The city of Baia Mare is located in the Baia Mare Depression, a region which is characterized by intense anthropogenic activity. Due to the long-lasting local mining and metallurgical tradition, this area was among the most problematic in the country in terms of historical pollution and its consequences. In Baia Mare, pollution is chronic (historical), but also diversified, with several notable sources. The present paper, the first part of a complex three-piece study, aims to provide an overview of the historical sources of air pollution in Baia Mare, while the second part will highlight the air quality evolution in Baia Mare between 1995 and 2006, and the third and final piece will analyse the effects of this chronic pollution on human health. This article is a historical, descriptive and analytical investigation of the main sources of historical environmental pollution (including air pollution) in Baia Mare. The aim of the study is to highlight the activities carried out by these polluting companies and to emphasize the contribution of these activities and various technological processes to air pollution in Baia Mare, between 1995 and 2006. The industry in Maramures County, where Baia Mare is located, had a significant contribution to the country's lead, copper, gold and silver production. At the same time, due to the nature of their activities, these industrial branches were heavy polluters. The historical environmental pollution (including air pollution) in Baia Mare had three major sources: the National Company of Precious and Nonferrous Metals (NCPNM) -Remin Corporation; Cuprom Corporation; Romplumb Corporation. NCPNM -Remin Corporation processed polymetallic deposits of lead, zinc, copper and ferro-manganese deposits, and the company was an important producer of gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper concentrates. The basic activity of Cuprom Corporation consisted of extracting nonferrous metals by pyrometallurgically processing cuprous and gold concentrates. The main activity performed by Romplumb Corporation was obtaining decopperised lead by pyrometallurgically processing lead-cuprous concentrates. The activities of the three major companies led to the systematic exceedances of limit values set for the pollutants resulting from various technological processes, namely suspended particulate matter, heavy metals and SO 2 . All three companies were active for decades and, until the early 2000s, environmental protection was not a priority in the technological process management of these three metallurgical centres.
Baia Mare, the former mining and metallurgical industry capital of Romania, is one of the most problematic areas in the country in terms of historical pollution and its consequences. The present paper, as the second part of a complex three-piece study, aims to analyze the air quality evolution in Baia Mare between 1995 and 2006. In the previous piece, the first of this series, we provided an overview of the sources of historical air pollution in Baia Mare. In the third and final scientific paper, we will analyze the effects of this chronic pollution on human health. This article constitutes an analysis of the air quality in Baia Mare, representing a historical investigation of this important environmental issue in the city's area. Our work updates and expands the body of information provided by previous papers on the topic of environmental pollution in Baia Mare, its purpose being to highlight the chronic air pollution with sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, suspended and sedimentary particulate matters, as well as heavy metals between 1995 and 2006. As a result of the above, it can be concluded that the air quality in Baia Mare in 1995 -2006 was especially critical due to high concentrations of particulate matters presenting high lead and cadmium content, as well as high sulphur dioxide concentrations. These pollutants were generated by mining and metallurgical units (Remin, Phoenix/Cuprom and Romplumb Corporations), alongside other factors: tailing dumps and tailing ponds in the Baia Mare area, where the particulates were spread around by the air currents; industrial and residential heating equipments with solid fuel; road traffic, including road dust resuspension; mix-asphalt installations; woodworking etc. The calm weather conditions, unfavourable to the dispersion of pollutants in the Baia Mare area, have also contributed to the air quality deterioration. However, for the selected timeframe, the pollutant evolution tendency in the local atmosphere showed a decrease of the heavy metal and sulphur dioxide concentrations, which was a result of reduced productive activity for all the local heavy-polluters and not due to the investments aimed at improving urban air quality, which did not lead to any significant changes. Currently, Remin and Romplumb Corporations are insolvent and Cuprom Corporation is bankrupt.
Baia Mare, the former mining and metallurgical industry capital of Romania, is one of the most problematic areas in the country in terms of historical pollution and its consequences. The present paper, as the second part of a complex three-piece study, aims to analyze the air quality evolution in Baia Mare between 1995 and 2006. In the previous piece, the first of this series, we provided an overview of the sources of historical air pollution in Baia Mare. In the third and final scientific paper, we will analyze the effects of this chronic pollution on human health. This article constitutes an analysis of the air quality in Baia Mare, representing a historical investigation of this important environmental issue in the city's area. Our work updates and expands the body of information provided by previous papers on the topic of environmental pollution in Baia Mare, its purpose being to highlight the chronic air pollution with sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, suspended and sedimentary particulate matters, as well as heavy metals between 1995 and 2006. As a result of the above, it can be concluded that the air quality in Baia Mare in 1995 -2006 was especially critical due to high concentrations of particulate matters presenting high lead and cadmium content, as well as high sulphur dioxide concentrations. These pollutants were generated by mining and metallurgical units (Remin, Phoenix/Cuprom and Romplumb Corporations), alongside other factors: tailing dumps and tailing ponds in the Baia Mare area, where the particulates were spread around by the air currents; industrial and residential heating equipments with solid fuel; road traffic, including road dust resuspension; mix-asphalt installations; woodworking etc. The calm weather conditions, unfavourable to the dispersion of pollutants in the Baia Mare area, have also contributed to the air quality deterioration. However, for the selected timeframe, the pollutant evolution tendency in the local atmosphere showed a decrease of the heavy metal and sulphur dioxide concentrations, which was a result of reduced productive activity for all the local heavy-polluters and not due to the investments aimed at improving urban air quality, which did not lead to any significant changes. Currently, Remin and Romplumb Corporations are insolvent and Cuprom Corporation is bankrupt.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.