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The European Commission has opened, to 25th August 2020, a public consultation on the ‘roadmap’ for re-evaluation of the EU Sewage Sludge Directive (86/278). This first consultation enables to input concerning the objectives of this re-evaluation, which will include a second, wide consultation on sewage sludge use in agriculture, announced for late 2020. The Commission’s proposed ‘Roadmap’ underlines that the Directive aims to encourage the use of sludge in agriculture, under safety conditions, and that nutrient recovery (citing phosphorus) should be a core objective, coherent with the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, Green Deal, Bioeconomy Strategy and Farm-to-Fork Strategy. The need to take into account “contaminants of emerging concern (e.g. organic chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, PAH and PFAS, cosmetics and microplastics)” is noted. This consultation enables to input to the definition of the Purpose and Scope of the sludge directive re-evaluation.
EU public consultation open to 25th August 2020 “Sewage sludge use in farming – evaluation” (Roadmap). Input can be as a simple text statement (max 4000 characters) and/or upload of a document.
The European Commission has opened, to 8th September 2020, a public consultation on the ‘roadmap’ for revision of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD 1991/271). The proposed roadmap identifies as key questions: storm water overflows, inadequate treatment of wastewater from agglomerations < 2 000 p.e. (the Directives currently specifies only that treatment for such small agglomerations should be “appropriate”), inadequate treatment and monitoring for individual homes (septic tanks), contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) including pharmaceuticals and micro-plastics, eutrophication, embedding in the “clean and circular economy” (sludge management, nutrient recovery, recovery of raw materials), energy recovery, waste water surveillance for pandemic monitoring. Proposed policy objectives emphasise the importance of sewage sludge: treatment / decontamination and “subsequent use as a fertiliser, including the option of “applying extended producer responsibility”. It is specified that economic analysis will include consistent application of the polluter pays principle.
EU public consultation open to 8th September 2020 “Water pollution – EU rules on urban wastewater treatment
(update”, Inception Impact Assessment “Revision of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive” (Roadmap). Input can be as a simple text statement (max 4000 characters) and/or upload of a document.
The European Commission has opened, to 22nd October 2020, three public consultations on the impacts of EU agriculture policy on water, on habitats / landscape / biodiversity and on sustainable management of soil. The objective is to assess the impacts of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), as per the 2013 reform, which includes the obligation for farmers (condition of subsidies) to respect mandatory rules (“cross-compliance”), including both statutory management requirements (SMR) and standards of good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAEC). Additionally, there exist voluntary agri-environment-climate measures (AECM) and subsidies for farmers in areas subject to natural constraints (Natura 2000, Water Framework Directive restrictions). The consultation consists of a public questionnaire asking whether respondents consider that the CAP contributes to different environmental objectives, questions on effectiveness or unintended consequences of CAP measures.
EU public consultations open to 22nd October 2020 on the impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy on water, on habitats, landscapes and biodiversity, and on sustainable management of soil.
Research is underway in the UK and Spain to sample wastewater in several cities, to define how sewage sampling could establish an early-warning system for identifying Covid outbreaks. he Covid-19 virus does not readily spread through sewage, but non-infectious residues of the virus can be identified. These are released even by asymptomatic infected persons, possibly enabling identification of outbreaks a week earlier than by medical testing of the population. Methods to track virus traces in wastewater are very different from medical infection testing, and are not yet standardised. The research involves Northumbrian Water and other UK water companies, CEH, Newcastle University and other UK universities, the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, government agencies and health bodies. Six testing labs are already operational across the UK. In France, testing by the Paris public water company suggests that the virus may be starting to develop again in July following the end of lockdown. Monitoring of virus traces in sewage is also developing rapidly in the USA.
Efforts to monitor Covid using sewage sampling across Europe are being coordinated by the European Commission JRC (see call in ESPP eNews n° 45) and some 80 research organisations across Europe have already responded to this call.
BBC News 2nd July 2020 and Newcastle University 2nd July 2020. CWEA webinar California 14th July 2020.
A web workshop organised by Water Europe (Resource Recovery Working Group), 26th June 2020, moderated by Pieter de Jong, Water Europe, launched work on a white paper on addressing regulatory obstacles to resource and nutrient recycling from wastewaters, in particular End-of-Waste. Recovered materials obtaining national End-of-Waste status currently face considerable obstacles for transport, sale and use in other EU Member States. The heterogeneity of status between countries makes roll-out of recycling technologies problematic. Mattia Pellegrini, European Commission DG Environment, indicated that a study has been carried out (to be published shortly) inventorying national Best Practices for End-of-Waste, with the aim of spreading these. A stakeholder process is planned with JRC to take this forward in consultation with stakeholders. He further underlined the current public consultation on the EU Sewage Sludge Directive (86/278), open to 28 August 2020 indicating that revision of this Directive could bring in circularity, for example by defining European End-of-Waste criteria for sewage sludge with defined quality and processing standards, in coherence with the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (which currently excludes sewage-sourced materials, although struvite and nutrients recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash should soon be admitted via STRUBIAS). Simplification of waste transport is also being considered, for example by removing the “prior consent” requirement for intra-EU waste transport for wastes respecting specified sectorial standards. Aalke Lida de Jong, AquaMinerals (The Netherlands) presented examples of the difficulties and complexities which pose obstacles to resources recycling from wastewater, citing examples of struvite and recovered cellulose. Concrete obstacles include fertiliser authorisation, End-of-Waste, transport, and permitting of industrial sites wishing to take in waste for recycling to replace virgin materials. Carmen Mena Abela, European Commission EASME, presented projects into resource recovery from wastewater funded under Horizon 2020, emphasising the policy recommendations from these projects (see ESPP eNews n°41 and see here). She noted that several major new projects on resource recycling from wastewater are now starting: Ultimate, Wider Uptake, ReWaise, B-WaterSmart, Rewaise and Water-Mining. Chris Thornton, ESPP, underlined the opportunities of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation, the difficulties of REACH (art. 2(7)d which is important to facilitate recycling, but fails to structure dossier funding) and obstacles in the Animal Feed Regulation (767/2009) which excludes even pure and reprocessed materials from wastewater. Martijn Bijmans and Francesco Fatone, Water Europe invited further cooperation, with this workshop aiming to start the preparation of a stakeholder White Paper on addressing obstacles to resource recycling from wastewater.
Water Europe Resource Recovery Working Group
Media report that the European Commission has decided that the Water Framework Directive will not be revised. This follows the publication in December 2019 (ESPP eNews n°39) of a REFIT assessment of the Directive concluding that it is effective and that benefits outweigh costs. The Commission has declared that it will now focus on implementing and enforcing the Directive, which is a major challenge as all Member States are considerably behind the Directive’s objectives of Good Quality Status in all surface and ground waters by 2027 at the latest. The Commission will specifically look at updating the Directive list of “Priority Substances” and at the daughter Groundwater Directive, and will integrate the Green Deal Zero Pollution Action Plan. The water industry (Eureau) has welcomed the decision, underlining the need to ensure coherence with legislation such as REACH and the Industrial Emissions Directive and the importance of the principles of the Water Framework Directive of prevention of pollution at source, and of ensuring polluter-pays and appropriate water pricing to justly finance implementation. Environmental organisations (EEB) equally welcomed the decision, underlining that to date less than half of the EU’s surface waters are in Good Quality Status and that strong action must now be engaged, with appropriate funding, to ensure that quality objectives are ensured by 2027.
“European Commission decides not to revise the WFD” Eureau 24th June 2020. “EU water law will NOT be changed, confirms European Commission” EEB 23 June 2020.
Over 500 scientists and experts have already signed the ‘Our Phosphorus Future’ call for international action on phosphorus. Since the launch of this call at 3rd European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, Helsinki, 2018, some 80 authors from around the world have been working together to identify key challenges and solutions to develop a roadmap to improve global phosphorus sustainability. The Our Phosphorus Future report (currently in proof-reading) and online communications tools and related videos will be released in Autumn 2020. Aims of this initiative include to develop and communicate scientific evidence to support phosphorus stewardship, coordinate with stakeholders and engage with UN-Environment and global governance.
Sign the “Call for International Action on Phosphorus” here: www.opfglobal.com
The global chemicals company, Kemira, an ESPP Member, has acquired the technology patent of the Vivimag phosphorus recycling process, which has been developed by a consortium of partners including Wetsus, TU Delft, Outotec and EIT RawMaterials. The process (see ESPP eNews n°26) uses iron salts to precipitate phosphorus from sewage, as widely practiced today (chemical P-removal). Iron(III) phosphate then reduces to iron(II) phosphate in the anaerobic conditions of sludge digesters. The iron(II) phosphate, vivianite, is non-soluble and paramagnetic, so can be separated and recovered using magnetic separators. The vivianite can then be separated into phosphorus using alkali (pH 12), for recycling to industrial or fertiliser applications, and iron, which can be recycled back for use in sewage phosphorus removal.
Kemira press release 22nd July 2020.
The German Phosphorus Platform, DPP, is a partner in a project with the Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) Land of Germany to define how phosphorus will be recovered from sewage and recycled, as required by the German Sewage Sludge Ordinance (AbfKlärV, 27th September 2017). The project will prepare summary documents presenting around ten different processes for P-recovery from sewage sludge incineration ash. It will also analyse legal questions concerning the Ordinance obligations, in particular concerning the possibility of co-incineration of sewage sludge with other phosphorus-containing wastes followed by P-recovery from the resulting ashes, and also concerning P-recovery from imported sewage sludge. Power plant operators are looking at the possibility to incinerate sewage sludge with low-ash coal, then to recover phosphorus from the resulting combined ash. Currently, 90% of sewage sludge in the NRW Land is incinerated, with the remainder valorised to farmland. Agricultural use is expected to decrease, even though it remains legally possible under the Ordinance (depending on the sewage works size and sludge P content), because of tightening pressure on agricultural spreading due to implementation of the Nitrates Directive nutrient application limits (German manure ordinance Düngeverordnung DüV of 26th May 2017).Sewage sludge incineration capacity is expected to therefore be increased, and throughput to be increased by drying of sludge.
“Phosphorrückgewinnung in NRW” https://www.deutsche-phosphor-plattform.de/project/phosphorrueckgewinnung-in-nrw/
Wheatsheaf Group, the food and agriculture investment arm of the UK-based Grosvenor Estate, has acquired the world leader in struvite production technology for phosphorus recycling, Ostara (ESPP member). Wheatsheaf states as its objectives “a more holistic approach to improve yields, soil and nutrient efficiency and reduce waste … Food production cycles must be improved at every stage and … must be commercially viable” and places the Ostara acquisition in a “far-sighted perspective to deliver lasting commercial, social and environmental benefit”. It is indicated that the acquisition will support Ostara’s growing international operations and accelerate development of Ostara’s phosphorus recycling technologies( Pearl® nutrient recovery and Crystal Green® struvite fertiliser) by enabling strategic investment and access to expertise in Wheatsheaf food and agriculture portfolio companies. Monty Bayer, Executive Director of Wheatsheaf Group, said: “Ostara is a business of outstanding potential which is naturally positioned to offer solutions with significant end-user and environmental benefits in both the water management and crop nutrition environments”.
Press release 7th July 2020.
A paper from the University of Rostock, Germany, analyses links between phosphorus governance and legislation in Europe, in particular the EU Common Agricultural Policy CAP (both as existing, and the Commission 2018 proposals for CAP revision, currently under discussion), soil and water law. The authors note that proposals in the CAP revision, if adopted, could significantly contribute to improving nutrient management and reducing nutrient losses, in particular the proposed FaST (Farm Sustainability Tool for Nutrients) and references to Water Framework Directive requirements to control diffuse phosphorus losses, but they not that this may depend considerably on Member State implementation and funding allocation. The authors underline the importance of the EU Nitrates and Water Framework Directives, both of which should prevent losses of nutrients from agriculture leading to eutrophication of surface waters or nitrate contamination of groundwaters, but underline that water quality is not achieving quality objectives in many countries and compliance with these Directives is widely failing. The authors recognise the importance of the new EU Fertilising Products Regulation and of circular economy policy in facilitating phosphorus recycling, and underline that this needs also to be brought into Organic Farming regulations. Recommendations to address regulatory failures include developing EU soil conservation legislation, introducing a mandatory link between arable land and livestock production and economic tools, such as “cap and trade” (e.g. emissions trading systems).
“Sustainable phosphorus management in European agricultural and environmental law”, B. Garske, J. Stubenrauch, F. Ekardt, University of Rostock, RECIEL. 2020; 29:107–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/reel.12318
In Lake Kymijärvi, Finland, phosphorus recovery is tested from hypolimnetic water (that is, just above the surface of the lake bed sediments). The aim is to restore the eutrophied lake, by harvesting P naturally released from anoxic sediments, and to recycle this phosphorus. Water from the bottom of the lake is pumped through a filter then a wetland to remove suspended solids and nutrients. A 30 m3 pilot filter system has been operated intermittently during the summers of 2018 and 2019 with different filter media. Sand and calcium carbonate both achieved >70% total P removal following oxygenation of inflowing water and precipitation of iron oxide bound P. Addition of quicklime (Ca(OH)) further improves retention by stimulating calcium phosphate precipitation. The resulting calcium phosphate could be recycled to land as a fertiliser, but heavy metals from the sediments, also trapped in the filter, may be an obstacle. A paper by the same authors at the University of Helsinki, looking at nearby Lake Vesijärvi, Finland, shows that phosphorus accumulated in sediments from inadequately treated sewage in the past is being released from deep sediment layers, due to mineralisation of organic matter and dissolution of iron – manganese oxides. The released phosphorus diffuses upwards through the sediment and into the lake water, with a flux comparable to current total P inflows to the lake. This could retard lake restoration to good water quality by decades. The work demonstrates the need for long term restoration strategies aimed at reducing lake water P concentrations.
“A new application of hypolimnetic withdrawal and treatment for lake restoration and nutrient recycling”, S. Silvonen et al., Conference: Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences 11, June 2019
"Impacts of a deep reactive layer on sedimentary phosphorus dynamics in a boreal lake recovering from eutrophication”, T. Jilbert et al., Hydrobiologia 2020
The RESTOR project, Norway, has tested fish bones and algae fibres as fertilisers or Organic Agriculture. The fish bones came from a fish processing factory (mainly cod Gadus morhua and saithe Pollachius virens), after removal of fish oil and soluble proteins which go to aquaculture feed, ground and conserved in formic acid (resulting in hydrolysis). This is a waste material currently usually incinerated. The algae fibres were residuals after liquid fertiliser extraction from knotted wrack Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed (harvested from natural growth on the Norway coast). The fish bones are rich in N (mainly in ammonium form), P and Ca. The algae fibres contain K, Mg and S. The fish bones showed good fertiliser effectiveness, for both N and P, for leeks, oats and rye grass, in various pot and field tests, with yields up to +75% higher than for control (no fertiliser) and with the nutrients showing rapid plant availability. The algae fibres showed less first-season fertiliser effectiveness, and in some cases negative effects, but positive effects the year after application.
NORSOK project “Marine rest raw materials for fertilizers to organic agriculture (RESTOR)” and summary of results in “Harvesting our fertilisers from the sea – an approach to close the nutrient gaps in organic farming”, A-K Løes et al., OWC 2020 Paper Submission 2020.
A study by authors from FAO, EU JRC, The World Bank and several R&D institutes shows that livestock production emits some 65 million tonnes of nitrogen per year to the environment, of which nearly half (29 MtN/y) to surface and ground waters and the remainder to the atmosphere (mainly ammonia 26 MtN/y, plus NOx and N2O). This is around 40% of anthropogenic nitrogen emissions to water, and 60% of ammonia emissions to air. Nearly all these emissions come from animal feed and fodder production and from manure management. Ruminants (mainly cattle, for beef and dairy) account for 70% of total emissions. The study identifies possible key areas for action, including: improving fertiliser management in Asia and North America (to make better use of manure), moving away from concentration of livestock production and geographical separation from fodder crop production in Europe, North America and Asia (again to enable better recycling of manure). However, it also concludes that reductions in livestock consumption and production will be necessary in parts of the world, in order to respect planetary boundaries for nitrogen, noting that this should be targeted to maintain diversified livestock production where it is integrated into nutrition and food systems.
“Nitrogen emissions along global livestock supply chains”, A. Uwizeye et al., Nature Food 1, pp. 437–446 (2020)
The IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery (NRR) virtual conference www.iwa-nrr.org online 1-3 September 2020, registration (early bird to end July) 63 – 273 €. Organised by Aalto University, Helsinki Region Environmental Services HSY and the IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Specialist Group. Will address removal and recovery of phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon in municipal wastewater, groundwater, natural waters, pulp and paper sector and others. The previous IWA-NRR conference was in Brisbane, Australia, in 2018
The annual VDI (German Association of Engineers) conference on sewage sludge, 16-17 September 2020, Hamburg, Germany (VDI-Fachkonferenz Klärschlammbehandlung), will look at implementation of the German phosphorus recycling ordonnance, in particular possibilities for sludge incineration in either smaller or large centralised installations, and routes for recovery of phosphorus, nitrogen and other materials from sewage. The Conference includes a site visit to Hamburg’s sewage sludge mono-incineration plant on 15th September Conference in German.
www.vdi-wissensforum.de/06KO006020
A bi-weekly series of scientific webinars on phosphorus chemistry is running from May into August, with 20 or 40 minute presentations from phosphorus chemistry scientists or young researchers, followed by discussion. Subjects already scheduled include phosphorus-carbonyl chemistry, phosphorus heterocycles, synthesis of phosphiranes, phosphorus redox catalysis, phosphaborenes, black phosphorus …
The P-Chemistry Webinar series is moderated by Christian Hering-Junghans (LIKAT, Rostock) and supported by AG P-Chemie" (phosphorus interest group) of the GdCh (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker - Society of German Chemists). Schedule of webinars here:
https://phosphorus-chemistry.weebly.com/schedule.html
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This online workshop, in three 1-2 hour sessions 13-14 July, 2020, will look at how iron salts used for phosphorus removal (in sewage treatment or in drainage ditches) impacts phosphorus recycling and fertiliser value of sewage biosolids. Session themes are: Iron phosphorus interactions in natural systems and in wastewater ; Iron and phosphorus crop availability ; Iron for P-removal from aquatic systems ; and P-recovery from iron-containing waste streams. Presentations/papers will be available to participants before the event and the three web sessions will concentrate on discussion and questions, completed by an online forum. Register now.
