Investigation of the radiological impact on the coastal environment surrounding a fertilizer plant

摘要

This investigation was carried out in order to assess the marine environmental radioactive pollution and the radiological impact caused by a large production plant of phosphate fertilizer, located in the Lebanese coastal zone. Natural radionuclides (~(238)U, ~(235)U, ~(232)Th, ~(226)Ra, ~(210)Po, ~(210)Pb, ~(40)K) and anthropogenic ~(137)Cs were measured by alpha and gamma spectrometry in seawater, sediment, biota and coastal soil samples collected from the area impacted by this industry. The limited environmental monitoring program within 2 km of the plant indicates localized contamination with radionuclides of the uranium decay chain mainly due to the transport, the storage of raw materials and the free release of phosphogypsum waste.