Preventing phosphorus loss we have no choice
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EmailMSU Professor discusses the importance of preventing phosphorus loss
Phosphorus is essential for life and to achieve high crop yields, which is critical to feed a growing world population. Yet it is a limited, expensive resource and there are no substitutes. Phosphorus is also a significant pollutant in surface water. While the overall total phosphorus load to the great lakes has decreased, it is important to consider the form of phosphorus that is still reaching the lakes. Soluble phosphorus, which is close to 100% available to plants, is not adequately decreasing, compared to phosphorus from the runoff of soil. Best practices must account not just for particulate phosphorus but also for soluble as a little goes a long way when it comes to algae growth in lakes. According to MSU Associate Professor Dr. Steven Safferman, who's research focuses on phosphorus management the loss of phosphorus to the environment must be minimized to prevent pollution, save money, and conserve a scarce resource. Doing nothing is not an option. Dr. Safferman has partnered with Michigan commodity groups, municipalities, entrepreneurs, and governmental organizations to research and provide extension resources relating to phosphorus.
His research and outreach cuts across the rural, suburban, and urban environments. Farmers do not want to lose the phosphorus they put into the soil, they want the crops to utilize it. Dr. Safferman has partnered with Michigan commodity groups to model the usage of phosphorus in various soils throughout Michigan. There are approximately 200 unique growing environments that his research team is evaluating for phosphorus leaching. Additionally, the impact of high intensity storms triggered by climate change on the transport of phosphorus leaching for these environments are being evaluated. Keeping phosphorus in the root zone is a cost-effective and sustainable solution to prevent phosphorus loss to the environment.
Wastewater is traditionally viewed as an unusable product, but Dr. Safferman sees it as a potential resource to recover. After all, constituents in our wastewater started as raw materials that serve a crucial function. One technology is to use phosphorus adsorption media to remove and potentially recover the phosphorus. Laboratory proof-of-concepts and demonstrations conducted in Dr. Safferman's research group have allowed the collection of performance and design data for decentralized, centralized, and industrial wastewaters. Planning is now ongoing for a full-scale installation of this technology at numerous small wastewater treatment facilities. This technology is also being studied for removing and recovering phosphorus from agriculture drainage tile with a plan to conduct an on-farm demonstration in the near future.
Next Steps
There is not a one size fits all solution to managing phosphorus. Site-specific conditions must be considered whether on the farm or in the city. Innovative solutions are being developed to give various industries the best technology possible. Dr. Safferman believes that effective phosphorus is a win-win-win proposition as it reduces farming cost by reducing fertilizer inputs, reduces phosphorus loss to the environment, and the resulting health and ecological harm, and increases sustainability of a scares resource.