Programme and register: https://iron-phosphate.eventbrite.co.uk
The IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery (NRR) virtual conference www.iwa-nrr.org online 1-3 September 2020, registration (early bird to end July) 63 – 273 €. Organised by Aalto University, Helsinki Region Environmental Services HSY and the IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Specialist Group. Will address removal and recovery of phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon in municipal wastewater, groundwater, natural waters, pulp and paper sector and others. The previous IWA-NRR conference was in Brisbane, Australia, in 2018
The annual VDI (German Association of Engineers) conference on sewage sludge, 16-17 September 2020, Hamburg, Germany (VDI-Fachkonferenz Klärschlammbehandlung), will look at implementation of the German phosphorus recycling ordonnance, in particular possibilities for sludge incineration in either smaller or large centralised installations, and routes for recovery of phosphorus, nitrogen and other materials from sewage. The Conference includes a site visit to Hamburg’s sewage sludge mono-incineration plant on 15th September Conference in German.
www.vdi-wissensforum.de/06KO006020
A bi-weekly series of scientific webinars on phosphorus chemistry is running from May into August, with 20 or 40 minute presentations from phosphorus chemistry scientists or young researchers, followed by discussion. Subjects already scheduled include phosphorus-carbonyl chemistry, phosphorus heterocycles, synthesis of phosphiranes, phosphorus redox catalysis, phosphaborenes, black phosphorus …
The P-Chemistry Webinar series is moderated by Christian Hering-Junghans (LIKAT, Rostock) and supported by AG P-Chemie" (phosphorus interest group) of the GdCh (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker - Society of German Chemists). Schedule of webinars here:
https://phosphorus-chemistry.weebly.com/schedule.html
The European Commission (JRC) is organising, with Eureau and Water Europe, a coordinated action across Europe to understand how Covid virus fragment monitoring in sewers can support public health information. Levels of Covid virus RNA in untreated sewage (inflow to sewage works) have been shown to reflect levels of public infection in several countries. Monitoring of sewage could maybe provide an early-warning system to identify new outbreaks of the virus. Sampling is being organised through an existing EU system at selected sewage plants. Data and methods will be coordinated to define a Covid monitoring system. Further partners wishing to join the exercise should contact rapidly JRC.
Contact:
The European Commission has opened, to 25th August 2020, a public consultation on the ‘roadmap’ for re-evaluation of the EU Sewage Sludge Directive (86/278). This first consultation enables to input concerning the objectives of this re-evaluation, which will include a second, wide consultation on sewage sludge use in agriculture, announced for late 2020. The Commission’s proposed ‘Roadmap’ underlines that the Directive aims to encourage the use of sludge in agriculture, under safety conditions, and that nutrient recovery (citing phosphorus) should be a core objective, coherent with the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, Green Deal, Bioeconomy Strategy and Farm-to-Fork Strategy. The need to take into account “contaminants of emerging concern (e.g. organic chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, PAH and PFAS, cosmetics and microplastics)” is noted. This consultation enables to input to the definition of the Purpose and Scope of the sludge directive re-evaluation.
EU public consultation open to 25th August 2020 “Sewage sludge use in farming – evaluation” (Roadmap). Input can be as a simple text statement (max 4000 characters) and/or upload of a document.
ESPP submitted comments on two of the eleven proposed Horizon 2020 R&D calls to support the Green Deal. For the proposed “Farm-to-Fork” call, ESPP welcomed the specific references to phosphorus and nitrogen, suggesting to add reference to recycling of nutrients and to include in the call the need to assess economic and policy barriers to sustainability of food systems, including food pricing. For the proposed call on territorial demonstration of the Circular Economy, ESPP again welcomed the specific inclusion of recycled fertilisers and suggested to better make the link between local circularity and sustainable food systems. These calls are expected to be published in September 2020 with submission deadline January 2021.
European Green Deal Call
ESPP submitted detailed comments to the JRC proposals for a “framework” for criteria for “by-products” in CMC11 of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. These proposals are the first step towards defining “agronomic efficiency and safety” criteria for CMC11 “By-products” by July 2020 (art. 42.7). ESPP received and integrated input from several stakeholders. ESPP noted the importance of ensuring that the same material should have the same status across Europe (not be considered a “by-product” in one Member State but a waste in another), but also that the FPR should not generate new definitions of “by-products” parallel to waste legislation. ESPP questioned the proposed “positive list” approach, in that cataloguing all relevant by-products does not seem feasible, and would require traceability contradicting fact that by-products are placed on the market. ESPP underlined that a wide range of by-products may be used in small quantities as additives, to improve processing, handling or product characteristics: listing all of these does not seem realistic, and it would be appropriate to not limit use of non-hazardous additives used at very low concentrations.
RC report on “By-Products” under the FPR (CMC11) and ESPP submitted comments: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory
The objective of the MonGOS project is to develop a circular economy monitoring framework for the European water and sewage sector. The Circular Economy is an EU political priority and poses many challenges for this sector. MonGOS will identify and assess the potential for Circular Economy transformation in the water and sewage sector, exchange good practices and transfer knowledge between leading scientific institutions in Europe, develop a framework for monitoring transformation towards the Circular Economy in the water and sewage sector, disseminate research results internationally. One of the key areas of project is an identification of circular strategies for management of sewage sludge and sewage sludge ash, which are important source of phosphorus. Specific indicators for the recovery of phosphorus will be defined and proposed.
MonGOS (project “Monitoring of water and sewage management in the context of the implementation of circular economy objectives“ 2020-2022) is financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) under the International Academic Partnerships Programme. Website. Contact: Dr. Marzena Smol
A joint letter, signed by IFOAM EU, the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming, and by ESPP, has been sent to the European Commission requesting that struvite recovered from municipal wastewater and calcined phosphates be added to the “authorized fertilisers” annex of the EU Organic Farming Regulation 2018/848. The letter reminds that these two recycled phosphate materials were assessed by the official committee EGTOP (Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production) recommending 2/2/2016 (see ESPP eNews) their authorisation for Organic Farming, under certain conditions, subject to their being authorised as EU fertilisers. This condition is now being resolved with their inclusion in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation with the STRUBIAS annexes (underway).
IFOAM EU – ESPP joint letter 17th June 2020 June 2020 http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory
Nearly 500 participants from 90 countries took part in a Global Soil Partnership (GSP) webinar on 19th May to discuss implementation of the FAO’s International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers. The Code was endorsed by the 41st FAO Conference in 2019. It provides a locally adaptable framework and set of practices for stakeholders involved with fertilisers, with the objective of improving nutrient management for sustainable agriculture and food security, by addressing overuse, underuse and misuse. FAO underlined the need for countries to have national plans to implement the Code, the importance of incentives and smart subsidies for sustainable nutrient management, covering both mineral fertilisers and organic nutrient materials such as manure or sewage biosolids. The webinar confirmed interest worldwide in national implementation of the Code.
Summary of the FAO – CSP webinar Fertiliser Code’s implementation, 19th May 2020
A study by Wageningen UR for the Netherlands Agriculture Ministry concludes that nearly half of the nitrogen applied to farmland in the country (total 530 ktN) is as mineral fertilisers, that is around a quarter of this nitrogen could in theory be replaced by processing manure, but that costs are significant, and increase as a higher replacement target is fixed (more expensive processing becomes necessary). Only around 10% of phosphorus applied in The Netherlands is as mineral fertilisers, so the processing must enable separation of phosphorus into a form which can be exported. Replacing just 16% of The Netherlands’ mineral N consumption with processed manure is estimated to cost 360 million € (average = 4 300 €/tN note: this is not per tonne of manure). The report concludes that funding this by a levy on mineral fertilisers is not administratively feasible and that the increase in fertiliser price would be so high that it would lead to reduced agricultural productivity. The report proposes to subsidise manure processing. The report also notes that around 115 ktN of nitrogen is lost in emissions to the atmosphere from manure in The Netherlands (from a total of512 ktN in manure) and that some of this could be recovered and recycled as fertiliser by air stripping from manure storage or from stables, but that in many cases this requires significant modification of livestock farm installations.
“Vervanging kunstmest door dierlijke mest, Verkenning van opties voor de inzet van financiële instrumenten”, (Replacement of fertiliser by animal manure, exploring options for using financial instruments), T. de Koeijer et al., Wageningen Economic Research Rapport 2019-103 | Projectcode 2282200520, 2019 https://doi.org/10.18174/504407
A 3-year Marie Curie Individual post-doc Fellowship at ZSW (Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg), 2019-2022, ReCaPHOS ("Phosphorus extraction in the context of the high-temperature thermal treatment of sewage sludge") will develop phosphorus recovery integrated into fluidised bed sewage sludge incineration, considering both a new plant and retrofitting to an existing incinerator. The project will lead to design of a demonstration plant and estimation of economic potential. Calcium oxide (quicklime) will be used for phosphorus adsorption in the incineration process or from the outcoming ash, with heavy metal removal by thermal treatment.
ReCaPHOS information on Cordis and ZSW www.zsw-bw.de ZSW is a member of the German Phosphorus Platform DPP
ESPP members EasyMining (Ragn-Sells group) and Hitachi Zosen Inova have together developed a new process, Ash2Salt, to recover potassium and other elements from municipal solid waste incineration fly-ash (ash separated out in incinerator exhaust gas filters). This fly ash can contain 10 – 40% w/w as salts (calcium, sodium, potassium chlorides) and an average around 2 - 3% potassium (K). This is recovered as high purity potassium chloride salt, appropriate for industry markets. Ammonium sulphate can also be recovered (from ammonia added to exhaust gases to prevent NOx emissions). The new plant under construction near Stockholm will have a capacity of 130 000 t/y of incinerator fly ash, sufficient to take the fly ash from Sweden’s current 15 municipal waste incinerators. Commissioning is planned for 2022.
“Ragn-Sells partners with Hitachi Zosen Inova for building circular fly ash plant”, 26th May 2020
A report published by UBA Germany compares the environmental footprint of phosphorus recovery from sewage, as required by the German Sludge Ordinance (2017), to mineral phosphate fertilisers. The LCA calculates c. 27 MJ/kgP (27 MJ/kg P2O5) as the average energy input for mineral phosphate fertiliser on the German market, of which more than half is related to sulphuric acid production (this figure will thus depend on “allocation” in that sulphuric acid is a by-product). The production of 1 kgN requires 4-5x this energy, and given that plants require nearly 7x nitrogen than phosphorus (Redfield ratio), the energy footprint of mineral fertilisers is principally for nitrogen not phosphorus. Energy requirements for P-recovery are identified as varying widely depending on the process. The report suggests that the environmental footprint of all fertilisers is principally in the use phase, that heavy metal content may have significant impact (will depend on levels in the fertiliser) and also phosphogypsum disposal (but this is not relevant if disposal has no environmental impact or if the phosphogypsum is valorised). The report notes that an important environmental question is to implement NOx mitigation for sewage sludge incinerators.
“Ökobilanzieller Vergleich der P-Rückgewinnung aus dem Abwasserstrom mit der Düngemittelproduktion aus Rohphosphaten unter Einbeziehung von Umweltfolgeschäden und deren Vermeidung” (LCA comparison of P-recovery from wastewater with fertilisers from mineral phosphates, including environmental damage and how to avoid it), F. Kraus et al., UBA-FB 002759 2019
A 470 page book from Ghent University, Belgium, presents different aspects of nutrient recovery from biomass and organic waste streams. Chapters written by over 100 hundred authors discuss nutrient flows and food systems, policy, nutrient recovery from manure, wastewater, food processing by-products and urine, ammonia stripping, struvite recovery, membrane filtration, mineral concentrates, pyrolysis, digestate drying and pelletisation, agricultural performance and soil behaviour of recovered fertilisers, energy intensity of recovery processes, modelling and optimisation.
Elsewhere, a review paper from China summarises biological nutrient removal and recovery from manures. The authors state that China alone generates 2 billion tonnes/year of livestock manures, considered to contain metals (copper, zinc, arsenic), pathogens and antibiotic pharmaceuticals. Processes considered include : composting, underlining the importance of process control and the interest of using co-substrates which improve bulking (aeration in composting) and increase the C/N ratio (improving composting and reducing ammonia losses and odour); anaerobic digestion and digestate processing; biological nitrogen removal; bio(electrical processes; micro-algae production to recover nutrients and provide biofuel feedstock; duckweed; macrophyte wetlands; cation adsorbent or ion-exchange systems. The authors see as perspectives: composting of solid fraction of digestate after anaerobic digestion processes (such as sodium hydroxide) to breakdown cellulose remaining in solid fraction of digestate, development of biological cultivation processes to reuse nutrients from manure (algae, plants, solider fly …) and hybrid processing combining several of these.
“Biorefinery of Inorganics: Recovering Mineral Nutrients from Biomass and Organic Waste”, E. Meers et al., 2020, €140-160 https://www.wiley.com/en-be/9781118921456
“Biological nutrient removal and recovery from solid and liquid livestock manure: Recent advance and perspective”, M. Zubair et al., Bioresource Technology 301 (2020) 122823 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122823
A paper by several environmental scientists states in its title that ratios between different elements (modified by human activities) “link environment change to human health”. This is misleading, because the paper’s intent is to explore ecological stoichiometry as a framework to understand how changes in biogeochemical cycles may impact health. The paper suggests that nitrogen fertiliser use may contribute to the prevalence and severity of infectious diseases, based on Townsend 2003, whereas this is a conceptual framework, not evidence. The paper suggests that human activities may lead to excess carbon availability in soil (ESPP comment: whereas most agronomists underline the need to restore soil organic carbon), leading to reduced N:C ratios in crops (no studies are cited linking this to human health), but the paper also suggests that increasing nitrogen may lead to increased N:C ratios in crops, suggesting possible links to changes in pests on cotton and in species diversity in natural areas (no link to human health). The paper points to decreasing environmental P:N ratios. Confusion seems to be made between nutrient balances and basic healthy diets: for example, Jacka 2017 is referenced under dietary stoichiometry and mental health, whereas in fact this study (of 67 persons only) suggests only that a generally healthy diet (fruit, vegetables, fibres, vitamins …) improved mental health and does not in fact mention elements. The paper was developed through Woodstoich 4, an event designed to expand the conceptual boundaries of ecological stoichiometry. ESPP recognises that the concept of ecological stoichiometry is interesting, and that human activities have significantly modified nutrient ratios in the environment, but regrets the use of a title which suggests that there is evidence of human health impact, when this is not the object of the paper.
“Elemental Ratios Link Environmental Change and Human Health”, R. Paseka et al., Frontiers in Ecology, vol. 7, art. 375, 2019 DOI.
A joint report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) finds that Europe’s footprints exceed safe limits (planetary boundaries) by a factor of 2x for phosphorus losses, 3.3x for nitrogen losses and 1.8x for and land use. Europe’s freshwater use does not exceed planetary boundary limits, but does suffer local and regional over-consumption and scarcity problems. The report considers different possible European shares of total planetary resources, not only on equity (per person) but also related to human needs, suggesting that Europe could have a 2.7% to 21% share (Europe has 8.1% of world population). The phosphorus footprint for Europe (corresponding to the biogeochemical flow of phosphorus) is in this report calculated as P release from agriculture plus P losses from urban waste water, that is c. 0.13 MtP/year (2011), using data from Exiobase. This is more than two times lower than the 2.9 MtP/y (2005) phosphorus losses from the European agrifood system calculated by Van Dijk et al. (see SCOPE Newsletter n°106 page 11) and would represent only 6% loss of phosphorus use in Europe (assuming Europe uses 10% of 17 – 24 MtP/y in worldwide phosphate rock production, see ESPP Factsheet), implying that 94% of P used annually is lost via other routes not taken into account, or is stored in landfill or soil, which seems unlikely. It is not clear whether the report methodology takes into account “exported” phosphorus footprint (e.g. phosphorus losses from agriculture in countries growing animal fodder crops imported into Europe to feed livestock). The report notes that the 2x exceedance of limits for Europe’s phosphorus footprint is the same as the global exceedance, whereas for nitrogen Europe’s footprint exceedance of 3.3x is twice the global exceedance of 1.7x.
“Is Europe living within the limits of our planet? An assessment of Europe's environmental footprints in relation to planetary boundaries”, Joint EEA/FOEN Report, EEA Report N° 01/2020, ISSN 1977-8449 https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/europes-environmental-footprints-exceed-several
An overview of possible processes concludes that “the only industrially practicable way” to produce organophosphorus chemicals is today via P4 (white phosphorus). The reactive potential of P4 [+3 oxidation state, P(III)] is conserved in traded ‘vector’ chemicals such as PCl3 or PMIDA (phosphonomethyliminodiacetic acid) which can be used to produce organophosphorus chemicals for sectors such as fire safety, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, water treatment, lubricants, catalysts, metal extraction … However, P4 production requires a high-temperature reduction furnace and is very energy consuming, and there is no production today in Europe (P4 is on the EU Critical Raw Materials list). Other possible routes to organophosphorus chemicals from inorganic phosphates [+5 oxidation state, P(V)] have been tested at the lab scale: phosphate esters from phosphoric acid by phosphorylation of alcohols; reduction of trimetaphosphate by trichlorosilane (but this is currently produced from silicon, itself from a reducing furnace, so with similar energy costs to P4); PCl3 from calcium phosphate by hydrogen chloride. Another route could be recycling of industrial chemicals already containing reactive phosphorus, such as electrolytes from lithium ion batteries. In nature, inorganic phosphate is biologically converted to organophosphorus chemicals (e.g. ATP, natural phosphonates …) via the starting molecule PEP. At present, PEP can be produced via P4, but could possible be produced using enzymes. The authors also suggest that P4 could possibly be produced by electrochemical reduction, analogous to an experimental route for silicon production.
“Let’s Make White Phosphorus Obsolete”, M. Geeson & C. Cummins, ACS Central Science 2020 https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.0c00332
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This workshop remains fixed 13-14 July, 2020, but the schedule and event design is completely revised for webinar. Presentations/papers will be available to participants before the event and the three web sessions will concentrate on discussion and questions, completed by an online forum. Themes are: Iron phosphorus interactions in natural systems and in wastewater, iron and phosphorus crop availability, iron for P-removal from aquatic systems and P-recovery from iron-containing waste streams. Register now: limited to 100 participants.
