Heavy metals in soil-plant-water-animal system within the areas polluted by emissions from the non-ferrous metallurgical industry
1998
Lacatusu, R. | Rauta, C. | Avram, N. | Carstea, S. | Kovacsovics, Beatrice | Lungu, Mihaela | Risnoveanu, I. | Taina, S. | (Institutul de Cercetari pentru Pedologie si Agrochimie, Bucuresti (Romania)) Medrea, N. | Serdaru, Maria | Mehedintu, Carmen | Tanasescu, Veronica (Institutul National de Medicina Veterinara "Pasteur", Bucuresti (Romania))
The paper presents comparative data concerning the heavy metal pollution impact on soil-plant-water-animal system within three severely affected areas by emissions from the non-ferrous metallurgical industry in the Copsa Mica, Baia Mare, and Zlatna cities. Depending on its nature and characteristics, the soil vulnerability to the impact of the acid rains and heavy metal pollution is high within the Baia Mare area and moderate within the Copsa Mica and Zlatna areas.The polluting impact severity and the heavy metal content,show a moderate soil pollution with Cd, Pb, and Zn within the Copsa Mica area; a low soil pollution with Cd and Cu, but a moderate soil pollution with Pb and Zn, within the Baia Mare area; and a low soil pollution with Cd, but a moderate soil pollution with Cu, Pb, and Zn, within the Zlatna area. The quality of vegetation in the pastures and meadows within these areas is depreciated by the high content of heavy metals and the macronutrient deficiencies. The ground water and the water of rivers tributary to the main rivers is not polluted, as compared with the sectors of the main rivers where the water, loaded with heavy metals, is discharged. The ingestion of some grasses and soil loaded with heavy metals, and the drinking water, sometimes polluted with heavy metals, altered the animal health condition inducing saturnism cases with a lethal end. The heavy metal contents of some organs and components of affected animals are several tens times higher than the maximum allowable limits. The transfer intensity of Cd and Pb from one environmental component to another is up to 18 times, 13 times, respectively, higher in the polluted areas as compared with the non-polluted ones.
Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]