Several studies have investigated the environmental effects of a hydrofluoric acid spill in Gumi during 2012. The limited number of case studies means there is insufficient information to understand the effects of acid spills on soil-groundwater environments.
The spilled acid was treated using slaked lime and the site was subjected to environmental monitoring of water, air, soil, and vegetation. In 2014, hydrofluoric acid was spilled from a storage tank as a result of staff error in Geumsan, Chungnam Province, entering the surrounding environment. In 2015, a hydrofluoric–nitric acid mixture was spilled when a tank was damaged in Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk Province, and it flowed into a nearby stream. Generally, acid-contaminated soil and waste acid are removed, and residual acid in soil is neutralized by slaked lime, dry sand, or vermiculite, or is water-flushed.
In 2017, 1.84 tons of sulfuric acid was spilled during a tanker truck accident in Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk Province, contaminating a nearby stream and soil. In 2014, one ton of sulfuric acid was spilled as a result of container damage at a construction site located in Namyang-ju, resulting in contamination of a nearby sump and soil. However, five significant spills affected the soil-groundwater environments. The majority of spills were minor and contained within working areas. The Chemistry Safety Clearing-house (CSC) system ( ) established by the Korean Ministry of Environment reports that 29 sulfuric acid spills and 8 hydrofluoric acid spills occurred between 20. The acid/metal-corrosive category includes hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, bromine, titanium tetrachloride, silicon tetrachloride, formic acid, and nitric acid. The protocol to classify the substances used in this study is shown in Figure 1. In the present study, we classified the substances into six categories (i.e., acid/metal-corrosive, inorganic, reactive, oxidative, organic, and flammable) based on physical hazards defined by the material safety data sheets (MSDS). Based on risk-level, toxicity, and exposure probability, a total of 97 accident preparedness substances were assigned to be managed under the CCA. Following these accidents, the importance of effective hazardous chemical management was re-emphasized and the Chemicals Control Act (CCA) was implemented in January 2015. Concern regarding chemical spills has increased in recent years, following several high-profile incidents, including a hydrofluoric acid spill in Gumi in 2012, a hydrochloric acid spill in Sangju during 2013, and a hydrofluoric acid spill in Cheongju in 2014. In Korea, chemical spill accidents are becoming more frequent as industrial and economic development progresses. Keywords: Strong acid, Chemical spill, Environmental toxicity, Soil and groundwater, Sulfuric acid, Hydrofluoric acid We expect that the results of this study will contribute preliminary data for future research on chemical spills. Soil texture, cation exchange capacity, mineral composition, bedrock type, and aluminum content may be important factors affecting the toxicity of spilled acid in soil-groundwater environments. The toxicity of spilled acid is dependent on the characteristics of the geomedia exposed to the acid and the amount of residual protons following acid–substrate interaction. Understanding the behavior and transport of spilled strong acids in soil and groundwater environments requires a multi-disciplinary approach, as they can undergo a variety of geochemical and biochemical reactions with complex geomedia. We recommend that sulfuric acid and hydrofluoric acid be classified as chemicals of priority control based on volumes used, toxicity, carcinogenicity, and past significant spill events. We reviewed the chemical/physical properties, toxicity, environmental fate, and ecotoxicity of strong acids in soil and groundwater environments.
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