Assessment of the impact of anthropogenic activities (mine, traffic, urban, land use changes) on river contamination in France and Romania (IMPAACT)

Contract 91BM/IMPAACT

Contracting authority: Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI), Romania

Program: European and international cooperation Subprogram 3.1. Bilateral/multilateral

OBJECTIVES:

Main objective: The project propose to study the impact of anthropogenic activities (mining, traffic, urban agglomerations, land use change) on the contamination of rivers in France and Romania, focusing in particular on sediment geochemistry (suspended matter and particulates resulting from soil erosion and waste ) transported by rivers.

Specific objectives: ► chemical characterization of surface water and sediments in rivers under the influence of anthropogenic activities, ► identification of the impact of different types of anthropogenic activities on river quality, ► identification of the origin of contamination, ►evaluation of the mobility of metals by selective extraction, ► Results dissemination.

Description:

The distribution, quantity and quality of water resources is influenced by a wide range of anthropogenic activities. Mining and metallurgy, intensive farming, urban expansion and changes in land use and land management practices are among the most invasive anthropogenic activities that alters the water quality. Metal contamination has become a global issue due to the persistence and toxicity of metals. Both sediments and soils have the ability to accumulate metals, thus becoming reservoirs for pollutants. The concomitant presence of several sources of contamination in river basins makes it difficult to determine the origin of the contaminants. To identify the origin of the contaminants and the degree of anthropogenic influence, isotopic tracers specific to sources and contamination pathways are used. The project aims to study the impact of anthropogenic activities (mining, traffic, urban agglomerations, land use change) on the contamination of some rivers in France and Romania, according to the catchment size, land use and human activities (mining, agriculture, urbanization) in order to evaluate the ecosystem resiliance to contaminant pressure.

Abstract:

The intensive urbanization and industrialization led to global spread of pollution, particularly metal(loid)s. Surface waters are collectors of pollutants while sediments are the major sink of metals originating from anthropogenic activities. Due to metals toxicity and persistence, water contamination is an important issue, particularly in industrial or highly urbanized areas where emissions, waste entreposal or wastewater with high metal content are the major sources and vectors of pollution.

The major objective of the project was the assessment of the impact of anthropogenic pressures (mining, traffic, urbanization, land use change) on river water contamination in France and Romania. The specific objectives were: (i) Chemical characterization of surface waters and sediments of rivers impacted by various anthropogenic activities (ii) assessment of the impact of various antropic pressures on the river water quality in France and Romania (iii) identification of the contaminats origin (iv) fractionation of metals in the studied river catchments, (v) assessment of metals mobility and (vi) Knowledge exchange between the two partners and strengthen cooperation between the two teams.

In the frame of the project the analytical methods used for pollutants determination in waters and sediments were harmonized, the performance parameters have been determined and the results obtained in the laboratories of the two partners were compared to assure the methods accuracy, particularly for cation and anion quantification. The validated methods were applied to waters, sediments and tailings samples collected from Somes River Basin (Romania) and Orge, Remarde and Yvette rivers (France). Furthermore, tracers that indicate the pollution sources, i.e. urban, industrial, were used (Pb isotopes, element ratio) and the mobility of metals in the most important metal pollution sources (tailings) was studied.

The results showed an increase of the metals and nitrates concentration and a drecrease of dissolved oxygen from upstream to downstream This tendency indicates the important impact of human activities, particularly agriculture, industry and mining, on the quality of waters. In case of Somes Mic River the most important pollution sources are the two urban settlements (Cluj-Napoca and Gherla), while in case of Somes Mare the influence of both industrial and agricultural activities were identifyed. Moreover, downstream Baia-Mare mining area, the waters present high metal contents as a consequence of metal leaching from mining tailings stored in the river catchment.

Novelty: The results of bilateral cooperation provide relevant scientific knowledge regarding the impact of antropogenic activities on surface waters and sediments contamination with metals.

Elements of economic development: The assessment of the antropogenic impact (mining, traffic, urbanization, land use change) on the river pollution will act as the starting point of a databases containing the physico-chemical parameters of the waters that will enable the identification of spatiotemporal pollution dispersion under various pressures. The identified trends will allow the forcast of water quality for medium and long-term and the developement of strategies for water pollution mitigation in relation to land uses.

Expected impacts on the scientific, technical, economic, social and didactic environments: The project results allowed the specialization of team members in advanced analytical techniques for the determination of various pollutants, underpin the development of new collaborations within new research projects and contribute to the increase of the research visibility of the two countries. The collaboration of the two teams favored the gain of knowledge on the mechanisms and processes that influence the mobilization and transport of metals in the environment, particularly in areas affected by various anthropogenic pressures. The project results will be the starting point for the development and improvement of land use policies in order to assure the preservation or enhancement of water quality. The partnership initiated in this project will facilitate faster communication between the two teams and a more detailed knowledge of the results obtained by each partner in this field. Also, it will enable the development of human resources through training of young researchers in the field of water chemistry, metal pollution and anthropogenic pressures, will promote applied research and will increase the visibility of research in the two countries.

