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

Abstract 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.