• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.24-29
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• 2014

To data, there was no systematic basis for establishing the content and allowed levels of general contamination substances in the Korean groundwater quality standards for non-drinking water. Recently, use of specific procedures for deriving valid groundwater quality standards have become mandatory. This study first investigated the methodology for deriving groundwater quality standards in the European Commission (EC), considering background groundwater quality and domestic and international standards related to water quality. Furthermore, this study investigated the existing specified procedure of standards related to water quality (e.g. surface water, drinking water, and wastewater). Our findings showed that EC and Member States presented the methods for deriving groundwater threshold values for general chemicals. Finally, we have proposed the following procedures of deriving Korean groundwater quality: (1) Selection of groundwater pollutant population, (2) selection and monitoring of priority substances, (3) monitoring, (4) selection of groundwater quality standard candidates, (5) selection of new substances and values for groundwater quality standards.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.186-195
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• 2021

In Korea, groundwater quality is monitored through National Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (NGQMN) administered by Ministry of Environment. For a given contaminant, compliance to groundwater quality standards is assessed on a annual basis by monitoring the number of incidents that concentration exceeds the regulatory limit. However, this approach provides only a fractional information about groundwater quality degradation, and more crucial information such as location and severity of the contamination cannot be obtained. For better groundwater quality management on a watershed, a more spatially informative and intuitive method is required. This study presents two statistical methods to convert point-wise monitoring data into information on groundwater quality status of a watershed by using a proposed grading scale. The proposed grading system is based on readily available reference standards that classify the water quality into 4 grades. The methods were evaluated with NO₃^-, Cl^-, and total coliform data in Geum River basin. The analyses revealed that groundwater in most watersheds of Geum River basin is good for domestic or/and drinking with no treatment. But, there was notable quality degradation in Bunam seawall and So-oak downstream standard watersheds contaminated by NO₃^- and Cl^-, respectively.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2012

This study suggests a method to grade groundwater quality quantitatively using statistical approaches for evaluating the quality of groundwater in wells included in the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (GQMN). The proposed analysis method is applied to GQMN data from 2001 to 2008 for nitrate nitrogen, chloride, trichloroethylene, potential of hydrogen (pH), and electrical conductivity. The analysis results are obtained as groundwater quality grades of the groundwater representing each of the monitoring stations. The degree of groundwater contamination is analysed for water quality parameters, district, and usage. The results show that the degree of groundwater contamination is relatively high by nitrate nitrogen, bacteria and electrical conductivity and at Seoul, Incheon, Gwangju, Gyeonggido and Jeollado. The degree of contamination by nitrate nitrogen and trichloroethylene is especially high when the groundwater is used for agricultural and industrial water, respectively. It is evaluated that potable groudnwater in GQMN is significantly vulnerable to nitrate nitrogen and bacteria contamination.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.28-36
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• 2012

This study carried out several kinds of investigations such as geology, hydrogeology, groundwater level and quality, surface-water quality, and the quantity and quality of groundwater discharge from the subway to identify the causes of groundwater contamination around the subway tunnel at Suyeong District in Busan City. Geostatistical analyses were also conducted to understand the characteristics of groundwater level and quality distributions. There are Kwanganri Beach and Suyeong River in the study area, which are basically influenced by seawater. The total quantities of groundwater utilization and groundwater discharge from the subway tunnel in Suyeong District are 2,282,000 $m^3$/year, which is 2.4 times larger than the sustainable development yield of groundwater. The lowest groundwater level around the subway tunnel is about 32 m below the mean sea-level. The large drawdown of groundwater led to the inflow of seawater and salinized river water toward the subway tunnel, and therefore the quality of groundwater didn't satisfy the criteria of potable, domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. Distribution maps of groundwater level and qualities produced by kriging were very useful for determining the causes of groundwater contamination in the study area. The distribution maps of electrical conductivity, chloride and sulfate showed the extent of seawater intrusion and the forceful infiltration of the salinized Suyeong River. This study revealed that seawater and salinized river water infiltrated into the inland groundwater and contaminated the groundwater around the subway tunnel, because the groundwater level was seriously drawdowned by groundwater discharge from the subway tunnel. The countermeasure for the minimization of groundwater discharge from the subway tunnel is necessary to prevent the groundwater obstacles such as groundwater depletion, groundwater-quality deterioration, and land subsidence.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.112-120
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• 2015

