Natural radioactivity levels in phosphate fertilizer and its environmental implications in Assuit governorate, Upper Egypt

697-702The contents of natural radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) were measured in phosphate and super phosphate used and product in Assuit fertilizer factory in upper Egypt by using low level gamma spectrometry. Phosphate is the main material used for the fertilizers. The phosphate samples were collected from El-Sebayia, Abo Tartour and El-Shaghab. The results are discussed and compared with the levels in phosphate rocks from different countries. The average values obtained for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K activity concentration in different types of phosphate are lower than the corresponding global values reported in UNSCAIR publications. The obtained results show that the averages of radiation hazard parameters for the phosphate and super phosphate are lower than the acceptable level 370 Bq.kg-1 for radium equivalent Raeq, 1 for level index Iγr, the external hazard index Hex ≤ 1 and 59 (nGy.h-1) for absorbed dose rate