Partners:

Romanian Partner

INCDO-INOE 2000, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation, Donath Street 67, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Phone: +40-264-420590
Fax: +40-264-420667
Email: icia@icia.ro
Project responsible: Dr. Erika-Andrea Levei

French Partner

University Paris Sud
Address: Bâtiment 504 – Rue du Belvédère, 91400 Orsay, France
Phone: +33 01 69 15 49 40
Fax:+33 1 69 15 49 17
Email: cecile.quantin@u-psud.fr
Project responsible: Prof. Dr. Cecile Quantin

Project Duration: 29.03.2017-31.12.2018
Deadline: 2018
Other Informations: Contact: Dr. Erika-Andrea Levei, Email: erika.levei@icia.ro

STAGE 1 (2017).
Impact of anthropogenic activities on the surface water and sediment quality

A1.1 Study design. Selection of study sites, sampling points, analysed parameters and analysis methods. Analytical intercomparison of methods
A1.2 Visit of the French team to the Romanian partner. Sampling and analysis of waters and sediments from Somes river sections outside and under anthropogenic impact.
A1.3 Visit of the Romanian team to the French partner. Sampling and analysis of waters and sediments from French river sections outside and under anthropogenic impact.

STAGE 2 (2018).
Impact of anthropogenic activities on the metal speciation in waters and sediments

A2.1 Visit of the Romanian team to the French partner. Solid and aqueous metal speciation.
A2.2 Visit of the French team to the Romanian partner. Assessment of metal mobility and bioaccessibility.
A2.3 Data interpretation and analysis. Results dissemination.

RESULTS OBTAINED

• Physical-chemical parameters of the studied water samples
• Chemical characteristics of pollution sources
• List of anthropic activities in the studied catchments
• List of anthropogenic pollution traces
• Papers and communications: 1 invited lectures, 6 communications at international conferences, 5 papers: 3 in journal with impact factor, 2 in journals indexed in international databases.

Invited lectures:

1. ”Dynamics of metals in the Orge River catchment (France): development of an indicator of urban pressure”, 06.06.2017, Cluj-Napoca, author: Prof. Dr. Cécile Quantin

Conference presentations:

1. Levente Levei, Maria Alexandra Hoaghia, Alexandru Ozunu Metal pollution biomonitoring in mining areas using perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), 23rd International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems, 9-10 October, 2017, Szeged, Hungary (poster).
2. Levente Levei, Alexandra Hoaghia, Claudiu Tanaselia, Alexandru Ozunu, Metal uptake by coltsfoot (Tussilago Farfara) spontaneously grown on mine tailings, 20th Romanian International Conference on Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, RICCCE 2017, 6 – 9 September 2017, Poiana Brasov, Romania (poster)
3. Maria Lucia Andrei, Levente Levei, Alexandra Hoaghia, Claudiu Tanaselia, Alexandru Ozunu, Assessment of metals content in dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) leaves grown on mine tailings, 11th International Conference Processes in Isotopes and Molecules, 27 – 29 September 2017, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (proceedings+ poster).
4. Vanda Băbălău-Fuss, Ana Moldovan, Emilia Neag, Marius Roman, Anamaria Török, Maria Tofană, Quality and risk assessment of Nadas River, 12th International Conference Environmental Legislation, Safety Engineering and Disaster Management ELSEDIMA 2018, 17-19 May 2018, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (poster).
5. Emilia Neag, Maria-Alexandra Hoaghia, Anamaria Török, Erika Levei, Marin Șenilă, Cecilia Roman, Study of metals leaching from nonferrous mine tailings in organic and inorganic extractants, ISMAEDEH ’18, 6th International Conference on Integrated Systems and Management for Energy, Development, Environment and Health, Rome, Italy, November 23-25, 2018 (poster).
6. Maria-Alexandra Hoaghia, Oana Cadar, Gheorghe-Gavrila Hognogi, Erika Levei, Corina Moisa, Cecilia Roman, Quality and human health risk assessment of metals and nitrogen compounds in drinking waters from an urban area near a former non-ferrous ore smelter, ELSEDIMA International Conference – 17 – 19 May 2018, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (poster)

Articles:

1. Hoaghia M.A., Levei E.A., Cadar O., Senila M., Hognogi G.G., Assessment of metal contamintion and ecological risk in urban soils situated near a metallurgical complex, Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 7 (16), 1623-1630, 2017
2. Levente Levei, Eniko Kovacs, Maria-Alexandra Hoaghia, Alexandru Ozunu, Accumulation of heavy metals in plantago major grown in urban and post-industrial areas, Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Chemia, 63 (1), 87-98, 2018
3. Mirela Miclean, Oana Cadar, Levente Levei, Lacrimioara Senila, Alexandru Ozunu, Metal contents and potential health risk assessment of crops grown in a former mining district (Romania), Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B Pesticides, Food Contaminants, and Agricultural Wastes, 2017, DOI: 10.1080/03601234.2018.1473966
4. Maria Alexandra Hoaghia, Oana Cadar, Gheorghe-Gavrila Hognogi, Erika Levei, Corina Moisa, Cecilia Roman, Quality and human health risk assessment of metals and nitrogen compounds in drinking waters from an urban area near a former non-ferrous ore smelter, Analytical Letters, 2018
5. Emilia Neag, Maria-Alexandra Hoaghia, Anamaria Török, Erika Levei, Marin Șenilă, Cecilia Roman, Study of metals leaching from nonferrous mine tailings in organic and inorganic extractants, International Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Systems, 2018,