**4. Conclusions**

threshold is equal to 5 mg/kg and the alert threshold is equal to 15 mg/kg. The threshold value

Comparing the two maps, it can be seen that, levels of pollution exceeding the threshold were found in the Sibiu and Mureș County, in the middle of the country, in both urban and rural

was exceeded but the not the alert threshold.

296 Environmental Risk Assessment of Soil Contamination

**Figure 17.** Arsenic levels in soil in urban areas

**Figure 18.** Arsenic levels in soil in rural areas

areas.

This study is the first study that tried to assess the situation of soil pollution with heavy metals in Romania.

After assessment of the soil contamination with heavy metals in 34 counties in Romania, it can be concluded that for all investigated metals except cadmium the threshold values were exceeded.

Alert thresholds were exceeded for lead and copper, both in urban and rural areas, especially in two counties: Maramureș county and Sibiu county. Areas like Maramureș county or Sibiu county have a historic pollution due to the industry present since 1844 in Baia Mare, Mara‐ mures county and 1936 în Copșa Mică, Sibiu county.

Anational screeningprogramwasperformedintheyears 2008-2010 inMaramureș county(Baia Mare city andespecially Ferneziudistrict)to see the impact on humanhealth inconnection with lead pollution. In the years 2008 and 2009 a group of 91 children was investigated [81, 82].

The results showed the following situation:


**Table 2.** Lead levels in blood in city Baia Mare, Maramureș county in 2008 and 2009.

A special situation had the children living near the factory that processes lead in the district Ferneziu in Baia Mare county.

During the year 2010, the study group was made of 94 pregnant women and 94 new born babies. The blood was taken from the new born cord in the case of children [83].


**Table 3.** Lead levels in blood in the group of pregnant women, in city Baia Mare, Maramureș county, in 2010.


**Table 4.** Lead levels in blood in the cord of new born babies, in city Baia Mare, Maramureș county, in 2010

For copper, alert thresholds was exceeded, both in urban and rural areas. In Suceava county, copper mining was performed since 1922. In this area, there were taken rehabilitation measures in the period between1999-2005. Still, some of the effects of the ancient pollution situation can be seen today.

All the other investigated metals in the soil, both in residential areas and agricultural areas (which both can be classified as sensitive lands), do not exceed the alert threshold for sensitive lands.

For cadmium, nickel, manganese, cobalt and arsenic higher levels were recorded in the soil of rural areas than in the soil of urban areas.

For total chromium, zinc and mercury similar levels were recorded in the soil of urban and rural areas.

It must be stressed that in the areas where the alert thresholds were exceeded, pollution with impact on the environment can be present. The situation can be labelled as "potentially significant pollution". In this case, the competent authorities can take action to reduce the pollutants emissions in the air or to take measures to diminish the possibilities to contaminate the soil directly or through water.
