Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 12
R
ADIOLOGICAL
I
MPACT OF
F
ERTILIZERS
:
P
RODUCTION AND
U
SE
J. Guillén
*
, A. Baeza, A. Salas, J. G. Muñoz and A. Muñoz
LARUEX, University of Extremadura, Spain
A
BSTRACT
The production of fertilizers based on phosphate is considered a Naturally Occurring
Radioactive Material (NORM) industry. The raw materials involved in it are not
radioactive per se, but the content of naturally occurring radionuclides (uranium, thorium,
and their descendants in the decay chain) in it is high or it can be enhanced during the
industrial processes involved. Therefore the fertilizers produced and some by-product and
wastes generated, such as phosphogypsum, have enhanced contents of those
radionuclides. Their accumulation and disposal can pose radiological hazards. The use of
fertilizers in agriculture provides plant not only with essential nutrients needed for their
growth, but also the radionuclides present in them can be uptaken and distributed within
the plant. The intensive use of fertilizers can also observed in rivers close to areas in
which intensive farming is carried out. The run-off waters can enhance the levels of
inorganic compounds in these waters and their uranium content, which can surpass the
impact of other NORM industries in the area. Fertilizers can also be used as part of
remediation projects to reduce the uptake of anthropogenic radionuclides deposited as a
consequence of nuclear accidents. It is based on the saturation of the plant with stable
cations chemically analogues to the radionuclides. In the case of radiocaesium, the use of
potassium based fertilizers reduced the plant uptake.
Keywords
: NORM, uranium, radium, phosphogypsum, natural radioactivity
Search WWH ::
Custom Search