• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.553-562
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• 2008

A remediation technique for buried pipeline system subject to permanent ground deformation is proposed. Specifically, EPS (expanded polystyrene) geofoam blocks are used as low density backfill, thereby reducing soil restraint and pipeline strains. In order to evaluate this remediation technique, a series of 12 centrifuge model tests with HDPE pipe were performed. The amount or spatial extent of the low density backfill was varied, as well as the orientation of the pipe with respect to the fault offset. Specifically, in the $-63.5^{\circ}$ test, the orientation was such that the pipe was placed in flexure and axial tension. The $-85^{\circ}$ orientation placed the pipe mainly in flexure. In all cases, the behavior of the remediated pipe was compared to that for the unremediated pipe. The geofoam backfill was successful in improving pipe behavior for two of the three pipe/fault orientations. However, for the $60^{\circ}$ orientation, the pipe buckled in compression irrespective of the geofoam backfill.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.68-76
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• 2006

Anaerobic reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) to ethylene was investigated by performing laboratory experiments using semi-continuous flow two-in-series soil columns. The columns were packed with soils obtained from TCE-contaminated site in Korea. Site ground water containing lactate (as electron donor and/or carbon source) and PCE was pumped into the soil columns. During the first operation with a period of 50 days, injected mass ratio of lactate and PCE was 620:1 and incomplete reductive dechlorination of PCE to cis-DCE was observed in the columns. However, complete dechlorination of PCE to ethylene was observed when the mass ratio increased to 5,050:1 in the second operation, suggesting that the electron donor might be limited during the first operation period. Dechlorination rate of PCE to cis-DCE was $0.62{\sim}1.94\;{\mu}mol$ PCE/L pore volume/d and $2.76\;{\mu}mol$ cis-DCE/ L pore volume/d for that for cis-DCE to ethylene, resulting that net dechlorination rate in the system was 1.43 umol PCE/L pore volume/d. During the degradation of cis-DCE to ethylene, the concentration of hydrogen in column groundwater was $22{\sim}29\;mM$ and $10{\sim}64\;mM$ for the degradation of PCE to cis-DCE. These positive results indicate that the TCE-contaminated groundwater investigated in this study could be remediated through in-situ biological anaerobic reductive dechlorination processes.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.121-131
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• 2004

Removal efficiencies of soil washing and soil improvement processes to remediate farmland soils and stream deposits around Goro abandoned mine were investigated with batch and column experiments. For As-contaminated farm-land soils around Goro mine, batch tests to quantify As extraction rate from contaminated soils and lime treated contaminated soils were performed. The contaminated soil mixed with lime decreased As extraction rate less than one fourth, suggesting that the soil improvement method mixed with lime dramatically decrease As extraction rate. A storage dam will be constructed in the lower part of the main stream connected to Goro abandoned mine and the amount of As extracted from the bottom soils of reservoir could be the main source to contaminate water of reservoir. The decrease of As extraction amount from the bottom in reservoir, caused by the application of the soil improvement method was investigated from the physically simulated column experiment and results showed that As extraction rate decreased to one forty when 1％ lime mixed soil improvement was applied to contaminated soils. For contaminated stream deposits connected Goro mine, the removal efficiency of the soil washing method was investigated with batch experiments. Hydrochloric acid, citric acid, acetic acid and distilled water were used as soil washing solution and 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 N of washing solution were applied to extract As. When washing with 0.05 N of hydrochloric acid or citric acid, more than 99.9% of As was removed from stream deposits, suggesting that As contaminated stream deposits around Goro mine be successfully remediated with the soil washing process. Total volumes of contaminated soils and deposits needed for remediation were calculated based on three different reme-diation target concentrations and the operation cost of soil washing for calculated soil volumes was estimated. Results from this research could be directly used to make a comprehensive countermeasure to remediate contaminated area around Goro mine and also many contaminated areas similar to this research area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.457-467
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• 2003

Soil Precise Investigation(SPI) for river deposits and farmland soils around Goro abandoned Zn-mine, Korea was performed to assess the pollution level of heavy metals(As. Pb, Cd, Cu) and to estimate the remediation volume for contaminated soils. Total investigation area was about 950000 $m^2$, which was divided into each section of 1500 $m^2$ corresponding to one sampling site and 545 samples for surface soil(0-10cm in depth) and 192 samples for deep soil(10-30cm in depth) from the investigation area were collected for analysis. Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb at all sample sites were shown to be lower than Soil Pollution Warning Limit(SPWL). For arsenic concentration, in surface soils, 20.5% of sample sites(104 sites) were over SPWL(6mg/kg) and 6.7%(34 sites) were over Soil Pollution Counterplan Limit(SPCL: 15mg/kg) suggesting that surface soils were broadly contaminated by As. For deep soils, 10.4% of sample sites(18 sites) were over SPWL and 0.6%(1 site) were over SPCL. Four pollution grades for sample locations were prescribed by the Law of Soil Environmental Preservation and Pollution Index(PI) for each soil sample was decided according to pollution grades(over 15.0 mg/kg, 6.00-15.00 mg/kg, 2.40-6.00 mg/kg, 1.23-6.00 mg/kg). The pollution contour map around Goro mine based on PI results was finally created to calculate the contaminated area and the remediation volume for contaminated soils. Remediation area with over SPWL concentration was about 0.3% of total area between Goro mine and a projected storage dam and 0.9% of total area was over 40% of SPWL. If the remediation target concentration was determined to over background level concentration, 1.1% of total area should be treated for remediation. Total soil volume to be treated for remediation was estimated on the assumption that the thickness of contaminated soil was 30cm. Soil volume to be remediated based on the excess of SPWL was estimated at 79,200$m^3$, soil volume exceeding 40% of SPWL was about 233,700 $m^3$, and soil volume exceeding the background level(1.23 mg/kg) was 290,760 TEX>$m^3$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.5 s.174
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• pp.513-523
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• 2005

The contamination of soils and groundwaters in the Dalcheon mine area, Ulsan, is investigated, and a natural attenuation capacity on redox and pH is evaluated. Arsenopyrite, the major source of arsenic pollution in the Dalcheon mine area, is contained up to $2\%$ in tailings. Furthermore, As-bearing minerals such as loellingite, nicolite, rammelsbergite, gersdorffite cobaltite and pyrite are also source of arsenic contamination, which show various concentration of arsenic each other. Surface of pyrite and arsenopyrite in tailings partly oxidized into Fe-arsenates and Fe-oxides, which means a progressive weathering process. There is no relationship between pH and arsenic content in groundwaters, otherwise Eh and arsenic concentration in unsaturated and saturated groundwater shows positive relationship. RMB (Red Mud Bauxite) could be useful as a trigger on natural attenuation due to superior ability of removal capacity of arsenic when contaminated soil and groundwater in the Dalcheon mine area are remediated.