Correlation Analysis of Heavy Metal Concentrations in the Tailing Dumps Branch 1 and 2 Lupeni Using Pearson Coefficient Matrix

In the context of growing concerns related to the impact of mining activities on the environment, the present study focuses on the analysis of the correlations between the concentrations of heavy metals in Branch 1 and 2 tailing dumps in Lupeni, using Pearson correlation coefficient matrix. Tailing dumps from mining activity can be significant sources of soil contamination with heavy metals. In this work, the waste dumps Branch 1 and 2 were taken as a case study. This dump has been inactive for about 7 years and is the result of the exploitation of the waste from Lupeni mine located in the Jiu Valley. In this study, soil samples from the two branches of the tailing dump were collected and analyzed to determine heavy metal concentrations. Using Pearson correlation coefficient, statistical relationships between the concentrations of these heavy metals were calculated, providing a detailed matrix of correlations between them. This statistical analysis can help develop more effective remediation and management strategies, lessening the long-term impact of mining activities on the environment and human health.