The Phosphorous Cycle

Where it comes from:

Initially, phosphate weathers from rocks and minerals, the most common mineral being apatite. Overall
small losses occur in terrestrial environments by leaching and erosion, through the action of rain. In
soil, phosphate is absorbed on iron oxides, aluminium hydroxides, clay surfaces, and organic matter
particles, and becomes incorporated (immobilized or fixed) into the environment. Plants and fungi can
also be active in making Phosphorous soluble.
What we do with it:
Humans have greatly influenced the Phosphorous cycle by mining Phosphorous, converting it to
fertilizer, and by shipping fertilizer and products around the globe. Transporting Phosphorous in food
from farms to cities has made a major change in the global Phosphorous cycle. It doesnt ruin it entirely
but it does change the environment that would have had the Phosphorous and adds more to the other.
Soils with a pH of 7.5 and higher typically have a high calcium concentration that binds P as calcium-
phosphate creating an insoluble compound that is not available to plants. Therefore, it is necessary to
amend agricultural soils with available forms of P at the correct agronomic rate.
If you have a phosphorus deficiency in your body, there are a number of side effects that could take
place. You can have trouble with your bones and can become more susceptible to breaking bones in
your body. You can have bone pain, fatigue, weakness in different areas of the body and
even anxiety as a result of not taking enough phosphorus. But you also need to be sure that you're not
getting too much phosphorus. If you eat a lot of junk food, you may be taking in too much phosphorus
every day, and this could affect your calcium levels. You should also take a magnesium supplement to
make sure that phosphorus is absorbed easily into your system.
Phosphorous is used in making our DNA, RNA and other parts like that in the plant and animal cells.
Without it our bodies would shut down slowly and we would get depressed and die.








How it gets around:

Phosphorous (P) erodes from the rocks and is carried by rainwater into streams, rivers, lakes and
oceans; on its way there it leaches out into the ground and is spread over the world. When it rains the P
is moved throughout the ground, then absorbed into the plants, eaten by animals that then die and put it
back into the ground. From there it is decomposed and eventually makes its way to the ocean to be
eaten by aquatic animals and plants. After being used to much it is no longer usable and the cycle is
ended for those pieces.
As you can see Phosphorus is used over and over and over again by the time that it gets to the ocean.
Once it is there it can even go into fish be picked up by birds and put back through the cycle.


Risks:
Although P inputs are vital to crop production, P export in runoff from over-manured and over-
composted soil can hasten the eutrophication of receiving waters. Eutrophication occurs when
undesirable algae and underwater weeds grow as the result of an increased nutrient supply. As the biota
die and decompose, bacteria consume dissolved oxygen, resulting in oxygen shortages in the water
bodies. Therefore, it is important both economically and environmentally to apply agronomic rates of
nutrients.
Interesting Fact:
Unlike other cycles, Phosphorous cannot be found in the air as a gas, it only occurs under highly
reducing conditions as the gas phosphine PH
3
in a laboratory.
Phosphates move quickly through plants and animals; however, the processes that move them through
the soil or ocean are very slow. It has one of the longest chemical cycles.