The possibility of the phosphogypsum use in the production of brick: Radiological and structural characterization

Predrag Kuzmanović; Nataša Todorović; Dušan Mrđa; Sofija Forkapić; Leposava Filipović Petrović; Bojan Miljević; Jan Hansman; Jovana Knežević

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125343

The possibility of the phosphogypsum use in the production of brick: Radiological and structural characterization

J Hazard Mater. 2021 Jul 5:413:125343. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125343. Epub 2021 Feb 6.

Authors

Predrag Kuzmanović¹, Nataša Todorović², Dušan Mrđa², Sofija Forkapić², Leposava Filipović Petrović³, Bojan Miljević⁴, Jan Hansman², Jovana Knežević²

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 4, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; Academy of Professional Studies Šabac, Department of Medical and Business-Technological Studies, Laboratory for Physics, Hajduk Veljkova 10, 15000 Šabac, Serbia. Electronic address: predrag.kuzmanovic@df.uns.ac.rs.
² Faculty of Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 4, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
³ Academy of Professional Studies Šabac, Department of Medical and Business-Technological Studies, Laboratory for Physics, Hajduk Veljkova 10, 15000 Šabac, Serbia.
⁴ Faculty of Technology, Department of Materials Engineering, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar Cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.

PMID: 33621775
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125343

Abstract

In this paper, phosphogypsum (PG) with the content of ²²⁶Ra of about 500 Bq kg^-1 was used as a clay additive in mass ratios of (0-40) % and its influence on the radiological and mineralogical characteristics of the obtained brick samples was monitored. After sintering the samples at 1000 ℃, the formation of the mineral phase gehlenite was observed, and its share increased with the share of PG in the samples. The Monte Carlo method was used to determine the gamma dose rates, and consequently annual effective dose, for a standard room, with dimensions 4 × 5 × 2.8 m, whose walls were built of brick with PG. The obtained values were in the range (0.22-0.35) mSv y^-1. In addition, the active device RAD7 was used to determine the radon surface exhalation rates from the samples, which were found to be in the range (63-150) mBq m^-2 h^-1. The estimated indoor radon concentrations were found to be drastically lower than 100 Bq m^-3, leading to low radon inhalation doses. However, estimated annual effective doses from external gamma exposure were found not to be insignificant.

Keywords: Brick; Monte Carlo simulation; Phosphogypsum; Radioactivity; Radon; Recycling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't