The element phosphorus was

thought to have formed in

the creation of a massive
star. This process has been
happening over billions of
years, although current
understanding does not
account for the large
amount of phosphorus in the Around 3.8 Billion years ago
universe, and the origin of Stromatolites, the oldest
this synthesis is stil being fossilised evidence of life
understood. on Earth, formed. These are
microbial reefs of Algae,
and phosphorus is central to
the storing and exchange of
energy and information in
their cell.

4 billion years ago,

a comet formed,
heading straight for
what is destined to
become Earth, leaving
phosphorus as an
abundant element.

1.15 Billion years ago

Around 500 million years ago, during the first multicellular
the paleozoic era where Earth’s algae and seaweed
landmass was broken into several form. Seaweeds require
pieces, a marine animal dies, it phosphorus for creating
sinks to the sea floor. It's bones, RNA and growth in
containing phosphorus, form the general.
Paleozoic sedimentary layer of rock
which makes up the majority of
phosphate rock mined today.

Phosphate rock is converted into

in the near past, phosphate
rock is dug out of the ground
from the largest phosphate
mining deposit in the world,
possibly from Bou Craa.
The mine might be in the
contentious area of Western
Sahara colonised by Morocco.
As much as 68% purity.
fertiliser. First the phosphate rock
is mixed with sulphuric acid to make
phosphoric acid. Diammonium Phosphate
(DAP) fertiliser is produced by combining
phosphoric acid with ammonia. It
contains 18% nitrogen and 46% phosphorus
pentoxide. Triple Super Phosphate TSP is
made by reacting wet-process phosphoric
acid with phosphate rock.
 U.K. Phosphorus
Flow Map
(Current)
The Phosphorus Flow Map
shows the amount of
phosphorus that enters
the U.K. each year and
how it is used.
Phosphorus flows
from fertiliser into
agricultural land
where it helps crops
grow but also runs of
into waterbodies. In
more densely populated
countries like the UK,
the largest P input to
waterbodies comes from
Actor our own waste.
Place
Animals

Waterbodies

Wastewater
treatment
Humans

Humans need phosphorus Compost

to survive. It is a / other
component in DNA, RNA Agricultural Crops & disposal
and the average human land Fodder
contains about 0.7kg
of it, 90% of which is Total
in our bones. Of the Inputs
phosphorus we consume,
we poo and wee out 90%, Incineration
which is then sent to Background / landfill
waste management. Food & feed

Phosphate fertiliser
sent to UK. A total of
138 kt/yr is imported
into UK, mostly from Total exports
Russia. Non - food
applications

Diammonium phosphate
KEY:
(DAP) and Triple
Waste
superphosphate (TSP)
fertilisers have doubled
Fertiliser
in price this year.
around 56% of imported
phosphorus is used in Object amount of phosphorus
fertiliser.

Phosphorus is found in 50kt/

the food we and animals yr
5kt/yr
eat, in our our food
waste and in a host of
INPUTS INTERMEDIARIES OUTPUTS
industrial uses like Size of phosphorus sink
detergents, matches and (phosphorus piling up]
smoke bombs.
U.K. Phosphorus
Flow Map
(Proposed)