Phosphorus: Essential for Life - Lost from the Cycle

Phosphorus is an essential element for all life. We obtain it through our food, yet in modern society the phosphorus cycle is increasingly out of balance. Denmark has no phosphate rock of its own and depends on imported mineral fertilisers. Much of this phosphorus is not retained on land but is lost to the environment and eventually washed into the sea, where it may take around a thousand years to return naturally.

This talk explores how phosphorus flows through the environment and the environmental and societal challenges that arise from these losses, both globally and in Denmark. As countries develop, demand for phosphorus fertilisers increases, partly driven by rising meat consumption. The talk also discusses how phosphorus recovery and technological solutions can help reduce losses, protect marine ecosystems and lower our dependence on imported fertilisers.

(Photo: Shutterstock)