Study of pollution in the El Jadida-Safi Atlantic coastal zone (Morocco) by using PIXE and SSNTD methods

H. Erramli (1) , H.D. Godon (1) , M.A. Misdaq (1) , T. Sauvage (2) , Claire Ramboz (3)

1 Nuclear Physics and Techniques Laboratory
2 CEMHTI - Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux : Haute Température et Irradiation
3 ISTO - Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans

In this work PIXE experiments were performed for measuring heavy and light elements (ranging from aluminium to lead) concentrations inside various polluted and unpolluted soils as well as liquid samples collected from different phosphate factory sewers in the El Jadida-Safi Atlantic coastal region (Morocco). In addition, uranium (238U) and thorium (232Th) contents were evaluated in the same samples studied by using CR-39 and LR-115 type II solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). The influence of the phosphate industry wastes on the concentrations of both radioactive and non-radioactive elements of the samples studied was investigated.

Keywords: Phosphate industry wastes.; PIXE; Heavy and light elements; Van De Graaff accelerator; SSNTD; pollution; Phosphate industry wastes

Domains: Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]

H. Erramli, H.D. Godon, M.A. Misdaq, T. Sauvage, Claire Ramboz. Study of pollution in the El Jadida-Safi Atlantic coastal zone (Morocco) by using PIXE and SSNTD methods. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2008, 99, pp.1216-1223. ⟨10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.02.003⟩. ⟨insu-00318528⟩