Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Vicinity of the Abandoned Metal Mine Areas

폐금속광산지역 중금속의 위해성 평가

  • Lee, Jin-Soo (Technology Research Center, Mine Reclamation Corporation) ;
  • Kwon, Hyun-Ho (Technology Research Center, Mine Reclamation Corporation) ;
  • Shim, Yon-Sik (Technology Research Center, Mine Reclamation Corporation) ;
  • Kim, Tae-Heok (Technology Research Center, Mine Reclamation Corporation)
  • 이진수 (광해방지사업단 기술연구센터) ;
  • 권현호 (광해방지사업단 기술연구센터) ;
  • 심연식 (광해방지사업단 기술연구센터) ;
  • 김태혁 (광해방지사업단 기술연구센터)
  • Published : 2007.02.28

Abstract

An environmental survey from three abandoned metal mine areas was undertaken on to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to heavy metals influenced by past mining activities. Tailings contained high concentrations of heavy metals may have a impact on soils and waters around the tailing piles. In order to perform the human risk assessment, chemical analysis data of soils, rice grains and waters for As, Cd, Cu and Pb have been used. The HQ values for heavy metals via the rice consumption were significantly higher compared with other exposure pathways in all metal mine areas. The resulting HI values in three mine areas were higher than 9.0, and their toxic risk due to rice ingestion was strong in these mine areas. The cancer risk of being exposed to As by the rice consumption from the A, B and C mine areas was $5.1\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$, $6.8\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$ and $3.1\;{\times}\;10^{-3}$, respectively. The As cancer risk via the exposure pathway of rice ingestion from these mine areas exceeds the acceptable risk of 1 in 10,000 set for regulatory purposes. Thus, the daily intakes of rice by the local residents from these mine areas can pose a potential health threat if exposed by long-term As exposure.

본 연구에서는 폐금속광산 지역에서 중금속이 인체에 미치는 위해영향을 정량적으로 평가하기 위하여 3개 금속광산 주변 지역에서 농경지 토양, 농작물 및 지하수를 채취하여 화학분석을 실시하였다. 이들 폐금속광산 주변에 야적된 광산폐기물(광미)은 바람이나 집중 강우에 의해 광미댐 하부에 있는 농경지나 하천으로 유입되어 주변 환경을 오염시킬 가능성이 크다. 따라서 폐금속광산에서의 인체노출경로는 농사활동을 통한 토양의 섭취, 지하수(식수)의 섭취, 쌀의 섭취, 농사활동에 의한 토양의 피부접촉 등 4가지로 파악할 수 있었다. 각 노출경로별 비발암성위해도 평가 결과, 모든 광산에서 쌀의 섭취를 통한 중금속의 독성위해도가 가장 높게 나타났다. 광산별 4가지의 인체노출경로를 총합한 HI 지수가 3개 광산 모두 9.0 이상을 나타내었으며, 특히 B 광산이 HI 29.2로 중금속에 의한 독성위해도가 가장 높은 것으로 판명되었다. 비소에 대한 발암위해도 평가 결과, 3개의 폐금속광산 지역에서 쌀 섭취의 노출경로를 통한 비소에 의해 암이 발생할 확률이 천명중의 1명 이상으로 높게 나타났다. 이는 환경부 토양오염 위해성평가지침(안)과 미국 EPA에서 제시한 허용가능한 초과발암위해도보다도 크므로 이들 지역 주민들이 비소에 의해 오염된 농작물(쌀)을 지속적으로 장기간 섭취하게 된다면 비소가 건강에 미치는 위해영향이 크다고 판단된다.

Keywords

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