• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1-12
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to highlight the National Classification System related to cleanup the soil contaminated sites and to provide some guidance to address the priority management rank system before the remediation for Busan metropolitan city. Based on the previous soil investigation data, the quantitative classification of vulnerable areas for soil pollution was performed to successfully manage the contaminated sites in Busan. Ten evaluation factors indicating the high soil pollution possibility were used for the priority management ranking system and 10 point was assigned for each factor which was evenly divided by 10 class intervals. For 16 Gu/Guns in Busan, the score of each evaluation factor was assigned according to the ratio of the area (or the number) between in each Gu (or Gun) and in Busan. Ten scores for each Gu (or Gun) was summed up to prioritize the vulnerable Gu or Guns for soil pollution in Busan. Results will be available to determine the most urgent area to cleanup in each Gu (or Gun) and also to assist the municipal government to design a successful and cost-effective site management strategy in Busan.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.788-792
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• 2009

Railroad is well known for eco-friendly transportation system. But, for past few decades, there might be happened many contamination acts in railway facility sites. Industrial and municipal solid wastes produced to maintain and fix trains were dumped to underground of railroad depot area. To develop and reconstruct this area, we should remediate the contaminated soil and ground water. This study was conducted to evaluate the soil pollution status of railroad depot and propose the optimum remediation processes. Our investigation showed that main pollutants sources were TPH and some heavy metals from the dump site. The surveying results for the soil under rail track and crossing nose areas showed TPH contamination from crossing nose area causing lubricant agent. It could be use and rehabilitate the railroad facility areas to an intended purpose with an application of well designed in-situ and ex-situ remediation processes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.45-56
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• 2024

Heavy metals emitted from urban development do not decompose in the soil and remain for long periods, continually impacting the environment. Since the mid-1990s, there has been increasing societal concern in South Korea regarding soil contamination, prompting various legislative revisions to reduce pollution. This study utilizes the Environmental Impact Assessment Support System (EIASS) to investigate projects in the metropolitan area that have exceeded the Ministry of Environment's soil contamination concern levels from 1989 to 2022 and to examine improvements in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The results reveal that the average concentrations of nine contaminants-cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and fluoride (F)-have all increased over the years. Among these, Zn had the highest relative proportion, with 37.5% of the 40 sites exceeding environmental concern levels. Investigation of 19 specific projects at these exceedance sites showed that only 7 had documented analyses of contamination causes and remediation plans, and just one had contracted additional remediation services, though results from these efforts were found to be lacking. Furthermore, since 2019, a significant proportion of these sites were involved in residential developments, likely due to government initiatives in new city development and extensive housing supply plans. This research emphasizes the importance of public disclosure of the processes and outcomes of remediation efforts on historically contaminated soils prior to project development. It discusses improvements to the EIA by reviewing current legislation and international examples. The findings of this study are expected to heighten public awareness about heavy metal contamination and enhance transparency in soil remediation efforts, contributing to sustainable environmental management and development.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.2_spc
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• pp.1-15
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• 2020

Monitoring and assessing terminal electron accepting processes (TEAPs) are one of the most important steps to remediate contaminated sites via various in-situ techniques. TEAPs are a part of the microbial respiration reactions. Microorganisms gain energy from these reactions and reduces pollutants. Monitoring TEAPs enables us to predict degradability of contaminants and degradation rates. In many countries, TEAPs have been used for characterization of field sites and management of groundwater wells. For instance, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided strategies for groundwater quality and well management by applying TEAPs monitoring. Denmark has also constructed TEAPs map of local unit area to develop effective groundwater managing system, particularly to predict and assess nitrogen contamination. In case of Korea, although detailed soil survey and groundwater contamination assessment have been employed, site investigation guidelines using TEAPs have not been established yet. To better define TEAPs in subsurface environments, multiple indicators including ion concentrations, isotope compositions and contaminant degradation byproducts must be assessed. Furthermore, dissolved hydrogen concentrations are regarded as significant evidence of TEAPs occurring in subsurface environment. This review study introduces optimal sampling techniques of groundwater and dissolved hydrogen, and further discuss how to assess TEAPs in contaminated subsurface environments according to several contamination scenarios.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.spc
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• pp.1-18
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• 2022

A conceptual site model is used to support decision-making of response strategy development, determination, and implementation within a risk-based contaminated site management system. It aims to provide base information of the relevant site characteristics and surface/subsurface conditions in order to understand the contaminants of concern and the associated risk they pose to the receptors. This study delineated the technical details of conceptual site model development, and discussed the possibility of applying it in domestic subsurface contamination management. Conceptual site models can be developed in various formats such as tables, diagrams, flowcharts, and figures. Contaminated sites are managed for a long period of time following the steps of investigation, remediation design, remediation, verification, and post-remedation management. The conceptual site model can be enhanced in each stage of the contaminated site management based on the continuously updated information on the site's subsurface environment. In the process of enhancement for conceptual site model, precision is gradually improved, and it can evolve from a conceptual and qualitative form to a more quantitatvive and three-dimensional model. In soil pollution management, it is desirable to incorporate the conceptual site model into the soil scrutiny system to better assess the current status of the contaminated site and support follow-up investigation and management.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2004

