Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Scientists warn that planet Earth will face “phosphogeddon”. They fear that the misuse of phosphorus could lead to a deadly fertilizer shortage and would disrupt global food production.
At the same time, phosphate fertilizers are washed away from fields, along with sewage inputs into rivers, lakes, and seas. This causes algae blooms and creates aquatic dead zones that threaten fish stocks.
In addition, excessive use of the element increases the release of methane throughout the planet. Researchers have warned that this will add to the global warming and climate crisis caused by carbon emissions.
“We have reached a critical turning point,” said Prof Phil Haygarth from Lancaster University, quoting The GuardianMonday (13/3/2023).
“We may be able to come back but we need to really pull ourselves together and get a lot smarter in how we use phosphorus. Otherwise, we are facing a catastrophe we call ‘phosphogeddon’.”
Phosphorus was discovered in 1669 by a German scientist named Hennig Brandt. He isolated it from urine and it has since been shown to be essential for life.
Bones and teeth are mostly made of the mineral calcium phosphate, a compound derived from phosphorus. While the element also provides DNA with its sugar phosphate backbone.
“Simply put, there is no life on Earth without phosphorus,” explained Prof Penny Johnes from the University of Bristol.
Phosphorus lies in its use to help plant growth. About 50 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizers are sold worldwide each year, and these supplies play an important role in feeding the planet’s 8 billion people.
However, significant deposits of phosphorus are found in several countries. Morocco and western Sahara have the largest amounts, while China is the second largest and Algeria is third.
In contrast, reserves in the United States (US) fell to 1% from their previous level. Meanwhile, England has always had to depend on imports.
“Traditional rock phosphate reserves are relatively sparse and have been depleted as they are extracted for fertilizer production,” added Johnes.
The increasing tension on these stocks has raised fears that the world will reach a “phosphorus peak” within a few years. Supply would then decline, leaving many countries struggling to get enough food for their people.
The outlook worries many analysts, who fear that a few cartels could soon control a large part of the world’s supply and leave the west highly vulnerable to price spikes. The yield would be equivalent to the phosphates from the oil crisis of the 1970’s.
This danger was also highlighted through the publication of The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance by environmental writer Dan Egan. The book has not yet been published in the UK but reflects concerns that have not been recently raised by British scientists.
(sef/sef)
