Radionuclide and Heavy Metal Pollution in Romania

Abstract

In Romania, about 140 millions tons per year of polluting substances are emitted into the atmosphere, including non-ferrous metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu etc.) with very severely noxious effects on the environment. The most important industrial metal compound emissions result from mining and non-ferrous ore processing, as well as from power plants using coal. Another source of environmental concern is the radioactivity of natural phosphates used in the fertilizer plants. In the sulfuric acid fertilizer process the sulfur is thrown away as gypsum, mostly contaminated with Ra. In the nitric acid process, nitrophosphate fertilizers contain uranium and its decay products as well as rare earth elements from phosphate rock. Although the investigations on heavy metal pollution in Romania are at a beginning stage, their results, however, represent a real alarming signal for the national environment and not only. The negative changes induced in fauna and flora (decrease of vegetal mass, chlorosis, burns, accumulation of heavy metals in fruits and edible organs) are of big environmental concern.