Overall natural radioactivity of a phosphate fertilizer industry in Korea

Abstract

The phosphogypsum is produced as a by-product of the manufacturing phosphoric acid or phosphate fertilizer from the phosphate rock on the wet process. In general, it contains relatively high concentrations of uranium series radionuclides such as 226Ra. This study surveyed overall radioactivity of the naturally occurring radionuclides in a facility using phosphate rock and evaluated the impact on the vicinity environment by the phosphogypsum. © 2011 EDP Sciences.