Phosphorus (P) is a critical raw material in Europe due to rock phosphate reserves being finite, depleted, and in geographical regions which may limit accessibility. Recently, the war in Ukraine has exacerbated the P shortage, because of the decline in Russia’s phosphate production and limited exports due to sanctions, causing rock mineral fertiliser prices to increase significantly.
As phosphorus is a critical element, and rock phosphate reserves are not a long-term sustainable solution, research into maximising the efficacy of alternatives – such as biowaste materials – is a priority. Biomaterial waste including sewage sludge (SS), sewage sludge ash (SAS), biogas digestate solid fraction (BGF) and meat/bone meal (MBM) from the meat industry, could all potentially be used as P fertiliser. However, the P solubility and release to the soil from these sources varies greatly, and is often lower than that of mineral P fertilisers derived from rock phosphate.
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