IN-SITU MEASUREMENT OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY IN PHOSPHOGYPSUM DISPOSAL SITE IN KOSOVO

The phosphate fertilizer industry, during the phosphoric acid production, generates typically huge amounts of phosphogypsum. During this process, is already known that 226Ra is concentrated in posphogypsum residues. The former phosphate fertilizer industry in Kosovo has generated in years, approximately 3•105 tons of phosphogypsum residues disposed in the Mitrovica industrial park. In front of the implementation of the new European Union basic safety standard directive, processes involving naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) should be the controlled for (a) the radiation protection monitoring of workers and population and (b) the characterization of such by-products/wastes for recycling. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the use of in-situ measurements as a technique for quick and reliable low cost screening purposes. The full spectrum analysis (FSA) method is checked too for its reliability in the conditions when secular disequilibrium exists in 238U and 232Th decay chains. The results are used to calculate the gamma dose rate and discuss the recycling of this residue in agriculture and construction industry.