COPPER POLLUTION OF SOILS FROM THE AREA INFLUENCED BY THE DOICEŞTI THERMOELECTRIC POWER STATION EMISSIONS

References: 17th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2017, www.sgem.org, SGEM2017 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7408-05-8 / ISSN 1314-2704, 29 June - 5 July, 2017, Vol. 17, Issue 32, 109-116 pp, DOI: 10.5593/sgem2017/32/S13.015

ABSTRACT

Thermo-electric power stations using coal are very important and complex polluters, due to the chimneys for burning gas evacuation which represent the main high sources of environmental pollution, while the ash dumps – are lower sources. The Doiceşti thermoelectric power station built in 1952 is located in the Subcarpathian hill area, on the Ialomiţa Valley, constituting a source of heavy metals pollution of this zone. From the geographical viewpoint, the studied territory can be included in the Subcarpathian Curvature, namely, in the Prahova Subcarpathian Subunit. The most important pedo-genetic factors of soil evolution direction have been the rock, parent material, and relief, all of them determining evolution of some zonal, litho-morphic soils. Within the territory, there are four soil classes, each of them with types and subtypes: Luvisols, Cambisols, Pelisols and Protisols. The subject of this paper is referring to the loading degree with copper of the soils affected by emissions from the Doiceşti thermo-electric power station. Soil samples, collected from 24 soil main profiles along all the cardinal directions, have been analyzed for pH, total organic carbon and cooper contents determination. Assessment of copper pollution of the soils from the influence area of the Doiceşti thermoelectric power station, by calculating the exceeding coefficients of the maximum normal content (Cn), revealed the existence of a small area to the east of the thermoelectric power station where the values of exceeding coefficient was two times the normal maximum content, and another larger area located along the Ialomiţa valley, which extends to north up to 5 km and to the south in the dominant wind direction up to 7.5 km, with exceeding coefficient values of 1.25 to 2. The investigation reveals that the very important factors that have shaped the spatial distribution of copper generated from Doiceşti thermo-electric power stations emissions are natural factors as the relief and the winds, besides the flue chimney height.

Keywords: pollution, soil, thermoelectric power station