Soil Pollution Caused by Landfilling of Nonhazardous Waste from Steel Production Processes

Investigated was the soil at an old metallurgical landfill site of CMC Sisak Ltd. which has been exposed to the direct influence of metallurgical nonhazardous waste for many years. Concentra-tions of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg Ni, Pb, and Zn) after extraction in aqua regia were deter-mined. Heavy metal concentrations, except Hg, were determined by inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-OES, ICP-MS). Concentration of Hg was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Our objective was to assess the pollution level according to the potentially unacceptable risk limit levels for industrially used soil prescribed by the Croatian Soil Monitoring Program, and levels permitted by some EU member countries. The results of heavy metal concentrations in composite samples of landfill soil were also com-pared with the results obtained from the reference sample taken in the nearby park, outside the battery limits. The obtained results qualify the analysed landfill soil as contaminated with Cu according to the legislation of all observed EU countries, with Cd according to the legislation of Italy, Poland, and Belgium (Wallonia), and with Cr according to the legislation of Finland and Poland. To allow future use of the landfill certain measures of soil treatment will be necessary