Radioactivity and fluoride contamination derived from a phosphate fertilizer plant in Egypt

Assessment of radioactive pollution around a fertilizer factory complex in the North-Eastern part of Bangladesh

“…These results are comparatively lower in accordance with previous studies in Egypt (21.5 (15.4-33.8), 14.2 (10.4-19.3), 219 (128-281) Bq.kg -1 ) (Mourad et al, 2009), the Bangladeshi river Karnaphuli 35.9 ± 18.9 (18.4 ± 2.6-85.2 ± 8.4), 65.5 ± 12.2 (50.8 ± 4.2-88.4 ± 7.7), 272 ± 35 (217 ± 15.5-320 ± 21) Bq.kg -1 ) and Sangu (27.8 ± 2.9 (31.9 ± 3.7-24 ± 3.0), 57.5 ± 3.0 (52.4 ± 5.5-61.7 ± 6.7), 255 ± 18 (212 ± 15-292 ± 18) Bq.kg -1 ) and the coastal soil of Chittagong (34.6 ± 20.8 (14.0 ± 0.5-89.2 ± 6.4), 60 ± 29.2 (28.3 ± 2.4-129 ± 10.4), 438 ± 142 (200 ± 22-772 ± 33) Bq.kg -1 ) , a southern district of Bangladesh (42, 81, 833 Bq.kg -1 ) (Chowdhury et al, 2006), the Um Sleimat area of Egypt (77.9 ± 8.7 (45.5 ± 7-130 ± 11), 52.8 ± 7.2 (36.7 ± 6-77.5 ± 9), 1424.9 ± 38 (1299.7 ± 36-1521.6 ± 39) Bq.kg -1 ) (El-Arabi et al, 2007)), Taif in Saudi Arabia (23.8 ± 2.4 (13 ± 1.2-33 ± 3.4), 18.6 ± 1.7 (11 ± 1-27 ± 4.2), 162.8 ± 7.6 (129 ± 5.7-230 ± 11) Bq. Ra,232 Th and 40 K, respectively.…”

“…The presence of elevated levels of Ra, Th and K in fertilizer and in environmental (soil and water) samples around a fertilizer factory complex has been established in several previous studies (OlszewskaWasiolek, 1995;Alam et al, 1997;Khan et al, 1998;Righi et al, 2000;Khater et al, 2001;Bolivar et al, 2002;Ogunleye et al, 2002;El-Bahi et al, 2004;Abbady et al, 2005;Ahmed and El-Arabi, 2005;Saueia et al, 2005;Conceicao and Bonotto, 2006;El-Arabi et al, 2007;El-Aydarous, 2007;Ferdoas et al, 2007; ASSESSMENT OF RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION AROUND A FERTILIZER FACTORY COMPLEX Mourad et al, 2009). The general goal of many studies was to assess the environmental radioactive pollution and radiological impacts caused by a production plant of phosphate fertilizers (Alam et al, 1997;Ogunleye et al, 2002;Abbady et al, 2005;Ahmed and El-Arabi, 2005;Righi et al, 2005;Saueia and Mazzilli, 2006).…”

“…A comparative study of the activity concentrations of 226 Ra,232 Th and 40 K in water samples of the study area with the previous measurements from different countries of the world shows the average activities of 226 Ra are higher than those observed in Egypt (0.58 Bq.L -1 ) (Mourad et al, 2009), the Chittagong Region of Bangladesh (drinking water: 0.043 ± 0.017 Bq.L -1 ) , the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey (tap water: 0.019 Bq.L -1 ) (Cevik et al, 2006), Qena, Egypt (drinking water: 0.048 ± 0.0259 Bq.L -1 , groundwater: 0.07918 ± 0.02886 Bq.L -1 ), Safaga-Quseir, Egypt (drinking water: 0.05624 ± 0.02849 Bq.L -1 , groundwater: 0.11285 ± 0.0333 Bq.L -1 ) (Khalifa, 2004), Tunisia (springs: 0.03404 -3.8961 Bq.L -1 ) (Labidi et al, 2002) and Hungary (bottled mineral water: 0.0999 to 2.997 Bq.L -1 ) (Somlai et al, 2002), while they are lower than those found in the Portuguese rivers Tejo and Duro (16.2 ± 6.7 and 19.8 ± 8.7 Bq.L -1 ), and the Bay of Bengal (surface seawater: 5.4 ± 2.4 to 29.0 ± 8.3 Bq.L -1 ) (Ghose et al, 2000). A very high concentration of 226 Ra was reported in the Ikaria Sea (1200 ± 1000 Bq.L -1 ), French rivers (1 to 730 Bq.L -1 ) and Czechoslovakia (10 to 3800 Bq.L -1 ) (Ghose et al, 2000).…”

“…On the other hand, the average activity of this radionuclide in the area also closely agrees with the Chinese river, Yangtze (2.8-8.9 Bq.L -1 ), a Greek region (1.5 ± 0.3−1.7 ± 0.4 Bq.L -1 ) and the UK (1.3 − 3.1 Bq.L -1 ) (Ghose et al, 2000). The measured activity concentrations of 232 Th (3.82 ± 0.24 Bq.L -1 ) in the same water samples are higher than the previous results from Egypt (0.05 Bq.L -1 ) (Mourad et al, 2009), the Chittagong Region of Bangladesh (drinking water: 0.19 ± 0.05 Bq.L -1 ) , Qena, Egypt and Safaga-Quseir, Egypt (drinking water: 0.02923 ± 0.01665 Bq.L -1 , groundwater: 0.05143 ± 0.0222 Bq.L -1 ) (Khalifa, 2004). The concentration observed for 40 K is higher than that of the reported value from Egypt (0.05 Bq.L -1 ) (Mourad et al, 2009), the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey (tap water: 0.019 Bq.L -1 ) (Cevik et al, 2006) and the Chittagong Region of Bangladesh (drinking water: 4.16 ± 1.58 Bq.L -1 ) .…”

“…Noise, air and water pollution, occupational exposure, etc., are the direct impacts of urbanization and industrialization. Many of these effects are not particularly harmful in isolated contacts, but continued exposure to lowlevel environmental pollution may be a much more serious problem for health and environmental safety (Mourad et al, 2009). …”