ABSTRACT
In the Republic of Korea, the conservation of soil and groundwater quality has been stimulated by recognizing that these natural resources are critically important components of the earth’s biosphere and are directly related to human health. This chapter devotes to the discussion of the present status, impacts, management strategies, and perspectives of trace metals in soil and groundwater in Korea. Metal accumulation in soils is closely connected to the specific local sources such as discharges from smelters, metal-based industries, chemical manufacturing industries, active, inactive, and abandoned mining sites, and irrigation water. Metal concentrations in soils and crops are subject to change due to different environmental situations. Research concerning metal speciation, transformation, and bioavailability in Korean soils has been much more limited than that on metal distribution. Metal concentrations in soils from the metal mining areas are much higher than those in other areas.
