Current knowledge on environmental impacts of industrial activities in Romania, particularly persistent organic pollutants
(POPs), indicates that environmental standards of the European Union are not systematically met. In our study area, additional
sources of POPs are agriculture and domestic wastes. Very scarce information is available upon environmental contaminations
and effects. In the present study, we investigated the chemical pollution and their eventual impact on the ecosystem by measuring
POPs and by using biological indicators of pollution. 相似文献
In the region of the Apuseni Mountains, part of the Western Carpathians in Romania, metal mining activities have a long-standing tradition. These mining industries created a clearly beneficial economic development in the region. But their activities also caused impairments to the environment, such as acid mine drainage (AMD) resulting in long-lasting heavy metal pollution of waters and sediments. The study, established in the context of the ESTROM programme, investigated the impact of metal mining activities both from environmental and socioeconomic perspectives and tried to incorporate the results of the two approaches into an integrated proposition for mitigation of mining-related issues.
Study site
The small Certej catchment, situated in the Southern Apuseni Mountains, covers an area of 78 km2. About 4,500 inhabitants are living in the basin, in which metal mining was the main economic sector. An open pit and several abandoned underground mines are producing heavy metal-loaded acidic water that is discharged untreated into the main river. The solid wastes of mineral processing plants were deposited in several dumps and tailings impoundment embodying the acidic water-producing mineral pyrite.
Methods
The natural science team collected samples from surface waters, drinking water from dug wells and from groundwater. Filtered and total heavy metals, both after enrichment, and major cations were analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Major anions in waters, measured by ion chromatography, alkalinity and acidity were determined by titration. Solid samples were taken from river sediments and from the largest tailings dam. The latter were characterised by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. Heavy metals in sediments were analysed after digestion. Simultaneously, the socioeconomic team performed a household survey to evaluate the perception of people related to the river and drinking water pollution by way of a logistic regression analysis.
Results and discussion
The inputs of acid mine waters drastically increased filtered heavy metal concentrations in the Certej River, e.g. Zn up to 130 mg L−1, Fe 100 mg L−1, Cu 2.9 mg L−1, Cd 1.4 mgL−1 as well as those of SO4 up to 2.2 g L−1. In addition, river water became acidic with pH values of pH 3. Concentrations of pollutant decreased slightly downstream due to dilution by waters from tributaries. Metal concentrations measured at headwater stations reflect background values. They fell in the range of the environmental quality standards proposed in the EU Water Framework Directive for dissolved heavy metals. The outflow of the large tailing impoundment and the groundwater downstream from two tailings dams exhibited the first sign of AMD, but they still had alkalinity.
Most dug wells analysed delivered a drinking water that exhibited no sign of AMD pollution, although these wells were a distance of 7 to 25 m from the contaminated river. It seems that the Certej River does not infiltrate significantly into the groundwater.
Pyrite was identified as the main sulphide mineral in the tailings dam that produces acidity and with calcite representing the AMD-neutralising mineral. The acid–base accounting proved that the potential acid-neutralising capacity in the solid phases would not be sufficient to prevent the production of acidic water in the future. Therefore, the open pits and mine waste deposits have to be seen as the sources for AMD at the present time, with a high long-term potential to produce even more AMD in the future.
The socioeconomic study showed that mining provided the major source of income. Over 45% of the households were partly or completely reliant on financial compensations as a result of mine closure. Unemployment was considered by the majority of the interviewed persons as the main cause of social problems in the area. The estimation of the explanatory factors by the logistic regression analysis revealed that education, household income, pollution conditions during the last years and familiarity with environmental problems were the main predictors influencing peoples’ opinion concerning whether the main river is strongly polluted. This model enabled one to predict correctly 77% of the observations reported. For the drinking water quality model, three predictors were relevant and they explained 66% of the observations.
Conclusions
Coupling the findings from the natural science and socioeconomic approaches, we may conclude that the impact of mining on the Certej River water is high, while drinking water in wells is not significantly affected. The perceptions of the respondents to pollution were to a large extent consistent with the measured results.
Recommendations and perspectives
The results of the study can be used by various stakeholders, mainly the mining company and local municipalities, in order to integrate them in their post-mining measures, thereby making them aware of the potential long-term impact of mining on the environment and on human health as well as on the local economy.
