• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.487-496
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to create soil contamination maps using QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information System) and suggest selection methods for soil pollution sources for preferential investigation in a soil contamination survey. Method: Data from soil contamination surveys over five years in Gyeonggi-do Province, South Korea (2013-2017) were used for making soil contamination maps and analyzing the density of survey points. By analyzing points exceeding the concern level of soil contamination, soil pollutant sources for priority management were identified and selection methods for preferred survey points were suggested through a study of the model area. Results: A soil contamination survey was conducted at 1,478 points over five years, with the largest number of surveys conducted in industrial complex and factory areas. Soil contamination maps for copper, zinc, nickel, lead, arsenic, fluoride, and total petroleum hydrocarbons were made, and most of the survey points were found to be below concern level 1 for soil contamination. The density of the survey points is similar to that of densely populated areas and factory areas. The analysis results of points exceeding the criteria showed that soil pollutant sources for priority management were areas where ore and scrap metals were used and stored, traffic-related facilities areas, industrial complex and factory areas, and areas associated with waste and recycling. According to the study of the model area, the preferred survey points were traffic-related facilities with 15 years or more since their construction and factories with a score of 10 or more for soil contamination risk. Conclusion: Soil contamination surveys should use GIS for even regional distribution of survey points and for the effective selection of preferred survey points. This study may be used as guidelines to select points for a soil contamination survey.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.53-60
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• 2015

This study suggested the new site classification system according to land use, type of contamination and contaminants. Because the present site classification system can not cover all the areas, we changed the concept of land use to more detail one and enlarged the concept of other areas to cover all the areas not defined as certain land use. In case of the present industrial area, it was merged as other areas to avoid the confusion with oil and toxic material storage tank farm area. Accident area was separated from other areas and defined as only accident area caused by the mobile storage facility. In addition to classify the sites according to the basic land use, we classify the sites again in lower level according to the type of contamination and contaminants. With this classification system, we proposed different soil sampling strategy with the consideration of the origin of contamination and the interactions between soil and contaminants. We removed the surface soil sample (0~15 cm depth) around above storage tank because it was not a effective sample to assess whether that area contaminated or not. We also proposed to take the deeper soil samples at minimum three sampling points to confirm the depth of contamination in exploratory soil survey. We also proposed to remove the one point of 15 m depth sampling because it is not effective to confirm contaminated soil depth and needs the exhausted labor and cost. Instead of doing this, we added the continuous sampling to uncontaminated subsoil. Soil sampling points and depth in detailed soil survey is determined based on the results of exploratory soil survey. Therefore, effectiveness and reinforcements of exploratory soil survey would play an important role in improving the reliability of detailed soil survey.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.85-88
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• 2001

Since mountainous area has access restrictions for field work, assessors need to establish a conceptual model of the contamination prior to the field investigation. In this study we established a conceptual model of the contamination based on site inspection and geological survey, followed by the field investigation for the petroleum spill site. In the conceptual model, we estimated that tile contamination should have spread by groundwater and topographical characteristics within the top soil layer. The spread of contamination through rock was not considered in the conceptual model due to impermeable characteristics of metasyenite. The contaminated environmental media of the petroleum spill site include soil and groundwater. According to the analysis result of the contamination, the volume of contaminated soil is estimated approximately 4, 150 cubic meters (7, 055 ton) with most contaminants existing along the groundwater flow within top soil layer.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2008

For a given soil-contaminated site, a level of soil contamination is characterized and decisions on risk may be made from the risk assessment. The study evaluated critical design factors for the determination of sample size in the sampling design plan and the assessment of soil contaminant- leaching to groundwater. Two variables, the minimum relative detectable difference (T) and coefficient of variation (CV) were evaluated for the sample size determination. The minimum number of samples can be appropriately determined by CV under a T value greater than or equal to 0.2. Soil-contaminant leaching to groundwater was evaluated by using the Soil Screening Level equation of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Risk Based Screening Level equation of American Society for Testing and Materials, with the same input parameters. The groundwater concentrations estimated from soil contaminant concentrations were significantly affected by the Darcy velocity of groundwater and the organic content of soil.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.09a
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• pp.1217-1224
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• 2010

These days, the maintenance of closed waste landfill come to the fore social problem such as legal maintenance period, after closed maintenance deposits, stability evaluation guides and environmental survey for closed landfill management. Therefore the many non-sanitary closed waste landfill has been removed by selection and transfer to sanitary landfill and incineration. When the remove the non-sanitary landfill, the pollution level of bottom soil was investigated by related government law. In this case study, the soil contamination survey was performed to evaluate the pollution level of non-sanitary closed landfill bottom soil. Based on this study, the pollution level of studied non-sanitary landfill bottom soil was content with related government law for third area(factory, parking lot, gas station, road, railroad use etc.).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.371-377
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• 1997

This paper presents the geophysical applications to the environmenml problem in an abandoned mine area. We would like to focus our attention on the mapping of the soil contamination and the detection of the buried mine tailings. For mapping the soil contamination. measurements of both in-situ magnetic susceptibility (k) and terrain conductivity were carried out. In-situ magnetic susceptibilities of the contaminated soil due to the acid mine drainage show higher values than those of the uncontaminated area. However. those data do not show the correlation with the degree of the soil contamination observed on the surface. The least-squares fitted formula obtained with the measured insitu magnetic susceptibilities is $k=4.8207{\times}W^{0.6332}$, where W is the $Fe^{+2}$ weight percentage. This weight gives most effect to magnetic susceptibility of the soil. Lateral variations of the soil contamination in the shallow subsurface can be detected by the electrical conductivity distributions from EM induction survey. TDIP (Time Domain Induced Polarization) and EM induction surveys were conducted to detect the buried mine tailings. From the results of TDIP, the spatial zone, which shows high chargeability-low resistivity, is interpreted as the buried mine tailings. Therefore, it is concluded that it is possible to discriminate the spatial zone from the uncontaminated ground.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.70-86
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• 2003

