Phosphorus Recovery From Wastes

Phosphorus (P) is an important macronutrient essential to all living organisms, and phosphate rock is the main raw material for all inorganic P fertilizers. It is expected that there will be a P peak and resulting P fertilizer shortage in near future. In general, P use efficiency is low and only 15-20% of applied P is used by crops and animals; the remaining amounts are wasted in various waste streams. Consequently, valuable nutrients end up in nonagricultural land, thereby resulting in permanent loss. Globally, livestock production and domestic and industrial water consumption produce large quantities of manure and effluents which are rich in P and other nutrients. The P present in these waste streams poses a threat to the environment by way of nutrient enrichment, resulting in various ecological problems. These waste streams can be employed for P recovery and reuse for a sustainable future. Hence, this chapter will focus on developments in P recovery from various wastes and its sustainable reuse for agronomic needs.