An Environmental Impact Study of Jamuna Urea Fertilizer Factory at

Abstract

The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K have been determined in solid and liquid samples collected from the Jamuna Urea Fertilizer Factory, Tarakandi, Jamalpur, Bangladesh. Six different types of samples, namely, i) the liquid waste water stored inside the factory ii) water sample near the liquid waste disposal point of Jamuna river iii) liquid-waste-mixed soil iv) normal soil adjacent to the factory v) the final product (Urea) and vi) urea dust of the factory have been analyzed by gamma spectrometric technique using a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector of 40% relative efficiency. The activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra was determined from the average concentrations of the ²¹⁴Pb and ²¹⁴Bi decay products, the activity concentration of ²³²Th was determined from the average concentrations of ²⁰⁸Tl and ²²⁸Ac, whereas the concentration of ⁴⁰K was measured directly. The analysis of the liquid waste samples showed that the average activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th were 3.64 ± 0.72 and 12.94 ± 2.02 Bq/L, respectively and no ⁴⁰K was detected in any of the samples. In the liquid-waste-mixed soil samples the average value of activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K were 21.45 ± 3.19, 63.00 ± 8.10 and 311.97 ± 90.93 Bq/kg, respectively whereas in the normal soil the values were 20.97 ± 3.56, 61.77 ± 8.93 and 645.48 ± 103.62 Bq/kg, respectively. Considering the stored wastes as a part of the ambient environment of the factory, radium equivalent activity, radiation hazard index and external annual effective dose to the worker and the public due to these wastes were calculated and compared with the world average values.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v4i2.10131

J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 4(2): 27-33, 2011