Available online at www.sciencedirect.

com

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 83 (2013) 408 412

2nd World Conference on Educational Technology Researches WCETR2012

Educating future engineers for the prevention of heavy metals contamination of surface waters in mining areas. The case of Zlatna, Alba County
Maria Popa a *, Corches Mihai b, Popa Dorin c , Glevitzky Mirel d
a,b,c,d

1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, 5, Gabriel Bethlen Str., Alba Iulia 510009, Romania

Abstract The problem in Zlatna area is heavy metals pollution. There were two important sources causing environmental pollution in the area: S.C. Ampelum S.A. Zlatna which generated acid emissions in the area years in a row and Zlatna Mining Branch. The study aims to elaborate a complex research in a polluted industrial area; the methodology and the results besides being scientific they also represent an important educational material for the environmental engineering students. We have measured suspension content, pH of mine water and the contents of the Mn, Zn and Fe for 3 years.
2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hafize Keser Ankara University, Turkey

Keywords: Heavy metals pollution, pH mine water, atomic absorption spectrophotometry;

1. Introduction Zlatna city is located in the Basin of Ampoi Valley-Alba County, the valleys orientation being generally towards east-west, marking its whole length by morphological contacts both between the different compartments of the mountains in the area, and also between the mountain compartment of Apuseni and the hilly compartment of Mures corridor. Environmental pollution in the area of Zlatna, is not only well known, but it is also deeply studied in all the ecosystems components. There are two important objectives, which led to the initiation and maintenance of pollution effects in the area. The first one is S.C. Ampelum S.A. Zlatna, which, for many years, has generated acidic emissions in the area, often having sulphur oxides concentrations and combinations of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) above the permissible limits. Reducing or even stopping the SC Ampelum S.A. Zlatna emissions did not mean the end of pollution problems. The second industrial pollutant objective was Zlatna Mining Branch, through the three basic units: Hanes Mine is located at a distance of 18 km away from the combine, Larga Mine, located approximately 15 km away from the

Corresponding Author: Maria Popa. Tel.: 0040 740001534 E-mail address: mariapopa2010@yahoo.com

1877-0428 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hafize Keser Ankara University, Turkey doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.080

Maria Popa et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 83 (2013) 408 412

409

floating station, where mining took place underground, at horizon zero (new head). The two mines are currently closed, but the heavy metals of the mine waters pollute the surface water. The aim of this paper is to expose the current situation of the above-mentioned area. There has been determined the content in suspensions, the pH of mine waters, and also the Mn, Zn and Fe contents, during three years, respectively from October 2008 to October 2011. Due to the applied research methodology and to the results gained, this study aims to be an important material for students as well as for the professionals working in the field of environmental pollution. 2. Experimental part 2.1. Research methodology The laboratory methods used to highlight water quality are commonly used in water quality laboratories. The samples were collected from a depth of 1ft below the surface using Nansen type water sampler and kept in polythene containers (500 mL) with the addition of 2 mL concentrated HNO3 at 2 mL in order to preserve the metals and also to avoid precipitation. Water samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, using the following standards: SR ISO 8288 /2001 for: Cu total, Pb total, Zn total; SR EN ISO 5961 / 2002 for: Cd total; SR 8662-2/1997 AAS for: Mn total; SR 13315/1996 AAS for: Fe total. The spectrophotometric methods represent some of the most spread analyzing methods both for the molecular analyzing field and for elementary analyzing. As part of the spectrophotometric methods, the atomic spectrometry stands out as one of the most advantageous methods used in quantitative and qualitative determinations both for major and for less significant constitutive elements, and furthermore for traces and ultra-traces analysis. 2.2. Results and discussions The findings of the research highlight a strong acid pH in the Larga Mine waters, with values comprised between 2.41 and 3.24. The pH maximum permissible values in this mine water are between 6.5 and 8.5.
Table 1. pH of Larga Mine waters

Oct08 2.82

Apr09 3.01

Jul09 2.41

Oct09 2.47

Nov09 2.67

Mar10 2.89

Jun10 2.54

Sep10 2.68

Oct10 3.24

Apr11 2.96

Jul11 2.69

Oct11 2.95

Oct11 2.54

Analyses were performed over a period of 13 months, starting from October 2008 to October 2011. The situation is similar to the one in Hanes Mine, pH values in the three years of monitoring being between 2.54 and 3.21.
3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 oct. 08 apr.09 jul.09 oct.09 nov.09 mar.10 jun.10 sept.10 oct.10 Hanes Mine apr.11 jul.11 oct.11 nov.11

Larga Mine

410

Maria Popa et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 83 (2013) 408 412

Figure 1. PH evolution during October 2008 - October 2011 Larga and Hanes Mine

Figure 1 shows that the pH in the both mines is acid. The highest values were recorded at Larga Mine, where a value of 3, 24 was registered. By comparison with the accepted values, from 6.5 to 8.5, we conclude that these waters acidity situation requires serious monitoring measures. Generally, acidity influences the mobility of heavy metals, thus the heavy metal cations are the most mobile under acidic conditions, and along with the pH increase decreases their mobility and availability, except for the molybdenum (Mo) anions which become more mobile to the pH increase.
60 50 40 30 20 10 0 oct. 08 apr.09 jul.09 oct.09 nov.09 mar.10 jun.10 sept.10 oct.10 apr.11 jul.11 oct.11 nov.11

