Conference Papers

Areas situated in the proximity to landfills have several features of great importance in further, as some of these areas can get changing in the future to residential destinations. It is therefore important to determine the quality of environmental components in these areas and to identify all hazards that may create risks for the area analyzed. Complex investigations carried out in the proximity to landfills will have as a final risk estimation, one of which shows the importance induced by the emissions of methane that may migrate into soil / subsoil in the vicinity of the deposit. This paper presents a methodology for assessing risks with the following steps: the documentary stage involves collecting relevant information on the landfill site, site history, and the date on geomorphology, geology and hydrogeology of the area. In the subsequent stages, it identifies the potential sources of the gaseous emissions in soil / subsoil and the potential migration pathways and receptors proceed to investigate complex area. As a case study was chosen site of a landfill in Bucharest, which was crossed methodology of investigation: they made wells and the gas collection were measured in situ the concentrations of gases (CH4, O2, CO2, CO and H2S) with a portable analyzer, were made boreholes to determine the groundwater flow conditions and analytical investigations on the environmental quality of components (soil, groundwater, surface water) in the proximity of the landfill. In terms of the methodology, the risk estimation is based on the identification and the expression of two categories of factors, including the likelihood and effects on receptors that highlight risk levels resulting in a scale with five levels of risk, at a very low risk to high risk levels. The risk can be quantified by the indicator "Gas Screening Value", which is the product of the maximum concentration measured in gas borehole and the measured flow. Applying the methodology for the selected location as a case study allowed the identification of hazards and risk generating, the risk assessment, elements necessary to development the measures of protection required are taken in case the future of location will be for the residential.

Soil pollution is defined as any action that affect the normal functioning of the soil. It is known that human activities have affected while soil quality through various works (eg. mining, excavation, land use for landfills, landslides due to deforestation, erosion, salinization, acidification, etc.) A special attention was focused for the soils research in large urban areas, intensified in recent decades, due to the characteristics and functions of the soils in such areas. Of these, significant are those related to the role of soil as a support for the constructions of buildings, as recreational space or horticultural plant growth medium, especially those with special destination for human and animal nutrition present in peripheral areas. For urban pollutant impact exerted on the soil is exercised by: industrial emissions, road traffic emissions, use of chemicals to increase soil fertility and to combat pests and diseases. This paper presents a recent assessment of the quality of the urban soils in Bucharest, capital of Romania, starting from a conceptual model based on knowledge in the field. In situ investigations and direct observations have resulted in soil sampling in different zones, followed by analysis of the physico-chemical quality indicators relevant to the chemical pollution of soils.

The present paper concretises a current assessment of the quality of the environmental components by characterizing the soil and groundwater samples in 4 agricultural areas in Romania, chosen as case studies according to the criteria of their vulnerability to climate change. The important data obtained from laboratory physical and chemical characterization of soil and groundwater samples taken from these areas, have been analyzed in close correlation with current agricultural practices identified and their local specifics. The general conclusions resulting from the analysis of the results of the analyzed quality indicators, the direct observations from the terrain, as well as the documented information on the geomorphological, lithological, hydrogeological, climatic conditions, converge to the evidence of contamination vulnerabilities, corroborated with the use of resources in intensive agriculture. It is absolutely necessary to undertake a joint effort of the actors involved in this type of intensive agriculture to focus on adapting to climate change as well as on sustainable management of the natural resources involved (soil, groundwater). Good practice in agriculture remains one of the most important links for the sustainable maintenance of natural resources involved in human activities.

In Bucharest, capital of the Romania, the artificial lakes on the river Colentina have an operation period of decades. The functionality of these lakes is: the flood regularization and for recreation. Over time were deposited on the bottom of lakes a large amounts of the alluvial deposits (sediments) carried by the waters of the river and its tributaries, and rainfall run-off out of the vicinity. A first consequence of the alluvial deposits consist in lowering the initial depth of the lakes, which facilitated excessive growth of the aquatic vegetation, and, in summer, the effects that affect the ichthyofauna and the recreation activities. Another consequence of the alluvium deposits located immediately upstream of discharge points is the diminuation of the transport capacity of the Colentina river. This paper presents a synthesis that brings together both specific elements: the conceptual model of the lakes and a series of the analytical results obtained from implementing an experimental field: 11 sampling points in order to investigate water quality, respectively the monitoring and control. The results regarding the quality of the sediments highlight the unequivocal role of deposition of the pollutants in a long periods of time.

This study reports the degree of heavy metal pollution (Cu, Zn, Pb) in 36 urban topsoil samples from the metropolitan area of Bucharest City. The levels of heavy metals in the analized samples show a wide range of variation. Geochemical maps were produced to assess the spatial distribution of pollutants. It is concluded that emisions from the vehicles may be the major sources of the Pb contamination; furthermore, other small or large factories are possible sources in soil pollution (Cu, Zn). The assessment of the soil environmental quality in the metropolitan area of Bucharest City can be used as the basis for a monitoring programme for implementing suitable pollution control measures.