The role of Chemicals in our daily life: The Phosphorus element – feeding the world and beyond

This webinar is part of a series where we focus on various aspects of individual chemical elements and is a result of our EuChemS Periodic Table highlighting element availability and vulnerability.

Phosphorus is a key component of our bodies applied to crops using phosphate fertilisers. Phosphate rock is a finite resource. Many reserves are likely to be exhausted before the end of this century with serious consequences for the exponentially growing and often malnourished global population.

Poor farming practices lead to a build-up of phosphorus in agricultural soils in arable lands and large flows of phosphorus to surface water, causing eutrophication (algal blooms) in aquatic ecosystems. Reduced use and recycling of phosphorus from agricultural runoff could be ways to reduce the environmental impact on water resources. In addition, the recovery of phosphorus from wastewater and sewage sludge, could provide a contribution to a circular economy of this essential element.

Objectives

The purpose of the webinar is to answer key questions such as:

• Can fertilizers and the application of fertilizers be improved?
• Can phosphorus be efficiently recovered and recycled from agricultural runoff, sewage sludge, industrial waste, etc?
• Is there a need for a legislation on mandatory phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge in Europe and worldwide?
• Can a circular economy be developed for phosphorus and can we promote the sustainable use of this essential element?

Other applications of phosphorus that will be discussed will include fire retardants, detergents, applications in catalysis and chemical processes, steel and materials.