Retention and mobility of phosphogypsum constituents in carbonate aquifer rock materials.

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Title: Retention and mobility of phosphogypsum constituents in carbonate aquifer rock materials.
Authors: Amiel, Nitai1 (AUTHOR), Zhang, Han1 (AUTHOR), Dror, Ishai1 (AUTHOR) ishai.dror@weizmann.ac.il, Berkowitz, Brian1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. Apr2026, Vol. 28 Issue 4, p1144-1156. 13p.
Subject Terms: *Groundwater pollution, *Leachate, *Phosphate fertilizers, Phosphogypsum, Carbonate rocks, Analytical geochemistry, Sorption techniques
Abstract: The disposal of phosphogypsum, an acidic and metal-rich by-product of phosphate fertilizer production, represents a growing environmental challenge due to its potential to contaminate groundwater. Despite numerous reports of phosphogypsum leachate (PGL) impacting aquifers worldwide, the mechanisms governing the mobility and retention of contaminant elements remain poorly understood. To elucidate the underlying physical and chemical mechanisms governing the retention and mobility of the different components of the solution as it interacts with carbonate aquifer rock, we present a set of batch and column experiments using PGL and crushed aquifer rock. The results show that the flow of PGL through the rock induces non-uniform dissolution, creating preferential flow paths and reducing the rock–solution interactions and the retention of related elements. Moreover, rock dissolution causes a pH increase, affecting the speciation of the different elements and promoting precipitation. Element-specific retention was observed with some elements, e.g., Mo, Ge, Tl, and Rb, showing limited interaction and high mobility, raising concerns for groundwater contamination, especially for Tl, given its high toxicity. Other elements, including Al, Cr, B, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cs, and U exhibited grain-size-dependent retention, with smaller grain sizes providing more surface area for sorption or precipitation. REEs were strongly immobilized across all conditions, indicating negligible mobility in acidic carbonate environments. The retention mechanisms of phosphogypsum-related elements include retention on the mineral surface and/or co-precipitation of newly formed minerals. Overall, these results underscore the need for site-specific assessments of PGL disposal in carbonate settings, given the distinct behavior of different elements and the dynamic nature of flow paths and pH conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts is the property of Royal Society of Chemistry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Retention and mobility of phosphogypsum constituents in carbonate aquifer rock materials.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Amiel%2C+Nitai%22">Amiel, Nitai</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Han%22">Zhang, Han</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dror%2C+Ishai%22">Dror, Ishai</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> ishai.dror@weizmann.ac.il</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Berkowitz%2C+Brian%22">Berkowitz, Brian</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Environmental+Science%3A+Processes+%26+Impacts%22">Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 28 Issue 4, p1144-1156. 13p.
– Name: Subject
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  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Groundwater+pollution%22">Groundwater pollution</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Leachate%22">Leachate</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phosphate+fertilizers%22">Phosphate fertilizers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phosphogypsum%22">Phosphogypsum</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Carbonate+rocks%22">Carbonate rocks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Analytical+geochemistry%22">Analytical geochemistry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sorption+techniques%22">Sorption techniques</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The disposal of phosphogypsum, an acidic and metal-rich by-product of phosphate fertilizer production, represents a growing environmental challenge due to its potential to contaminate groundwater. Despite numerous reports of phosphogypsum leachate (PGL) impacting aquifers worldwide, the mechanisms governing the mobility and retention of contaminant elements remain poorly understood. To elucidate the underlying physical and chemical mechanisms governing the retention and mobility of the different components of the solution as it interacts with carbonate aquifer rock, we present a set of batch and column experiments using PGL and crushed aquifer rock. The results show that the flow of PGL through the rock induces non-uniform dissolution, creating preferential flow paths and reducing the rock–solution interactions and the retention of related elements. Moreover, rock dissolution causes a pH increase, affecting the speciation of the different elements and promoting precipitation. Element-specific retention was observed with some elements, e.g., Mo, Ge, Tl, and Rb, showing limited interaction and high mobility, raising concerns for groundwater contamination, especially for Tl, given its high toxicity. Other elements, including Al, Cr, B, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cs, and U exhibited grain-size-dependent retention, with smaller grain sizes providing more surface area for sorption or precipitation. REEs were strongly immobilized across all conditions, indicating negligible mobility in acidic carbonate environments. The retention mechanisms of phosphogypsum-related elements include retention on the mineral surface and/or co-precipitation of newly formed minerals. Overall, these results underscore the need for site-specific assessments of PGL disposal in carbonate settings, given the distinct behavior of different elements and the dynamic nature of flow paths and pH conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts is the property of Royal Society of Chemistry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1039/d5em00254k
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 1144
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Groundwater pollution
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Leachate
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Phosphate fertilizers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Phosphogypsum
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Carbonate rocks
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Analytical geochemistry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sorption techniques
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Retention and mobility of phosphogypsum constituents in carbonate aquifer rock materials.
        Type: main
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      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Amiel, Nitai
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            NameFull: Zhang, Han
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Dror, Ishai
      – PersonEntity:
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            NameFull: Berkowitz, Brian
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 20507887
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              Value: 28
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              Value: 4
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            – TitleFull: Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts
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