Evaluation of the physicochemical, heavy metal and radiological contamination from phosphogypsum discharges of the phosphoric acid production unit on the coast of El Jadida Province in Morocco

Abstract

This work assesses potential physicochemical, metallic, and radiological contamination of liquid discharges from the phosphoric acid (PA) production unit at the coast of El Jadida Province in Morocco. The physicochemical parameters: pH, conductivity, salinity, turbidity, total hardness, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, and heavy metals were analyzed in PA and beach samples. 238U, 232Th, and 226Ra were determined by gamma spectrometry, the Radon contents were determined using solid state detectors (LR-115). It is concluded that phosphate effluents are strongly acidic with a mean pH-value of 1.8 and that the discharges still contain relatively high levels of fluoride, phosphorus and radiological substances.