QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF VALEA ȘESII STREAM NEAR A COOPER MINE TAILING POND

Abstract

Roşia Poieni, a large copper mine from Arieș basin, produces tons of copper/year.The resulted sterile are deposited in Geamăna tailing pond located in the vicinity of Valea Şesii stream, one of the Arieş River tributaries, contributing decisively to the quality of its water. The study aims to assess the quality status of Valea Șesii stream using a complex green technology, combining chemical analysis and biomonitoring methods in order to establish the environmental trend of the catchment.The quality of the surface water is considered relatively good, with a circum-acid pH (4.5), electrical conductivity of 1677 µS/cm , 1742 ppmfor the total dissolved solids, 7.64 mgO2/L for the biological oxygen demandand rather small values of nutrients. The presence of chlorophyll α and β was noticed (0.374 µg/mL and 0.998 µg/mL). A correlation between the nutrients content and the chlorophylls values was observed, while the chlorophylls values increases, the content of nutrients decreases.

Keywords

• roșia poieni, geamăna tailing pond, ,surface water, quality assessment, chlorophyllα, β