If you were to visit the pilot plant at the University of Seville, where the valorisation of phosphogypsum (PG) through FIC-Fighters’ NaOH Route is being investigated, the first thing you would see upon entering would not be a complex industrial emission source or industrial stack, but something far more ordinary: a commercial CO2 cylinder connected to the carbonation reactor.
Millions of tonnes of phosphogypsum (internationally known as PG, https://fic-fighters.eu/virtualforum/what-is-phosphogypsum/) lie stored in vast open-air stacks across Europe, close to cities and coastlines, some for decades. In the FIC-Fighters project, we are developing a chemical process to transform this waste into useful, marketable materials. This article explains, in accessible language for all audiences, what the NaOH Route consists of, how it works, and why it matters.
The Prahovo PG stack in Serbia is not an immediate radiation emergency, but it is clearly an environmental hot spot that requires careful management. Some pathways are being tested, like purification by recrystallization, or the ones in FICFighters, to produce usable by-products pointing to both environmental challenges and opportunities for safe material recovery.
Phosphogypsum, a fertilizer industry by-product, contains naturally occurring radionuclides like uranium and radium. Its radioactivity varies based on source materials, requiring strict controls before any reuse in construction or agriculture.
The Veles phosphogypsum stack in North Macedonia contains elevated natural radioactivity but poses no immediate radiation danger. However, it emits radon and dust particles requiring environmental monitoring.
This global report reframes phosphogypsum from regulated waste into valuable secondary material, presenting industrial case studies and breakthrough applications that demonstrate its circular economy potential within the fertilizer industry.
FIC-Fighters’ scientific scaling strategy aims to master CO₂ capture with maximum precision. If you were to visit the pilot plant at the University of Seville, where the valorisation of phosphogypsum (PG) through FIC-Fighters’ NaOH Route is being investigated, the...
How a European project is turning a toxic industrial liability into everyday materials, while capturing CO₂ at the same time. Millions of tonnes of phosphogypsum (internationally known as PG) lie stored in vast open-air stacks across Europe, close to cities and...
These images document the FIC-Fighters field work and community engagement activities in Prahovo and Negotin in Serbia, one of the project’s case studies exploring innovative approaches to phosphogypsum management. The gallery captures field visits to the...
The following images document the field research and community engagement of FIC-Fighters in Kutina, Croatia, one of the case studies where the project explores innovative approaches to phosphogypsum management. The gallery captures field research activities and site...
Intro On 4 March 2026, citizens, environmental advocates, researchers, institutional representatives, and other local stakeholders gathered in Negotin, Serbia, for the FIC-Fighters citizen event. Although the phosphogypsum (PG) stack is located in the nearby little...
Intro On the banks of the Danube River in eastern Serbia, Prahovo is a small industrial town belonging to Negotin municipality shaped by an active large chemical production complex. The local industrial ecosystem is strongly linked to phosphoric acid production and...
The following images document the field work and community engagement FIC-Fighters’ work in Barreiro, Portugal, one of the case studies where the project explores innovative approaches to phosphogypsum management. The gallery captures field research activities, site...
Intro In certain areas across Europe, phosphogypsum (PG) stacks have become enduring landmarks of industrial prosperity—and unresolved environmental risk. From the Danube towns of Prahovo (Serbia) and Turnu Măgurele (Romania), to coastal Cartagena (Spain), and from...
The Prahovo PG stack in Serbia is not an immediate radiation emergency, but it is clearly an environmental hot spot that requires careful management. Some pathways are being tested, like purification by recrystallization, or the ones in FIC-Fighters, to produce usable...
Intro Barreiro carries a proud industrial past shaped by factories and decades of work that built both livelihoods and identity. But alongside that history lies another legacy: vast deposits of phosphogypsum left behind by phosphate production, still marking the...