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SOIL CONTAMINATION IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE HISTORICAL COPPER SMELTER - A REVIEW

Alexandrina MANEA

Abstract

Soil pollution with heavy metals is a major global environmental problem for many ecosystems. The exploitation and processing of non-ferrous ores are one of the most important anthropogenic sources of soils contamination with heavy metals. Romania is a rich country in mineral resources, therefore it has a long history of their exploitation. In this regard, there are several areas for the non-ferrous ores extraction, and one of them is located in the Metaliferi Mountains, where the tradition in gold, silver and other metals extraction is from ancient time. At Zlatna (from Metaliferi Mountains), processing plant beginning with the middle of the 18th century, a smelter of copper ores was operated and their activity had a maximum intensity in the last 50 years of the 20th century. Even if the plant was closed, the effects of historic smelting activities on soil pollution with heavy metals still affect soils. This paper reviews the soil loadings with heavy metals from Zlatna area. It summarizes studies focused on soil contamination near copper smelter. Soils under the influence of the Zlatna non-ferrous smelter are polluted by heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd). Many studies concluded that the dominant wind direction is the main factor that influencing the pollution which decreased directly proportionally with the increasing distance from sources.

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