Application of Doehlert experimental design for the removal of radium from aqueous solution by cross-linked phenoxycalix[4]pyrrole-polymer using Ba(II) as a model.

Ra-226 is a naturally occurring radionuclide that is derived from uranium-238 series, and it is present at low concentrations in rocks, soil, and groundwater. Many efforts have been exerted for the decontamination of radium from aqueous media in order to meet the increasing water demand of the population. To this aim, a new polymer based on cross-linked phenoxycalix[4]pyrrole was designed and employed in solid/liquid extractions in order to remove radium from aqueous solutions.

Bioaccessibility and radioisotopes of lead in soils around a fertilizer industry in Lebanon.

The use of phosphate ore by fertilizer industries is considered a major source of soil contamination by trace metals and radionuclides. Despite its low mobility and bioavailability, lead (Pb) is among soil contaminants that pose a serious risk to human health. This study evaluates the potential impact of a fertilizer factory in North Lebanon on the total content of Pb and the activity concentration of its radioisotopes in residential, non-agricultural lands around the industry, as well as its mobility and bioaccessibility in soil samples collected at different depths.