Programme and register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/iron-phosphate-chemistry-applied-to-phosphorus-stewardship-and-p-recovery-tickets-96759011809
Kemira webinar, 16th June 14h00 CET. Presentation and discussion of a new study by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute comparing three different wastewater treatment plant configurations: pre-precipitation, simultaneous precipitation, and biological phosphorus removal. Differences in environmental efficiency in terms of carbon footprint, energy balance, impacts of stricter effluent limits.
Kemira and members of INCOPA (European Inorganic Coagulants Producers Association) have contributed to this study. Link for registration or to receive the webinar recording afterwards: REGISTER
Given the development of the international corona virus situation, and after re-discussion with the venue hotel and the Belvedere Palace, Vienna, we have decided to postpone ESPC4 and PERM (4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference and European Phosphorus Research Meeting) from June 2020 to Vienna 31st May – 2nd June 2021 https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/espc4
The manure and organic resources recycling conference, RAMIRAN, is rescheduled (provisionally) to 20-23 September 2021, Cambridge, UK.The SYSTEMIC workshop on nutrient recovery from anaerobic digestion and ESNI (European Sustainable Nutrient Initiative) are rescheduled to 26 – 27 October 2020, Brussels
Ramiran: www.ramiran2020.org
ESNI and SYSTEMIC workshop on Eventbrite
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This workshop remains fixed 13-14 July, 2020 either with a physical meeting in Utrecht, the Netherlands, or by webinar (in which case the programme will be organised differently). So: save the date! Themes will cover: Iron phosphorus interactions in sediments, in soils and engineered systems, Strategies for phosphorus release and P-recovery from iron phosphates, Iron - phosphate interactions in agriculture and Markets for recovered iron phosphate materials.
Given the development of the international corona virus situation, and after re-discussion with the venue hotel and the Belvedere Palace, Vienna, we have decided to postpone ESPC4 and PERM (4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference and European Phosphorus Research Meeting) from June 2020 to Vienna 31st May – 2nd June 2021
https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/espc4
The manure and organic resources recycling conference, RAMIRAN, is rescheduled (provisionally) to 20-23 September 2021, Cambridge, UK.
The SYSTEMIC workshop on nutrient recovery from anaerobic digestion and ESNI (European Sustainable Nutrient Initiative) are rescheduled to 26 – 27 October 2020, Brussels
ANSES, the French national agency for health, food and environment safety, has issued an opinion on the risks of Covid19 in sewage sludge. This confirms the WHO statement that there is no evidence of survival of viable (infectious) Covid19 in sewage. ANSES concludes that systems already considered as ensuring sanitisation of sewage sludge under current regulations will largely remove possible Covid risk. 70% of France’s sewage sludge is used in agriculture, and this is mostly sanitised before spreading. ANSES recommends that monitoring of this sanitisation be reinforced. A small amount of sludge from smaller sewage works is currently spread without sanitisation. ANSES recommends that this sludge be incinerated or treated during the Covid pandemic.
The FAO CWFS (Committee on World Food Security) High Level Panel of Experts has issues a preliminary paper on possible impacts of Covid-19 on food security and nutrition. The Committee expects that the most affected will be the poor and vulnerable, especially migrants, conflict regions. Impacts will be from disruption of food processing and distribution chains, from the expected world economic slowdown and resulting unemployment, and in the medium term from losses in production if farmers to not have access to inputs for this Spring (Northern hemisphere) planting season. Another problem worldwide is workforce shortages on farms because of restrictions to workers’ movements. The experts note that although there are no significant issues with food supply at present, disruption of transport systems and workforces in coming months will be critical for future food supply because this is when most of the world’s food production takes place.
The EU Committee of Regions (CoR) has opened a public stakeholder consultation to 1st May on input to the new EU Circular Economy Action Plan. This Plan includes as proposed actions to “develop an Integrated Nutrient Management Plan with a view to ensuring more sustainable application of nutrients and stimulating the markets for recovered nutrients”. ESPP will input to this CoR consultation underlining our support for this proposed Integrated Nutrient Management Plan and the interest to link to the proposal in Horizon Europe Orientations Orientations to develop “comprehensive EU policy to balance nutrient cycles … move to living within the planetary boundaries, with regards to nutrient flows”. ESPP will underline in particular the need to work with the food & beverage industry to address dietary choices, the key driver for nutrient use, to support agricultural nutrient stewardship and nutrient recycling, including with fiscal and market tools and with nutrient recycling demonstration sites, and to address contaminants in secondary nutrient flows (sewage sludge, manure).
ESPP (European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform) and SPA (Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance, America) are preparing several special issues of SCOPE Newsletter relating eutrophication, nutrient management and climate change. Circulation: 41000 emails worldwide, detected openings 11 – 14%. Issues will cover: eutrophication and methane emissions, climate change impacts on nutrient runoff, climate change and diet nutrition, and links between nutrient technologies and climate change.
We will include a selection of texts showing how products or technologies for nutrient recycling or eutrophication abatement can reduce greenhouse gas emissions or contribute to climate change mitigation. For example:
To include your technology, send us a text, by 15th May latest to
The 2020 Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking call for proposals is open until 3 September. The call constitutes €102 million worth of funding for projects focusing on the upgrading and valorisation of biomass. The budget is divided between five Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), seven Innovation Actions (split between Demonstration Actions (DEMO) and Flagship Actions (FLAG)) and four Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), including €15 dedicated to FLAG projects under the topic of valorisation of organic fraction municipal solids waste through integrated biorefineries at commercial level.
Wastes from slaughterhouses and food processing industries are the third ‘waste stream’ containing phosphorus (P) in Europe, offering potential to recover and recycle phosphorus to fertilisers. Italy and particularly Emilia-Romagna Region have thousands of companies in this sector. The Prosumer project will assess and develop business models for the techno-economic feasibility of P recovery from waste streams in the Italian agri-food sector and its reuse in fertilizers. The project is coordinated by the University of Bologna with the support of Marche Polytechnic University and involves Italian companies in the agri-food sector (Pizzoli, Granarolo, Caviro Extra) and in fertiliser production (Puccioni) who will provide data for the model. The expected results, fitting with several ESPP objectives, include to (i) increase awareness about phosphorus and disseminate information; (ii) evaluate business risks and opportunities (iii) deliver decision support tools for financial instruments and regulatory framework.
BBC’s “People Fixing the World” has featured Ostara, recovering phosphorus as struvite, and SNB, incinerating sewage sludge and looking to recover phosphorus. A 3 minute BBC video provides an excellent summary of why phosphorus is important, and how struvite is recovered by Ostara at Amersfoort, The Netherlands, to produce a high quality fertiliser adapted to plant needs (non water soluble, so low leaching). SNB explain that sewage sludge ash is recycled in construction, but that they hope to develop P-recovery upstream of this end-use. A 30 minute podcast explains the importance of phosphorus, from its discovery to today, its different uses of phosphorus, the impacts of phosphorus losses and the need to develop the circular economy for phosphorus.
A 150 page new book by Alexandra Drizo presents an update of approaches and technologies for phosphorus removal and recovery, covering phosphorus management in sewage, agriculture and in lakes, including summaries of regulation for phosphorus removal and recovery The book covers: the challenges of eutrophication are summarised, water quality legislation, regulation of innovative phosphorus removal technologies and of phosphorus recycling, methods and technologies for removal of phosphorus from sewage, actions for mitigation of agricultural and stormwater phosphorus runoff, in-lake phosphorus treatment and phosphorus recovery and recycling technologies.
A 460 page book edited by Alan Steinman and Bryan Spears, with 24 chapters and 17 case studies, by over 60 experts worldwide, looks at “internal loading” of phosphorus to lakes and coastal lagoons, that is release of phosphorus from bottom sediments. It is feared that climate change will increase sediment P releases, because warming may lead to longer periods of stratification (periods where deep and shallow water layers do not mix) resulting in anoxia (no oxygen) conditions in sediments, and to increased decomposition of organic matter in sediments. The book analyses drivers of sediment phosphorus release and uptake, measurement techniques, management approaches including in-lake treatment techniques.
Malagó et al. have estimated total nutrient inputs to the Mediterranean at 1 900 ktN-total/year and 100 ktP-total/year phosphorus, based on modelling nutrient inputs from diffuse sources (i.e. mineral fertilisers and manure) and point sources (i.e. human settlements connected to sewers and industrial discharge). They used readily available global data and determined the relative importance of different sources identifying hotspot areas of higher pollution. The main contributor to nitrogen is agriculture, whereas for phosphorus the biggest sources are wastewater, soil erosion, and agriculture. However, the main source for soluble phosphorus (30 ktP-ortho/year) is wastewater.
Kanakidou et al. estimated, using modelling, atmospheric deposition to the Mediterranean at around 60 tP-soluble/year, (initial model result 4.3 ktP-soluble/year, multiplied by x14 for re-correlation), compared to 125 ktP-total/year from rivers and coastal cities. For nitrogen, these authors estimate atmospheric inputs at 1 281 ktN/y compared to around 1 360 ktN/y from rivers and cities, (for nitrogen, the model estimate corresponds approximately to other data without re-correlation).
In another paper, Violaki et al. estimate atmospheric deposition of soluble phosphorus (in rainwater and in dry deposition), based on sampling at two sites for 2 – 7 years. They conclude that total dissolved phosphorus from deposition, based on the sites with the higher results, is up to 2.2 mmolP/m2/year in the West Mediterranean and 1.5 mmolP/m2/year for the East that is c.140 ktP-soluble/year for the 2.5 million km2 of the whole Mediterranean. This is coherent with Koçak 2010 who estimated that, for the Eastern Mediterranean (Turkish coast), soluble phosphorus and soluble nitrogen DIN inputs were dominated by atmospheric deposition, whereas silicon input was dominate by river inflows.
Violaki et al. estimate that the atmospheric deposition might cause up to 7% of algal production in the North West Mediterranean, and up to 38% in oligotrophic areas of the East Mediterranean during stratified periods. Thus, the atmospheric P deposition may make some contribution to CO2 uptake at times the Mediterranean.
For comparison to the above studies for the Mediterranean, Tipping (CEH UK) et al, 2014, collated data on atmospheric phosphorus deposition at c. 250 sites worldwide (with a recognised bias of >80% of sites in Europe and North America). They found a geometric mean deposition of 0.14 gTP/m2/year (total phosphorus), of which around 40% on average is soluble P and a further 20% is non filterable P (with significant variations between sites), that is around 60% of TP deposition is relatively available. This corresponds to a total global atmospheric deposition of around 3.7 MtP/y. For comparison: annual world beneficiated phosphate rock production is 17 – 24 MtP/y (see: ESPP Factsheet). Most of this atmospheric deposition is considered to come from natural sources, in particular dusts, especially from the Sahara, and also from pollen and other biogenic organic materials. Anthropogenic sources include burning of fossil fuels. Data showed considerable variation between sites, and at sites between years. The authors note that atmospheric deposition from fertiliser application can be significant locally, and may impact sensitive ecosystems near farmland, noting that this question requires further research, whereas long-range transport, which is important for oceans, is mainly from dust.
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ESPP is making a comeback on social media. After a year of minimum activity, ESPP is now reactivating the presence
on Twitter https://twitter.com/phosphorusfacts. We are also launching a new LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-sustainable-phorphorus-platform/ Please follow us there.
The existing ESPP LinkedIn group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4783093/ will be kept as a forum for the moment.
Looking forward to seeing you online.
Postponement ESPC4 and PERM -> 31st May - 2nd June 2021
Given the development of the international corona virus situation, and after re-discussion with the venue hotel and the Belvedere Palace, Vienna, we have decided to postpone ESPC4 and PERM (4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference and European Phosphorus Research Meeting) from June 2020 to Vienna 31st May - 2nd June 2021
Public consultations
EU Industrial Emissions Directive (BAT BREFs)
EU aquaculture policy
Events
Postponement ESPC4 and PERM -> 31st May – 2nd June 2021
Workshop on iron phosphate chemistry applied to phosphorus stewardship
RAMIRAN 2020, Systemic, ESNI
Corona virus
COVID and sewage
Fertiliser industries working to feed the world
Policy
EU new Circular Economy Action Plan
Global fertiliser industry “committed to reducing P losses”
Prosumer cross-KIC meeting on perspectives for P-recovery
Call for 80% cut in meat eating
Science and research
National and global phosphorus footprints
Lack of data on global phosphorus cycles
AshDec P-recovery process new test data
Baltic region nutrient flows and management perspectives
Lessons from Asia’s nutrient footprints
Insect frass showed to be a good fertiliser
Nitrification inhibitor improves P uptake and yield
UBA report on pharmaceuticals in recycled phosphates
Erratum
A public consultation is open to 21st April on the “Inception Impact Assessment” for the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), which defines Best Available Technology (BAT BREFs), which are legally applicable to all installations in concerned industrial sectors across Europe. The roadmap suggests widening the scope of the IED to include cattle farms, “mixed farms” and aquaculture. ESPP supports this, because it is coherent with the inclusion already today of large pig and poultry farms. ESPP welcomes a proposed accent on Circular Economy. ESPP also proposes to streamline the BREF process, which today generates documents hundreds of pages long. The BAT specifications, which are relatively short and are legally constraining, could continue to be defined by the formal consultation and adoption process, but the examples and innovation texts, which are illustrative, could be more informal and so more frequently updated.
A public consultation is open to 21st April on the Roadmap for “Updated Guidelines” for the EU aquaculture. ESPP welcomes the reference to the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy. ESPP will input underlining the importance of improving the nutrient efficiency of aquaculture feed, including use of local crops or by-products, better uptake of plant forms of phosphorus in fish (especially salmon) and nutrient footprints, making the link to the nutrient strategy proposed in Horizon Europe. ESPP also underlines the need to reduce nutrient losses from both offshore and fresh water aquaculture, and to develop nutrient recycling, including integrating fish manure into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation
Given the development of the international corona virus situation, and after re-discussion with the venue hotel and the Belvedere Palace, Vienna, we have decided to postpone ESPC4 and PERM (4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference and European Phosphorus Research Meeting) from June 2020 to Vienna 31st May - 2nd June 2021
This workshop remains fixed 13-14 July, 2020 either with a physical meeting in Utrecht, the Netherlands, or by webinar (in which case the programme will be organised differently). So: save the date! Themes will cover: Iron phosphorus interactions in sediments, in soils and engineered systems, Strategies for phosphorus release and P-recovery from iron phosphates, Iron - phosphate interactions in agriculture and Markets for recovered iron phosphate materials.
The manure and organic resources recycling conference, RAMIRAN, remains fixed 14-17 September 2020, Cambridge, UK. The SYSTEMIC workshop on nutrient recovery from anaerobic digestion and ESNI (European Sustainable Nutrient Initiative) are rescheduled to 26 – 27 October 2020, Brussels
Researchers at KWR Netherlands have found gene fragments of the Covid-19 virus in wastewater entering a sewage works, with repeated tests confirming the results. The virus gene fragments were not detected in the sewage works effluent (treated water), but only one site was tested, and sewage sludge was not tested. Although the tests do not discriminate between potentially active virus and inactive fragments, it is underlined that the results do not indicate that Covid-19 infection is possible from sewage. Workers in contact with wastewater should in any case use protective equipment, because of other health and safety risks in handling wastewater, and the water industry underlines that this should be reinforced. The World Health Organisation briefing on Covid-19 in water and sewage (19th March) can be summarised as follows: there is no proof for this the Covid-19 virus, but it has a fragile outer membrane and is likely to be more rapidly inactivated in sewage than other viruses which have been shown to survive for days to weeks in water or sewage (e.g. gastroenteritis, hepatitis). A new paper in Nature (published 1/4/20) found high virus RNA concentrations in faeces of nine Covid-19 patients, but no infectious virus in faeces, in urine nor in blood. The study concludes that there were indications of viral replication in the gut and that the absence of detected viable virus in faeces may be because the nine patients were mild cases, and none had diarrhoea (which occurs in maybe 2% of Covid-19 cases).
The fertilisers industry is committed to continue to supply farmers, in order to maintain the world food supply. Fertilizers Europe states its commitment to continuing to deliver nutrients to farmers, in the crucial spring period when fertilisers are needed. The industry thanks the European Commission for citing agricultural production inputs as goods for which continuation of flow should be ensured in border management. IFA (International Fertilizers Association) underlines that >40% of fertiliser production is traded internationally, so that continuing movement is essential to enable supply, and that without mineral fertilisers world food production would be cut by around half. Both federations underline the need to ensure safety of workers handling and transporting fertilisers through enhanced hygiene measures and personal protective equipment.
The revised Circular Economy Action Plan published by the new Commission on 1st March includes “Food, water and nutrients” as one of the seven key targeted value chains. Actions indicated are to “develop an Integrated Nutrient Management Plan with a view to ensuring more sustainable application of nutrients and stimulating the markets for recovered nutrients”, reduce food waste, facilitate water reuse, possible review of the wastewater and sewage sludge directives (including assessing natural nutrient recovery e.g. by algae), continuing the Bioeconomy Action Plan, a policy framework on compostable, biodegradable and bio-based plastics (ESPP note: important for digestates and composts) and a number of actions to address microplastics and to better understand their risk and occurrence. The Plan indicates the need to improve monitoring of resource recycling, proposing a “market observatory for key secondary materials”, a “Monitoring Framework for the Circular Economy” and “Indicators on resource use, including consumption and material footprints”. The Plan also aims to better integrate the circular economy into Member States fiscal policies, via the European Semester and at the global level to define a “Safe Operating Space” for natural resource use.
