Greening the global phosphorus cycle: how green chemistry can help achieve planetary P sustainability

Abstract

Opportunities for green chemistry in the P cycle.

Phosphate Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Calcium Silicate Hydrate Prepared from Blast Furnace Slag

“…The potential environmental risks might be negligible, since raw BF slag has been used as a chemical fertilizer, especially effective for rice cultivation, over the ages. From these perspectives, we believe that phosphorus removal from wastewater streams using slagCSH and reuse of the recovered adsorbent as a phosphate fertilizer in agricultural field would be a reasonable option to contribute to a sustainable management of BF slag and phosphorus resources, 4) although further studies on cost reduction and waste management problems for adsorbent synthesis in large-scale are needed to substantiate this technology.…”

Molecular Pnictogen Activation by Rare Earth and Actinide Complexes

“…Organophosphorus compounds are generally derived from PCl3, obtained by the chlorination of P4, and subsequent multi-step procedures [12][13][14]. Attention has turned to direct and selective activation of elemental phosphorus under mild conditions; this approach is more atom-efficient (which is important given the limited accessible deposits of phosphate rock), avoids the need for large scale production of PCl3 (which is toxic, corrosive and highly reactive), and is both more economically and environmentally sustainable [15].…”

Sustainable strategies towards a phosphorus circular economy

“…Recent papers suggest that the upper tolerable limit, or planetary boundary of unacceptable consequence for humanity, for the key threat of freshwater eutrophication has already been exceeded (Carpenter and Bennett 2011;Steffen et al 2015). Controversies arise over the scarcity of PR (Scholz 2013;Ulrich and Frossard 2014), but what is clear is that in the long term there is no other solution to these pressing environmental issues, but to develop a circular economy for P, and close the P cycle through improved P recovery and recycling (Withers et al 2015a). …”