Larga Mine

Hanes Mine

Figure 2. PH evolution during October 2008 - October 2011 Larga and Hanes Mine

In the case of heavy metals, exceedances were also recorded, so that in the case of zinc there were determined values between 3.12 and 12.87 ppm, the maximum concentration allowed being of 0.5 ppm (mg / l). Zn has major negative effects on the environment. Figure 2 shows that in the waters coming from the Hanes Mine the highest values were recorded in April 2011, 24.7 ppm, and in October 2011 a value of 54.3 ppm was determined. Related to the maximum permitted level of 0.5 mg / l one can find that the value determined in October 2011 was 108 times higher than allowed.
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Larga Mine Hanes Mine

Fe content of these waters is much more than the amount allowed (maximum amount allowed-5 ppm), the values determined being from 16.54 to 64.5 ppm at Larga Mine. For Hanes Mine there were determined values between 3.24 and 54.3 ppm for Zn, and for Fe the values measured are between 17.41 and 51.4 ppm (figure 3). Related to the maximum permitted level of 5 mg / l one can find that the value determined in October 2011 was 12 times higher than allowed.

r.0 9 ju l. 0 9 oc t.0 9 no v. 0 m 9 ar .1 0 ju n. 1 se 0 pt .1 0 oc t.1 0 ap r.1 1 ju l. 1 1 oc t.1 1 no v. 11

Figure 3. Fe contamination of mine waters - Larga and Hanes Mine

oc t.

ap

08

Maria Popa et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 83 (2013) 408 412

411

120 100 80 60 40 20 0 oct. 08 apr.09 jul.09 oct.09 nov.09 mar.10 jun.10 sept.10 oct.10 Hanes Mine apr.11 jul.11 oct.11 nov.11

Larga Mine

Figure 4. Mn contamination of mine waters - Larga and Hanes Mine

Mn contamination is a problem because the maximum amount allowed is exceeded for all the samples taken. Thus, for Larga Mine the values determined are ranging from 9.54 to 18.47 ppm and for Hanes Mine from 10.03 to 98.4 ppm (figure 4). The maximum Mn amount allowed is of 1 ppm (mg / l). Related to the maximum permitted level of 1 mg / l one can find that the value determined in October 2011 was 100 times higher than allowed.

Conclusions and proposals Following the study results, extremely serious problems were found in the mine waters of the studied area. Even if a mining seems economically efficient, by creating new jobs, it is important to watch very carefully the impact that the technologies applied have on the environment. The study is a prerequisite for further research, as a starting point in making an impact study. Great attention is required in monitoring mine waters because they can contaminate both the groundwater, and the surface waters in the area. On the other hand, a careful education and information of the studied area residents is required, because they cannot use any water source. There is a real danger that can threaten their health or life. Mine water contamination with heavy metals also affects negatively the areas soils quality. A land contaminated with heavy metals has a reduced fertility and the nutrition conditions for plants are seriously affected, their growth and development being influenced. Quality degradation of organic matter occurs by increasing the contents of fulvic acids (aggressive towards the humic acids) which, together with the heavy metal form compounds of high degree of mobility and accessibility for vegetation, causing imbalances in the mineral nutrition of plants. These nutritional imbalances are due both to unfavourable general nutrition conditions (acid reaction, low in phosphorus, calcium and magnesium) and also to passive absorption of some air and soil pollutants, which have a toxic effect on plant tissues. The result of these imbalances is reducing increases, premature drying of vegetation, loss of fructification and thus reducing production.

References
Baican, G., & Fodor, D.(2001). Environmental impact of mining. Deva: Infomin Publishers (Chapter 3). Dimen, L., & Luduan, N., & Popa, M. (2011). Environment assessment and modeling. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology 11(4), 1539-1550. Lazr, M., & Dunitrescu, I.( 2006). Human impact on the environment. Petroani: Universitas Publishers (Chapter 4). Order no. 161/2006 for approving the Norms concerning the classification of surface water quality in order to determine the ecological status of water bodies. Popa, M., Ilean, I., & Moga, V. (2000). Some methods of analysing the heavy metal pollution degree. Annales Universitatis Apulensis. Series Oeconomica 2, 290-294.

412

Maria Popa et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 83 (2013) 408 412

Popa, M., Achim, M., Jitaru, M., & Ilean, I. (2002). Study regarding the metabolism of heavy metals in the organism of children in an intense polluted area. MENDEL 2002, 8th International Conference on Soft Computing, Brno, Czech Republic, pp. 57-62. Popa, M., (2003). Expos de doctorat, Des donnes exprimentales propres concernant la contamination avec des mtaux lourds de la rgion de Zlatna . La Facult de chimie et dingnierie chimique, Cluj Napoca, Romania. Popa, M. (2005). Modern methods and techniques for determining the environmental pollution with heavy metals analyses and case studies in the Zlatna area. Cluj- Napoca: Casa Crii de tiin (Chapter 2 and 3). Popa M., & Jitaru, M. (2006). Study on the dynamics of Cu 2+ Cation accumulation in the polluted vegetation. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, Jepe - 904/02.09.05, 7(2). Popa, M., Breaz, N., & Jitaru, M. (2007). The impact of pollution with heavy metals on the population of industrialised area. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, 8(4), 817-824. Popa, M., Popa, D., Sfetcu, M., & Sfetcu, I. (2008). Study on heavy metal accumulation level of soil from Zlatna Region (Romania). Annals of West University of Timioara, 1224- 9513.