This work is a first contribution to the knowledge of natural radionuclides (²²⁶Ra, ²³⁸U, ⁴⁰K, and ²³²Th) activities in phosphate rock (NORM), phosphogypsum, and phosphogypsum foam (TENORM) from the coastal fertilizer plants of Gabes (Southeastern Tunisia) and the assessment of their radiation hazards on human health and the surrounding environment. In the three studied materials, activities were found to be in the range of 35.4 (⁴⁰K)–375.1 (²²⁶Ra), 10.0 (⁴⁰K)–220.2 (²²⁶Ra), and 79.2 (²³²Th)–1168.6 Bq kg⁻¹ (²²⁶Ra), respectively. Considering the studied radionuclides and materials, the corresponding decreasing activity orders were found to be ²²⁶Ra > ²³⁸U > ⁴⁰K > ²³²Th and PGF > PR > PG, respectively. All human health hazard indices exceeded the worldwide recommended safety limits, which show that the workers in Gabes phosphate fertilizer plants as well as the neighboring human community may potentially be exposed to significant radiation, which may cause several diseases and malformations. It is therefore recommended to avoid and/or reduce the potential fertilizer industry radioactive impact in the area.

About 120Mton of phosphogypsum from the fertiliser industry were stack-piled on the salt-marshes of the Tinto river (Spain). This paper investigates the capacity of salt-marshes to attenuate contamination due to downward leaching from phosphogypsum. Solids and pore-waters were characterized at different depths of the pile to reach the marsh-ground. In superficial zones, metals were highly mobile, and no reduced sulphur was found. However, pollutant concentration decreased in the pore-water in deeper oxygen-restricted zones. Metal removal occurred by precipitation of newly formed sulphides, being this process main responsible for the contamination attenuation. Pyrite-S was the main sulphide component (up to 2528mg/kg) and occurred as framboids, leading to high degrees of pyritization (up to 97%). The sulphidization reaction is Fe-limited; however, excess of acid-volatile sulphide over other metals cause precipitation of other sulphides, mainly of Cu and As. This decrease in metal mobility significantly minimises the impact of phosphogypsums on the salt-marshes.

L'analyse de quelques parametres biologiques chez les ouvriers de l'usine d'engrais chimiques ASMIDAL (Algerie), ainsi que chez les habitants d'une cite avoisinante (El Bouni) exposes aux emanations de cette usine, a montre des modifications de ces parametres en signe de contamination par des derives azotes. L'exposition experimentale par ingestion a une dose infraletale de nitrate d'ammonium, derive fabrique par ASMIDAL, a provoque, chez le rat, des modifications similaires a celles trouvees chez les personnes etudiees. Les variations ont concerne les taux d'hemoglobine, de methemoglobine, les globules rouges, les nitrates seriques et urinaires. En outre, on a constate chez le rat des modifications de l'activite de la rate et du foie

This study aims to focus on Pakistan’s fertilizer industry and investigate the causal relationships among environmental consciousness (ECO), green creativity (GCR), green mindfulness (GMD), and energy efficiency (EE), which are all essential mechanisms as well as circumstances that control the situation in well-developed manners. This study consists of a sample regarding four hundred and four (404) employees from seven companies by using partial least squares (PLS) and structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The results indicate that environmental consciousness significantly and positively affects employee energy efficiency directly and indirectly in the presence of green creativity as a mediator. Moreover, the moderating effect of green mindfulness persisted only in the association between energy efficiency and green creativity. In the appropriate literature, this empirical investigation is the first of its kind which does not only provide an organized way to examine the effects of environmental consciousness on energy efficiency but also recommend the most effective means for employees and associations to embrace the best policies. This study has important policy implications for promoting clean production, clean environment, and sustainable development for developed and developing economies.

This study tested for the first time ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios as tracers of rare earth element (REE) sources in semi-terrestrial organisms from a subtropical estuary affected by fertilizer industry activities. The isotopic composition of claw muscles and shells of male crabs (Ucides cordatus) were obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry, and provided contrasting signatures incorporated from the physical components by the biota. Our findings showed that crab shells had isotopic compositions similar to seawater, while the claw muscles incorporated the isotopic signature of sediments contaminated by fertilizer. The isotopic ratios (¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd) proved that the anthropogenic source is transferring contaminants to the crabs, emerging as a reliable tool to diagnose REE pathway and source to the biota in impacted environments.

To obtain a high-quality phosphorus raw material comparable in quality to the best phosphorites used in the fertiliser industry, an analysis was carried out to determine the optimal mass proportions of a meat–bone meal and sewage sludge mixture to be used in a co-combustion process. The ashes obtained contained hydroxyapatite that could be considered a high-quality substitute for phosphorites, with an average P₂O₅ content of 33.5%. These ashes do not contain fluorine compounds, cadmium content is at trace levels and they do not contain the radioactive compounds that are present in trace amounts in all phosphates. The developed process is an example of a production complex using cleaner technologies and circular economy principles on a microeconomic scale.