Radioactivity Studies in Fertilizers Used in Delta Region of Mississippi State.

Usage of Fertilizers is one of the common practices employed in the agriculture industry to increase the production rate of farm products. Some of these fertilizers may consist small amounts of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) depending on the type of rock (phosphate or potassium) used in the manufacturing process. Though the concentration of NORM isotopes present in these fertilizers may not be significant, their usage over years has a possibility of creating an environmental hazard. One of the most fertile lands in the country, the Delta Region of Mississippi, covers the northwest and west-central portion of the state and extends approximately over 5,294,730 acres of land. Within this Delta region, it is approximated that 4,808,760 acres is privately owned and primarily used for farming purposes. A study was performed to understand the radionuclide concentration (primarily NORM) in fertilizers commonly used in the Delta Region of Mississippi state. As part of this study, twenty fertilizer samples (ten potassium and ten phosphate based) available in the market were collected and were analyzed for various gamma emitters (especially Ra-226 and K-40) using gamma spectroscopic techniques. The data presented will include information on the identified isotopes and their concentration in fertilizers used in the region of interest. This study may provide a template to interested individuals on the levels of radiation in fertilizers.