Assessing the soil quality of a former industrial area, using pollution load index and enrichment factor

Soil degradation involves the decline of soil quality and fertility due to the acidification, salinization or chemical contamination of soils from agricultural or industrial sources. In this study, spatial changes of topsoil quality were investigated in the lower basin of Arieș River, an area with a wide history of industrial activities. A sampling campaign has been done along the lower Arieș catchment, during a rainy season (November 2019). The topsoils pH and metals content were analysed. In order to asses the quality of the soil samples, soil contamination index Cd and enrichment factor EF were computed. The results of the present study showed that the topsoil samples from the former industrial sites had a high Cu, Pb and As content. According to the Cd, one sample presented a level of concern due to high level of heavy metals content, and EF assigned a considerable degree of soil enrichment - in case of two topsoil samples

QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF VALEA ȘESII STREAM NEAR A COOPER MINE TAILING POND

Roşia Poieni, a large copper mine from Arieș basin, produces tons of copper/year.The resulted sterile are deposited in Geamăna tailing pond located in the vicinity of Valea Şesii stream, one of the Arieş River tributaries, contributing decisively to the quality of its water. The study aims to assess the quality status of Valea Șesii stream using a complex green technology, combining chemical analysis and biomonitoring methods in order to establish the environmental trend of the catchment.The quality of the surface water is considered relatively good, with a circum-acid pH (4.5), electrical conductivity of 1677 µS/cm , 1742 ppmfor the total dissolved solids, 7.64 mgO2/L for the biological oxygen demandand rather small values of nutrients. The presence of chlorophyll α and β was noticed (0.374 µg/mL and 0.998 µg/mL). A correlation between the nutrients content and the chlorophylls values was observed, while the chlorophylls values increases, the content of nutrients decreases