Statistical trend analysis using the data from the National Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (NGQMN) of Korea was conducted to establish a new groundwater quality management framework. Sen’s test, a non-parametric statistical method for trend analysis, was used to determine the linear trend of the groundwater quality data. The analysis was conducted at different confidence levels (i.e., at 70, 80, 90, 95, and 99% confidence levels) for three of groundwater quality parameters, i.e., nitrate-nitrogen, chloride, and pH, which have sufficient time series of the NGQMN data between 2007 and 2013. The results showed that different trends can be determined for different depths even for the same monitoring site and the numbers of wells having significant trends vary with different confidence levels. The wells with increasing or decreasing trends were far less than the wells with no trend. Chloride had more wells with increasing trend than other parameters. On the other hand, nitrate-nitrogen had the most wells with increasing trend and concentration exceeding 75% of the threshold values (TVs). Based on the methodology used for this study, we suggest including groundwater TVs and trend analysis to evaluate groundwater quality and to establish an advanced groundwater quality management framework.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.277-279
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• 2002

In late of the 1980's, dramatic increase in water use caused over-exploitation of groundwater and deterioration of water quality in urban areas. To monitor quantity of groundwater resources and their qualities, local groundwater monitoring networks were established. Groundwater resources in urban areas are affected by various human activities including underground building construction (subway), pumping for water use, and pavements. Detailed analysis of the monitored groundwater data would provide some good implications for optimal and efficient management for groundwater resources in the urban area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.479-483
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• 2001

This Study was carried out to know the soil properties and the quality of shallow groundwater in the plastic film house fields around mid-Korea. This study was conducted at 11 sites in Suweon, Pyungtaek, Yongin, and Chunchen on May, June, July and August in 1999. The the average concentration of nitrate-nitrogen was 19.1 mg/L, it reached almost to the limiting level, 20 mg/L. Moreover about 36.4% of survey sites exceeded limiting level to agricultural groundwater quality. And Sulfur concentrations also at some sites exceeded to agricultural groundwater quality limit level (50 mg/L), which could make damage to the crop. Nitrate-nitrogen, which is one of the most important factors in the groundwater quality, It has highly positive correlation with any other ion in groundwater. This result showed that groundwater quality management practices should be taken for the agricultural production as well as for environment at the plastic film house areas.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.176-185
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• 2021

This paper aims to develop a new paradigm for groundwater management which is compatible with integrated water management policies in Korea. Three key roles of groundwater are defined for addressing water cycle distortion, high water stress, water quality degradation, aquatic ecosystems deterioration, and water-related hazards. Firstly, groundwater plays an important role in contributing soundness of water cycle as a component of water cycle. Secondly, it is a local water resource to ensure water supply sustainability. Thirdly, groundwater is an essential water resource for drought and emergencies. In order to support the groundwater roles, we propose a paradigm shift for groundwater management and policy directions towards integrated water management. The new paradigm consists of managements for sound water cycle on a watershed scale and groundwater environment(quantity, quality, and groundwater dependent ecosystems) managements for both human and nature. A prospective management also constitutes the new paradigm. In addition, this paper proposes four policy directions in groundwater management. The policies emphasize the integrated management of groundwater and surface water, management of groundwater environment(quantity, quality, and groundwater dependent ecosystems), management of groundwater uses for water sustainability and security, and enhancement of groundwater publicity.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.23-32
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• 2013

Korean groundwater quality standards were established in 1994, and revised in 2003 and 2010. The substances for which standards have been developed are classified into two groups, general pollutants, 4, and specific pollutants, 15. The standards have been applied to household water use, agriculture, aquaculture, and industrial use. However, there is no systematic methodology for either selecting candidate substances or establishing groundwater standards. We investigated various derivation methodologies for groundwater standards used by the European Commission and 27 member states and compared their methods for determining threshold values. The European Commission presented to their member states groundwater standards for two substances and a list of required substances for derivation of threshold values along with the member states. Interestingly, they first considered national background levels and then considered other criteria for water protection, such as drinking water standards, environmental quality standards, and irrigation standards. We suggest that Korean background levels in groundwater should be included in the methodology for establishing groundwater quality standards. These results may be useful in developing a systematic methodology for establishing Korean groundwater quality standards.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.536-539
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• 2003

This study area has been contaminated by oils. To identify contaminated ranges and to assess the possibility of contamination dispersion, monitoring wells were installed and slug test, field soil permeability test, automatic or manual measurement of groundwater table, and groundwater quality analyses in field and laboratory were performed. In addition, a groundwater modeling program was used to assess the possibility of oil contamination dispersion, based on field data and groundwater quality data. The results showed that concentration of oil contaminants in groundwater have been decreased by dispersion and adsorption.