삼보광산 하류 수계의 계절별 수질변화와 오염도 평가 = Monitoring of Seasonal Water Quality Variations and Environmental Contamination in the Sambo Mine Creek, Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Metal mining district drainage is a well recognized source of environmental contamination. Oxidation of metal sulfides produces acidic and metal-rich waters that contaminate local surface water and ground water in mines, mine dumps, and tailing impoundments. This monitoring study was carried out to investigate the stream water quality and pollution as affected by the Sambo mine drainage in relation to the relative distance from the mine. It obvious that pH values of the mine drainage ranged from 5.8 to 6.9, while the average concentrations of the dissolved chemical constituents for EC, SO4(2-), K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ were 1.77 dS m-1, 929, 14.6, 263.3, and 46.9 mg/L in mine drainage discharged from the main waste rock dumps (WRD), respectively. Furthermore, EC values and sulfate concentrations exceeded the critical toxicity levels in agricultural water for rice plant (1.0 dS m-1 for EC and 54.0 mg/L for SO4(2-)). Also, the average of dissolved cadmium concentrations (0.016~0.021 mg/L) was higher than water quality standard (0.01 mg/L) for agricultural water in Korea, in addition to Zn, Fe and Mn were higher than trace metals maximum concentrations which recommended by FAO for irrigation water. The results indicate that mine drainage discharged from the Sambo mine affected stream water at least to distance of 1 km downstream of the mine water discharge point. EC values, SO4(2-) and Ca2+ concentrations in discharged water positively correlated with dissolved Cd, Zn, Al and Mn concentrations, while the pH values negatively correlated. In addition, EC values, SO4(2-) and Ca2+ concentrations were negatively correlated with pH values.