A 3-minute video from the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) promotes the need for phosphorus fertilisers to feed the world, stating that 32% of the world’s cropland and 43% of the pastures are phosphorus deficient and that world phosphate rock resources represent 1 000 years of consumption. The video underlines that eutrophication is a major problem, caused by fertiliser losses and other phosphorus releases, and that it is likely to worsen with climate change. The fertiliser industry states that it is promoting better fertiliser management, indicating that fertiliser use efficiency can reach 90% and losses of fertiliser P to surface waters can be reduced to 3%. IFA states that it supports recycling where appropriate, and is “committed to reducing phosphorus losses”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwOR0PzZENk&t=
The web-meeting “Sustainable strategies towards a phosphorus circular economy: Cross-KIC web-meeting” (26th March, 2020), organized by the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Bologna, brought together some 40 participants from research, industry and high-education around two projects funded by the EIT (the EU’s European Institute of Innovation and Technology) KIC (Knowledge & Innovation Communities) ‘Climate’ and ‘Raw Materials’, respectively Prosumer and InPhos projects. Other projects relevant to phosphorus funded by these KIC’s include raPHOsafe and Phosforce. The web-meeting covered different disciplines of phosphorus management. The company Puccioni, fertiliser producer, indicated that the company is working on the industrial-scale use of recovered struvite from the wastewater of another Italian company, Pizzoli, a potato processing plant, as input to triple super phosphate production. Both companies are stakeholders of the Prosumer project. The technological provider, Outotec, summarised state of the art of phosphorus recovery. Marche Polytechnic University explained the European and Italian legislative framework and the technical features of recovered P for reuse in agriculture.
The webcam discussed agricultural valorisation of sewage sludge. In Italy, this can contribute to soil carbon in Southern Italy where this is critical. The proposed new Italy sludge management regulation, currently under consultation, would enable continuing agricultural use limited to high quality sludge (metal and organic contaminant limits, nutrient value) and would fix a priority of P-recovery if sludge could not achieve these criteria and define End-of-Waste for appropriate recovered P products.
The Italy Phosphorus Platform (ENEA, under the aegis of the Environment Ministry) presented survey results showing that stakeholders see the three biggest obstacles to nutrient recycling to be End-of-Waste regulatory problems, need for regulatory drivers for recovery and lack of knowledge.
In the Baltic region, the InPhos project, coordinated by the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, has identified priority recommendations for a common and shared strategy for a more sustainable P management and for the reduction of eutrophication. Proman presented results of a quantification of nutrient flows in the Baltic Sea Region, as first step to clearly monitor the situation and define effective solutions.
After the presentation of University of Bologna, discussion among all attenders confirmed the value of R&I projects in demonstrating the technical feasibility and assessing the economics and business models for nutrient recovery, as these are essential to facilitate movement by policy makers and industry.
Greenpeace says Europe neds to reduce average meat consumption by 80% (by 2050) to achieve the UN +1.5°C limit to hope to prevent climate breakdown. This corresponds to the 300 g of meat per week (the equivalent of two burgers) recommended by The Lancet for a balanced sustainable diet (see ESPP eNews n°30). Greenpeace calls on the European Commission to include targets for reductions in meat consumption in its Farm to Fork Strategy, to be presented soon as part of the Green Deal. Mark Driscoll, food consultant at Tasting the Future, suggests that a massive reduction in meat consumption is indeed necessary (he suggests -50% by 2030) to reduce both environmental and health damage of our diets, but he underlines that locally produced, regeneratively farmed meat can have sustainability advantages.
A study estimates the “Phosphorus Exceedance Footprint” (PEF) for different countries, assessing their contribution to the transgression of global planetary boundaries for phosphorus, particularly looking at international trade. Around 30% of planetary boundary exceedance for phosphorus is shown to be linked to international trade flows. Wealthier countries tend to reduce their domestic fertiliser use whilst increasing import of products containing embedded phosphorus footprints. The highest PEF per capita identified is for New Zealand (nearly 19 kgP/capita/year), presumably related to high levels of meat production. The highest absolute PEF is China (3.3 kgP/capita/year, but total 4.5 million tonnes P/year, that is 44% of total world PEF), followed by India, the USA and Brazil. France imports around 100% of its PEF, presumably corresponding mainly to imported animal feed, whereas Brazil and New Zealand export around 100% of their DPE (domestic P exceedance), presumably corresponding to exports of meat products. The authors consider that this work will facilitate devilment of planetary boundary benchmarking for countries, public policies, diets and food products.
The only relatively recent paper attempting to estimated global phosphorus flows shows the need for a coherent assessment, in order to have reliable data to support policy making. Chen & Graedel 2016 (estimating flows for 2013) suggest that from 69 MtP/year in mined phosphate rock, only 31 Mt end up in beneficiated, marketable rock. This is reasonably close to Steiner et al. 2015 (see ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter n°128). However, Chen & Graedel suggest that the non processed phosphate rock (tailings) ends up as water pollution, whereas in most mines this will be returned to the mining site with not significantly more loss to water than the rock before mining. This leads the paper to conclude that over half of annual P losses to water worldwide are from mining. The authors also conclude that globally soils are losing nearly 11 MtP/year to water (that is nearly half the annual P used in mineral fertiliser). This contradicts other authors who estimate global soil P accumulation (the reference indicated is incorrect, but may refer to Bouwman 2009, see SCOPE Newsletter n°88). These differences confirm the need for an up-to-date assessment of global phosphorus flows.
Tanja Schaaf presented 26th March 2020, at the InPhos Prosumer workshop (see above) an update on the AshDec process for phosphate recovery from sewage sludge incineration ash and other ashes. A 20-25 kg/h input ash pilot has been operated continuously for 7 day, testing different additives and different temperatures. The choice of additive (sodium carbonate or sulphate) and operation with excess or depleted oxygen impact heavy metal removal and phosphorus solubility (plant availability) in the final product. Sodium carbonate showed to give a product with >80% P-NAC (neutral ammonium citrate) solubility, even down to 850°C. Significant removal of lead, arsenic and cadmium was achieved, improving at higher temperatures (even though cadmium was already very low in the sewage sludge incineration ash used). Copper and zinc were not significantly removed. Pot trials with spinach, soybean and rye grass at Bonn University show fertiliser effectiveness comparable to triple super phosphate.
A study by Proman for HELCOM (the intergovernmental Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission) has developed substance flow analyses for phosphorus and nitrogen and identifies potentials for reducing losses to the Sea and for developing recycling. To calculate losses, nutrient use efficiency (NUE) is estimated at 90% for mineral fertilisers and at 70% for N and 77% for P in organic fertilisers (based on references below). Nitrogen balance per hectare (input minus estimated offtake, in harvest and in crop residues removed from the field) is highest in Russia (Baltic catchment) and Denmark, and phosphorus balance also highest for Russia. The biggest opportunities for nutrient recovery are in manure (combined with anaerobic digestion) and in sewage (largely in the treatment phase for N and in sludge management for P). Nutrient recycling could represent 500 – 900 KtN/y in the Baltic region, potentially replacing 55 – 69% of mineral N fertiliser use, and 31 – 122 KtP/y, replacing 17 – 50% of mineral P fertiliser use. Improving fertiliser use efficiency remains on the largest opportunities for reducing nutrient losses.
Lessons from Asia’s nutrient footprints
A study estimates changes in the per capita nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) footprints of China, India and Japan from 1961 to 2013, using a comparable framework. Calculations derive nutrient use efficiencies and nutrient recycling ratios, calculated for each nutrient, each country, and each year. The ratios are based on IFA data, FAO data and literatures on inputs in food production, manure use, food losses, etc. The number used for meat vary from, e.g. 28 kgP-released per kgP in food intake for Japan in the 1960’s (up to 41 in the 1980’s) compared to 7.4 for India in the 1960’s (up to 8.4 in the 2010’s). For vegetables, the ratios are 6.4 (up to 12) for Japan compared to 0.01 (up to 0.9) for India. China’s footprints increased significantly from 1976: from c. 5 to 19 kgN and from 1.2 to 4.8 kgP (per person, per year). There were some cases of near zero new phosphorus use, due to use of P in soil by crops: the accounted P input was either less than or only a little more than the P in the final crop product. India’s footprints also increased from 1976, from 8.5 to 11 kgN and from 1 to 1.6 kgP. In Japan, the footprints increased until 1993, from 12 to 28 kgN and from 2.6 to 8 kgP, but then fell to 22 kgN and 6 kgP by 2013. This decrease in Japan, despite increasing meat consumption, is considered to be related to decreasing cereal consumption and improved agricultural nutrient use efficiency. The authors conclude that the N footprint is most sensitive to meat consumption, whereas the phosphorus footprint is most sensitive to consumption of vegetables, whereas improving nutrient use efficiency can significantly reduce the nutrient footprint for all foodstuffs and diets. They note that if footprints of 7.6 billion people in the high and middle income countries in 2030 increase to the 1993 levels of Japan’s footprints, even if the footprints of the other 1.0 billion people stay at the 1961 levels of China’s footprints, this would result in increases of +20% for the global nitrogen footprint and +90% for the global phosphorus footprint.
13-week pot trials with barley (Hordeum vulgare) compared insect frass to mineral NPK fertiliser. Insect frass is the waste generated from insect farming, a mixture of insect faeces and used substrate. In this case, the frass was from a mealworm farm operated by Ÿnsect, Paris, after hygienisation (60 minutes @ 70°C). At this industrial insect farm, the mealworms are fed with local agriculture by-products (wheat bran). Soil was from a cultivated field, with pH 7.8. Frass or mineral fertiliser was mixed into the soil two weeks before planting the barley seed, at a loading equivalent to 10 tonnes of frass per hectare (dry weight) or equivalent nutrients (as ammonium nitrate, potassium phosphate and potassium chloride) with four treatments: frass, 50% frass / 50% mineral fertiliser, mineral fertiliser, control. Biomass production and plant N, P and K concentrations were not significantly different between the frass and fertiliser treatments, and were significantly higher than the control (one third to one half higher). Soil incubation and Biolog EcoPlate tests showed that the frass has lower water-soluble nutrients than these mineral fertilisers (the authors indicate that this will reduce risk of nutrient leaching) and that the frass stimulates soil microbial activity, especially when combined with mineral fertiliser.
30-day pot trails with maize suggest that the nitrification inhibitor DMPP (3,4-Dimethylpyrazolphosphate) improved yield and phosphorus uptake with both soluble phosphorus fertiliser (TSP) and low plant availability P sources (phosphate rock, recovered phosphate: thermochemically magnesium treated sewage sludge ash SS-Mg). The trials used ammonium sulphate nitrate as N fertiliser. Controls showed that differences were not related to the P content of the DMPP. Analysis showed that the DMPP increased ammonium fixation in detectable hot-spots in the soil. The authors suggest that the slow release of plant available ammonium may decreases rhizosphere pH, due to H+ release in plant ammonium uptake, so increasing phosphorus availability. An earlier paper by some of the same authors showed that pyrolysis (400-500°C) of biological P-removal sewage sludge resulted in a product with good plant availability (NAC neutral ammonium citrate P solubility, maize pot trials), whereas pyrolysed chemical P-removal sludge had low plant availability. High temperature treatment of the chemical P-removal sludge with sodium additives resulted in high plant P availability (as calcium sodium phosphate).
The German Environment Agency (UBA) has published results of analysis of pharmaceuticals in sewage sludge and in struvite, biochar/HTC and thermal process P-recovery products. 11 pharmaceuticals were analysed in sewage and recovered phosphates at 9 sites: four precipitated phosphate salt processes (AirPrex, Stuttgard, MSE, P-RoC), two thermal processes (AshDec, Mephrec), three pyrolysis/hydrothermal carbonisation processes (Pyreg, TCR, AVA Cleanphos). Results conclude, that the pharmaceuticals were no longer detectable after processing at 400 - 500°C whereas the AVA Cleanphos process at 210°C did reduce but not fully eliminate them. Some pharmaceuticals were detectable in the precipitated phosphate salts (highest: 1.1 mg/kg ciprofloxacin in Air-Prex struvite, precipitated upstream of sludge dewatering). The report concludes that further research is needed as to the possible risks of use as fertilisers of the recycled phosphate products containing traces of pharmaceuticals, as well as actions to reduce levels of pharmaceuticals in sewage.
In the article “Effectiveness of fertiliser and manure in long term field trial”, summarising Ning et al. 2020, in our last eNews (n°41), the numbers indicated for application, budget, crop uptake of phosphorus should be read as kg/ha total for the 20 years (and not as kg/ha/year as incorrectly indicated).
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Events
ESPC4 Full programme now online
4th European Phosphorus Research Meeting (PERM)
Workshop on iron phosphate chemistry applied to phosphorus stewardship
RAMIRAN 2020
Corona virus situation
ESPP members
Veolia and Yara to present Nutrient Upcycling Alliance
New ESPP member: Fertimanure project
Innovation
Eutrophication solution from down-under
Regulatory
EU consultation on “Farm to Fork” strategy: closes 16th March
EU “SafeManure”: not “end-of-manure”
European Commission announces STRUBIAS annexes for 2021
Danish assessment concludes sewage sludge safe for Organic Farming
ESPP requests withdrawal of EU-funded study on composts and digestates
The Green Deal and EU economic policy
Communications
The Baltic Sea of Opportunity
US Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance webinar on P and food
European Commission publishes conclusions on resource recovery
Circularity Gap Report 2020
Industrial Phosphorus Chemistry Symposium
IFA Forum on Plant Nutrition
IFA: potential disruptors of the mineral fertilisers market
Measures for better manure nutrient use presented for HELCOM
Review of fertiliser recycling from manure in Norway
EIP-Agri: new pig and poultry feed
Science and research
Review of P fertiliser performance of recycled nutrient products
Effectiveness of fertiliser and manure in long term field trial
Phosphorus flows in global aquaculture
ESPP members
This is the major event on phosphorus sustainability in Europe, taking place every 2-3 years. The full programme of speakers for the 4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, Vienna, 15-17 June 2020, is now published Registration is now open on Eventbrite). Sessions cover city and regional actions on nutrient stewardship, business case examples of phosphorus recycling, policy tools, research perspectives and new technologies for P-recovery from research to industrial implementation in Europe and worldwide
4th European Phosphorus Research Meeting (PERM)
The third day of ESPC4 (17th June, Vienna) will be the 4th European Phosphorus Research Meeting, showcasing R&D into phosphorus recycling and recycled products and new approaches to phosphorus stewardship. This is a unique opportunity to meet and exchange with other projects working on phosphorus, and to discuss research perspectives with the European Commission, industry and stakeholders. The meeting will be limited to around 100 participants, 20 project flash presentations and around 20 posters, in order to enable dialogue, discussion and networking. To participate: register as below and contact
ESPP, with WETSUS, INCOPA, INRAE Rennes and the Horizon 2020 projects P-TRAP and SUSFERT, is organising a science and implementation workshop on iron phosphate chemistry in different systems (sediments, soil, agriculture, waste water and sewage sludge). The objective is to improve understanding of applied iron phosphate chemistry in these systems, to develop phosphorus recycling, eutrophication management and better agronomic use of secondary resources. The 1.5 day workshop will be held in Utrecht, the Netherlands 13-14 July, 2020 and include a networking dinner. The themes will cover: Iron phosphorus interactions in sediments, in soils and engineered systems, Strategies for phosphorus release and P-recovery from iron phosphates, Iron - phosphate interactions in agriculture and Markets for recovered iron phosphate materials. Proposals for posters, presentations or specific questions to address are welcome
Europe’s leading manure and organic resources recycling conference, RAMIRAN, will take place in Cambridge, UK, 14-17 September 2020. The RAMIRAN network was established 25 years ago and the biennial conference attracts some 250 participants. This year’s RAMIRAN will look at “Managing Organic Resources in a Changing Environment”, including nutrient utilisation, soil quality, air and water, best practices, treatment technologies and policy. Abstract submission until 1st March 2019.
ESPP is monitoring with concern the Corona virus development. For the events above planned by ESPP in June (ESPC4, PERM) and July (iron phosphorus workshop), in agreement with the City of Vienna for ESPC4 and PERM, it is not at present justified to postpone. However, if the developing situation does necessitate postponement of either of these events, then all registrations will be transferred to the new date to be fixed. If this is not possible for the registrant, then partial reimbursement will be made (minus non-recoverable costs). All registrants will be directly updated of developments by email.
Global resource recovery company Veolia and leading crop nutrition company Yara, both members of ESPP, have launched a “Nutrient Upcycling Alliance”, to implement a sustainable and economically viable food system through hands-on, business driven projects. The Food initiative of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has provided circular economy knowledge support to inform the strategy and policy objectives, which will be developed with companies in the food industry and with farmers. (The Ellen MacArthur Foundation published a report on “Cites and Circular Economy for Food” in 2019, see ESPP eNews n°31). The two companies are already working together on operational initiatives to launch new nutrient recovery installations in a number of major European cities and to transform the recovered nutrients into performance fertiliser products. They are developing actions to recover nutrients and recycle to quality mineral fertilisers, with Yara’s expertise, and to organo-mineral fertilisers, in combination with Veolia’s subsidiary Sede Angibaud. The objective is also to collect and process (non-edible) food waste in cities to recycle to agriculture. A first joint development is already operational in Oslo (VEAS), recovering ammonia from sewage sludge methane production and processing to nitrogen fertilisers. The Nutrient Upcycling Alliance (NUA) will be presented at the 4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPC4).
The FERTIMANURE project (Innovative nutrient recovery from secondary sources: production of high-added value FERTilisers from animal MANURE, Horizon 2020, 2020-2023) is a new ESPP member, represented by project coordinator BETA Technological Center (UVIC-UCC, Vic, Spain). The project will examine innovative technologies for nutrient recovery and manure recycling, as well as the development of innovative nutrient management routes and circular economy business models. Five on-farm nutrient recovery pilot plants will be demonstrated in Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Spain. With different combinations of on-farm and centralised production and processing of manure and sub-products, eleven different bio-based fertilisers and twenty tailor-made fertilisers will be developed and assessed, including fertilising product adequacy tested in greenhouse and field, quality and safety, and sustainability. The project includes 21 partners from Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Argentina, including Fertilizers Europe, Greenwin cluster Belgium, the French Chamber of Agriculture (APCA), and the European Landowners Association (ELO).
