Soil Contamination and Related Ecological Risks: Complex Analysis of the Defor Petrila Tailings Dump, Romania

Assessing the risks associated with waste disposal is essential for environmental protection and sustainable development, especially given concerns about the impact of industrial activities on the environment. This study analyses soil contamination in the Defor Petrila tailings-dump area caused by the deposition of waste material resulting from coal exploitation. To characterise the heavy-metal contamination in detail, we applied a comprehensive methodology that includes the calculation of the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (Cf), and potential ecological risk index (PERI), along with an analysis of the heavy-metal concentration isolines and a statistical analysis using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results reveal varying levels of heavy-metal concentrations, as indicated by the calculated indices. The findings underscore the need for remediation and ongoing monitoring to mitigate the environmental impacts. This study provides a scientific basis for decision making in environmental management and highlights the importance of assessing mining-waste disposal near human settlements using various contamination-assessment methods.