Mining activities often generate important amounts of extractive waste, and, as a consequence, environmental impacts that affect all factors to a greater or lesser extent. Depending on a variety of variables, the impact can be permanent or temporary, reversible or irreversible, negative or positive. This study conducted research on the status of closure and remediation processes of mining areas in Romania, specifically in the counties of Maramureș, Suceava, Harghita, Alba, Hunedoara and Caraș-Severin. Furthermore, based on the type and level of pollution, the degree of application of remediation techniques for water and soil pollution in the investigated mining areas was studied. From the analysed information, it is evident that although the closure and remediation process started in Romania over 20 years ago, unfortunately, to this day, the technical projects, technical assistance, and execution of closure and remediation works have not yet completely solved the complex environmental issues in the mining sector. Most of the tailing ponds and waste piles of former mines continue to pose permanent specific risks to the environment and the population. This study concludes that the mining sector in Romania, although it has the necessary techniques and technologies for the ecological rehabilitation of degraded lands related to the Extractive Waste Facilities and the elimination of negative impacts on the environment and public health, has not yet been able to fully concretize its remediation efforts.

Mining activities often generate important amounts of extractive waste, and as a consequence, environmental impacts that affects all factors to a greater or lesser extent. Depending on a variety of variables, the impact can be permanent or temporary, reversible or irreversible, negative or positive. This study conducted research on the status of closure and remediation processes of mining areas in Romania, specifically in the counties of Maramureș, Suceava, Harghita, Alba, Hunedoara, and Caraș-Severin. Furthermore, based on the type and level of pollution, the degree of application of remediation techniques for water and soil pollution in the investigated mining areas was studied. From the analysed information, it is evident that although the closure and remediation process started in Romania over 20 years ago, unfortunately, to this day, the technical projects, technical assistance, and execution of closure and remediation works have not yet completely solved the complex environmental issues in the mining sector. Most of the tailing ponds and waste piles of former mines continue to pose permanent specific risk to the environment and the population. This study concludes that the mining sector in Romania, although it has the necessary techniques and technologies for the ecological rehabilitation of degraded lands related to the Extractive Waste Facilities and the elimination of negative impacts on the environment and public health, has not yet been able to fully concretize its remediation efforts.

The contamination of the Lower Danube Basin with trace elements has been the subject of intense study in recent years, with several pollution indices being employed for the assessment of water, soil, and sediment quality. Most pollution indices are calculated by comparing the measured concentration to a reference value, with different values from various sources being used. In this study, the threshold values for trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in Romania were selected based on the median of their concentration in stream sediment from 167 locations, which were carefully selected to be far from contamination sources. The threshold values were established based on a calculation starting from the geochemical concentration presented in the Geochemical Atlas of Romania (scale: 1:3,000,000, developed in 2006 by a collaborative Romanian-German team). By using these thresholds, pollution indices were calculated for nine sampling locations, from which suspended sediment, bottom sediment, and active floodplain sediment samples were collected and analyzed in an accredited laboratory. Most of the selected thresholds were found to be below the limits for sediments established by Romanian legislation, except for Cr and Ni, the higher values of which are consistent with the specific geological background of the country and the broader Balkan region.

Nutrient pollution of surface waters is a challenge of the modern society, leading to the occurrence of the eutrophication phenomenon which limits the uses of the aquatic resources for various purposes. The aim of this study was the evaluation of water and sediment status of the Plumbuita Lake (Bucharest-Romania), focusing on phosphorous speciation (phosphorous bonded to iron and aluminium, phosphorous bonded to calcium, and soluble and loosely sorbed phosphorous bonded to carbonate) and dynamics as this element has a significant contribution to algal bloom. The results reported herein will allow the understanding and control of the processes that take place within the water body and support the appropriate techniques for the mitigation of water polluted mitigation with phosphorus-based compounds.