226Ra and possible water contamination due to phosphate fertilizer production

The raw material used in the production of fetilizers is phosphate ore containing various amounts of naturally radioactive elements. During phosphate ore processing, owing to chemical properties of radium, practically all²²⁶Ra gets incorporated into phosphogypsum and becomes the main source of radioactivity. This study was carried out in a fertilizer factory in central Croatia, which may represent a site of significant environmental contamination due to fertilizer production and phosphogypsum deposition in the area. The purpose of this paper was to determine whether ingestion of drinking water in this area poses a health risk for the inhabitants. The results of our study confirmed the occurrence of²²⁶Ra in elevated concentrations in the samples of trickling waters. However, concurrent analyses of drinking water indicated that the risk of adverse health effects for the population living in the vicinity of a phosphate fertilizer plant is negligible.