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Radionuclide concentrations in raw and purified phosphoric acids from Brazil and their processing wastes: implications for radiation exposures

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Abstract

Radionuclides from the U and Th natural series are present in alkaline rocks, which are used as feedstock in Brazil for the production of raw phosphoric acid, which can be considered as a NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material). As a result of the purification of raw phosphoric acid to food-grade phosphoric acid, two by-products are generated, i.e., solid and liquid wastes. Taking this into account, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the fluxes of natural radionuclide in the production of food-grade phosphoric acids in Brazil, to determine the radiological impact caused by ingestion of food-grade phosphoric acid, and to evaluate the solid waste environmental hazards caused by its application in crop soils. Radiological characterization of raw phosphoric acid, food-grade phosphoric acid, solid waste, and liquid waste was performed by alpha and gamma spectrometry. The 238U, 234U, 226Ra, and 232Th activity concentrations varied depending on the source of raw phosphoric acid. Decreasing radionuclides activity concentrations in raw phosphoric acids used by the producer of the purified phosphoric acid were observed as follows: Tapira (raw phosphoric acid D) > Catalão (raw phosphoric acids B and C) > Cajati (raw phosphoric acid A). The industrial purification process produces a reduction in radionuclide activity concentrations in food-grade phosphoric acid in relation to raw phosphoric acid produced in plant D and single raw phosphoric acid used in recent years. The most common use of food-grade phosphoric acid is in cola soft drinks, with an average consumption in Brazil of 72 l per person per year. Each liter of cola soft drink contains 0.5 ml of food-grade phosphoric acid, which gives an annual average intake of 36 ml of food-grade phosphoric acid per person. Under these conditions, radionuclide intake through consumption of food-grade phosphoric acid per year per person via cola soft drinks is not hazardous to human health in Brazil. Considering these annual additions of 238U, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, and since these radionuclide should be homogeneously distributed in the upper 10 cm of soils with an assumed apparent density of 1.5 g/cm3, a maximum increase of 0.19 ± 0.03 Bq kg−1 of soil is expected for 238U and 234U. Thus, the addition of solid waste as phosphate fertilizers to Brazilian agricultural soils does not represent a hazard to the ecosystem or to human health.

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Acknowledgments

This investigation was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo—FAPESP—Brazil (Process No. 2005/59203-1). Dr. Allan Kolker (United States Geological Survey) and three anonymous referees are thanked for comments that helped to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas, UNESP—Univ Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24-A, 1515, CEP 13506-900, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil

    Fabiano Tomazini da Conceição

  2. Departamento de Engenharia Ambienta, UNESP—Univ Estadual Paulista, Avenida Três de Março, 511, CEP 18087-180, Alto da Boa Vista, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil

    Maria Lúcia Pereira Antunes

  3. Departamento de Engenharia de Controle e Automação, UNESP—Univ Estadual Paulista, Avenida Três de Março, 511, CEP 18087-180, Alto da Boa Vista, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil

    Steven F. Durrant

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  1. Fabiano Tomazini da Conceição
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  2. Maria Lúcia Pereira Antunes
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Correspondence to Fabiano Tomazini da Conceição.

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da Conceição, F.T., Antunes, M.L.P. & Durrant, S.F. Radionuclide concentrations in raw and purified phosphoric acids from Brazil and their processing wastes: implications for radiation exposures. Environ Geochem Health 34, 103–111 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-011-9394-2

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