Characterization and assessment of potential environmental risk of tailings stored in seven impoundments in the Aries river basin, Western Romania

Table 6 Limit values according to quality guidelines for inert waste, soil, sediment and water

Parameter	Leaching limit values for inert waste[35]	Soil guidelines for less sensitive use[33]		Sediment quality guideline[34]	Surface water quality standards^a[34]	Threshold value for groundwater[37]
		Threshold	Trigger
	mg kg^-1	mg kg^-1	mg kg^-1	mg kg^-1	mg l^-1	mg l^-1
Al	-	-	-	-	-	0.2^b
Fe	-	-	-	-	0.3–2	0.2^b
Mn	-	2000	4000	-	0.05–1	0.05^b
Ba	20	1000	2000	-	-	-
Zn	4	700	1500	150	0.1–1	5^b
Pb	0.5	250	1000	85	0.005–0.05	0.01^b
Cu	2	250	500	40	0.02–0.1	0.1^b
Ni	0.4	200	500	35	0.01–0.1	0.02^b
Cr	0.5	300	600	100	0.025–0.25	0.05^b
As	0.5	25	50	29	0.01–0.1	0.01^b
Cd	0.04	5	10	0.8	0.0005–0.005	0.005^b
Co	-	100	250	-	-	-
V	-	20	40	-	-	-
Ag	-	200	400	-	-	-
F-	10	-	-	-	-	-
Cl^-	800	-	-	-	25–300	250
SO₄^2-	1000	-	-	-	60–300	310
NO₃⁺	-	-	-	-	1–11.2	50^b
NH₄⁺	-	-	-	-	0.4–3.2	0.7

^a Minimum value-very good ecological status; maximum value-bad ecological status;
^bMAC (Maximum Allowable Concentrations) for drinking water [40].

ISSN: 2661-801X