Australian innovation company Marine Easy Clean, manufacturers of The Water Cleanser (TWC) is looking to demonstrate in Europe its passive technology solution to address eutrophication in natural systems, fresh or saltwater, or to improve waste nutrient cycling in aquaculture. The TWC block restores natural bacterial balance without releasing chemicals. It contains very many microscopic capillaries, the size of which allow the proliferation of bacterial inhabitation and a non-soluble source of organic carbon (wax) which together enable rapid development of naturally present Bacillus bacteria. These release enzymes which break down organic matter in water, rendering bioavailable phosphorus and nitrogen. This enables “green” chloroplast and diatom algae to develop, providing food to crustaceans, shellfish and fish, rather than toxic Cycanobacteria (blue green algae) which develop when there is too much phosphorus and insufficient available nitrogen. The uptake of phosphorus by the “green” algae leads to low water phosphate levels, so reducing eutrophication symptoms and restoring natural ecosystem balance. In tank systems, this also improves aquaculture productivity. The Bacillus also decompose natural oils, which tend to accumulate in eutrophic waters and which can reduce surface oxygen exchange. Because the Bacillus largely function without oxygen, they do not generate oxygen depletion (dead zones). Published tests show the effectiveness of the TWC blocks in 100 litre tanks (using polluted water from the Rio de Janeiro lagoon), as well as in fish and crayfish production tanks. TWC is looking for research, industry or public partners to test the system in Europe, in restoration of eutrophied waters (fresh or salt) or in aquaculture (in tank systems, or to address ‘dead zones’ below open-water aquaculture pens).
https://www.marineeasyclean.com.au/
The European Commission has opened to 16th March 2020 a public consultation on the ‘Roadmap’ for an EU Sustainable Food (‘farm to fork’) strategy. The proposed roadmap underlines that globally, the food system generates 20-30% of greenhouse emissions, as well as to air, soil and water pollution and biodiversity loss, and that around 20% of EU food production is lost as waste whilst 7% of the EU population cannot “afford a quality meal every second day”, yet obesity and diet related disease and health costs are rising. Four objectives are defined for the strategy: sustainable primary food production, sustainable food processing and food services, sustainable food consummation and a “shift towards healthy, sustainable diets” and reducing food waste. The inclusion of diet in EU policy objectives is a significant landmark and it is stated that the Commission will propose actions to help consumers choose healthy and sustainable diets by providing better food information, including on “nutritional value”. Actions cited include to reduce the use of fertilisers and establishing Advisory Groups on the Food Chain and on Aquaculture.
For memory, the EU Regulation on Food Information 1169/2011 makes obligatory, for pre-packed foods, ‘front of pack’ information on content of calories, fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. Other nutritional information, including levels of minerals (including phosphorus) is voluntary.
ESPP and the German Phosphorus Platform (DPP) participated at the expert & stakeholders meeting to input to the draft EU report “SafeManure: Developing criteria for safe use of processed manure in Nitrates Vulnerable Zones above the threshold established by the Nitrates Directive”, at JRC Seville, 28-30 January 2020. The meeting clarified that this proposal aims to facilitate, under specified conditions, the use of “processed” manure to replace mineral fertiliser in some regions with high livestock density, that is: authorisation of use at levels higher than the 170 kgN/ha general limit for manure and processed manure fixed by the Nitrates Directive, up to the higher limits regionally applicable for non-manure fertilisers. This concerns particularly the liquid fraction of solid/liquid separated manure, processed manure digestates, animal urine separated in the stable or process-separated and some “mineral concentrates” (a category which is poorly defined). The materials defined by the criteria, termed ‘ReNure’ materials, would continue to be classified as manures, and would not be given End of Waste status. The conditions for use would have to be specifically defined in Member State / Region ‘Nitrate Vulnerable Zone Action Programmes’, subject to case-by-case European Commission validation (the proposed ReNure criteria include requirements to define regional specifications on both ReNure and other fertiliser application, field management …). In discussion, the obligation was added to ensure appropriate management of phosphorus in Action Programmes where ReNure materials use derogations are included. ReNure status would thus be specific to a given region, would not be transferrable to another region, and would confer neither EU nor national fertiliser status (the materials remain “manure in a processed form”).
ESPP expressed regret that the European Commission has not so far been considered our submitted proposals to clarify “end of manure” status, for materials which are “mineral fertilisers”, referring to the definition in the EU Fertilising Product Regulation (FPR), that is < 1% organic carbon / DM. ESPP suggests that such materials, derived wholly or partly from manure, should be no longer treated as “processed manure” under the Nitrates Directive, without modification of regional Action Programmes. We suggest that this would respect the Nitrates Directive text, by limiting to products which clearly do not resemble manure or pose leaching or pollution risks. ESPP has written to the European Commission (DG Environment) request that this possibility be assessed.
The European Commission has published on its “Have your say” public website, a preliminary information (not dated) announcing an expected future public consultation (dates not announced) on the new criteria for use of ‘STRUBIAS’ materials as components for CE-Mark fertilisers (CMCs), under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation: struvite and precipitated phosphate salts, ashes and “thermal oxidation materials” and biochars, pyrolysis and gasification materials. These pages indicate expected adoption of these three criteria “First quarter 2021”, that is before the date of entry into application of the Fertilising Products Regulation in July 2022. The proposed criteria texts are not published here, but are (according to our information) essentially the same as those proposed in the JRC report (see ESPP eNews n°36) and are available on the ESPP website (under Activities -> Regulatory). It was expected to finalise discussion of these criteria at the EU Fertilisers Working Group planned end March 2020, but this meeting has been postponed due to Corona virus.
An assessment of risks related to use of sewage sludge and pig or cattle slurry has been published by Copenhagen University and the Danish National Food Institute (DTU). This follows from a 2017 report of the Danish Organic (Farming) Business Development Team which recommended that Organic Farmers should be allowed to use nutrients from treated municipal wastewater. The assessment finds that the main risks from pig and cattle slurry are copper and zinc, but that these will decrease with regulations prohibiting addition of these elements to pig feed in 2019 and 2022 respectively. Other contaminants showed no significant risk, with the summed risk of all organic contaminants (including antibiotic resistance) “low” for soil (but with a risk for oestrogen for farrowing pigs). For sewage sludge, the only contaminants with PEC/PNEC >1 (Predicted Environmental Concentration / Predicted No Effect Concentration) were phthalates and triclocarbon (but for triclcarbon there was no data for Danish sludge and estimates were based on US numbers). Organic contaminants in sewage sludge are not expected to accumulate in soil. Metal compounds would only reach PNEC after long periods of repeated sludge application: the most critical being zinc at 100 years. Veterinary medicine residues in sewage sludge are considered of “low concern” and the risk from antibiotic resistance is no higher than for manures and is likely to be not significant. Overall, sewage sludge is considered to not represent a higher risk to soil organisms than pig or cattle slurry.
As indicated in ESPP eNews n°37, the European Commission has published a study on contaminants in composts and digestates, proposing possible EU-wide restrictions, using “Risk Management” measures under EU chemical regulation REACH. Despite both compost and digestate being exempted from REACH “Registration”, REACH can still be used to impose bans or restrictions.
ESPP’s comments were elaborated with the European Compost Network (ECN), the European Biogas Association (EBA), Growing Media Europe and the water industry (Eureau). ESPP underlines that the report fails to consider reduction of contaminants at source as a priority, does not offer a science-based risk assessment, ignores existing risk assessments, is not coherent with the EU Fertilising Products Regulation and contains no assessment of cost/benefit nor of overall life cycle impacts. For example, key conclusions on pharmaceuticals seem to be based on the “opinion” of just one “expert”. A proposed ban of compost and digestate with sewage sludge as an input (contrary to authorisation under several Member States’ national fertiliser legislation) seems to be based on this one “opinion” on pharmaceuticals, on dioxins and furans (which are not a particularly relevant contaminant in sewage sludge, and are decreasing) and on copper and zinc (which are micro-nutrients, c.f. their treatment under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation). Incoherent and unrealistic contaminant limits are proposed for various other substances, including nickel and mercury. Indeed, the study does not even define which “composts” and “digestates” are covered, seeming to include a wide range of waste inputs which may not be relevant.
AMEC study: “Digestate and compost as fertilisers: Risk assessment and risk management options. Final Report” Ramboll – Peter Fisk – WOOD (ref. 40039CL00313, 8th February 2019
IEEP (Institute for European Environment Policy) has published a paper proposing to reform the European Semester to implement the Commission’s Green Deal and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Semester was adopted by Council in 2010 as a tool for economic and fiscal coordination in the EU, with objectives of convergence, stability and economic growth, and coordinates in a six month cycle Member States’ policies including structural reforms, fiscality and macroeconomic balances. A social element was added to the Semester in 2013, but environment is still largely absent: 21 green growth indicators are mostly on energy and DG ENVI is not involved in the process (led by GROW, ECFIN, EMPL, FISMA). However, in December 2019, the Commission published an “Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy”, replacing the previous years’ “Annual Growth Survey”. This refers to the importance of material resources and ecosystem services. IEEP suggest this should be implemented by introducing sustainability and wellbeing into the European Semester process. IEEP propose 8 sustainability dimensions, including green economy, green taxes and incentives, green R&D and innovation and sustainable industry. IEEP propose to use 15 existing indicators as an environmental sustainability scoreboard, including % of water bodies in Good Ecological Status, soil sealing, eco-innovation index, greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, material consumption per capita and years of life lost due to particulate air pollution.
An 18 minute film from the Baltic BONUS RETURN project explains visually, for a general public audience, that phosphorus can be transformed from a problematic pollutant to an economic resource. Phosphorus is essential for life, agriculture and global food security. But losses are the biggest cause of eutrophication, devastating the Baltic. Jakob Granit, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, explains the need to reduce nutrient loads into agriculture and to take nutrients, accumulated in the past, out of water and from sediments. Solutions exist to transform phosphorus waste into a sustainable resource. Examples presented include Wodociagi Slupsk, Poland, producing compost from sewage sludge which is then sold as a fertiliser in Poland. Jon Wessling, LRF (Federation of Swedish Farmers) explains that they recommend the use of sewage sludge in agriculture. Innovations tested in the BONUS RETURN project are presented. BioPhree Aquacare (see ESPP eNews n°29) is tested at Knivsta, Sweden, on a sewage works discharge stream. This process uses adsorbents to remove phosphorus from dilute streams, such as surface waters, which then can be regenerated to recover phosphorus. The Ravita (Helsinki HSY) P-removal and recovery process is tested in Finland (see SCOPE Newsletter n°132). TerraNova, a continuous hydrothermal hydrolysis carbonisation process (see SCOPE Newsletter n°132) will be tested on sewage sludge in Gävle, Sweden, producing a biochar-type fertiliser. The film underlines the challenges of regulatory obstacles to nutrient recycling and the opportunities of the new EU Fertilising Products Regulation.
The 9th webinar organised by the US Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance, 18th February and can be watched here discussed phosphorus and food. Jaime Uribarri’s presentation suggested that US food phosphorus levels are considerably higher than the RDA (recommended daily allowance = recommended minimum dietary intake) and that there is evidence that increased phosphorus levels in blood are linked to risk of arterial calcification, and so cardiovascular disease. However, most of the papers referenced only show a link with diet for kidney disease patients, not for the general population. He emphasised the absence of information about levels of phosphate food additives in different foods, which can be important because these additives are absorbed into the body more than phosphorus in plant materials in foods. Jim Elser underlined that the world’s phosphorus footprint (mined phosphorus per capita) has increased nearly 40% since the 1960s and that the key cause is increasing meat content of diets. David Vaccari presented an analysis of possible routes to reduce phosphorus consumption, showing that important action points are reducing food waste, improving fertiliser and improving the use efficiency of phosphorus in livestock production (in particular, better use of manure). With current practices, he estimates that without fertilisers from rock phosphate, only a world population of around 2.5 billion could be fed, but that this could be increased to over 10 billion by significant improvements in these action points, and to 15 billion if this were combined with a reduction in meat in diet.
The conclusions on resource recovery from wastewater, from the workshop organised by four Horizon 2020 projects (SMART-Plant, nextGen, Hydrousa and Project-O) and the European Commission (EASME) at the 2019 IWA Resource Recovery conference, have now been published by the European Commission. The workshop agreed the following recommendations to further nutrient recovery and recycling: promote a positive image for recycling nutrients; need for stable regulatory support; importance of networking of competence, platforms and data benchmarking; difficulties posed by disparate implementation of End-of-Waste in different Member States and regions. The workshop recommended to promote and support nutrient recycling in Horizon Europe, and to develop better coordination of End-of-Waste, Water Policy and Circular Economy policies between Member States.
The Circle Economy report 2020 indicates that global circularity has fallen from 9.1% (% of recycled materials in total resource consumption) to 8.6% from 2018 to 2020. The report underlines that circularity is key to achieving climate objectives. Nutrition is the second biggest user of resources, after housing/infrastructure, and consumes 21 billion tonnes of resources per year worldwide, out of a total of around 100 billion t/y entering the global economy (of which 92 bt extracted, just over 8 bt recycled). The report notes the need for better data and monitoring, including on the quality and composition of materials recycled. Sophisticated infographics illustrate global flows and country circularity levels. This suggests that companies closest to circularity include Sri Lanka, Georgia, Cuba, Jamaica. The least circular countries include the UAE, Burkina Faso and Luxembourg, with Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Sweden classed in the next-to-worst. Company CEOs cited as supporting the report include DSM and Royal Philips.
The first Industrial Phosphorus Chemistry Symposium (IndPhos) took place in April 2019 back-to-back with the 16th European Workshop on Phosphorus Chemistry (EWPC). Willem Schipper, Schipper Consulting, focussed on options to make industrial uses of phosphorus more sustainable and more circular. Chris Harris, Solvay, showcased a wide range of applications of organophosphorus chemistry, including as flame retardants, in mining, scale and corrosion control in water treatment, agriculture, medicine and as ligands for catalysts in industrial applications. Thomas Schaub, BASF presented new phosphorus-containing catalysts for the hydrogenation of esters and for the synthesis of sodium acrylate based on CO2 and ethylene. Jan-Gerd Hansel, Lanxess, discussed the development of halogen-free flame retardants, in particular new poly(alkylene phosphate) esters as flame retardants in polyurethane foams. Steven van Zutphen, Italmatch, explained the industrial, regulatory and health and safety issues in scale-up of new chemistries from bench to multi-ton reactor scale. Reinhard Sommerlade, independent process design chemist, presented industrial uses of phosphorus-based photo-initiators, such as bis(acyl)phosphine oxides (BAPOs). Irradiation breaks the phosphorus - acyl carbon bond in these compounds, initiating emission-free polymerization of monomeric or oligomeric polymer precursors for various applications. Hansjörg Grützmacher, ETH, Zurich, discussed synthesis and application of new and sustainable building blocks in phosphorus chemistry, emphasising the need to combine innovation with recyclability and industrial feasibility.
The “High-level Forum on Sustainable Plant Nutrition”, Versailles, France, November 2019, was chaired by David Nabarro, 4SD, 2018 World Food Prize laureate, and brought together the fertiliser industry, fertiliser industry stakeholders, funding and policy organisations and scientists. Prefacing the forum conclusions, Mostafa Terrab, OCP and IFA Chair, underlined that mineral fertilisers underpin around half of global food production, and that fertilisers will continue to be vital to feed the world, with improved soil health, water management and crop genetics. The forum addressed five challenges to global agricultural systems, and defined five recommendations to the fertilisers industry. The challenges to agriculture are: producing more with lower inputs, whilst improving nutritional quality; balancing productivity and environment; preserving natural resources; reducing climate emissions, including by improving nutrient use efficiency (NUE); training and empowering farmers. World hunger has increased for the last three years to 2019, today impacting over 800 million people. Some 2 billion people suffer from micronutrient malnutrition, impairing physical and mental development and the immune system. Whereas in some communities over-consumption of animal protein damages health. Recommendations to the fertiliser business are: new business models, including “from volume to value-added”, energy efficiency and circularity, including externalities in true cost accounting; building partnerships from farmers to consumers; collecting and using big data; technology innovation, such as micronutrient fertilisers, nutrient delivery efficient fertilisers, bio-stimulants, precision agriculture; promoting public policies which support human nutrition, carbon sequestration and reduced nutrient pollution.
The IFA (International Fertilizer Association, the world fertiliser industry federation) marketing conference, Dubai, March 2020, included a session on potential disruptors of conventional mineral fertiliser markets. Armelle Gruère, IFA, listed potential market disruptors identified by IFA: increasing nutrient recycling, bio-stimulants, crop strains requiring less nutrients (e.g. nitrogen fixing), new fertiliser types, policies (regulation, subsidies), agriculture system changes in particular IT and big data, biofuels, diet changes. Derek Oliphant, Agbio Investor, noted that the global market for agriculture intrants is 250 billion US$, of which around 60 bn$ fertilisers and around 2 bn$ bio-stimulants. The bio-stimulants market is growing at >10%/year, and the EU is 40% of the world market. Development of crop strains (seeds) with improved nutrient use efficiency is today less of an industry priority than pest resistance. Ravinda Shrotriya, presented production of vegetables in urban hydroponics. Using artificial light, around 8 kWh energy is needed per kg vegetables, but water and intrant use efficiency are very high. Marina Simonova, IFA, indicated that world greenhouse area is growing +5%/year, generating demand for water-soluble fertilisers (e.g. MAP). Together, speciality fertilisers (water soluble, coated, slow or controlled release, nitrogen-stabilised / eutrophication inhibited) are growing at 4%/year and today represent 10% in value of world mineral fertiliser sales. Chris Thornton, ESPP, explained that the potential for nutrient recycling is significant, but that data is lacking. The quantity of phosphorus in manures in Europe is of the same order as that used in mineral fertilisers, and the quantity in sewage, organic solid wastes and animal by-products is a further one third of mineral fertilisers. There is a lack of data as to how much of these secondary nutrients is today recycled, and are really potentially recyclable, both at the global level (no reliable phosphorus flow study) and at the EU level (no monitoring, no update since Kimo Van Dijk’s 2015 paper (2005 data). ESPP presented examples of companies operating or building full-scale nutrient recycling today, either in organic (composts, organic fertilisers) or mineral forms (recovered ammonia, phosphorus), with large industrial operators (Veolia, Suez, ICL, Borealis, Fertiberia, Outotec, Ragn-Sells/EasyMining, …), SMEs (Ostara, NuReSys, N2-Applied …) and cities/regions (Kanton Zurich, Vienna …).
The Baltic Sea Interreg platform project SuMaNu (Sustainable Manure and Nutrient Management for Reduction of Nutrient Loss in the Baltic Sea Region) compiles best practises in organic fertilizer use, manure management and processing. It will deliver recommendations to help implement the forthcoming Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy for the Baltic Sea riparian countries prepared in HELCOM. Preliminary (draft) recommendations were presented for discussion at a workshop on nutrient recycling measures arranged on 4-5 February in Helsinki, Finland, with HELCOM, the Finland Ministries of the Environment and of Agriculture of Finland as well as key coordinating actors of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The SuMaNu platform draft recommendations address the importance of optimised fertilisation planning, manure management, measures to address regional nutrient surpluses, management of safety and hygienic risks with respect to trace elements and organic contaminants; and knowledge transfer.
