Publications by authors named "Jose-Maria Abril"
Phosphogypsum (PG) is a by-product of the phosphate fertilizer industries that contains relatively high concentrations of uranium series radionuclides. The US-EPA regulates the agriculture use of PG, attending to its (226)Ra content and to the (222)Rn exhalation rate from inactive stacks. Measurements of (222)Rn exhalation rates in PG stacks typically show a large and still poorly understood spatial and temporal variability, and the published data are scarce.
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- Phosphogypsum (PG) is a by-product from phosphate fertilizer production, used to reduce sodium saturation in reclaimed marsh soils in southwestern Spain, where it shows specific radioactivity levels of (226)Ra and (238)U.
- A three-year field experiment found no significant difference in radioactive enrichment in reclaimed soils with two PG applications compared to non-amended soils, but a notable enrichment of (226)Ra was seen at the surface of reclaimed soils.
- Analysis of tomato fruits from farms with varying PG application rates showed higher cadmium concentrations, positively correlated with (226)Ra levels in the soil, indicating potential risks associated with long-term PG use in agriculture.
Phosphogypsum (PG) is a residue of the phosphate fertilizer industry that has relatively high concentrations of 226Ra and other radionuclides. Thus, it is interesting to study the effect of PG applied as a Ca amendment on the levels and behavior of radionuclides in agricultural soils. A study involving treatments with 13 and 26 Mg ha(-1) of PG and 30 Mg ha(-1) of manure was performed, measuring 226Ra and U isotopes in drainage water, soil, and plant samples.
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