Groundwater, accessed using wells and municipal springs, represents the major source of potable water for the human population
outside of major urban areas in northwestern Romania, a region with a long history of metal mining and metallurgy. The magnitude
and spatial distribution of metal contamination in private-supply groundwater was investigated in four mining-affected river
catchments in Maramureş and Satu Mare Counties through the collection of 144 groundwater samples. Bedrock geology, pH and
Eh were found to be important controls on the solubility of metals in groundwater. Peak metal concentrations were found to
occur in the Lapuş catchment, where metal levels exceed Dutch target and intervention values in up to 49% and 14% of samples,
respectively. A 700 m wide corridor in the Lapuş catchment on either side of the main river channel was identified in which
peak Cd (31 μg l−1), Cu (50 μg l−1), Pb (50 μg l−1) and Zn (3,000 μg l−1) concentrations were found to occur. Given the generally similar bedrock geologies, lower metal levels in other catchments
are believed to reflect differences in the magnitude of metal loading to the local environment from both metal mining and
other industrial and municipal sources. Sampling of groundwater in northwestern Romania has indicated areas of potential concern
for human health, where heavy metal concentrations exceed accepted environmental quality guidelines. The presence of elevated
metal levels in groundwater also has implications for the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and achieving
‘good’ status for groundwater in this part of the Danube River Basin District (RBD). 相似文献
In the present work, we explored the kinetics of dichlorvos (2,2-dichlorvinyl dimethyl phosphate, DDVP) decay through UV-A
light-induced TiO2 photocatalysis at pH 4 and 9, and the formation of degradation intermediates and final products under specific experimental
conditions. Experimental observations and theoretical considerations allowed us to suggest the degradation mechanism of DDVP
by the UV/TiO2 process in aqueous solution. 相似文献
Studies concerning mycotoxins involve activities of relevant potential for furthering knowledge in the fields of toxicology and environmental analysis. Using bioanalytical methods (biosensors, histochemistry), the conducted research aims at contributing to raising the awareness of local, national, and international media in relation to the safety of obtaining and processing vegetal and animal foods, by analyzing the possible effects of aflatoxins and ochratoxins, promoting animal health, food hygiene, in view of ensuring animal and human health. The study using laboratory animals (mice) while being part of one of the current national research directions, also holds international priority, by its contribution to a better understanding of several fundamental mechanisms of life at molecular level and to the characterization of certain biological processes that appear in mycotoxicosis. 相似文献
Lake Tasaul on the Black Sea coast is highly eutrophic, but not strongly contaminated (heavy metals, PAHs, and organochlorine
pesticides). Cyanophytes dominate phytoplankton by 67–94% and form frequent algal blooms. High primary production (up to 270 mg
Cass/m2.h) and algal biomass (maximum chlorophyll a concentration 417 μg/l) may be controlled by light, as Secchi depth is often below 1 m. The main tributary, Casimcea River,
provides high quantities of suspended matter and about 3 tons TP/year and 660 tons TN/year. Based on chemical and biological
analysis as well as fishery investigations, we provide recommendations for Lake Tasaul rehabilitation. 相似文献
Italy is frequently affected by Saharan dust intrusions, which result in high PM10 concentrations in the atmosphere and can cause the exceedances of the PM10 daily limits (50 μg m?3) set by the European Union (EU/2008/50). The estimate of African dust contribution to PM10 concentrations is therefore a key issue in air quality assessment and policy formulation. This study presents a first identification of Saharan dust outbreaks as well as an estimate of the African dust contribution to PM10 concentrations during the period 2003–2005 over Italy. The identification of dust events has been carried out by looking at different sources of information such as monitoring network observations, satellite images, ground measurements of aerosol optical properties, dust model simulations and air mass backward trajectory analysis. The contribution of Saharan dust to PM10 monthly concentrations has been estimated at seven Italian locations. The results are both spatially (with station) and temporally (with month and year) variable, as a consequence of the variability of the meteorological conditions. However, excluding the contribution of severe dust events (21st February 2004, 25th–28th September 2003, 23rd–27th March 2005), the monthly contribution of dust varies approximately between 1 μg m?3 and 10 μg m?3 throughout year 2005 and between 1 μg m?3 and 8 μg m?3 throughout year 2003. In 2004 the dust concentration is lower than 2003 and 2005 (<5 μg m?3 at all sites). The reduction in the number of daily exceedances of the limit value (50 μg m?3) after subtraction of the dust contribution is also calculated at each station: it varies with station between 20% and 50% in 2005 and between 5% and 25% in 2003 and 2004. 相似文献
N-Propylsalicylaldimino-functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica was prepared, characterized and used as an adsorbent for heavy metal ions. The organic-inorganic hybrid material was obtained using successive grafting procedures of SBA-15 silica with 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane and salicylaldehyde, respectively. For comparison an amorphous silica gel was functionalized using the same procedure. The structure and physicochemical properties of the materials were characterized by means of elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, thermogravimetric analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. The organic functional groups were successfully grafted on the SBA-15 surfaces and the ordering of the support was not affected by the chemical modification. The behavior of the grafted solids for the adsorption of heavy metals ions from aqueous solutions was investigated. The hybrid materials showed high adsorption capacity and high selectivity for copper ions. Other ions, such as nickel, zinc, and cobalt were adsorbed by the modified SBA-15 material. The adsorbent can be regenerated by acid treatment without altering its properties. 相似文献
Rhodococcus erythropolis IBBPo5 (KM405337) and Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus IBBPo7 (KM405338) showed good tolerance to 5% (v/v) organic solvents (alkanes, aromatics). However, 5% (v/v) alkanes (i.e., cyclohexane, n-hexane, n-decane) were less toxic for R. erythropolis IBBPo5 and L. xylanilyticus IBBPo7 cells, compared with 5% (v/v) aromatics (i.e., toluene, o-xylene, ethylbenzene). The high organic solvent tolerance of these two Gram-positive bacteria could be due to the presence in their genome of some catabolic (alkB1, todM, xylM) and trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (otsA1) genes. R. erythropolis IBBPo5 possesses three catabolic genes (i.e., alkB1, todM, xylM), while L. xylanilyticus IBBPo7 possesses only one catabolic gene (i.e., alkB1). Numerous adaptations involved in organic solvents tolerance were depicted in R. erythropolis IBBPo5 and L. xylanilyticus IBBPo7 cells exposed to 5% (v/v) alkanes and aromatics (i.e., changes in the cell growth rate, membrane permeability, cell morphology, biosurfactant emulsification index, carotenoids profile, DNA fingerprinting). Therefore, microbiological, biochemical, and DNA fingerprinting studies of the bacteria isolated from polluted environments could provide valuable information that may complement or supplement other forensic investigations. 相似文献
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Mechanical properties enable to handle storage and transport of fuel briquette. Binder is key element of these mechanical properties. Biobinder is... 相似文献