Environmental Assessment of Friable Asbestos from Soil to Air Using the Releasable Asbestos Sampler (RAS).

The objectives of this study are to examine the feasibility of the releasable asbestos sampler (RAS) equipment for laboratory tests as an alternative to activity-based sampling (ABS), and to apply the equipment controlled by wind velocity and water contents in the field to asbestos-contaminated soils. Two asbestos-contaminated mines (the Jecheon mine and the Jongmin-ri mine) were selected. At each mine, 21 surface soils (0~15 cm) were sampled, the asbestos concentrations were analyzed, and then three representative sites, containing 0.

Sequential Application of Column Leaching and Plant Uptake Tests to Assess the Effect of Various Commercial Amendments on Cu Immobilization in Ultra-High Cu-Contaminated Soil.

The presence of copper (Cu)-contaminated soil has increased recently due to agricultural and industrial activities. Immobilization techniques using soil amendments have attracted significant research because of their cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and community acceptance. This study used various commercial amendments, including magnetite (M), talc (T), activated carbon (AC), and cornstarch (CS), to immobilize Cu in soil contaminated by acidic waste materials with Cu in Korea (9546 ± 5 mg/kg).

Effects of fine fractions of soil organic, semi-organic, and inorganic amendments on the mitigation of heavy metal(loid)s leaching and bioavailability in a post-mining area.

This study investigated the effects of soil amendments including biomasses (rice husk, RRH and maple leaf, RML), biochar (rice husk biochar, RHB and maple leaf biochar, MLB), and industrial by-products (red mud, RM and steel slag, SS), at two application rates (0, 1, and 2% w/w) on leaching and bioavailability of heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the presence of an Asteraceae (i.e., lettuce).

Mobility of metal(loid)s in roof dusts and agricultural soils surrounding a Zn smelter: Focused on the impacts of smelter-derived fugitive dusts.

The mobility of Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, and As was assessed in an atmospheric environment and soil system near a Zn smelter by performing sequential extraction as well as Pb isotopic and mineralogical analyses for fugitive and roof dusts and agricultural soils. Transmission electron microscopy observations with selected area electron diffraction patterns confirmed that micron-sized roof dusts originated from the Zn smelter. Both fugitive and roof dusts contained zincite, massicot, franklinite, anglesite, and willemite.

Remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals with an emphasis on immobilization technology.

The major frequent contaminants in soil are heavy metals which may be responsible for detrimental health effects. The remediation of heavy metals in contaminated soils is considered as one of the most complicated tasks. Among different technologies, in situ immobilization of metals has received a great deal of attention and turned out to be a promising solution for soil remediation.

Accumulation of metals in three fish species from the Yaounde Municipal Lake in Cameroon.

Metals are dangerous to aquatic organisms and they can bioaccumulate in the food chain and represent risk for humans. In order to appraise their levels in fish species, concentrations of various elements including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Al, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Co, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ba, and Sr were determined in the muscles and gills of three fish species (Oreochromis niloticus, Sarotherodon galilaeus, and Clarias sp.) which are more fished and consumed in the Yaounde Municipal Lake, Cameroon.

A simple approach for measuring emission patterns of vapor phase mercury under temperature-controlled conditions from soil.

In an effort to study the possible effects of climate change on the behavior of atmospheric mercury (Hg), we built a temperature-controlled microchamber system to measure its emission from top soils. To this end, mercury vapour emission rates were investigated in the laboratory using top soil samples collected from an urban area. The emissions of Hg, when measured as a function of soil temperature (from ambient levels up to 70°C at increments of 10°C), showed a positive correlation with rising temperature.

Mercury contamination in agricultural soils from abandoned metal mines classified by geology and mineralization.

This survey aimed to compare mercury concentrations in soils related to geology and mineralization types of mines. A total of 16,386 surface soils (0~15 cm in depth) were taken from agricultural lands near 343 abandoned mines (within 2 km from each mine) and analyzed for Hg by AAS with a hydride-generation device. To meaningfully compare mercury levels in soils with geology and mineralization types, three subclassification criteria were adapted: (1) five mineralization types, (2) four valuable ore mineral types, and (3) four parent rock types.

Relative extraction ratio (RER) for arsenic and heavy metals in soils and tailings from various metal mines, Korea.

This study focused on the evaluation of leaching behaviours for arsenic and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soils and tailings contaminated by mining activities. Ten representative mine soils were taken at four representative metal mines in Korea. To evaluate the leaching characteristics of the samples, eight extraction methods were adapted namely 0.

Solidification of arsenic and heavy metal containing tailings using cement and blast furnace slag.

The objective of this study is to examine the solidification of toxic elements in tailings by the use of cement and blast furnace slag. Tailings samples were taken at an Au-Ag mine in Korea. To examine the best mixing ratio of tailings and the mixture of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and blast furnace slag (SG) of 5:5, 6:6, 7:3, and 8:2, the 7:3 ratio of tailings and OPC+SG was adapted.

