Second round of testing for fito-remedial solutions in mining areas

Experts engaged in the project NETMIN test the efficiency of cultivating plants for depolluting soil in mining areas from Banat region. Two bioindicator plants Hordeum vulgare L-Hordeum hexastihon L (barley) and Silphium perfoliatum (cup plant) are selected for this study. The barley is already tested for the third round, while the cup plant is prepared for the first testing and the second harvest is ready to be processed. The soil samples were collected from mining tailings in former metalliferous mining regions, biometric measurements being carried out during the vegetation period of the two types of plants. At the end of the vegetation period, the plants were separated and dried at room temperature. The dried plants were separated into roots and strain and then calcined. The soil and ash samples were mineralized, determining heavy metals concentration by atomic absorption spectrometry. The research aims to determine the characteristics of the bioremediation process, by observing the variation of heavy metals in the plant because of the accumulation process. Depending on the results, the experts will propose the most effective solutions for improving the quality of soil in former mining areas in Timis and Caras-Severin counties, looking into the possibility of expanding the model over all areas where metalliferous mines have been closed, but where the pollution caused by mining activities is still a heavy burden.