capacity than elemental metals, economical efficiency of zinc ore is a factor of 10~20 greater than elemental metals tested. Consequently, zinc ore would be more economical medium than the others tested in this study. We estimated the pseudo first-order transformation rate of zinc ore was in the order of CT > 1,1,1-TCA > PCE.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.323-331
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• 2003

Bacteria and fungi are fundamental biotic components of natural biogeochemical cycles for metals and metalloids, and play important roles in dissolution, precipitation, oxidation and reduction processes. Some processes catalyzed by microorganisms also have important applications in environmental biotechnology in the areas of ore leaching and bioremediation.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.592-602
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• 2019

Feasibility is investigated for reduction of chromium ore by Si sludge with mixed silicothermic and carbothermic reaction. The reduction behavior of chromium ore using Si sludge is investigated precisely to determine the effects of carbon addition, reaction time, and reaction temperature. The pellets are dropped into the furnace after temperature stabilized. As the amount of C addition increases, the amounts of CO and $CO_2$ gas generation increase. After the dropping of the pellets, the pellets are heated and the reaction starts at about 1,573 K or higher. The pellets maintain their shape until 10 min after the drop, and then melted. As the holding time increased, the size of the reduced metal particles increased. The chromium ore is rapidly reduced by the Si sludge, and the slag penetrated into the chromium ore and reduction progressed inside. As the reduction temperature increased, the reaction initiation time is shortened and the reaction fraction of the reduction reaction increased. As the reaction temperature increased, agglomeration of reduced ferrochrome metal is promoted.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.113-119
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• 2004

Mineral wastes are generated by the minerals, mining, and metal industries. These are generally inorganic waste streams of mainly waste rock or residues from refining during extraction of metals or minerals from the ore. There are many plants where minerals are recovered in secondany circuits, treating tailings, where the feed grades are much lower than would be economic on a mined ore. The world is now becoming aware of the finite nature of its resources at a price, and of the ever-increasing development costs of large new mines. Reprocessing of old tailings on a large scale must be worth examining very seriously by those with access to sufficient material of this type. In the present paper, mineral separation techniques to recover valuable metals and resources from the old tailings are reviewed, and new trends for future developments are also discussed.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.29-36
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• 2010

Several mines including Namil, Solim and Jungbong which are located in the Gyeonggi and Kangwon province have been abandoned and closed since 1980 due to "The promotion policy of mining industry". An enormous amount of mining wastes was disposed without proper treatment, which caused soil pollution in tailing dam and ore-dressing plant areas. However, any quantitative assessment was not performed about soil and water pollution by transporting mining wastes such as acid mine drainage, mine tailing, and rocky waste. In this research, heavy metals in mining wastes were analyzed according to leaching method which used 0.1 N HCl and total solution method which used Aqua-regia to recognize the ecological effect of distance from hot spot. We sampled tailings, rocky wastes and soils around the abandoned mine. Chemical and physical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (TOC), soil texture and heavy metal concentration were analyzed. The range of soil's pH is between 4.3 and 6.4 in the tailing dam and oredressing plant area due to mining activity. Total concentrations of As, Cu, and Pb in soil near ore dressing plant area are 250.9, 249.3 and 117.2 mg/kg respectively, which are higher than any other ones near tailing dam area. Arsenic concentration in tailing dams is 31.0 mg/kg, which is also considered as heavily polluted condition comparing with the remediation required level(RRL) in "Soil environment conservation Act".

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.9-18
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• 2012

This study was carried out to leach valuable metal ions from the mine waste ore using the adapted indigenous bacteria. In order to tolerance the heavy metals, the indigenous bacteria were repeatedly subcultured in the adaptation-medium containing $CuSO_4{\cdot}5H_2O$ for 3 weeks and 6 weeks, respectively. As the adaptation experiment processed, the pH was rapidly decrease in the adaptation-medium of 6 weeks more than the 3 weeks. The result of bioleaching with the adapted bacteria for 42 days, the pH value of leaching-medium in the 3 weeks tend to increased, whereas the pH of the 6 weeks decreased. In decreasing the pH value in the adaptation-medium and in the leaching-medium, it was identified that the indigenous bacteria were adapted $Cu^{2+}$ the ion and the mine waste ores. The contents of Cu, Fe and Zn in the leaching solution were usually higher leached in 6 weeks than 3 weeks due to the adaptation. Considering the bioleaching rates of Cu, Fe and Zn from these leaching solutions, the highest increasing the efficiency metal ion were found to be Fe. Accordingly, it is expected that the more valuable element ions can be leached out from the any mine waste, if the adapted bacteria with heavy metals will apply in future bioleaching experiments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.73-77
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• 2003

Red mud is a waste material formed during the production of alumina when the bauxite ore is subjected to caustic leaching. It is a brick-red colored highly alkaline (pH 10-12) sludge containing mostly oxides of iron, aluminum, titanium, and silica. Red mud, due to its high aluminum, iron, and calcium contents, has been suggested as a cheap adsorbent for removal of toxic metals (e.g., As, Cr, Pb, Cd) as well as for water or wastewater treatment. The basic advantage of red mud is its versatility in application. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of red mud on stabilization and fixation of heavy metals (such as Pb, Cu, C $r^{6+}$, Cd, Zn) contained in the Al-coating sludge and soil. The results showed that the concentration of heavy metals leached from the treated sludge and soil was low, meeting the regulatory permit level.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.107-118
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• 1987

The south ore deposits of the Dunjeon gold mine is a fissure-filling vein emplaced in the granitoids, skarnized and hornfelsified rocks of Ordovician Dumudong formation. The vein mineral paragenesis is complicated by repeated fracturing but three distinct depositional stages can be recognized; (1) base metal sulfides stage, (2) base metal sulfides, antimony-bismuthsulfosalts and native metals stage, (3) barren carbonates stage. Gold was mainly deposited in stage II. Fluid inclusion data indicate that fluid temperatures were from $310^{\circ}C$ to $402^{\circ}C$ during stage I and then declined steadily to $148^{\circ}C$ in the closing late stage III. Salinities were in the range of 0.4 to 5.0 equivalent weight percent NaCl and do not reveals any systematic trend through stag I, II and III. Ore mineralogy suggests that temperatures and sulfur fugacities in the earlier stage II were in the range of $340^{\circ}C$ to $360^{\circ}C$, $10^{-8}$ to $10^{-9}$ atm. respectively and then declined steadily to the range of $185^{\circ}C$ to $200^{\circ}C$ and $10^{-17}$ to $10^{-19}$atm. in the later stage II.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.39-61
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• 2002

Bacteria and fungi are fundamental biotic components of natural biogeochemical cycles for metals and metalloids and play important roles in dissolution, precipitation, oxidation and reduction processes. Some processes catalyzed by microorganisms also have important applications in environmental biotechnology in the areas of ore leaching and bioremediation.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.55-69
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• 2019

The generation of ferrous slag, an industrial by-product from the iron ore industry, results in serious environmental problems. The chemical compositions indicate 30-34% SiO₂, 30-34% CaO, 18-22% Al₂O₃ and 0.5-0.6% Fe₂O₃. The specific gravity, moisture content and pH are in the range of 1.3-1.65, 9.1-10% and 8.5-9.0 respectively. The major part of the slag is composed of sand-size particles. The problems of disposal of slag could be minimized by considering its use in various environmental engineering applications providing additional value to the by-product. This paper mainly focuses on the potential utilization and valorisation of ferrous slag in both water and wastewater treatments. It is effective for the treatment of water and wastewater containing nutrients, heavy metals and polluted river/stormwater.