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Radioactivity and Radiological Risk of the Wastes Generated from the Fertilizer Factories of Banglad

Corresponding Author : M. A. Samad (sdphy71@yahoo.com)

Authors : M. L. Ali (sdphy71@yahoo.com), M. I. Ali (sdphy71@yahoo.com), D. Paul (sdphy71@yahoo.com), M. A. Islam (sdphy71@yahoo.com)

Keywords : Activity concentration, HPGe detector, phosphate fertilizer, radiation hazard, annual effective dose

Abstract :

Fertilizer industries, specifically the phosphate fertilizer industries, are important sources of exposure to ionizing radiation of the people and possible contamination of the environment as phosphate fertilizers contain radionuclides of 238U, 232Th decay series as well as radioisotopes of 40K. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were determined in solid and liquid waste samples collected from the six fertilizer (urea and phosphate) factories of Bangladesh. Eight different types of samples were collected, processed and then analyzed by gamma spectrometric technique using a Hyper-Pure Germanium (HPGe) detector of 40% relative efficiency. The analysis of the solid waste samples collected from phosphate fertilizer factories showed the maximum activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K to be 187.49 ± 4.88, 164.62 ± 11.08 and 210.15 ± 90.87 Bq/kg, respectively and that of in the liquid waste samples the values were 6.26 ± 0.63, 37.08 ± 3.30 Bq/l and no 40K detected. As no solid waste is generated in urea fertilizer factories the maximum activity concentrations of 226Ra and 232Th in the liquid wastes were 3.64 ± 0.72, 12.94 ± 2.02 Bq/l respectively and no 40K detected. The study provides a baseline radiological data on the wastes generated from the fertilizer industries of Bangladesh.  

Published on December 30th, 2012 in Volume 20, Issue 3, Applied Sciences and Technology