NIBIO (Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research) has published a literature review and assessment of manure treatment technologies and recycled fertilisers from manure. In Norway, around 8 400 tP/y of mineral fertiliser are applied, as well as some 12 000 tP/y in manure, resulting in an annual soil P accumulation of around 12 000 tP/y, probably mainly due to over-application of manure in livestock intense regions. Livestock production in Norway is concentrated in the South-West (especially in Rogaland county). A currently ongoing revision of national fertiliser regulations is expected to reduce phosphorus application rates, and so lead to manure treatment and transport. Manure treatment technologies summarised are solid/liquid separation (sedimentation, centrifuge, filtration with or without pressure); upgrading of solid or liquid fractions (drying and pelletising, composting, combustion, pyrolysis, precipitation, concentration); anaerobic digestion; acidification. Literature shows that most pig and cattle manure separated fractions showed similar plant phosphorus uptake to mineral fertilisers, including when polymer flocculants were used to improve separation. Thermal treatments (drying, pyrolysis, combustion), however, tend to reduce phosphorus availability, especially at higher temperatures. The plant availability of inorganic chemicals recovered from manure depends on their chemical and physical characteristics. The effects of anaerobic digestion on manure plant availability are considered not clear from the limited data available. Composting may reduce plant P availability. Acidification tends to improve plant P availability, but also reduces separation efficiencies. NIBIO concludes that manure processing technologies are available which can improve phosphorus management and increase recycling, and which ensure good plant P availability.
The EU-funded “EIP-Agri” (European Innovation Partnership) has published conclusions on “New feed for pigs and poultry” assessing new feed sources and feeding strategies. Based on costs, nutritional value and sustainability, five priority feed sources are identified: bakery products (food industry waste bread or biscuits), protein extracted from green biomass such as grass or clover, insects, micro-algae (e.g. harvested seaweed such as kelp, or algae grown on waste streams such as digestate) and single-cell protein (e.g. from bacteria cultured on wastes). Some of these products offer pro-biotic benefits as well as feed value. Identified challenges include ensuring consistent nutritional characteristics; risks of contamination by e.g. packaging (bakery products) or toxins (algae, bacteria); logistics of production, processing, storage and transport; public acceptance and integration into Organic Farming. Further research is necessary into improving fat / protein / micronutrient balances in different materials, processing, digestibility and into analysis techniques.
200 published studies testing the phosphate fertilisation effect of a wide range of different recycled nutrient materials are reviewed, covering recovered minerals (calcium phosphates, struvite, etc), various treated and untreated ashes, pyrolysis products, sewage sludges, digestates. The authors conclude that some recycled products offer phosphate fertiliser effectiveness comparable to commercial, water-soluble, mineral fertilisers, but that plant growth tests show widely varying results. Plant availability in some recycled nutrient products can depend considerably on conditions in the production process, and on levels of iron, aluminium and calcium, in particular of iron. Plant availability will also depend on the physical form of the material, e.g. crystal structure and particle size. Variability also results from the lack of standardisation between testing methods. The authors consider that standard chemical extraction methods (water solubility, NAC neutral ammonium citrate, citric acid, formic acid) do not provide good indications of plant availability. They consider that NAC can dissolve iron and aluminium phosphates (e.g. in sewage sludge) or complex calcium phosphates (eg. Whitlockite) which are poorly plant available. Citric acid P solubility can be affected by calcite or dolomite which bind to citrate ligands. The authors suggest that alternative methods such as sequential fractionation, soil incubation or soil P sink methods should be developed.
Data is presented of a 20 year field trial testing eight combinations of mineral fertilisers and composted pig manure applied in Spring (control, manure only, N, NP and NPK with or without manure) on maize and soybean in Liaoning Province, China. Where crops received fertiliser plus manure, this was additive: e.g. P in mineral fertiliser when applied was always c. 23 kgP/ha/y, with additional c. 10 kgP/ha/y when manure was also applied. In this scenario, mineral fertilisers were the principal route to ensure phosphorus budgets and increase soil available P, enabling improved and more reliable crop yield and nutrient use efficiency (NUE). The authors conclude that long term application of mineral fertiliser and manure together considerably increase the conversion of residual fertiliser P (the P not taken up by the crop) to soil available P. However, the data also suggests that fertiliser plus manure resulted in excess P application (total P input 36 vs. P uptake in crops 22 kgP/ha/y) whereas mineral fertiliser corresponded to a nearly balanced P budget (NPK: P input 23, crop offtake 20 kgP/ha/y) and manure only to a P deficit (input 9, offtake 15 kgP/ha/y). In most years, Phosphorus Use Efficiency (PUE) was significantly higher with manure application only (note: this may be the result of the P deficit) but was similar for NPK+manure compared to NPK, despite the P over-application, suggesting that manure does improve overall Phosphorus Use Efficiency.
An assessment of phosphorus flows in global aquaculture and fish harvesting suggests that around 10% of world phosphate production is used in aquaculture: estimate of 2.04 MtP/y used in aquaculture, compared to world P production from phosphate rock of around 20 MtP/y (see ESPP Factsheet). This compares to FAO (2016, p4) estimate that fish (only) accounts for 6.7%of world diet protein. The authors estimate total harvest of P in fish and seafood at 1.1 MtP/y, with around 60% from captured fish and seafood and around 40% from aquaculture production. This means that around 1.6 MtP/y is net lost in aquaculture (input P minus harvested P), mainly to aquatic systems. The authors estimate that the total harvested P in fish and seafood was 0.21 MtP/y in 1950 and the input to aquaculture then only 0.1 mtP/y, so that the overall P budget has changed from net positive to negative. These estimates of P use in aquaculture are calculated by multiplying production of different species by estimated Phosphorus Use Efficiencies, inferred from farm-level data for different species. The result is nearly two times higher than that obtained (2.04 vs 1.11 MtP/y) by multiplying estimated aquaculture farm area by World Fish database nutrient input/surface data. This P input to agriculture includes both P fed directly to the fish or crustaceans (in fish meal or in plant materials used in feed) and also fertilisers (both mineral or organic, such as manures) input to aquaculture systems to grow vegetation to feed fish (but not fertilisers used to grow crops used to make fish feed).
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Registration is now open (on Eventbrite) for the 4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, Vienna, 15-17 June 2020. This 4th ESPC will centre in plenary on business models, company success stories and city and regional actions towards nutrient circularity. Parallel sessions will mix research with application (see below, call for papers). The third day (17th June) will be the 4th European phosphorus R&D day, showcasing R&D into phosphorus recycling and recycled products and new approaches.
The full speaker agenda is now published for the 13th CRU Phosphates Conference, 8-10 March 2020 Paris. This is the world’s leading phosphate industry meeting, with over 400 industry participants from 40 countries annually. Sessions include technical showcases, market outlooks worldwide and by major region, fertiliser regulation update and phosphorus recycling, new developments (biostimulants, crystalline and soluble fertilisers), animal feed phosphates, phosphate chemical processing. See summary of the 12th CRU Phosphates Conference (Florida, 2019) in ESPP eNews n°33. 10% fee discount for ESPP members.
Europe’s leading manure and organic resources recycling conference, RAMIRAN, will take place in Cambridge, UK, 14-17 September 2020. The RAMIRAN network was established 25 years ago and the biennial conference attracts some 250 participants. This year’s RAMIRAN will look at “Managing Organic Resources in a Changing Environment”, including nutrient utilisation, soil quality, air and water, best practices, treatment technologies and policy. Abstract submission until 1st March 2019.
www.ramiran2020.org
The Sweden Government enquiry into phosphorus recycling and sewage sludge published its conclusions on 17th January 2020. The report recommends that regulation should require at least 60% recycling of phosphorus from sewage works > 20 000 p.e., that specifications should be developed for other organic-carbon containing fertilisers (in particular sewage sludge biochars) and proposes two options concerning use of sewage sludge in agriculture: either (1) a ban with “very few exceptions” (e.g. individual households), including a ban on use of separated urine, or (2) continuing use of “sanitised and quality-assured sludge” with demanding quality requirements (to be defined within 2-3 years) and reevaluation over coming years to decide whether further restrictions or requirements should be implemented. The report strongly recommends option 2, that is continuing use of sewage sludge in agriculture, with demanding quality requirements (in the Swedish text, not in the English summary). In this case, the 60% P-recycling requirement would include sludge use on crops. For both options, the report recommends to ban use of sewage sludge for non-agricultural applications, such as landscaping, where phosphorus is not valorised (such use is currently 2/3 of Sweden’s sewage sludge spreading). The report states that “current research on the spreading of sewage sludge has not yet shown adverse effects on health and the environment … with the quality requirements applied for use in Swedish agriculture” and underlines that sludge use in agriculture enables recycling not only of phosphorus, but also of nitrogen and organic carbon. The report concludes that a complete ban on sewage sludge use is not supported by risk assessment, whereas “there is clear evidence that sludge fertiliser application supplies plant nutrients and humus that agriculture demands”. An update of Sweden’s sewage and sludge regulations is recommended, with a strengthening of the role of the EPA in addressing sewage contaminants at source. It is also recommended that national objectives be developed for recycling of other resources in wastewater (nitrogen, potassium, carbon). The report notes that the market value of potentially recovered phosphorus in Sweden (c. 5 million €/y) is significantly lower than sludge mono-incineration and P-recovery technology costs (10-15 million €/y or higher).
The European federation of producers of insects for human and animal foods (IPIFF) has published a position paper on the use of insect larvae faeces (“insect frass”) as a fertiliser. In addition to their main outputs (whole insects, proteins, fats), insect farms produce “frass” - a secondary material which has potential to be upcycled as a fertilising product in agriculture. EU frass production in 2019 was circa ten thousand tonnes (of which 80-90% dry matter) forecasted to reach nine million tonnes/year by 2030. Its characteristics vary depending on the insect species and production method (e.g. the substrates used in insect farming). NPK values are similar to compost with values around 4:3:3 (4%N, 1.3%P, 2.5%K). In addition to nutrients, frass can contain bacteria which stimulate plant growth and health. At present, some EU countries authorise the use of insect frass under national fertilisers regulation, with varying requirements for sterilisation. This fragmented and unclear regulatory context is an obstacle to the development of appropriate processing of frass, and so to its commercialisation and the reintroduction of valuable nutrients in agriculture. IPIFF recommends: (1) the development of a specific EU regulatory definition of insect frass and its integration into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation; (2) that the status of insect frass be clearly aligned, across Europe, to standards and requirements for animal manure under the EU Animal By-Products Regulations (ABP); and (3) that an ABP Regulation endpoint be defined for direct use of non-sterilised insect frass on land (criteria on sieving/treatment to ensure absence of live insect larvae and microbiological and chemical safety).
“IPIFF Contribution Paper on the application of insect frass as fertilising product in agriculture”, 19th September 2019 International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed www.ipiff.org
A “catalogue” of technologies for P-recovery, particularly targeting operational information on processes today operating full-scale for P-recovery from sewage, is published online by the three nutrient platforms currently operational in Europe (ESPP European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform, DPP German Phosphorus Platform and NNP Netherlands Nutrient Platform). Ten processes for P-recovery from sewage (from sludge or sludge incineration ash), operating today full scale or under construction, are summarised, as well as a further c. 20 processes which concern P-recovery from manure (full scale), nitrogen recovery (full scale) or R&D scale P-recovery from sewage. The catalogue specifies the input materials for each process, output products, fate of iron/aluminium and of heavy metals or other contaminants, a summary of the process steps, current operating status (full-scale or pilot operation at how many sites, capacity and duration of operation) and websites of technology suppliers.
The Italian chemicals group, Italmatch, specialist in phosphorus-based products for fire safety, energy storage applications, water treatment, oil & gas, lubricants and plastics, has acquired (from ICL) the RecoPhos thermal technology (see SCOPE Newsletter n°120) for production of P4 (elemental or “white” phosphorus) from secondary raw materials, in particular sewage sludge incineration ashes. P4 is specifically identified as one of the 27 EU “Critical Raw Materials”, separately and in addition to “phosphate rock”, because it is essential for a wide range of applications (see SCOPE Newsletter n°123), including fire protection, batteries, water treatment, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals …and because Europe is currently completely dependent on imports (essentially from Vietnam and Kazakhstan). There is today no EU producer of P4. The RecoPhos technology uses electro-magnetically induced heating of a reactor bed consisting of coke or graphite, and should enable P4 production with an improved energy efficiency profile compared to current industrial processes. It also aims to enable phosphorus recovery from ashes containing iron and to allow decentralised production units to be potentially viable. Because of its hazardous characteristics, P4 or its derivatives require very specific competence and organisation for production, handling and transport, and Italmatch has this industrial competence. A pilot RecoPhos plant was tested in Leoben, Austria, in 2015, treating around 10 kg/h of dry input material.
DANVA, the Danish Water and Wastewater Association, has launched a “PCP” (Pre-Commercial Procurement) project, funded by the Danish Market Development Fund to treat and recycle sewage sludge by use of superheated steam drying and pyrolysis. The technology is developed by the Danish start-up company AquaGreen ApS in corporation with the Danish Technical University (DTU) and Norwegian Akvaplan Niva, funded by the Horizon 2020 Eurostar program. A pilot plant with a capacity of 2.5 tons sewage wet weight sludge per day, at 25% DM, was installed and successfully demonstrated in 2018 at VandCenter Syd A/S, Odense Municipal Waste Water Treatment plant. In 2019, authorisation was given to AquaGreen and Nordlaks Smolten AS to test the system for treatment of fish manure from land based salmon farms in Norway. The dried sludge is pyrolyzed at 650 °C, and the flue gas provides the thermal energy for the superheated steam drying. The resulting biochar is rich on phosphorus (6-8% Vol.) and the plant availability has been proven and documented in field-trials performed by SEGES and green-house trials performed by Copenhagen University, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.
A report from the Swiss investment bank UBS gives perspectives for future food production, looking at societal tendencies and industrial opportunities. The bank identifies as key drivers: scarcity (water, land, nutrients …), sustainability, new consumer attitudes, wellness (obesity, health inducing molecules), and digitalisation. Replacement of animal products by plant, algae or cell cultured foodstuffs is expected to develop strongly, for resource, environment and health reasons. ESPP notes that phosphorus will remain essential for all such production, opening opportunities for new recycling routes and efficient use. USB see major opportunities in technologies (e.g. drones) and data management to develop precision farming (connectivity, big data, satellite data …) and reduce food waste (internet of things). Challenges include consumer attitudes (traditional preferences), political defence of existing production systems and consumer attitudes to new products and bio-technologies (e.g. gene editing).
A report from an independent thinktank on disruption predicts that non-animal derived proteins will be five times cheaper than animal proteins by 2030, as well as healthier, better tasting and more convenient, leading to a halving of the number of cattle in the USA by 2030 and making the cattle farming industry “all but bankrupt” (disruption of only a third of the industry’s revenues would be sufficient to push it to bankruptcy), leading to a 40-80% fall in farm land prices and a 45% reduction in agriculture’s greenhouse emissions. The key driver will be precision fermentation, enabling micro-organisms to produce almost any organic molecule on demand. Food engineers will then be able to personalise recipes, to develop new products, target consumer tastes or nutrition and health needs. Precision fermentation will be supported by gene sequencing and genetic engineering of micro-organisms, artificial intelligence and robotics, enabling local production. Precision fermentation is already today used to produce e.g. insulin (medicine), human collagen (cosmetics) and artificial sweeteners (food). The report notes that a relatively small substitution can disrupt an existing market (e.g. only 3.3% wet weight of milk is protein) and predicts reductions in the (US) market for beef steak of -30% by 2030, ground beef -70% and milk -90%. The resulting job losses in cattle production and processing (1 million job losses in the USA) would be of a similar order to job creation in precision fermentation. The report suggests that the fertiliser industry would be negatively impacted by the move away from livestock production (-50% fertiliser consumption predicted). ESPP notes however that this assumes that land is not converted to plant production for food or biofuels/biomaterials. The report suggests that precision fermentation is 10-25x more “feedstock efficient” (presumably covering both energy and nutrients) than animal farming, and notes that it will generate wastewater and spent micro-organism biomass, which it suggests could be recycled as fertiliser.
ESPP participated at the ENG SDF&B (Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry) conference, Düsseldorf, 14-15 January 2020, chairing the second day and leading a round table on “The phosphorus challenge” for food and agriculture. Participants at the conference included leading food companies, agri-food suppliers and supermarkets, including Mars, Coca Cola, Nestlé, Brau Union (Heineken), Metro, Migros, Delhaize Group, Tchibo, Bunge, Friesland Campina, HK Scan …) and the conference was sponsored by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Presentations and discussions included innovation replacing animal products (e.g. Oatly, oat based “milk” replacement; Protifarm, food ingredients from insect production, Proveg, non-meat product incubator …); linking technology and data to sustainability enablement; sustainability from farm to fork, food prices and a living wage for farmers; identifying and reducing sustainability risks in supply chains; and the need for cross-industry cooperation and regulation to move the whole market to sustainability progress. Aquaculture was discussed, as an environmentally efficient source of healthy protein, with ongoing development of increasingly efficient, mainly plant based feed recipes (Mowi, Biomar).
A study estimating the phosphorus footprint of food waste in China estimates that over 83 000 tP/y are contained in at-table (commercial and home) food waste in China, with a total P footprint of over 420 000 tP/y including related crop or livestock production and food processing. This is over 16% of China’s annual consumption of mineral P fertiliser. The study is based on a modelling quantification of food waste, calculated per Chinese region, verified against data from several studies and statistics sources, concluding total at-table food waste of nearly 54 million tonnes/year in China (over 39 kg/person/year). This is then multiplied by “loss factors” for different production and processing systems (cultivated land, animal farming, crop processing …), from other papers by the same author. This may however over estimate animal production losses, because these calculations assume that all phosphorus not transferred into food products is lost, in particular that all manure P is lost and none recycled back to land.
