Proposed Environmental Risk Management Elements in a Carpathian Valley Basin, within the Ro?ia Montan? European Historical Mining Area

Doru Bănăduc, Angela Curtean-Bănăduc, Kevin Cianfaglione, John Robert Akeroyd and Lucian-Ionel Cioca
Additional contact information
Doru Bănăduc: Applied Ecology Research Center, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, I. Raţiu Street 5-7, 550012 Sibiu, Romania
Angela Curtean-Bănăduc: Applied Ecology Research Center, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, I. Raţiu Street 5-7, 550012 Sibiu, Romania
Kevin Cianfaglione: UMR UL/AgroParisTech/INRAE 1434 Silva, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Lorraine, BP 70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lés-Nancy, France
John Robert Akeroyd: Sherkin Island Marine Station, Sherkin Island, Skibbereen, Ireland
Lucian-Ionel Cioca: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Faculty of Engineering, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Bd. Victoriei No. 10, 550024 Sibiu, Romania

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Non-ferrous metals mining activities have long accompanied people, and began in the study area of South East Europe over 2000 years ago. The environment quality is significantly affected by both historic mining activities and contemporary impacts. All these problems, inducing synergic negative effects on local organism communities, have created a chronic state of pollution. The Corna Valley has one of the oldest historical human impacts in Romania due to the influence of mining. Fish and benthic macroinvertebrates have exhibited significant responses to long term mining effects on lotic systems. The analysis of macroinvertebrate communities, correlated with the lack of fish and some biotope characteristics, indicates that the Corna River presents a variety of categories of ecological status between sectors. The lack of fish reveals the poor ecological conditions. Technical and management solutions are proposed here to diminish the historical environmental problems and to avoid future ecological accidents, especially in an attempt to improve any construction plan concerning a possible new de-cyanidation dam and lake. Fish and benthic macroinvertebrates have exhibited significant responses to long term mining effects on lotic systems. Two management zones were identified, an upper zone which can be used as a reference area and a lower zone, where pollution remedial activities are proposed.

Keywords: human impact; lentic and lotic ecosystems; aquatic macroinvertebrates; fish; threats; risk management; Corna Basin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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