The impact of mining activities in alteration of As levels in the surrounding ecosystems: an encompassing risk assessment and evaluation of remediation strategies.

A comprehensive field survey was conducted to explore the status of arsenic (As) contamination in soil and water systems surrounding numerous abandoned mine sites in Korea, which were previously applied with soil-topping (15 cm deep) and lime treatment for remediation purposes. This survey also aimed to assess the environmental stability of those reservoirs in relation to their established guidelines for As. To this end, a total of 5837 target soils (TS) were analyzed along with 305 control soils (CS) and 74 tailing (TA) samples.

BBQ charcoal combustion as an important source of trace metal exposure to humans.

To provide information about charcoal combustion as an important source of atmospheric trace metal pollution, 11 charcoal products were combusted and PM(10) filter samples were collected. The PM-bound metal elements were extracted by microwave acid digestion and analyzed by ICP-AES. The concentrations of trace metal elements ranged from a few to 10(5)ng m(-3) in the following order of magnitude: Zn>Pb>Mg>Ba>Cu>V>Cr>Co>Cd>Ni>Mn>Se>As.

Airborne mercury pollution from a large oil spill accident on the west coast of Korea.

Atmospheric mercury pollution was recognized after a large oil spill on the west coast of Korea on 7 December 2007. In this study, the concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM: Hg(0)) in air were measured both shortly after the oil spill ( approximately 100h) and 1month after the accident near the accident site. When the Hg concentration levels were compared between two seashore sites and two parallel sites offshore, the values tend to decrease further offshore.

BBQ charcoal as an important source of mercury emission.

In this study, the environmental significance of mercury emission has been investigated with respect to the use of the barbecue (BBQ) charcoal. For this purpose, emission gas samples collected from a total of 11 barbecue charcoal products commonly available in the Korean market were analyzed. All of these products consist of both domestic (4 types) and imported products (7 types from three countries).

The effects of soil properties on the turbidity of catchment soils from the Yongdam dam basin in Korea.

Environmental concerns have been raised that suspended solids in turbid water adversely affect human health, and that their removal increases in the cost of water treatment. The Yongdam dam reservoir, located in the southwestern region of Korea, is severely affected by inflowing turbid water after storms. In this study, soil samples were collected from 37 sites in the Yongdam upstream basin to investigate mineralogical and environmental factors associated with the turbidity potential of soils in water environments.

Heavy Metal Concentrations in Soils and Factors Affecting Metal Uptake by Plants in the Vicinity of a Korean Cu-W Mine.

Heavy metal concentrations were measured in soils and plants in and around a copper-tungsten mine in southeast Korea to investigate the influence of past base metal mining on the surface environment. The results of chemical analysis indicate that the heavy metals in soils decreased with distance from the source, controlled mainly by water movement and topography. The metal concentrations measured in plant species generally decreased in the order; spring onions > soybean leaves > perilla leaves » red pepper > corn grains » jujube grains, although this pattern varied moderately between different elements.

Contamination by Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in mine wastes from abandoned metal mines classified as mineralization types in Korea.

The objective of this study was to investigate heavy metal contamination and geochemical characteristics of mine wastes, including tailings, from 38 abandoned mines classified as five mineralization types. Mine waste materials including tailings and soils were sampled from the mines and the physical and chemical characteristics of the samples were analyzed. The particle size of tailings was in the range of 10-100 microm.

In-situ electrochemical measurements of total concentration and speciation of heavy metals in acid mine drainage (AMD): assessment of the use of anodic stripping voltammetry.

We assessed the use of anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) for in-situ determinations of both total concentration and speciation of dissolved heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in acid mine drainage (AMD). In the Kwangyang Au-Ag mine area of South Korea, different sites with varying water chemistry within an AMD were studied with a field portable anodic stripping voltammeter. Anodic stripping voltammetry after wet oxidation (acidification) was very sensitive enough to determine total concentration of dissolved Cd because Cd was dominantly present as 'labile' species, whilst the technique was not so effective for determining total Cu especially in the downstream sites from the retention pond, due to its complexation with organic matter.

Baseline study on essential and trace elements in polished rice from South Korea.

In 2000, 63 (polished) white rice samples were collected in eight administrative areas all over South Korea and analyzed for 16 elements by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Potassium had the highest content, next to Mg, Ca, Si, Zn, Na, Al and Fe. Most of the samples contained worldwide average concentrations of essential and trace elements in rice grains reported by various researches.

Arsenic, Sb and Bi contamination of soils, plants, waters and sediments in the vicinity of the Dalsung Cu-W mine in Korea.

The objective of this study is to investigate environmental contamination derived from metalliferous mining activities. In the study area, the Dalsung Cu-W mine, soils, various crop plants, stream waters, sediments and particulates were sampled in and around the mine and analyzed for As, Sb and Bi by ICP-AES with a hydride generator. In addition, soil pH, cation exchange capacity, loss-on-ignition and soil texture were also measured.