Economic Feasibility Study for Phosphorus Recovery Processes

Molinos-Senante, María; Hernández-Sancho, Francesc; Sala-Garrido, Ramón; Garrido-Baserba, Manel

doi:10.1007/s13280-010-0101-9

Cited by 133 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…However, price increases of P fertilizer and therefore of food crops due to increasing P scarcity may occur well before. There are a range of technical options for more efficient use and recycling of P in waste flows (Molinos-Senante et al 2011) and in biofuel production systems (see above), but P recovery comes at a significant costs. Hence, even if recycling is applied, there will be a residual cost that will translate into higher food prices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of First-Generation Biofuels on the Depletion of the Global Phosphorus Reserve

Hein

Leemans

2012

AMBIO

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The large majority of biofuels to date is ''firstgeneration'' biofuel made from agricultural commodities. All first-generation biofuel production systems require phosphorus (P) fertilization. P is an essential plant nutrient, yet global reserves are finite. We argue that committing scarce P to biofuel production involves a trade-off between climate change mitigation and future food production. We examine biofuel production from seven types of feedstock, and find that biofuels at present consume around 2% of the global inorganic P fertilizer production. For all examined biofuels, with the possible exception of sugarcane, the contribution to P depletion exceeds the contribution to mitigating climate change. The relative benefits of biofuels can be increased through enhanced recycling of P, but high increases in P efficiency are required to balance climate change mitigation and P depletion impacts. We conclude that, with the current production systems, the production of first-generation biofuels compromises food production in the future.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of First-Generation Biofuels on the Depletion of the Global Phosphorus Reserve

Hein

Leemans

2012

AMBIO

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“…Plant-available forms were measured as ammonium lactate (AL)-extractable P and K in acetic acid [16] and as CaCl 2 -extractable Mg according to the Schachtschabel method [17]. The hydrolytic acidity (Hh) in soil was determined according to the Kappen method using 1 mol dm -3 CH 3 COONa solution [15] (1) CEC = Hh + TEB (2) 100 CEC…”

Section: Soil Chemical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Recycling of Calcium-Silicate Material After Wastewater Filtration to Agriculture - Soil Condition Impact

Cucarella¹,

Renman

Zaleski

et al. 2012

Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S

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Reactive filter materials aimed at phosphorus (P) recovery is a novel method for on-site wastewater treatment. Once the bed filter is no longer effective, the sorbent must be replaced and can then be recycled as a soil amendment to agriculture. This study investigated the short-term effects of such amendments in a field with a wheat crop in order to evaluate the risks and/or potential benefits of this disposal option. The developed product Polonite (manufactured from Opoka) was used as a model filter sorbent in the field trial. Rates corresponding to approximately 6 and 8 tons per hectare were applied. In the short-term, this amending did not affect soil physical and sorption properties. The rate of Polonite used here, as P source for wheat was irrelevant in this kind of soil. The usefulness of this disposal option of exhausted filter material is discussed.

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“…In industrialised countries, where (almost) all waste water is treated, the task is to recover P from sewage sludge. While this is technically feasible, the costs are an order of magnitude higher than those for P fertilizers from rock phosphates; see Molinos-Senante et al (2011) for more details. The problem of P recycling is worse in developing countries where waste water receives little or no treatment.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…As yet P recycling from urban wastes, such as for example 1 Ulrich and Frossard (2014) provide a historical perspective on the current debate on P scarcity. struvite production from urban waste waters (Cornel and Schaum 2009), is too expensive to be worthwhile, and fertilizers from recycled P cannot compete with rock phosphates on the market (Molinos-Senante et al 2011). The importance and, indeed, the urgency of the phosphorus problem stem from the fact that there is no substitute for P fertilizers.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Phosphorus recycling and food security in the long run: a conceptual modelling approach

Weikard

2016

Food Sec.

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Food security for all is a global political goal and an outstanding moral concern. The common response to this concern is agricultural intensification, which includes among other things increasing inputs of fertilisers. The paper addresses the fact that phosphorus (P) is essential for agricultural production but large and increasing amounts of P fertilisers stem from depletable mines. This raises sustainability concerns and the possibility of long-term food insecurity. The paper analyses three scenarios for global phosphorus extraction and recycling under discounted utilitarianism. First, for a benchmark scenario without recycling, food security will inevitably be violated in the long run. Second, if we introduce P recycling, food security can be maintained but food production falls over time and approaches a minimum level just sufficient to feed the global population. Third, a sustainable (i.e. non-declining) path of food production is feasible. Compared to just maintaining a minimum level of food production the sustainable path requires greater recycling efforts. Recycling efforts are increasing over time but the total discounted costs are finite and, hence, sustainable food production seems feasible even if it depends on depletable phosphate mines.Keywords Phosphorus depletion . Food security . Phosphorus recycling . Sustainable food production Depletable phosphate mines: impacts for long-run food securityThe well-being of about one billion people is threatened by hunger and food insecurity (FAO 2009). This is arguably a moral disaster and a poor performance of our social and economic systems on the local and the global scale. But even worse, the efforts towards food security are thwarted by population growth and increasing scarcity of agricultural inputs. Notwithstanding efforts to improve food security governance (Pereira and Ruysenaar 2012) a common strategy towards global food security is agricultural intensification with increasing inputs of fertilisers, mainly nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) to increase yields (Pinstrup-Andersen and Pandya-Lorch 1998;Baldos and Hertel 2014; PinstrupAndersen 2014). While N fertilisers can be produced from atmospheric nitrogen (using energy), K and P fertilisers are extracted from depletable mines. While K is relatively abundant, P is more limited (Scholz and Wellmer 2013). Although the stocks of rock phosphate, the main source of mineral P fertilizers, are difficult to assess, there is a growing concern that mines might be depleted within a century (Steen 1998;Cordell et al. 2009;Smit et al. 2009;Keyzer 2010;Cordell and White 2015). Although other studies expect sufficient availability beyond the 21st century (van Vuuren et al. 2010;Koppelaar and Weikard 2013), the fact remains that rock phosphate is a depletable resource.1 This underlines the need to develop effective and low cost recycling options beyond the application of animal manure and composted organic wastes, the cheap options that are widely applied. Cordell et al. (2011) provide an over...

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Economic Feasibility Study for Phosphorus Recovery Processes

Abstract: Phosphorus recovery from wastewater has

Cited by 133 publications

References 27 publications

The Impact of First-Generation Biofuels on the Depletion of the Global Phosphorus Reserve

The Impact of First-Generation Biofuels on the Depletion of the Global Phosphorus Reserve

Recycling of Calcium-Silicate Material After Wastewater Filtration to Agriculture - Soil Condition Impact

Phosphorus recycling and food security in the long run: a conceptual modelling approach

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