review · Phosphorus, sulfur, and silicon and the related elements
Phosphogypsum is an acidic industrial by-product generated in vast quantities during phosphoric acid production via the sulphuric acid route. Because of its sheer volume and complex chemical makeup, managing this substance presents a major global environmental challenge. Although predominantly composed of calcium sulphate dihydrate, phosphogypsum contains an array of problematic impurities, including residual phosphorus, fluoride, heavy metals, and radionuclides. At elevated concentrations, these toxic constituents pose significant risks to both human health and ecological systems. Analysing the chemical behaviour of the most abundant impurities clarifies how they persist and interact within the material. Furthermore, identifying the specific factors that dictate the presence and levels of these contaminants provides the baseline data needed to select sound environmental handling methods and explore viable routes for industrial valorisation.
Phosphoric acid manufacturing leaves behind vast stockpiles of phosphogypsum containing hazardous contaminants and radioactive elements. Without understanding how these impurities behave, managing this waste safely remains difficult. Clear insight into contaminant dynamics helps environmental planners and industrial operators minimise ecological damage, reduce contamination hazards, and work towards converting problematic industrial residues into safe, usable secondary resources.
This work provides early-stage baseline knowledge relevant to phosphoric acid producers, environmental engineering firms, and waste processors. By detailing impurity behaviour and the factors driving contamination, it helps industry evaluate appropriate remediation methods and identify feasible valorisation pathways. Because the review examines chemical behaviour rather than a specific prototype or process, industrial application remains at an early developmental stage, requiring downstream testing before practical recycling solutions can be implemented.
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Phosphogypsum (PG) is an acidic by-product that is created during the production of phosphoric acid using the sulfuric acid route. The management of PG poses a significant environmental challenge worldwide due to its large quantity and chemical composition. While PG primarily consists of calcium sulfate dihydrate, it also contains various impurities such as phosphorus, fluoride, heavy metals, and radionuclides. These toxic impurities, when present in high concentrations, can have adverse effects on the environment and human health. In this review, we provide a detailed examination of the behavior of the most abundant impurities found in PG. Furthermore, we discuss the factors that influence the presence of different types of impurities in PG. Understanding the overall behavior of these impurities is crucial for selecting appropriate environmental methods for PG management and identifying suitable avenues for its valorization.
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DOI: 10.1080/10426507.2023.2281489
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