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Assessment of contamination load on water, soil and sediment affected by the Kongjujeil mine drainage, Republic of Korea

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Environmental pollution in the Kongjujeil mine creek was determined on the basis of physicochemical and mineralogical properties for various kinds of waters, soils, precipitates and sediments collected in August and December 1998. The hydrochemistry of water is characterized by an enrichment in concentrations of Ca2+, Si, alkali ions, NO3 − and Cl- in ground and surface water, where relatively the mine waters are significantly enriched in Ca2++Mg2+, Al, heavy metals and SO4 2− concentrations. The mine waters have lower pH (3.24) and higher EC (613 μS/cm) compared with those of ground and surface water. The ranges of δD and δ18O values (SMOW) in the water are −50.2 to −61.6‰ and −7.0 to −8.6‰. Using a computer code, the saturation indices of albite, calcite and dolomite in the mine water show that it is undersaturated, and has progressively evolved toward the equilibrium state. Ground and surface water are nearly saturated. The gibbsite, kaolinite and smectite are supersaturated in the surface and groundwater. Geochemical modeling shows that mostly toxic metals exist largely in the form of metal sulfates and free metals in mine water. These metals in the surrounding fresh water could be formed of carbonate or hydroxide complex ions. Minerals within the soil and sediment near the mining area were partly variable consisting of quartz, mica, alkali feldspar, plagioclase, chlorite, vermiculite, berthierine and clay minerals. The separated heavy minerals, soil and sediment are composed of some pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, malachite, goethite and various hydroxide minerals. Some potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn) are found in extremely high concentrations in the surface soils in the vicinity of the mine. The enrichment index of heavy metals in sediment and surface soil of the mine drainage was very severe, while it was not so great in the cultivated soil.

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Acknowledgments

This research is financially supported by the Korea Research Foundation (KRF). Many thanks are be extended to R Mach and J. Yu (Texas A & M University, USA) for critical reading and improvement of manuscript. The author also express sincere gratitude to anonymous reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief (Dr. P.E. LaMoreaux) and Editorial Board from Environmental Geology for a constructive suggestions and editorial handling of this original manuscript.

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  1. Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation Science, Kungju National University, 314-701, Kongju, Republic of Korea

    Chan Hee Lee

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  1. Chan Hee Lee
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Correspondence to Chan Hee Lee.

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Lee, C.H. Assessment of contamination load on water, soil and sediment affected by the Kongjujeil mine drainage, Republic of Korea. Env Geol 44, 501–515 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0786-1

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