In the Mănăila alpine area, the soil layer developed in situ on top of the sericite-schists, which belong to the Tulghes 3 metamorphic unit. The aim of the present work was to determine the degree of soil formation using both mineralogical and geochemical exploration methods. XRD, FTIR and SEM-EDS results showed that the soil constituents were dioctahedral 2:1 minerals, quartz, chlorite, Na-feldspar, rutire and ilmenite. Mainly illite and secondarily mixed-layer minerals were considered to be the most likely minerals resulting from the transformation of sericite and chlorite under acidic alpine conditions. Geochemical modeling inferred the dominance of illite and the presence of smectite as a chlorite alteration product. The weathering indices supported the moderate stage of the soil development agreeing with mineralogical observations. Because of the abundance of sericite and quartz in the parent material, the soil formation was retarded, and its present composition is still related to the bedrocks.

The investigated area belongs to the Mn metamorphosed ore chain along the Bistriţa Mountains in Eastern Carpathians. Over time, mining waste accumulated and underwent physico-chemical changes. A particular situation of sampling area consists of ore-roasting furnace tailings, abandoned without extensive reclamation. The study included the control soil and Technosol associated with tailings. XRD and XRF methods were applied for mineralogical and geochemical characterization of the two soil categories. The rare minerals of Mn (sonolite, hodgkinsonite, bustamite, braunite, ardenite, nimite and pyrosmalite) were identified. Pedogenetic effects were reflected by the presence of clay minerals (illite-montmorillonite; chlorite-montmorilonite; montmorillonite). The geochemical indices and mass balance were applied for soil maturity degree evaluation. The average CIA (76.60) and MIA (70.29) in control soil and CIA (73.12) and MIA (67.79) respectively for Technosol denoted that the soil achieved an intermediate to advance state of evolution. Mass balance also inferred these weathering state of soil due to the depletion of Ca > Mg > Na > K. The compositional peculiarity was determined by Mn high abundance (averages of: 1,894 mg/kg in control soil; 23,421 mg/kg in Technosol). The Mn risk of contamination in Technosol evaluated by the means of metal enrichment index (MEI) was very high (10.28–21.71), but the ecological risk (E_i) was low (< 40). The quality of control soil in relation with Mn enrichment did not require any monitoring program. Only Technosol could induce ecological risk over time.

In the present study, the salinization trends of different soil types from a small hydrographic basin situated in NE Romania (Roșior basin) are investigated. The climatic conditions are favorable for long dry summers and intensive evaporation. The soils are developed on immature evolved clay sediments, as revealed by geochemical analysis. The salinity varies among soil types, attaining maximum values for Solonetz with total dissolved salts (TDS) between 1165.75 to 1881.25 mg/L. The aqueous solutions are represented by natural water and soil solution. The hydrogeochemical facies of the natural waters change from HCO₃⁻—Mg²⁺ in the upper basin to SO₄²⁻—Na⁺ in the middle or lower basin. The soil solution is moderately or strongly salinized and shows anionic variations from HCO₃⁻ to SO₄²⁻ in the studied profiles, whereas Na⁺ is always the main cation. The concentrations of Na⁺ and SO₄²⁻ evolve simultaneously. Raman spectroscopic exploration of the white efflorescences, which occur on topsoil, reveals the presence of thenardite as the dominant phase. The composition of soil solution results from both the ionic exchange and evaporation processes. The nature of soil solution mineralization and summer temperatures are two main factors that interact and promote the thenardite precipitation. The soil salinization induces negative effects on crop nutrition, impacting further the crop yields. The results of this study can be extrapolated to larger areas formed on Sarmatian sedimentary deposits affected by salinization processes.

This study evaluated potentially toxic element (PTEs) contamination (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in soil and grapevine leaves across 36 sites in a historical vineyard near Iași, Romania, transitioning toward residential development. Soil samples were analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), while leaf tissues collected during the véraison stage (mid-August) underwent microwave-assisted acid digestion followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Soil analyses revealed that average concentrations of Cr, Ni, and Pb exceeded national normal legal thresholds, while Cu and As surpassed alert permissible limits. Contamination factor ($CF$) and Geoaccumulation Index ($I_{geo}$) metrics confirmed significant anthropogenic Cu enrichment from historical viticultural treatments. Soil-to-leaf transfer factors ($TF$) approached or exceeded 1 for Cu and Zn, though grapevine was not identified as a hyperaccumulator. Spearman correlation modeling demonstrated a statistical decoupling between soil concentrations and foliar tissue levels for Cu ($r_s=-0.21$) and Zn ($r_s=0.075$), confirming that canopy accumulation is governed by historical agrochemical spraying and atmospheric deposition rather than root-driven uptake. Conversely, Pb ($r_s=0.43$) exhibited a moderate direct soil-to-leaf pathway. The potential ecological risk ($PER$) index indicated moderate-to-considerable cumulative risk, primarily driven by Cu ($E_{Cu}=68.64$) and Cd ($E_{Cd}=59.17$). Human health risk assessments established direct ingestion as the primary exposure pathway, with current non-carcinogenic hazards remaining within tolerable limits ($HI<1$). However, the proposed residential conversion increases exposure risks for vulnerable cohorts, underscoring the necessity of systematic soil screening and remediation prior to land redevelopment.