Health risk assessment for uranium in Korean groundwater

We analyzed the radiological and chemical risks of uranium in groundwater. The total sample number over 4 years was 498. There were several use patterns of groundwater in Korea, but we considered the risk only for drinking water. The geometric mean of uranium concentration in 10 areas in Korea was 0.17 microg x l(-1). The excess cancer risks were in the 10(-7) level in the radiological risk aspect and the hazard quotient was 0.005 in the chemical risk aspect. Therefore, we could conclude that an adverse health risk is unlikely to be posed due to exposure to uranium. However, the concentration of uranium must be monitored periodically and adequate action taken in the few and small areas that contain high uranium levels in groundwater.     

A river water quality management model for optimising regional wastewater treatment using a genetic algorithm

To achieve water quality goals and wastewater treatment cost optimisation in a river basin, a water quality management model has been developed through the integration of a genetic algorithm (GA) and a mathematical water quality model. The developed model has been applied to the Youngsan River, where water quality has decreased due to heavy pollutant loads from Kwangju City and surrounding areas. Pollution source, land use, geographic features and measured water quality data of the river basin were incorporated into the Arc/View geographic information system database. With the database, the management model calculated treatment type and treatment cost for each wastewater treatment plant in the river basin. Until now, wastewater treatment policy for polluted rivers in Korea has been, first of all, to construct secondary treatment plants for untreated areas, and secondarily, to construct advanced treatment plants for the river sections whose water quality is impaired and for which the water quality goal of the Ministry of Environment is not met. Four scenarios that do not use the GA were proposed and they were compared with the results of the management model using the GA. It became clear that the results based on the GA were much better than those for the other four scenarios from the viewpoint of the achievement of water quality goals and cost optimisation.     

Leaching characteristics of heavy metals from sewage sludge by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans MET

An acidophilic, sulfur-oxidizing Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans MET bacterium was isolated from anaerobically digested, dewatered sewage sludge. This bacterium showed sulfur-oxidizing ability at both acidic and neutral conditions, and allowed metal leaching even at a high (130 g L(-1)) sludge solids concentration. We found that low metal leaching efficiency at high solids concentration was mainly due to an increase in buffering capacity resulting in retardation of pH reduction. Therefore, metal leaching was mainly influenced not by sludge solids concentration, but by the pH (or sulfate concentration per unit sludge mass) of the sludge solutions. The relationship between the pH of the sludge solution and the efficiency of metal leaching was obtained by quantitatively investigating the effect of pH reduction or the amount of sulfate produced per unit sludge mass on leaching of each metal. Furthermore, the relationship between total metal content in the sludge and metal leached to the solution was obtained for each metal. Such a relationship allowed estimation of leachable metal at various amounts of total metal content in sludge.     

Effects of adding slags on strength and leaching properties of soft soil

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Dredged soils are typically mixed with additives to improve their mechanical properties and reduce the risks of leaching toxic elements. An...     

Comparisons of particulate-bound mercury (PBM) compositions in soil and vegetation at a traffic site

This investigation analyzes the particulate-bound mercury (PBM) compositions in soil and vegetation at a traffic sampling site in Taichung, Taiwan, during a sampling period from October to December, 2015. A direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80) was used to measure the particulate-bound mercury (PBM). A T-test was conducted to determine the mean differences between the PBM composition in soil and that in vegetation at the site. The results indicate that 1) the mean particulate-bound mercury compositions in soil and vegetation were the lowest in November, when the (mean OR average) wind speed was the highest (4.1 m/s); 2) Particulate-bound mercury compositions (PBM) in both soil and vegetation correlated weakly with temperature, humidity and wind speed; 3) T-test statistical results denoted that the PBM compositions did not significantly differ between soil and vegetation in the three-month sampling period.