The studied area is placed south of the copper plant Baia Mare and was under the impact of gaseous emissions for many years. Heavy metals pollution and landslide caused by pedogenetic conditions were the factors that led to the limitation of land use for agriculture. Based on the physical and chemical characteristics and soil composition profile there were identified these types of soil: eutricambosol, typical luvosol, stagnic, gleyic luvosol and aluviosols. Lead concentration value is between 32-165ppm with high frequency values exceeding 100 ppm, the allowable maximum limit (100 ppm) for lead is exceeded by 1.14 – 1.65 times. Lead concentrations increase in close proximity of copper plant (425-995ppm). Copper concentrations are between 28-118ppm and at present the maximum frequency is below the allowable maximum values within the territory of Groşi locality for all the soils type. Copper concentrations between 54-750ppm, with the value frequency of over 100 ppm, are representative of soils in the area adjacent to the metallurgical plant. On the Groşi territory locality the Cu show concentration elevated above background. Zinc concentrations within the Groşi locality are between 89-308ppm. Zinc concentrations between 252-1325ppm are greater in the region adjacent to Baia Mare metallurgical plant. Cadmium concentrations do not exceed the allowable maximum value in the area of Groşi locality (0.7ppm) but in the area nearby metallurgical plant the excessive concentrations (1.20-9.44ppm) exceed the alert and intervention thresholds. Determinations by X-ray diffraction have emphasized the existence of montmorillonite and allophane in the clay fraction associated with hidromuscovite, feldspar and quartz. Low note of bonitate are due to gleyization and pseudogleyization and pollution from human activities and in particular the metallurgical industry. If used as grassland, the grades levels are between 58-81 and fall within the class III of bonitate and I class.

THE SOILS QUALITY FROM THE SOUTHERN - EASTERN PART OF BAIA MARE ZONE AFFECTED BY METALLURGICAL INDUSTRY