Soil contaminants exceeding the standard levels were detected near waste disposal and recycling-related areas in Gyeonggi Province. The province has decided to conduct a detailed investigation of these areas.
The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment Research announced on the 11th that from April to December last year, it conducted a survey of 298 sites suspected of soil contamination, such as industrial complexes and factory areas within the province, and confirmed that soil contaminants exceeding the standards were detected at three locations, including waste disposal and recycling-related areas.
At two waste disposal and recycling-related sites (Gimpo-si, Namyangju-si), fluoride levels were 846 mg/kg and 494 mg/kg respectively, exceeding the standard of 400 mg/kg. At one complaint area (Yeoncheon-gun), lead (356.9 mg/kg) and zinc (1530.7 mg/kg) were found to exceed the standards by more than five times in some cases.
The Institute of Health and Environment Research notified the relevant cities and counties of the soil contamination survey results, and those exceeding the concern area standards will conduct a detailed investigation followed by soil remediation procedures.
The results of this survey can be viewed on the Soil and Groundwater Information System operated by the Ministry of Environment (https://sgis.nier.go.kr).
Gwon Bo-yeon, director of the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment Research, emphasized, "We will do our best to create a pleasant living environment for residents by preventing soil contamination through continuous annual surveys and by identifying, purifying, and restoring contaminated soil."
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