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Uranium and trace elements in phosphate fertilizers--Saudi Arabia.
1Physics Department, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Khater_ashraf@yahoo.com
Health Physics
|December 3, 2011
Summary
Phosphate fertilizers can pollute the environment. This study measured uranium and other elements in fertilizer samples, finding significant variations and recommending standardized reporting to assess agricultural impacts.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Agricultural Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Manufactured phosphate fertilizers (PF) are significant sources of environmental pollution.
- Agricultural applications of PF contribute to soil and water contamination.
- Understanding elemental composition of PF is crucial for assessing environmental risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the quality of phosphate fertilizers based on physical form (granular vs. powder) and manufacturer (local vs. imported).
- To quantify the activity concentration of uranium-238 and trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se) in PF.
- To estimate the potential hazardous impacts of long-term phosphate fertilization on the environment.
Main Methods:
- Collection of composite phosphate fertilizer (PF) samples in different physical forms.
- Measurement of 238U activity concentration using gamma-ray spectrometry.
- Quantification of trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se) using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).
Main Results:
- Significant variations in the concentrations of uranium and other trace elements were observed across different PF samples.
- Elemental concentrations varied based on physical form and manufacturer origin.
- Calculated annual addition of these elements to soil via phosphate fertilization.
Conclusions:
- Phosphate fertilizers exhibit considerable variability in elemental content, necessitating careful quality evaluation.
- Recommends expressing trace element concentrations per unit of phosphorus for globally normalized data.
- Highlights the need for further studies on the accumulation of uranium and trace elements in Saudi Arabian soil and groundwater.
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