Impact of Fertilizer Factory Emissions on Radiological Content of Soil: A Study in Upper Egypt

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Author

1 Departments of Physics, Faculty of Science, Baha University, Saudi Arabia

2 Department of Radiation Physics, National Center of Radiation Research and Technology NCRRT, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

This study investigated the potential impact of a fertilizer factory in Upper Egypt on the surrounding soil's radioactivity levels. Gamma-ray spectrometry was used to measure the concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) in soil samples collected near the factory. Additionally, radon gas concentrations were measured, and various radiological hazard indices were calculated. Activity concentrations of 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K varied in the soil samples, ranging from 110.63 to 326.12 Bq/kg for 238U, 172.72 to 582.37 Bq/kg for 226Ra, 25.63 to 189.15 Bq/kg for 232Th, and 252.20 to 713.24 Bq/kg for 40K. Radium equivalent activity, absorbed gamma dose, and external and internal hazard indices exceeded permissible levels. Radon gas concentrations varied from 20.89 to 192.30 Bq/m3, with an average of 104.43 Bq/m3. The calculated effective dose from radon inhalation exceeded the recommended limit. The elevated levels of radioactivity in soil and the high radon gas concentrations suggest a potential health risk for farmers and residents near the fertilizer factory. Further investigations and mitigation strategies may be necessary to ensure the safety of the surrounding population.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Ahmed, NK. (2005). Measurement of natural radioactivity in building materials in Qena city, Upper Egypt. J Environ Radioact; 3: 91–99.
Ajithra, A.K., Venkatraman, B., Jose M.T., Chandrasekar, S., & Shanthi G. (2017). Assessment of natural radioactivity and associated radiation indices in soil samples from the high background radiation area, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. Radiat Protect Environ 40, 27.1. 27-33. https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:49058789
Akhtar, Nasim; Tufail, M; Ashraf, M & Mohsin Iqbal, M. (2005). Measurement of environmental radioactivity for estimation of radiation exposure from saline soil of Lahore, Pakistan. Iqbal, Ra Radiation Measurements 39, Issue 1, 11. doi:10.1016/j. radmeas.2004.02.016.
Allaby, M. (2012). A dictionary of environment and conservation. Oxford University Press.
Abbady, A. (2006). “Level of Natural Radionuclides in Foodstuffs and Resultant Annual Ingestion Radiation Dose,” Nuclear Science and Techniques, Vo1. 17, No. 5, 2006, pp. 297-300.
Al-Masri, M. S., Jaradat, Q. M., & Hudaib, M. (2005). Natural radioactivity levels and dose assessment in building materials used in Jordan. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 81(2-3), 17-26.
Beretka, J, Mathew PJ. (1985). Natural radioactivity of Australian building materials, industrial wastes and by-products. Health Phys.;48(6):87-95.
Cordell, D., McGlade, J., White, S., & Valentin, L. (2019). Global phosphorus flows from production to consumption. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 33(2), 170-205.
El-Taher, A. & Alharbi, A. (2013). Radioactivity levels and assessment of radiological hazards in phosphate fertilizers and associated rocks from Egypt. Life Science Journal, 10(2), 532-539.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) & International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (2022). Manual on the application of the FAO/WHO international standards for food and feed irradiation. Vienna, Austria: IAEA.
Golmakani, S.  Ahabi Moghaddam, V. M.  & Hosseini,T. (2008). “Factors Affecting the Transfer of Radionuclides from the Environment to Plants,” Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Vol. 130, No. 3, pp. 1-8.
Harb, S., El-Kamel, A.H., Abd El-Mageed, A.I., Abbady, A. & Rashed, W. (2014). Radioactivity Levels and Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factor of Natural Radionuclides from Protectorate Area in Aswan, Egypt. World J Nucl Sci Technol 4, 7. doi:10.4236/wjnst.2014.41002.
Hesham, A., Yousef Gehad, M., Saleh, A.H., El-Farrash, A & Hamza, c. (2016). Radon exhalation rate for phosphate rocks samples using alpha track detectors. Volume 9, Issue 1, January, Pages 41-46.
ICRP, (1996). Publication 74, Conversion Coefficients for Use in Radiological Protection against External Radiation, Ann. ICRP 26(3/4).
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (2018). Technical Reports Series No. 473, Reference materials for radionuclides in environmental samples (Second Edition). Vienna, Austria: IAEA.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (2022). Technical Reports Series No. 473, Reference materials for radionuclides in environmental samples (Second Edition). Vienna, Austria: IAEA.
International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). (2017). Publication 132: Radiological protection from cosmic radiation in aviation. Annals of the ICRP. 2017;46(3-4):1-139.
Lutz, W., & Samir, K. (2017). World population dynamics: Demographic trends in a complex world. World Scientific.
Majeed, A. A., & Abu-Khader, M. M. (2014). Determination of natural radioactivity in environmental samples using high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 299(1), 49-57.
McNeill, J. R. (2000). Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth Century. W.W. Norton & Company.
Mohammad, W. Kadi & Dheyab, A. Al-Eryani. (2012). Natural Radioactivity and Radon Exhalation in Phosphate Fertilizers. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering volume 37, pages225–231.
Nada, A., Abd-ElMaksoud, T.M., Abu-Zeid, H.M., El-Nagar, T. & Awad, S. (2009). Distribution of radionuclides in soil samples from a petrified wood forest in El-Qattamia, Cairo, Egypt. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 67, 643.
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). (2014). Report No. 164: Evaluation of screening models used for assessing the radiological impact of uranium mining and milling operations. Bethesda, MD, USA: NCRP; 2014.
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). (2009). Recommendations on limits for exposure to ionizing radiation. NCRP Report No. 160. Bethesda, MD: NCRP.
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). (2014). Report No. 164: Evaluation of screening models used for assessing the radiological impact of uranium mining and milling operations. Bethesda, MD, USA: NCRP; 2014.
UNSCEAR (2008). Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. United Nation Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation Sources to the General Assembly with Annexes, Report to the General Assembly, with Scientific Annexes, New York: United Nations Publication.
UNSCEAR (2000). United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation (Volume I). New York: United Nations.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2019). Global Environment Outlook 7. Synthesis Report. Nairobi, Kenya: UNEP.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). WHO handbook on indoor radon: A public health perspective. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO.
World Nuclear Association (WNA). (2022). World Uranium Mining. London, UK: WNA.
Worster, D. (1994). Nature’s Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas. Cambridge University Press.
Yanagisawa, K. Muramatsu Y. & Kamada, H. (1992). “Tracer Experiments on the Transfer of Technetium from soil to Rice and Wheat Plants,” Radioisotopes, Vol. 41,  pp. 397-402.
Pollution
Volume 10, Issue 2
May 2024
Pages 790-807

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics