In Korea, the common remedial process for reclamation of agricultural soils nearby abandoned mines involves chemical soil stabilization followed by covering with clean soil. This study investigated the chemical properties of cover soils and the validity of HCl extraction method in assessing the degree of As and heavy metal stabilization in stabilized soils collected from 14 plots where mine reclamation had been completed. The results revealed there were no major differences in contaminants extraction rate between the stabilized soils and contaminated soils, suggesting HCl extraction procedure is a less feasible method to determine the efficiency of the stabilization. Soil quality indicators including OM, SiO₂, P₂O₅, etc. of the land-covering soils were generally lower than those of stabilized soils that used to be the cultivation layer before the stabilization. Nonetheless, the value of those indicators didn’t meet the regulatry limits of agricultural soil. Therefore, future strategy for mine reclamation should concentrate not only on contaminant concentration but also on soil quality parameters for agricultural use of the reclaimed soil.

Keywords: Stabilization, Arsenic, Heavy metal, HCl extraction method, Soil quality