The EU Horizon 2020 project RELACS (Replacing Contentious Inputs in Organic Farming Systems, or Improving Inputs for Organic Farming) has published preliminary results of a major ongoing study into need and use of nutrients, and of organic farmers’ attitudes to recycled nutrients. The study is based on interviews with a total of 79 organic farmers in seven European countries (Germany, Italy, Estonia, UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Hungary). The farms showed, on average, surpluses for nitrogen (average +28 kgN/ha) but near balance for phosphorus (average -1 kgP/ha) and potassium (average +2 kgK/ha), However, nutrient balances varied widely between farms (e.g. -15 to +40 kgP/ha for phosphorus). Farms with externally sourced nitrogen inputs tended to show surpluses of all three nutrients, while increasing reliance on biological nitrogen fixation induced more negative budgets of P and K. Nearly all farmers interviewed were open to using recycled fertilisers, including from urban waste streams, in order to close the nutrient cycle. Yet many farmers raised concerns about contaminants, in particular micro-plastics, as well as about consumer acceptance of use of sewage-derived products.
Jakob Magid, Copenhagen University, one of the RELACS project partners, has commented to SEGES : RELACS’ preliminary data suggests that organic farms relying mainly on nitrogen inputs from plants, with few or no external inputs, have a much lower output productivity than farms with a higher ratio of external inputs. Around half of the organic farms examined in RELACS had outputs of less or much less than 60 kgN/ha in their produce, corresponding to c. 3 tons grain per hectare. Most of the 71 farms examined had few or no animals, and their output was estimated by using farmgate balances of nitrogen in various products or manure. The farms that had higher outputs used substantial amounts of different inputs. The farms that rely heavily on biological nitrogen fixation tended to use few or no external inputs at all, which could be due to low accessibility, and limited economy. If organic farmers want to be able to supply a much larger part of the future European market with organic products, they will have to use the organic farmland as efficiently as possible, Jakob Magid says.
Greenhouse container trials tested the plant availability of phosphorus in thermochemically treated sewage sludge: 170 kg soil, 1 ½ years, barley, spinach, rye grass, maize. The sludge was from a sewage works using iron salts for chemical P-removal, after anaerobic digestion. It was first dried to >93% DM, then pyrolyzed at 550°C (Pyreg) and finally reacted at 950°C with a reducing agent (lignite) and sodium sulphate or chloride (HCl) + sodium sulphate. The resulting ash contained 10-11%P and around 15% iron (Fe), 10% aluminium (Al), 12% calcium (Ca) and 13-14% magnesium (Mg). NAC phosphorus solubility was over 93% for the sewage sludge, dropping to 88% after pyrolysis and to 63 or 87% after the thermochemical treatment (the higher solubility was when chloride was added in the process). Dry matter yield in the container trials was significantly lower than for triple super phosphate for the pyrolyzed sludge and thermochemical ash for both barley and rape and marginally lower for rye grass (for spinach there were no significant differences from the control: no added P). The authors suggest that the container-scale crop trials can simulate real field conditions (significant root development) and that the results show “adequate” long-term plant availability of P in the thermochemical ash materials, but low short-term plant P availability. They suggest that this is because the thermochemical ash contains calcium sodium phosphate and calcium magnesium sodium phosphate (CaNaPO4 and Ca13Mg5Na18(PO4)18.
A R&D trial tested pyrolysed (600°C, biochar) produced from boric acid flame retardant treated cellulosic insulation material (produced from recycled paper, Isocell Austria) as a boron fertiliser in pot trials with rape and sunflower. Such boron-treated flame retardant cellulose can be recycled as building insulation material only a few times because of deterioration in fibre length. The pyrolysis reduces the solubility of the boric acid, which is important because boron is a necessary micronutrient for plants, but is toxic if released too rapidly. Challenges to possible industrial implementation include collection of spent insulation material without contamination, PAH (naphthalene) levels in the biochar and regulatory status of the product (end-of-waste, fertiliser authorisation).
A study by three European Commission (JRC) scientists concludes that environment and health impacts of phosphorus recycling are “often lower” than for phosphate rock derived fertilisers, even without taking into account phosphate rock reserve depletion. The study models impacts of struvite recovery from biological P-removal sewage treatment, direct use of poultry litter incineration ash as fertiliser, pyrolysis of pig manure, and thermochemical treatment of sewage sludge or meat and bone meal, comparing impacts per kg bioavailable P compared to fertilisers produced from phosphate rock (via the “wet acid” route). The study assumes that, in regions with high livestock or population density, the secondary materials are currently either not recycled (co-incineration) or are used inefficiently (application up to Nitrates Vulnerable Zone maximum levels for manure nitrogen, resulting in over-application of phosphorus): phosphorus recycling is estimated to substitute more than twice as much phosphate rock in high density compared to low density regions (where the secondary materials are assumed to be spread appropriately on farmland as fertilising materials). This assumption “improves” results for regions of high livestock/population density, because the current management routes are thus calculated to have higher emissions and poorer use of P (i.e. more “burdens” in life cycle analysis) than if current use is assumed to be appropriate use on agricultural land. Consequently, their estimated “net” emissions (P-recycling minus current disposal route) are improved. With this calculation, most of the P-recycling materials/routes considered show lower overall emissions to air, water and/or soil than production and use of phosphate rock derived fertiliser. Overall the authors conclude that net societal costs for P-recycling products, for the materials/routes and scenarios considered, are 81%, 50% and 10% lower for sewage sludge, manure and meat and bone meal, compared to use of phosphate rock derived fertilisers (even without accounting for the societal benefits of reducing phosphate rock reserve depletion).
As an outcome of the P-RCN (Phosphorus Research Coordination Network, see ESPP Scope Newsletter n°125), scientists have mapped across the world, on a c. 18x11 km grid scale, livestock density and human population, so identifying regions with significant local secondary phosphorus. These are then compared to likely crop fertiliser demand, based on cropland (local % land use under crops) and national phosphorus import and fertiliser use tendencies, to identify zones with phosphorus recycling potential. The modelling concludes that most zones with high manure or sewage phosphorus, in India, China, South East Asia, Europe, North and South America, are close to cropland likely to have significant phosphorus demand. The study aims to enable identification, at a global scale of “hotspots” for phosphorus recycling potential.
European Commission (JRC) scientists (with University of Basel) have published maps of topsoil properties for Europe, presenting phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, carbon/nitrogen ratio, pH and cation exchange capacity (CEC), an output of the EU FP7 RECARE project. The maps are based on over 20 000 soil sample tests, from 2009 and 2012 combined with 270 000 data points for land use and land cover and modelling (Gaussian Process Regression), leading to mapping with 250m resolution. Prediction was highest for C/N (R2>0.9) and reasonable for the other properties (R2>0.6) except CEC (R2=0.35). The authors conclude that land use seems to be the main driver for topsoil phosphorus levels, with fertiliser use leading to higher levels in agricultural areas, whereas soil nitrogen is dependent on soil organic carbon, vegetation, climate and soil texture. The results do not aim to replace local monitoring data, but to provide a European level overview. Maps for phosphorus and nitrogen are reproduced below with permission – see the cited publication for the other maps and full details.
See maps for nitrogen and phosphorus in a published paper or pdf version of this ESPP eNews.
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Registration is now open (on Eventbrite) for the 4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, Vienna, 15-17 June 2020. This 4th ESPC will centre in plenary on business models, company success stories and city and regional actions towards nutrient circularity. Parallel sessions will mix research with application (see below, call for papers). The third day (17th June) will be the 4th European phosphorus R&D day, showcasing R&D into phosphorus recycling and recycled products and new approaches.
Deadline for submission of presentations, success stories, posters is extended to 31st January 2020 (as several authors requested more time). Fifty presentations are already registered, but some opportunities remain.
Hotels are beginning to fill up in Vienna. Register and book now to get better prices!
Registration is now open for the 13th CRU Phosphates Conference, 8-10 March 2020 Paris. This is the world’s leading phosphate industry meeting, with over 400 industry participants from 40 countries expected, covering supply, market trends and industry processes and technologies for phosphate rock, fertilisers, animal feed and industrial phosphorus applications. The conference includes outlook presentations by executives of the world’s leading phosphates companies; supply, demand and market trends; new phosphate processing technologies and operating experience. See summary of the 12th CRU Phosphates Conference (Florida, 2019) in ESPP eNews n°33. 10% registration fee discount for ESPP members.
Europe’s leading manure and organic resources recycling conference, RAMIRAN, will take place in Cambridge, UK, 14-17 September 2020. The RAMIRAN network was established 25 years ago and the biennial conference attracts some 250 participants. This year’s RAMIRAN will look at “Managing Organic Resources in a Changing Environment”, including nutrient utilisation, soil quality, air and water, best practices, treatment technologies and policy. Abstract submission until 1st March 2019.
www.ramiran2020.org
See more upcoming events at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/upcoming-events
ESPP (European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform) and the Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance (North America) are preparing a special SCOPE Newsletter edition on “Nutrients and Climate Change”. This will consist of selected short texts presenting expert perspectives on how climate change will impact nutrient emissions and eutrophication as well as actions to mitigate this. Proposed texts are invited from researchers, companies, stakeholders and any interested party. Around twenty texts will be selected for publication by an editorial committee chaired by Jessica Stubenrauch, Beatrice Garske (FNK Leipzig & University of Rostock), Anders Nättorp (FHNW Switzerland) and Jim Elser (University of Montana). The SCOPE Newsletter is circulated worldwide to 41 000 companies, stakeholders, regulators and media interested in nutrient management, with a detected opening rate of 12-14%, and is published on the ESPP website www.phosphorusplatform.eu Submit your text to be included!
The European Commission has opened a public consultation, to 20th January 2020, on the Roadmap for a New Circular Economy Action Plan. The proposed Roadmap underlines the economic potential of the Circular Economy, which employs 4 million people with a 6% increase since 2012. Reducing dependency on raw materials, and reducing waste are cited as key objectives, in particular reducing landfill and incineration of municipal waste. Objectives indicated include developing the market for recycled materials, developing skills and investments, improving legal certainty. Actions to be considered include supporting design for recycling and preventing environmentally harmful products, regulating green claims and information on sustainability. The Roadmap cites as priority sectors “opportunities for closing loops for biological materials”, textiles, construction, electronics, plastics and packaging.
The EU has opened a public survey, to 19th January 2020, on the Horizon Europe ‘Mission’ on “Soil Health and Food”. This consultation targets mainly individuals or organisations for a simple opinion (around 15 rapid-to-answer questions) on what are key issues around soil health. ESPP will submit input underlining the importance of nutrients and of soil carbon, and the links between soil quality and nutritional value and safety of food.
The new European Commission published its “Green Deal” on 11th December 2019, a 24-page outline of political objectives plus a 4-page “Roadmap” (list of policy actions with dates). The Green Deal is now submitted to the European Parliament and Council (Member States). Key elements are an objective of zero net greenhouse emissions by 2050, implemented by a European Climate Law, a resource-efficient economy and a Sustainable Europe Investment Plan. The Green Deal also aims for “zero pollution”, restoring biodiversity, sustainable mobility and “farm to fork: fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system”. A Climate Pact will be launched in March 2020 to engage citizens and give them a voice. A “clean circular economy” is one of the seven themes of the Green Deal, with a new EU “circular economy action plan” for March 2020. This may include “legal requirements to boost the market for secondary raw materials, with mandatory recycled content” and an “EU model for separate waste collection”. Nutrients are not, however, in the priority sectors listed (packaging, plastics, batteries, vehicles, construction materials, electronics, textiles). Nutrient management and the circular economy are however cited as an objective of the “farm to fork” objectives, where the roadmap includes “Measures, including legislative, to significantly reduce the use and risk of … fertilisers” (2020-2021). The objective to “reduce pollution from excess nutrients” is also cited under the zero pollution objective (action: zero pollution for water, air and soil: 2021).
The European Commission has published (10th December 2019) the “Fitness Check” of the EU Water Framework Directive (with the Environmental Quality Standards, Groundwater and Floods Directives). The Commission’s conclusions maintain and confirm the Water Framework Directive’s objectives, in particular the 2027 deadline, by when Member States must ensure that all water bodies (lakes, rivers and groundwater) achieve ecological quality standards (“good” status). These conclusions have been welcomed with relief by NGOs and scientists, who had feared that the WFD deadlines might be delayed, and are coherent with the ambitious objectives of the new European Commission’s “Green Deal”. The public enquiry for this Fitness Check received an exceptionally high 370 000 responses. The Commission underlines that no substantial progress has been made over recent years in water bodies’ overall quality status, and that only half of water bodies had achieved good quality by 2015. The Commission notes that achieving quality objectives will requires reducing pressures, restoration (e.g. morphological), full implementation of the Nitrates Directive and of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and better integration of action in agriculture and transport. Diffuse pollution of nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) from agriculture are identified as a major challenge: “Around 38% of the EU’s surface water bodies are under pressure from diffuse pollution (of which agricultural production is a major source (25%))”. Failure to achieve the WFD’s objectives is considered to be due to insufficient funding, slow Member State implementation and insufficient integration of environment into other sectoral policies. Actions to address these should include working on best practices for cost-recovery, reduction of pollutants at source and green infrastructure.
The European Commission has published conclusions of the “Assessment” of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD 1991/271), an assessment carried out independently from the water policy REFIT (see above) and based on an in-depth JRC and OECD study and specific public consultations. The UWWTD assessment concludes that the Directive has been effective, largely because of the “clarity and simplicity of its requirements”, that benefits outweigh costs, that administrative costs are negligible compared to costs and benefits, that it is coherent with other water policy and that there is widespread recognition that the Directive is still needed and that withdrawing it would have negative impacts. The Directive is estimated to have been successful in reducing pollution, with wastewater BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), nitrogen and phosphorus reduced by 61%, 32% and 44% from 1990 to 2014. However, full compliance is still not achieved in a number of Member States: full compliance for phosphorus would reduce current total emissions to surface waters by over 13.5%. A further 250 billion € needs to spent in the EU to 2030 to maintain and achieve full UWWTD compliance. Nonetheless, the Directive is assessed to be cost effective, with total EU annual capital and operating costs at 18 bn€/y compared to benefits or nearly 30 bn€/y. Challenges which should be assessed are identified as: improving cost-recovery (water tariffs), better collection and treatment of stormwater overflows and urban runoff, emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, microplastics), more coherent definition of eutrophication ‘Sensitive Areas’ by Member States, Circular Economy potentials (control at source of pollutants to facilitate agricultural use of sludge and water reuse) and improving treatment wastewater from smaller agglomerations and non-connected households (these place significant pressure on over 10% of Europe’s water bodies). The assessment concludes that the Directive has led to innovation so that today eight of the world’s top fifteen water businesses are EU-based.
The JRC study (Pistocchi et al. 2019) accompanying the European Commission’s assessment of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD), see above, provides an estimate (fig. 67, p86) of reductions in loads to the environment of phosphorus, nitrogen, BOD and coliforms which would result from full enforcement of the UWWT Directive. For phosphorus, this avoidable load is estimated to be just over 50 million p.e. (person equivalent), broken down as 20 M p.e. from non compliant agglomerations, around 15 M from small agglomerations and scattered dwellings, around 10 M from combined storm overflows (CSOs) and around 5 M p.e. from urban runoff. It is emphasised that the UWWTD only addresses loads from municipal wastewater. Estimates are given (from Vigiak 2019) for total 2019 loads of BOD to EU water bodies, suggesting 34% from livestock, 31% from sewage works and scattered dwellings and 20% from urban runoff (rest: industry, forestry). A comparable estimate is not provided for phosphorus or nitrogen.
The finalised BAT BREF for the “Food, Drink and Milk” industries (FDM) has now been published on the EU JRC website. Under the Industrial Emissions Directive, the BAT specifications in this document now become obligatory for all concerned FDM production sites. During the preparation discussions, ESPP underlined the importance of phosphorus stewardship, see ESPP eNews n°28. Under 17.1.6 (Resource efficiency) BAT 10, it is specified that “Phosphorus recovery as struvite” is BAT for “waste water streams with … high total phosphorus content (e.g. above 50 mg/l) and a significant flow”. Other BAT techniques indicated are anaerobic digestion, appropriate use of residues in animal feed, appropriate use of wastewater in agriculture to valorise nutrients and/or water.
ICL Fertilizers, Amsterdam, has published a video presenting the new installations enabling use of sewage sludge incineration ash and bone meal ash as input materials for phosphate mineral fertiliser production. The phosphate recycling unit includes three new silos and input systems, enabling mixing of the ashes with phosphate rock in the chemical reaction phase with sulfuric and phosphoric acid, in the factory’s existing 550 000 t/y phosphate fertiliser production process. As well as reducing dependency on non-renewable phosphate rock resources, recycling of secondary phosphate-containing materials enables reduced transport and so reduced carbon footprint. ICL states as its objectives to be a frontrunner in phosphate recycling, with the ultimate goal of reaching a fully closed phosphorus loop.
Atria, Finland, is a leading Nordic food company, with nearly 5 000 staff and a range of fresh and processed meat products. The company, with its A-Rehu contract farmers and contract producers, aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. Atria has now also made a five year Commitment with the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) as part of its sustainability and circular economy objectives. The Commitment aims to reduce the environmental impact of livestock production by, e.g. optimisation of feeding, recycling of food industry by-products as feed, nutrient recycling. Cooperation with arable farmers supplying animal feeds will aim to improve manure application and crop rotation and to increase land use efficiency and domestic protein crop production (to reduce the carbon footprint of imported soya). Conservation agriculture and other practices will be developed to improve soil health and carbon sequestration, by training of Atria’s own experts, sharing of best practices and communication of research results.
The benefits for soil, plant and soil microbes of an organic fertilising material produced by carbon and nitrogen capture technology were tested. The CCU (carbon capture and utilisation) technology developed by CCm is presented in ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter n°134. Ammonia solution (recycling of nitrogen by stripping from e.g. digesters) is reacted with calcium nitrate, then with CO2 and a secondary organic (cellulosic substrate), producing calcium carbonate which acts as a binder, (as well as being a plant nutrient) enabling production of pellets containing nitrogen and organic carbon. The resulting product was tested using two different soils (peat compost, mineral soil), measuring soil characteristics, plant growth (30 day pot trials with wheat with CCm product dosed at 0 – 7 g/l soil) and soil microbial development (after soil sterilisation). Results showed that soil water retention was doubled in the peat compost with 25g CCm/l soil and soil matric potential was significantly improved (soil plant water availability: the force with which water is held by the soil matrix, as measured by a tensiometer). Wheat plant biomass showed c. 40% increase at 3 gCCm/l-soil (statistically significant), but with not such a large increase at 6 g/l (but still higher than without CCm): this is probably related to the nitrogen content of the CCm and possibly other nutrients (in the recycled organic substrate) as well as to improved soil properties. The CCm process shows interesting potential to valorize to soil both carbon and nutrients in organic wastes, whilst fixing further atmospheric nitrogen and providing a soil sink for industrial CO2.
