Atmospheric Deposition of Copper and Zinc in Maramures County (Romania)

The need to reduce pollution to levels that minimize adverse effects on human health involve the monitoring of air quality, including dry depositions and their metal content. The analysis of these parameters aims to investigate the air quality in Maramures County (with nonferrous mining activities) and in the Romanian - Ukraine transboundary area. The paper presents the experimental results obtained for dry atmospheric deposition of copper and zinc using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The samples were collected from four location/cities of Maramures County (Baia Mare, Sighetu Marmatiei, Viseu de Sus and Borsa) during May-October 2014. The highest average values of copper concentration in the dry depositions were found in Baia Mare (199.88 µg/g), that is the most important industrial centre in Maramures County, followed by Borsa (111.49 µg/g), that used to be a nonferrous mining centre. In Viseu de Sus and Sighetu Marmatiei the average concentrations of copper in the dry depositions were lower: 75.63 µg/g and 64.26 µg/g, respectively. Zn average concentrations in dry depositions were 6.4-12 times higher than Cu concentrations. In Viseu de Sus and Borsa relative high values of Pearson correlation coefficients between the logarithm of Cu and Zn content in the dry deposition were found (0.702 and 0.737, respectively) estimating that both pollutants in the ambient air have the same sources, probably the re-suspension of the dust from the tailing ponds. This study is implemented within the frame of ENPI Cross-border Cooperation Programme Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine 2007-2013, in the project Clean Air Management in the Romania-Ukraine Transboundary Area - (CLAMROUA), financed by the European Union.