Phosphorus Recycling Of Mixed Substances
Ann Albihn and Josefine Elving, National Veterinary Institute, Sweden
PROMISE will pave the way for a fundamental adoption of fertilizer practices that allows phosphorus (P) recycling, cuts it’s dumping and excessive use, and ultimately leads to marked reduction in the non-point Ps load to the Baltic Sea.
Currently inorganic fertilizers are used to substitute the limited reuse of P-rich organic waste in agriculture. However, the global reserves of P are finite and agriculture is expected to face problems concerning P-supply within the next 50 to 100 years. Even so, large quantities of P are wasted today as organic wastes being co-incinerated, dumped or rejected from recycling in plant productions. Moreover animal manure is excessively applied to arable land in areas of concentrated livestock productions. Consequently, the misuse of P-rich organic wastes causes that P is leached from soils, and agriculture has become the largest contributor to the non-point P load in the Baltic Sea region.
Exploring alternatives for recycling of urban and agricultural organic wastes are of vital importance to resolve the problems posed by P-induced eutrophication and to postpone peak-P. Recycling is dependent on that the significant amounts of organic contaminants in P-rich waste as organic contaminants, heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms can be reduced. Therefore, the procedures of handling and treatment need to be improved and implemented to produce safely recycled fertilizers.
PROMISE aims to compile data on potentially hazardous contaminants in P-rich organic wastes to assess strategies for P-fertilization that can acknowledge food safety and food security in the future. Within the project, organic wastes such as animal manure and sewage sludge from Finland, Germany and Sweden will be studied, regarding both beneficial and harmful properties. SVA will cover the biosecurity aspects by evaluating the presence of disease causing microorganisms in waste types included in the project.
PROMISE is supported by EU/BONUS and national funders, in Sweden by Vinnova.
Project partners
Finland
MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Jokioinen (coordinating partner)
Germany
Julius Kühn-Institut, Quedlinburg
Outotec GmbH, Oberursel
Sweden
National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala
Key theme
2.4. Eco-technological approaches
Supplementary themes
2.1. Natural and human-induced changes in catchment land cover patterns, including the role of agriculture, forestry and urbanization
2.2. The role of the coastal systems in the dynamics of the Baltic Sea
Midterm leaflet (PDF).
Further information: www.bonusportal.org/promise