E. Cordos, C. Roman, M. Ponta, T. Frentiu, R. Rautiu, Evaluation of soil pollution with Copper, Lead, Zinc and Cadmium in the mining area Baia Mare, Revista de Chimie, 58/5 (2007) 470-474

Title: Evaluation of soil pollution with Copper, Lead, Zinc and Cadmium in the mining area Baia Mare

Abstract: The paper presents a. recent evaluation of Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd in soil collected around the decantation pond AURUL (5 and 30 cm depth) and from the Bozanta-Mare village (5 cm depth) situated in its proximity and a comparison with the admitted levels according to the Romanian legislation. The soil was found to be polluted with Cu, Pb and Zn as their contents exceeded the intervention level on large surfaces that could be detrimental to agriculture. The severe contamination with heavy metals of the area cannot be attributed only to the cyanide spill occurred in January 2000. Other factors such as more than one century of mining and ores processing, building and maintaining of dams by land dislocation, permanent erosion of older dams must also be taken into consideration.

Key words: soil pollution; heavy metals