ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF THE POLLUTED SOILS WITH HEAVY METALS. CASE STUDY: CUPROM SA BAIA MARE BRANCH

The paper aimed to present a possible solution for ecological restoration of the soils polluted with heavy metals from the premise of Cuprom SA Bucharest, Baia Mare branch. This premise is famous for a prolonged industrial activity in smelting and refining metallic ores. especially copper, lead and precious metals as gold and silver. The impact over the environment during the production phase was well documented, but after the plant ceased the activity in 2009. the land remained as heavily polluted industrial area in the way of the urban development. The paper presents a possible solution to restore these soils polluted with heavy metals from the premise using an innovative method of soil washing under specific conditions to remove the mobile fraction of the pollutants from the matrices of the soil. The solution presented is minimum invasive, with promising results in the laboratory phase, applicable on site and cost effective.