Published in Scientific Papers. Series E. Land Reclamation, Earth Observation & Surveying, Environmental Engineering, Vol. XIII
Written by Bogdan Ștefan OPREA, Nicoleta Olimpia VRÎNCEANU, Vera CARABULEA, Dumitru-Marian MOTELICĂ, Mihaela COSTEA, Georgiana Iuliana PLOPEANU
Heavy metals pollution has always been a significant problem for human, animal, and plant health. Copșa Mică, Romania, stands out as one of the most polluted areas with heavy metals, mainly due to emissions from two factories (Carbosin and Sometra), which have been operating in the past for about 60 years. In 2023, soil and plant (Trifolium pratense L.) samples were collected from the polluted meadows in the researched area to analyze and determine cadmium, lead, zinc, and copper concentrations. Cd recorded the lowest concentration in both soil and plant samples with values of 5.17 mg·kg-1dry weight (d.w.) and 0.52 mg·kg-1d.w., respectively. The highest content in both soil and plant samples was recorded by Zn, with values of 334.5 mg·kg-1d.w. (soil) and 69.67 mg·kg-1d.w. (plant). Soil heavy metals content variation depending on the distance from the pollution source showed significant values only for Cd and Zn, while the values for Pb and Cu were insignificant. The results obtained from this study will be used to raise awareness of the population living in the affected areas on the risks that arise from using the meadows for grazing and harvesting hay.
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