Phosphorus is a critical element to agriculture, consequently global phosphate rock demand will remain rising to feed a growing world population. The beneficiation of phosphorous ore gives rise to several tons of a waste by-product [phosphogypsum (PG)] which valorisation is limited, within other reasons, by the risks posed to environment and human health. Although threatening, the accumulation in stacks is the only procedure so far practiced by several countries as a means to get rid of this industrial externality. As part of a NATO Science for Peace Project (SfP 983311) this study describes the application of an environmental risk assessment (ERA) framework, to assess the risks posed by a PG stack to the surrounding soils, in Sfax, Republic of Tunisia. The ERA followed a weight of evidence approach, supported by two lines of evidence (LoE): the chemical (ChemLoE) and the ecotoxicological (EcotoxLoE). Integrated risks point for risk values greater than 0.5 in soils collected in PG stack surrounding area. Soil salinization, has likely contributed to the exacerbation of risks, as well as to the lack of consistency between both LoEs. This study highlights the need of rethinking the weight given to each LoE in ERA, in areas where soil salinization is a reality.

磷是农业的重要元素，因此，全球磷矿石需求将继续增长，以养活不断增长的世界人口。磷矿石的选矿会产生数吨的废副产物[磷石膏（PG）]，其增值因其他原因而受到环境和人类健康风险的限制。尽管有威胁，但是堆积堆积是迄今为止一些国家所采取的唯一方法，以摆脱这种工业外部性。作为北约和平科学项目（SfP 983311）的一部分，本研究描述了环境风险评估（ERA）框架的应用，以评估突尼斯共和国斯法克斯的PG堆叠对周围土壤构成的风险。ERA采用了权重证据方法，并有以下两条证据线（LoE）支持：化学（ChemLoE）和生态毒理学（EcotoxLoE）。综合风险表明在PG烟囱周围地区收集的土壤中风险值大于0.5。土壤盐渍化可能加剧了风险，并导致两个LoE之间缺乏一致性。这项研究强调了在土壤盐碱化已成为现实的地区，需要重新考虑ERA中每个LoE的权重。