[en] The fertilizer industry related to the whole chain of production, storage, transport and use causes a potential pollution of air, water, soil and vegetation. A local sampling monitoring network was developed around Turnu Magurele fertilizer plant in Romania. Samples of mosses, soil, tree leaves and crops were analyzed by neutron activation analysis for more than 35 chemical components. This paper reports the distribution of 39 trace elements in the moss-biomonitor Hypnum cupresiforme used to study atmospheric deposition in the examined area. The results obtained evidence a local pollution of the area exposed to the emissions of the phosphate fertilizer local industry, following a gradient along the Danube River wind rose profile. The vegetation input of trace elements from soil is compared with inputs from atmospheric deposition, and these inputs were evaluated in relation to the vegetation content. The study established that cadmium, strontium and rare earth are the major elements as the fertilizer plant input is regarded. (authors)

[en] Elemental concentrations of soil samples collected in the vicinity of a Romanian fertilizer plant were determined by EDXRF and long half-life INAA. Lower limits of detection, obtained for various elements in soil by EDXRF technique with radioactive excitation sources (²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am) and a HPGe detector are presented. Spurious effects characteristic for Ge detector X-ray spectrometry are evaluated and discussed, and methods to overcome this drawback are suggested. Special care was taken to subtract from the spectra the Ge K_α and K_β X-ray escape effect. The contents of pollutant elements found in the soils are compared with the admissible levels. (author)

[en] The elemental contents of soil samples collected around a fertilizer plant in Romania within a pollution control study were investigated. An analytical method was developed based on the Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) technique with a Ge(HP) detector and with radioactive excitation sources. To test the method, the observed concentrations of elements were compared with those obtained for the same material by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). The detection limits for various elements are given for the two methods. Assets of the EDXRF method include its relatively low cost, simplicity and rapidity

[en] The fertilizer industry related to the whole chain of production, storage, transport and use causes a potential pollution of air, water, soil and vegetation. A local sampling monitoring network was developed around Turnu Magurele fertilizer plant in Romania. Samples of mosses, soil, tree leaves and crops were analyzed by neutron activation analysis for more than 35 chemical components. This paper reports the distribution of 39 trace elements in the moss-bio monitor Hypnum cuppresiforme used to study atmospheric deposition in the examined area. The results obtained evidence for a local pollution of the area exposed to the emissions of the phosphate fertilizer local industry, following a gradient along the Danube River wind rose profile. The vegetation input of trace elements from soil is compared with inputs from atmospheric deposition, and these inputs were evaluated in relation to the vegetation content. The study established that cadmium, strontium and rare earths are the major elements as regards fertilizer input. (authors)

[en] Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was used to determine various trace elements in crop vegetation (potato, carrot and maize) grown around a phosphate fertilizer plant in Romania. INAA using long-lived radionuclides was applied at NIPNE in Bucharest, and based on short-lived radionuclides at JINR in Dubna. The results for Na, Mg, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, As, and Hg were compared with Romanian norms for the alimentary products, as well as with literature data. Concentration ratios to control samples for both soil and crop as well as concentration factors of crop to host soil were assessed. (author)

[en] Full text: Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) was used to determine various trace elements in crop vegetation (potato, carrot, and maize) grown around a phosphate fertiliser plant in Romania. INAA using long-lived radionuclides was applied at NIPNE in Bucharest, and based on short-lived radionuclides at JINR in Dubna. The results for Na, Mg, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, As, and Hg were compared with Romanian norms for the food products, as well as with literature data. Concentration ratios to control samples for both soil and crop as well as concentration factors of crop to host soil were assessed. Relative to the control zone, significantly higher concentrations were found for various elements in carrot and potato, and to a lower degree also in maize grown in the vicinity of the fertiliser plant. Both potato and carrot pulp were found to accumulate Sc, Fe, Th, Ce, Cr, Cs, Sb, and Hf, their concentration ratio to control samples ranging between 2.1 (Sb) and 51 (Sc) for the potato and ranging between 1.6 (Hf) and 137 (Sc) for carrot samples. In addition, carrot pulp was found to accumulate Co, As, Sm, Tb, Ta, La, Se, U, Eu, Ca, Ag, Zn, Sr, Br, K, and Na (concentration ratios between 1.4 for Na and 78 for Co). Fe, Mg, Mn, Ca, Cl, and K concentrations in carrot pulp, as well as Fe and Cl in potato pulp were found to exceed the normal levels. As, Zn, and Hg concentrations in potato and carrot pulp were found to be lower than the maximum allowable levels in Romania (except for As in carrot pulp which was 1.5 times higher). In the vicinity of the fertiliser plant ratios below unity were determined for Br, Cs, and Rb in all maize samples examined (except for cob from zone 2, which showed near to unity ratios for Cs and Rb). (author)

[en] Main results obtained by INAA in some ongoing research projects in Romania are presented in this paper. Air pollution was examined in six industrial locations and a background site using transplant lichen bioaccumulators, aerosol filters and bulk deposition. Environmental impact of a phosphate fertiliser plant was investigated on soil and vegetation collected around the plant, as well as workplace air and tap water. Modifications of trace element concentrations in four types of tumoral skin tissues were assessed relative to normal tissue. INAA was applied at NIPNE in Bucharest, IRI-TU Delft and JINR Dubna. (author)