RA-226 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, prac tically all Ra-226 gets incorporated into phosphogypsum and becomes th e main source of radioactivity. This study was carried out in a fertil izer factory in central Croatia, which may represent a site of signifi cant environmental contamination due to fertilizer production and phos phogypsum deposition in the area. The purpose of this paper was to det ermine whether ingestion of drinking water in this area poses a health risk for the inhabitants. The results of our study confirmed the occu rrence of Ra-226 in elevated concentrations in the samples of tricklin g waters. However, concurrent analyses of drinking water indicated tha t the risk of adverse health effects for the population living in the vicinity of a phosphate fertilizer plant is negligible.