• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.138-138
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• 2006

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.1476-1484
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• 2023

Laboratory experiments and point monitoring of reservoir sediments have proven that stable sulfate reduction (SSR) can lower the concentrations of toxic metals and sulfate in acidic groundwater for a long time. Here, we hypothesize that SSR occurred during in situ leaching after uranium mining, which can impact the fate of acid groundwater in an entire region. To test this, we applied a sulfur isotope fractionation method to analyze the mechanism for natural attenuation of contaminated groundwater produced by acid in situ leaching of uranium (Xinjiang, China). The results showed that δ³⁴S increased over time after the cessation of uranium mining, and natural attenuation caused considerable, area-scale immobilization of sulfur corresponding to retention levels of 5.3%-48.3% while simultaneously decreasing the concentration of uranium. Isotopic evidence for SSR in the area, together with evidence for changes of pollutant concentrations, suggest that area-scale SSR is most likely also important at other acid mining sites for uranium, where retention of acid groundwater may be strengthened through natural attenuation. To recapitulate, the sulfur isotope fractionation method constitutes a relatively accurate tool for quantification of spatiotemporal trends for groundwater during migration and transformation resulting from acid in situ leaching of uranium in northern China.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.195-200
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• 2017

Background: The natural ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) stable isotopes can be varied in some specific living organisms owing to various isotopic fractionation processes in nature. Therefore, the analysis of C, N, and S stable isotope ratios in ginseng can provide a feasible method for determining ginseng authenticity depending on the cultivation land and type of fertilizer. Methods: C, N, and S stable isotope composition in 6-yr-old ginseng roots (Jagyeongjong variety) was measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Results: The type of cultivation land and organic fertilizers affected the C, N, and S stable isotope ratio in ginseng (p < 0.05). The ${\delta}^{15}N_{AIR}$ and ${\delta}^{34}S_{VCDT}$ values in ginseng roots more significantly discriminated the cultivation land and type of organic fertilizers in ginseng cultivation than the ${\delta}^{13}C_{VPDB}$ value. The combination of ${\delta}^{13}C_{VPDB}$, ${\delta}^{15}N_{AIR}$, or ${\delta}^{34}S_{VCDT}$ in ginseng, except the combination ${\delta}^{13}C_{VPDB}-^{34}S_{VCDT}$, showed a better discrimination depending on soil type or fertilizer type. Conclusion: This case study provides preliminary results about the variation of C, N, and S isotope composition in ginseng according to the cultivation soil type and organic fertilizer type. Hence, our findings are potentially applicable to evaluate ginseng authenticity depending on cultivation conditions.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 1993

Concentrations of sulfate and 6-values of sulfate, $({\delta}^{34}SO_4_){pw}$, dissolved In pore waters were measured from the sediment cores of the two different marine environments : deep northeast Pacific (57-1) and coastal Kyunggi Bay of Yellow Sea (57-2) . Sulfate concentration in pore waters decreases with depth at both cores, reflecting sulfate reduction in the sediment columns. However, much higher gradient of pore water sulfate at 57-2 than 57-1 indicates more rapid sulfate reduction at 57-2, because of high sedimentation rate at the coastal area compared to the deep-sea. The measured 6-values, $({\delta}^{34}SO_4_){pw}$, follow extremely well the predicted trend of the Rayleigh fractionation equation. The range of 26.756 to 61.35% at the coastal core 57-2 is not so great as that of 32.4$\textperthousand$ to 97.8$\textperthousand$ at the deep-sea core 57-1. Despite greater graclient of pore water sulfate at 57-2, the 6-values become lower than those of the deep- sea core 57-1. This inverse relation between the 6-values and the gradients of pore water sulfate could be explained by the combination of the two subsequent factors : the kinetic effect by which the residual pore water sulfate becomes progressively enriched with respect to the heavy isotope of $^{34}S$ as sulfate reduction proceeds, and the intrinsic formulation effect of the Rayleigh fractionation equation in which the greater becomes the fractionation factor, the more diminished values of $({\delta}^{34}SO_4_){pw}$ are predicted.