Despite its usability, TCE has been managed as a hazardous material due to the toxicity and many contamination cases were surveyed in some developed countries. U.S.EPA(Kram et al., 2001) suggested DNAPL characterization methods and approaches based on survey experiences at several sites. However, Korea has not the least assessment of contamination and trial of remediation, although there are a lot of doubtable areas where ground water would be contaminated with TCE. In this study, we try to assess the volume and extent of ground water contamination with TCE and delineate the contamination source zones in an industrial area. Ground water in this area flows through fractures and the contaminant TCE has the properties of high volatility, high density and low partitioning to soil material. Thus, we applied a variety of technical approaches to identify the contamination status; documentary, hydrogeochemical, hydrogeological and geological surveys. In addition, additional survey was performed based on the interim findings, which showed that ground water contamination was limited to the relatively small area with high concentrations to the deep place. The contamination source zone is estimated to be the asphalt test institute where a great deal of TCE has been used to analyze the amount of asphalt soluble in TCE since 1984. Based on the contamination characterization and a myriad of documents about ground water remediation, appropriate site remediation management options will be recommended later. This study is now under way and this paper was focused on describing the technical approaches used to achieve the goals of this study.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.88-95
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• 2020

Object: The purpose of this study was to select priority points for soil management using the location of groundwater and to suggest this method for soil contamination surveys. Method: Groundwater impact range was set to an area of 100 to 500 meters from the center point of agricultural groundwater wells. Data on industrial complex and factory areas, areas of stored or used ores and scrap metals, areas associated with waste and recycling, and traffic-related facilities areas were collected and checked for whether they fall within the groundwater impact range. Longitude and latitude coordinates of these data were mapped on the groundwater impact range using QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information System). Results: Considering the groundwater impact range, the points were selected as follows: 589 points were selected from 6,811 factories and 259 points were selected from 1,511 recycling business points. Traffic-related facility areas were divided between gas stations, bus depots, and auto mechanics. Thirty-four points were selected from 149 bus depots and 573 points were selected from 6,013 auto mechanic points. From the 2,409 gas station points, 323 were selected. Conclusion: Contaminated soil influences groundwater and crops, which can harm human health. However, soil pollution is not easily identified, so it is difficult to determine what has occurred. Pollution must be prevented beforehand and contaminated soil found. By selecting and investigating soil contamination survey points in consideration of the location of groundwater wells, we can safely manage water resources by preventing groundwater contamination in advance.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.227-235
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• 2022

Background: Abandoned metal mines are classified as vulnerable areas with the highest level of soil contamination among risk regions. People living near abandoned metal mines are at increased risk of exposure to toxic metals. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between soil contamination levels in areas around abandoned metal mine and the blood lead levels of local residents. Moreover, we assess the possibility of using soil contamination levels as a predictive indicator for human exposure level. Methods: Data from the Survey of Residents around Abandoned Metal Mines (2013~2017, n=4,421) and Investigation of Soil Pollution in Abandoned Metal Mines (2000~2011) were used. A random coefficient model was conducted for estimation of the lower level (micro data) of the local resident unit and the upper level (macro data) of the abandoned metal mine unit. Through a fitted model, the variation of blood lead levels among abandoned metal mines was confirmed and the effect of the operationally defined soil contamination level was estimated. Results: Among the total variation in blood lead levels, the variation between abandoned mines was 18.6%, and the variation determined by the upper-level factors such as soil contamination and water contamination was 8.1%, which was statistically significant respectively. There was also a statistically significant difference in the least square mean of blood lead concentration according to the level of soil contamination (p=0.047, low: 2.32 ㎍/dL, middle: 2.38 ㎍/dL, high: 2.59 ㎍/dL). Conclusions: The blood lead concentration of residents living near abandoned metal mines was significantly correlated with the level of soil contamination. Therefore, in biomonitoring for vulnerable areas, operationally defined soil contamination can be used as a predictor for human exposure level to hazardous substances and discrimination of high-risk abandoned metal mines.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

Recently, ex-situ remediation technologies has been emerging to clean up contaminated soils mainly because the in-situ techniques have limited applicability and technical difficulties in relatively small contaminated sites. Accordingly, implementation of off-site treatment and disposal have been continuously increased in soil remediation and restoration projects in Korea. However, in many cases, reclaimed soil is still not properly recycled or reused. Therefore, there is an urgent need to document the current status of soil management practices in soil remediation projects in the nation. This study presents a survey of soil contamination status and remedial approaches in Korea based on soil cleanup projects completed in 2015 - 2019, and proposes the possible options of the recycling or reusing the reclaimed soils under compliance with related regulations. The results of the soil survey showed soil contamination was most severe in gas stations, industrial facilities, and military areas. The major types of pollution were related to the petroleum-contaminated site (TPH and BTEX) with 77.0% occurrence in all the contaminated sites. The reclaimed soils were mostly reused as a ground filling-up soils in industrial facilities (60.0%) and warehouses (37.0%).