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of geochemical approaches for investigating and assessing heavy metal contamination in abandoned mine sites. Major sources of contaminants at the abandoned mine sites are mine water, waste rocks, tailings, and chemicals used in beneficiation and mineral processing. Soil, sediment, surface and ground water, and ecological system can be contaminated by heavy metals, which are transported due to erosion of mine waste piles, discharge of acid mine drainage and processed water, and dispersion of dust from waste rocks and tailings. The abandoned mine sites should be characterized using various methods including chemical analysis, mineralogical analysis, acid generation prediction tests, leaching/extraction tests, and field tests. Potential and practical environmental impacts from the abandoned mines should be assessed based on the site characterization.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.163-174
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• 1999

This paper presents a case history of remedial action adopted for contaminated groundwater in a landfill. The objectives of the projects are : (1) to effectively confine contaminated groundwater with an economically reasonable means, (2) to prevent further contamination of soil by collecting and treat the contaminant. and (3) to assure the environmental safety of the landfill during its operating period. Reported are the process from site investigation, through design and construction of an appropriate remedial action, to the monitoring of the selected confinement system. In view of the results of site investigation, deep soil mixing cutoff wall using the DMW(deep soil mixing cutoff wall) method and specially produced HEC soil stabilizer were used for the construction of deep soil mixing cutoff wall. For rock foundation with sever fractures, chemical grout curtain with urethane was installed. The monitoring results to date indicate that the selected vertical barrier performed satisfactorily.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.101-113
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• 2016

To properly manage and remediate groundwater contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (TCE), it is necessary to assess natural attenuation processes of contaminants in the aquifer along with investigation of contamination history and aquifer characterization. This study evaluated natural attenuation processes of TCE at an industrial site in Korea by delineating hydrogeochemical characteristics along the flow path of contaminated groundwater, by calculating reaction rate constants for TCE and its degradation products, and by using geochemical and reactive transport modeling. The monitoring data showed that TCE tended to be transformed to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) and further to vinyl chloride (VC) via microbial reductive dechlorination, although the degree was not too significant. According to our modeling results, the temporal and spatial distribution of the TCE plume suggested the dominant role of biodegradation in attenuation processes. This study can provide a useful method for assessing natural attenuation processes in the aquifer contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons and can be applied to other sites with similar hydrological, microbiological, and geochemical settings.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 1999

The objectives of this study are to investigate soil contamination in the vicinity of abandoned Au-Ag mine and to apply a remediation technique of liming to tailings. In the study area of the Imcheon Au-Ag mine, soils were sampled in and around the mine the analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry extracted by both 0.1N HCl and aqua regia. Elevated levels of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations extracted by 0.1N HCl were found in soils taken from tailings site. These high contents directly influenced metal concentrations in soils taken in the vicinity of the site. This is mainly due to clastic movement by wind and effluent of mine waste water. In addition, relatively enriched concentrations of the metals were found in soils extrated by aqua regia due to strong decomposition of the samples compared with 0.1N HCl extration. According to the statistical approach, metal concentrations in soils by 0.1N HCl had a positive correlation with those by aqua regia extraction. Mine waste waters and stream waters were also sampled around the mine in spring and summer and analyzed by AAS for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, and by Ion Chromatography for anions. Like soils developed over tailings, significant levels of metals and sulphates were found in the mine waste waters ranging of 0.2~0.3, 0.5~2.0, 0.2~2.8, 30~50 and 1,240~4,700 mg/l of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and $SO_4^{2-}$, respectively. These elevated levels influenced in the stream waters in the vicinity of the tailings site. In seasonal variation of metal and anion contents, relatively high levels were found in waters sampled on summer due to leaching the metals and anions from tailings by rain. This study also examined the possibility of lime treatment for remediation of acid mine tailings and assumed to be 46 tones of pulverized lime for neutralization of the tailings.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.419-443
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• 2007

Recently, the branch-out of foreign companies into domestic markets through M&A and the opened followed by the Free Trade Agreement(FTA) with America have made the environmental site assessments of specific site more necessary. In this study, through case study of conducting actual environmental site assessment by use of a toolbox approach at a large scale of chemical plant with various contaminants located in a coastal area, the problems of guideline of domestic environmental assessment of soil were complemented. And an efficient and economical assessment was achieved. All six steps such as basic investigation, environmental site history survey, sampling and analysis, installation of monitoring wells and hydrogeological survey, and data interpretation were conducted in this study. All results of document survey, geological lineament analysis, field geology survey of surrounding area, geophysical prospecting of the site, hydraulic conductivity, measurement of groundwater flow rate and direction, sampling and analysis at each step were associated and estimated as an integrated tool box approach. As a consequence of this study, toolbox approaches were very useful techniques for contamination level and site characterization of subsurface media. The given conditions to conduct a basic survey for domestic soil environment assessment of site by use of existing documents, as well as interviews with the owner/manager/user of all adjacent properties and thorough review of all practically reviewable records pertaining to the property and surrounding properties within "Guideline for Soil Environment Assessment" radii are very poor. As a result, the application of toolbox approach in the environment site assessment of site is not only more efficient and economical, but also could be very useful assessment to integrate the soil and groundwater contamination.