A STATE OF ART AND PROSPECTS OF PHOSPHOGYPSUM MANAGEMENT

The world volume of phosphogypsum accumulated in open dumps, which is a by-product of the production of phosphoric acid and phosphoric fertilizers from phosphorite rock, exceeds 6 billion tons, which has an extremely negative effect on the condition of the soil, surface, and groundwater, as well as the atmosphere. However, in the context of the circular economy, phosphogypsum should be considered as a potential resource of secondary mineral raw materials, therefore solving the problem of managing this large-tonnage industrial waste is extremely urgent. The article provides basic data on the volume of formation and composition of phosphogypsum. There are physico-mechanical, physico-chemical, biological, and combined methods of phosphogypsum management. These methods are used in agriculture and forestry (chemical soil reclamation, fertilizers, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, pesticides); in soil works (reinforcement of weak and expansive soils, arrangement of embankments and dams, tamponage compositions, carrying out drilling works); road construction (strengthening of subgrade soils, cement-concrete mixtures for the foundations of road surfaces, asphalt concrete and asphalt for covering road surfaces, railway sleepers, paving stones); hydrotechnical construction (artificial reefs for breeding and growing fish and oysters); building materials industry (cement, crushed stone, concrete, mortars, dry building mixtures, expanded clay, bricks, geopolymers, building blocks, ceramics, glass, roll waterproofing materials, bitumen emulsions, water pipes); in protective coatings and materials (paints, enamels, heat-protective and heat-insulating coatings, sound-insulating materials); as sorbents, as well as catalysts and retarders of chemical reactions; in medicine and veterinary medicine (medicinal and hygienic means); as other materials (polymer and metal composites, tribotechnical materials, fire-fighting powders, heat storage materials, coagulants, filter materials, liquid glass, wallpaper, paper), as well as during the extraction of rare earth elements. Currently, the most expedient methods of phosphogypsum disposal are its use with minimal changes in physical and chemical properties and minimization of new waste generation, in particular in the building materials industry, road construction and agriculture. Bibl. 109, Fig. 3.