Phosphorus Processing—Potentials for Higher Efficiency

Hermann, Ludwig; Kraus, Fabian; Hermann, Ralf

doi:10.3390/su10051482

Cited by 35 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…It is increasingly recognized that examining and understanding historic trends in both terrestrial and aquatic nutrient flows can substantively inform meaningful interventions to optimize nutrient use for food production and other human demands while minimizing aquatic pollution (Hermann et al, 2018; Keil et al, 2018; Withers et al, 2017). In particular, understanding the relationships among drivers of N and P management, terrestrial flows, and subsequent impacts on water quality that include time‐lagged responses is important for establishing realistic targets for water quality improvement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Where Have All the Nutrients Gone? Long‐Term Decoupling of Inputs and Outputs in the Willamette River Watershed, Oregon, United States

et al. 2020

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Better documentation and understanding of long-term temporal dynamics of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in watersheds is necessary to support effective water quality management, in part because studies have identified time lags between terrestrial nutrient balances and water quality. We present annual time series data from 1969 to 2012 for terrestrial N and P sources and monthly data from 1972 to 2013 for river N and P for the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, United States. Inputs to the watershed increased by factors of 3 for N and 1.2 for P. Synthetic fertilizer inputs increased in total and relative importance over time, while sewage inputs decreased. For N, increased fertilizer application was not matched by a proportionate increase in crop harvest; N use efficiency decreased from 69% to 38%. P use efficiency increased from 52% to 67%. As nutrient inputs to terrestrial systems increased, river concentrations and loads of total N, total P, and dissolved inorganic P decreased, and annual nutrient loads were strongly related to discharge. The N:P ratio of both sewage and fertilizer doubled over time but there was no similar trend in riverine export; river N:P concentrations declined dramatically during storms. River nutrient export over time was related to hydrology and waste discharge, with relatively little influence of watershed balances, suggesting that accumulation within soils or groundwater over time is mediating watershed export. Simply managing yearly nutrient balances is unlikely to improve water quality; rather, many factors must be considered, including soil and groundwater storage capacity, and gaseous loss pathways. Plain Language Summary Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in fresh and coastal waters can cause problems for human, animal, and ecosystem health. For this reason, many entities have been working to reduce the amount of both nutrients entering waterways. In this study, we examine how sources of nitrogen and phosphorus on land have changed over 40+ years in the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, United States, and then compare these changes to water quality trends in the river. We found that sources of both nutrients increased over time, especially nitrogen fertilizer. Between 1969 and 2012, wastewater treatment was more effective at removing phosphorus than nitrogen. Changes in fertilizer use and sewage treatment have caused the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus to increase over time. In contrast, the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the river has decreased, and there was no drastic change in the water nutrient ratio over time. The disconnect between nutrient sources on land and what is observed in the river over time suggests that a large part of the nitrogen and phosphorus used on land is being transferred to the soil, air, or groundwater. Simply managing yearly nutrient balances is unlikely to improve water quality; rather, many factors must be considered.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Where Have All the Nutrients Gone? Long‐Term Decoupling of Inputs and Outputs in the Willamette River Watershed, Oregon, United States

et al. 2020

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“…A year later, COP 21 (Paris Agreement), which was ratified by 195 countries, came into force. It should be obvious since then that producing more with less is imperative if we are to accommodate the global demand within our planetary boundaries [78]. As for phosphorus and its unique characteristics of being essential, non-substitutable and finite in the form of concentrated PR deposits, this must be valid and of particular interest for all directly involved stakeholders and for the whole society.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rather, it is simply the currently dominant one. While the primary source of phosphorus historically was human and animal bones as well as bird excreta (i.e., guano deposits) [78], future sources might involve economically feasible mass recovery from sewage sludge or currently unimaginable or unknown sources. In addition, even though it is true that, in an ideal circular P economy, mining (or feeding of the cycle) would not be necessary at all, there is still (in the best-case scenario) a long way to go [79] due to a constantly growing demand, factually impossible loss-free recovery rates, or time delays through the stock building in soils.…”

Section: Striving Toward a Circular Economy Of Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Striving Toward a Circular Economy for Phosphorus: The Role of Phosphate Rock Mining

Geißler

Hermann²,

Mew

et al. 2018

Minerals

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As an element, phosphorus (P) is one of a kind. While it is essential for all life on Earth, phosphorus is neither substitutable nor infinite especially in terms of highly concentrated phosphate rock deposits. Society as a whole—and key stakeholders in particular—must build on and extend the idea of a linear system that begins with exploration, continues with extraction and processing, and ends with the application of fertilizers, by applying mechanisms of circularity. The efficient and sustainable utilization of P including intra-generational and intergenerational fairness requires the recognition of its dissipative structure as an important first step. With its Manifesto for a Resource-Efficient Europe, the European Commission acknowledged the inevitability of the transition toward a regenerative Circular Economy (CE). The concept of a CE evolves around the avoidance of losses, which can be found all along the P supply chain in varying degrees of magnitude and leads to total nutrient-use efficiencies as low as 5% to 10%. This makes P a prime target for moving toward a circular economy. While common state-of-the-art work addresses mostly the loop (i.e., production, use, collection, and recycling) itself, we are discussing the current role of raw materials “feeding” the loop with respect to the mining phase. From a resilience perspective, the aim must be to keep every P atom flowing and circulating within our economy for as long as possible. Hereby, every measure needs to be considered under the principle of proportionality in terms of sustainable development. Therefore, changes to the current approach in the form of multidimensional innovation (e.g., products, processes, and structures) must be considered from various perspectives including technological, geological, and economic aspects. The economic framework conditions, in particular, determine the cut-off between valuable product and “waste”. We build our arguments on the “Phosphate Rock Mining–Innovation Nexus” and illustrate potential best-practice examples.

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“…. Circular principles for moving toward a circular phosphorus economy based on [22] categorizing [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39].…”

Section: The Content Of This Special Issuementioning

confidence: 99%