Characterization of Sterile Mining Dumps by the ICP-OES Analytical Method: A Case Study from Baia Mare Mining Area (Maramures, Romania)

Abstract

This paper describes a former sterile dump site that is the result of mining and ore processing. A large site located in the Baia Mare mining area (Romania) with a significant amount of Suior-type mining concentrate deposits was selected for this research. The method of analysis used in this study is inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). To characterize the contaminated area, a total of 27 sterile samples and one soil sample were collected from the studied site, which was affected by the mining activity. The samples were mineralized by a mix of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. The disaggregation of the samples took place on a sand bath, and the concentrations of nine heavy metals were determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. The investigations provided the information for a detailed analysis allowing the assessment of trace element concentrations to establish whether the area requires remediation. This paper aims to highlight the importance of obtaining quantitative analysis data when characterizing heavy metal contaminated areas that need to undergo the remediation processes, utilizing accurate and fast systems such as modern multispectral analytical devices. The objective of this paper consists of the characterization of an area in the Baia Mare municipality, Romania, affected by high heavy metal concentrations due to sterile mining material being deposited on its surface in order to determine if the area requires remediation.