Microalgae biomass of two different origins, after simple drying, was tested as an organic fertiliser for container-grown tomatoes in a greenhouse test (3 months), looking at tomato plant growth, fruit harvest quantity and quality. The microalgae biomass came from (a) flocs harvested from an outdoor raceway pond operated for batch treatment of wastewater from a freshwater fish cultivation aquaculture system and (b) production in outdoor photoreactors using marine water and flue gas CO2 and residual heat from landfill biogas combustion The dried microalgae biomass contained 0.6 and 1.3 %P (a and b), 2.4 and 8% N, 0.2 and 1.4 %K, 20 and 0.2% calcium and various microelements. Fertiliser effectiveness was compared to a liquid inorganic fertiliser adapted to tomatoes and a blend of two solid organic commercial fertilisers (Frayssinet, France) with potassium, magnesium and sulphate added to ensure comparable macronutrient ratios. The microalgae were applied assuming a 33% N mineralisation rate. The four treatments gave similar plant growth, but a lower fruit yield (wet weight) with the organic fertiliser, and very much lower still (< 50%) with the microalgae. Tomato quality (sugar and carotenoid content) were significantly higher with the organic fertiliser and the microalgae. The authors suggest that the significantly lower tomato productivity may be related to increased salinity with the organic fertilisers and microalgae.
A workshop on water innovation, organised by four Horizon 2020 projects (SMART-Plant, nextGen, Hydrousa and Project-O) and the European Commission (EASME), see ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°132, discussed opportunities and challenges for resource recycling from wastewater. The workshop agreed the following recommendations to further nutrient recovery and recycling: promote a positive image for recycling nutrients; need for stable regulatory support; importance of networking of competence, platforms and data benchmarking; difficulties posed by disparate implementation of End-of-Waste in different Member States and regions. The workshop recommended to promote and support nutrient recycling in Horizon Europe, and to develop better coordination of End-of-Waste, Water Policy and Circular Economy policies between Member States.
A laboratory-scale study in Japan suggests that elemental phosphorus (P4, also known as “white” or “yellow phosphorus”) can possibly be produced from phosphoric acid using less energy than production directly from phosphate rock. Existing technologies are estimated to consume around 1 500 kWh electricity per tonne P4 produced, operating at around 1400°C. A 32 mm internal diameter, 1.2 m high quartz reactor furnace, heated electrically, was tested, mixing phosphoric acid with activated carbon as substrate (P-source and reducing agent). The furnace was heated to 1000°C in the activated carbon (reducing) zone, with a second reaction zone at 700°C. The authors suggest that phosphoric acid recovered from secondary materials, for example phosphoric acid recovered from steel slag, for which several experimental studies have been published in Japan (see e.g. Iwama et al. 2019).
The EEA (European Environment Agency) “State of the Environment 2020” report says “change of direction (is) urgently needed to face climate change challenges, reverse degradation and ensure future prosperity” and that “Europe will not achieve its sustainability vision … by continuing to promote economic growth and seeking to manage the environmental and social impacts”. The new European Commission Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, responded that the EU needed an urgent paradigm shift, and the new Environment Commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, indicated that priorities are biodiversity, the circular economy and zero pollution. The EEA report points to phosphorus and nitrogen cycles as both exceeding Planetary Boundaries, underlining that diffuse emissions of both P and N to water remain a problem (62% of EU ecosystems are exposed to levels of nitrogen beyond safe tolerance) and that this requires more coherent policies for agriculture, transport, industry and waste water treatment, including a wider food system perspective
The European Commission has published an Expert Group report on circular economy (CE) financing, concluding that risk, and perception and assessment of risk, are the main challenge to finance of CE projects. The report develops recommendations for financial institutions, for project promoters and for policy makers. These are based on the following general conclusions: level playing field, value chain collaboration and participation of end-users, economic integration of externality costs and product longevity, financing knowledge and innovative first-movers. Recommendations to the financial sector are to define definitions, taxonomy and tools to measure circularity, risk analysis of linear models, financial risk sharing and increasing awareness. Project promoters should identify circular sources of revenues, collaborate with other circular economy communities, disclose environmental and social benefits and develop staff training and knowledge. Recommendations to financial decision makers are to develop reporting standards for risks of linear business models, define definitions and taxonomy of circularity, establish technical and financial advisory services to support circular economy projects and to prioritise circular economy projects within the InvestEU fund. Recommendations to policy makers are to create a framework favorable to and facilitate the circular economy, including: define metrics, develop national and regional circular economy strategies linked to other policies, set CE targets, create collaborative platforms, remove subsidies to linear systems, implement EPR extended producer responsibility, fix sunset dates for landfill, provide fiscal incentives, and create markets via public procurement.
A 580 page report by IUCN (International Union for Nature Conservation) assesses evidence for ocean deoxygenation across the world, links to eutrophication, to climate change and ocean warming and to algal blooms, impacts on ecological systems, fisheries and on people, perspectives and actions needed. Water oxygen concentrations are critical to fish and marine life, because it is much more difficult to breath in water than in air (there is much less oxygen in a given volume of water). Global ocean oxygen content is estimated to have fallen 1-2% since the mid twentieth century. The number of low oxygen ocean sites has increased to over 500 over recent decades, and climate warming is expected to exacerbate this. Ocean deoxygenation can be attributed to two causes: climate change and ocean warming, which lead to an overall slowdown in marine circulation and so lower uptake of oxygen to seawater from the atmosphere; and nutrient inputs, from atmospheric nitrogen deposition and land runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus (eutrophication) in coastal areas world-wide, leading to oxygen consumption by algae and then to oxygen deficiencies near the sea bed. Remobilisation of phosphorus and iron from sediment particles in low oxygen conditions can further accelerate the process (feedback loops). Impacts of ocean deoxygenation are regionally very variable, and are highly critical in semi-enclosed seas (e.g. Baltic, Black Sea, Gulf of Mexico) and the EBUS (Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (equatorial and coastal regions of the eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans). The report underlines that ocean deoxygenation and climate change are strongly interlinked, and that the key contributors to both are the same: agriculture and burning of fossil fuels and that a key action is to address nutrient inputs to rivers and oceans from septic systems and wastewater treatment plants, fertiliser run off, livestock manure, and atmospheric deposition of nitrogen from the burning of fossil fuels.
More than 150 scientists have signed a call for “urgent action on nitrogen pollution”, addressed to the United Nations. Currently, 80% of nitrogen used in agriculture is lost, that is more than 200 million tonnes of nitrogen per year, at a cost of 200 US$ billion, adding to nitrogen oxides generated by energy, industry and transport (combustion processes). Actions called for include more efficient use of fertilisers and manures, cutting food waste, reducing meat and dairy consumption and new technologies for nitrogen capture from transport and from fossil fuel burning. The initiative is led by CEH, Edinburgh, Scotland and the INMS (International Nitrogen Management System).
A nineteen page review outlines a wide range of phosphorus and nitrogen recovery technologies for wastewater, providing some 200 references. P-recovery technologies addressed include: ion exchange / adsorption, electrodialysis, magnetic microsorbants, reactive filtration media (e.g. polonite, zeolites), urine separation, struvite precipitation, metal phosphate precipitation, electrochemical (sacrificial anode, dimensionally stable anode DSA), biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) and then land application of biosolids, algae harvesting. Nitrogen recovery technologies addressed include: ion exchange/adsorption of ammonium (e.g. using zeolites or clinoptilolites), electrochemical and microbial fuel cells, struvite precipitation, stripping, gas permeable membranes, conversion to livestock feed or protein by heterotrophic microorganisms. The authors underline that only a few of these processes result in a directly useable product (e.g. struvite, considered a “good fertiliser”), challenges of contaminants in the recovered product, and that all processes work better if nutrients are concentrated (e.g. by urine separation or EBPR). A table summarises ‘pros and cons’ of the different processes.
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In this SCOPE newsletter:
Summary of the 3rd IWA
Resource Recovery Conference (IWARR 2019)
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Events
CRU Phosphates 2020
European biosolids conference
Calls for papers
Call for papers ESPC4
Call for texts: phosphorus stewardship and climate change
Call for consultants: EIP-AGRI
Study on EU “restrictions” for composts and digestates
DG ENVI study on contaminants in composts and digestates
ESPP new member
PhosAgro joins ESPP
Phosphorus recycling
Global compendium of P-recovery technologies
Communications
SPA blog on farm phosphorus traps
EU circularity rate
JRC: raw materials and Sustainable Development Goals
Business models for resource recovery in developing countries
FAO guidelines on estimating livestock nutrient flows and impacts
Science and research
Journal special issue and blog on phosphorus
EU Critical Raw Materials project on phosphate rock reserves
Clean Water Cluster Event
Iron phosphate for P-removal from sediments and runoff
New fertilisers
Registration is now open for the 13th CRU Phosphates Conference, 8-10 March 2020 Paris. This is the world’s leading phosphate industry meeting, with over 400 industry participants from 40 countries expected, covering supply, market trends and industry processes and technologies for phosphate rock, fertilisers, animal feed and industrial phosphorus applications. The conference includes outlook presentations by executives of the world’s leading phosphates companies; supply, demand and market trends; new phosphate processing technologies and operating experience. See summary of the 12th CRU Phosphates Conference (Florida, 2019) in ESPP eNews n°33. 10% registration fee discount for ESPP members.
CRU Phosphates 2020, 8-10 March Paris - https://events.crugroup.com/phosphates
ESPP will moderate the resource recovery session at the AquaEnviro “European Biosolids & Organic Resources Conference”, Manchester (Old Trafford Stadium) UK, 19-20 November. This is Europe’s main conference on sewage sludge management with over 280 participants last year (2018). The water industry is focussed on maximising energy recovery from sewage sludges, whilst retaining the option of agricultural valorisation for treated biosolids. The use of thermal hydrolysis as a pre-treatment in so-called Advanced Anaerobic Digestion (AAD) is increasingly common, but the return liquors from these processes present a number of challenges, particularly in terms of ammonia load (operating experience from Severn Trent and Thames Water sites will be presented). Sessions include biosolids to land, ammonia management, biogas, resource recovery …
European Biosolids & Organic Resources Conference, Manchester UK, 21-22 November http://european-biosolids.com/
Save the date: 4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, Vienna, 15-17 June 2020
www.phosphorusplatform.eu/espc4
See more upcoming events at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/upcoming-events
The call for abstracts and posters is now open (closes 31/12/2019) for the 4th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, Vienna, 15-17 June 2020. Abstracts are invited for presentations at the six parallel sessions, for plenary success story mini-presentations, for posters or for stands. The parallel session themes are: economy (of phosphorus sustainability and nutrient recycling), enhanced efficiency fertilisers, sustainable phosphorus removal from waste streams, R&D cooperation and platforms, taking R&D developments through to the market and phosphorus sustainability perspectives. Proposed success story mini-presentations (3 minutes, plenary) should present your company, local authority (city, region …) or stakeholder successes in implementing phosphorus recycling or phosphorus management. Posters and stands can address any subject related to nutrient sustainability.
Full details www.phosphorusplatform.eu/espc4
ESPP (European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform) and the Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance (North America) are preparing a special SCOPE Newsletter edition on “Nutrients and Climate Change”. This will consist of selected short texts presenting expert perspectives on how climate change will impact nutrient emissions and eutrophication as well as actions to mitigate this. Proposed texts are invited from researchers, companies, stakeholders and any interested party. Around twenty texts will be selected for publication by an editorial committee chaired by Jessica Stubenrauch, Beatrice Garske (FNK Leipzig & University of Rostock), Anders Nättorp (FHNW Switzerland) and Jim Elser (University of Montana). The SCOPE Newsletter is circulated worldwide to 41 000 companies, stakeholders, regulators and media interested in nutrient management, with a detected opening rate of 12-14%, and is published on the ESPP website www.phosphorusplatform.eu Submit your text to be included!
Send us your ideas for action for on nutrients and climate change to appear with the world’s leading experts.
Maximum 600 words. Deadline 31.01.2020 latest.
Call details and instructions here: https://phosphorusplatform.eu/callfortexts
The European Commission funded innovation platform “EIP-AGRI” has published a call for consultants/experts to coordinate (including drafting documents) or facilitate events on the following themes: resource management and sustainable soil management, farm resilience capacity and digitisation. Deadline for submission is 9th December 2019.
EIP call for coordinating experts / event facilitators: https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/news/call-interest-would-you-contribute-eip-agri-0
A study commissioned by the European Commission (DG Environment) assesses risks related to contaminants in composts and digestates, and proposes possible “Risk Management” measures (restrictions using the EU Chemical Regulation REACH). ESPP submitted an Access to Information procedure for this document in June 2019, and has now been informed that it is published here (see ESPP eNews n°35).
It should be noted that although both compost and digestate are now exempt from REACH registration (see ESPP eNews n°34), EU-wide restrictions (effectively including bans) can nonetheless be implemented using REACH.
Four possible “Risk Reduction” measures are proposed: EU limits on contaminants in all composts and digestates; ban on use of sewage sludge and/or mechanically separated household organic waste MBT in composts and digestates; specific restrictions where composts or digestates are used as growing media; obligation for two-stage anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. The study appears to suggest that any restrictions for sewage sludge being used in compost or digestate should also be applied to all sewage sludge going to agricultural land.
Legal options discussed include restrictions on all composts and digestates (using REACH), modifications of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation annexes (would only impact CE-Mark composts and digestates), modification of the EU Sewage Sludge Directive or EU Waste Water Treatment Directive. It is ESPP’s understanding that a restriction under REACH could, for example, prevent the placing on the market in Europe (that is sale or use at no cost by any party other than the producer, other than under “waste” regulation) of any compost or digestate containing contaminants above specified limits and/or containing excluded input materials.
“European Commission. Digestate and compost as fertilisers: Risk assessment and risk management options. Final Report”, Ramboll – Peter Fisk – WOOD (referred to in the tender as the “AMEC” study), ref. 40039CL00313, 8th February 2019 https://etendering.ted.europa.eu/cft/cft-document.html?docId=57674
Russia-based leading phosphate fertiliser producer, PhosAgro, has become a member of ESPP. PhosAgro is the largest phosphate-based fertiliser producer and one of the leading animal feed phosphate producers in the European continent, and one of the world’s leading integrated phosphate rock and fertiliser producers. PhosAgro’s main products include phosphate rock, 39 grades of fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate. These products are used by customers in more than 100 countries across the world. PhosAgro is the first fertiliser company not producing in the EU to become a member of ESPP, conform to ESPP’s statutes which specify that the association’s activities are related to Europe and admit as members any organisation with activities related to phosphorus sustainability. PhosAgro’s 2025 strategy prioritise sustainable development and high standards in social, environmental and corporate governance performance. PhosAgro’s low-cadmium phosphate-based fertilizers stand out for their high efficiency and their environmental safety. PhosAgro is the first Russian company selected by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to implement a global soil protection initiative.
PhosAgro website www.phosagro.ru
The Global Water Research Consortium has produced a 40-page report summarising technologies currently available worldwide for phosphorus recovery from municipal sewage, summarising how the different technologies integrate into sewage works operation and sludge processing systems. It describes each process, how it functions, the technology readiness level, compatibility with German phosphorus recovery legislation requirements, limitations of application regarding sewage works type and sludge and other information relevant to implementation. Processes considered include P-recovery of dissolved phosphate from liquors by struvite precipitation, HAP (hydroxyapatite) precipitation, calcium silicate hydrate adsorption; release of further phosphorus from sludge to increase recovery potential from liquors (lysis: Cambi, Pondus; bio-acidification: Ostara Wasstrip, Veolia Phosforce). A total of over 20 such technologies are listed. Processes recovering phosphorus directly from sewage sludge considered are: Budenheim Extraphos, pyrolysis, EuPhoRe, Kubota, Mephrec/P.KON. Considered processes taking sewage sludge incineration ash as input material are: Glatt SeraPlant, Ecophos, Remondis Tetraphos, Phos4Life/ZAR Zurich, EasyMining Ash2Phos/CleanMap, Metawater alkali leaching Japan, AshDec.
Global Water Research Consortium http://globalwaterresearchcoalition.net ““Global Compendium on Phosphorus Recovery from Sewage/Sludge/Ash”, Technical Report, March 2019 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331982837_Global_Compendium_on_Phosphorus_Recovery_from_SewageSludgeAsh
The Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance, North America, has published another of its online thematic blog series, summarising the potential of phosphorus traps for removing dissolved phosphorus in run-off from fields or subcatchments with legacy phosphorus losses, that is sites where phosphorus losses will remain elevated “for decades” because of accumulated phosphorus in soils. Traps are buried tanks containing materials which adsorb soluble phosphorus from collected runoff. Identified criteria for installation are indicated as: convergence of tile drainage or surface water at a site with vertical height above outflow (hydraulic push through adsorbent), at least 0.2 mgPsolube/l, design to cope with peak flow rates (at many sites, 90% of P is lost in 5% of flow events) and so sufficient space (e.g. 40 tons of adsorbent for 4000 l/minute for a poultry farm). Adsorbent materials are often iron-containing by-products (such as steel slag) but these will not be recyclable, but research into regeneration is underway.
SPA blog “A tool for trapping dissolved phosphorus”, C. Penn, 10/2019 https://phosphorusalliance.org/2019/09/05/chad-penn/ and “Review. A Review of Phosphorus Removal Structures: How to Assess and Compare Their Performance”, C. Penn et al. Water 2017, 9, 583; http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w9080583
An update from Eurostat indicates that the “circularity rate” in the EU reached 11.7% in 2016, slowly progressing up from 8.4% in 2004. The “circularity rate” covers all materials fed into the economy, and is much lower that the “recycling rate” (around 55% in the EU) which considers only wastes. The circularity rate varies from 1.3% in Greece to 29% in The Netherlands, not only because of recycling but also because of higher imports of materials (including fossil fuels) or higher rates of materials extraction (mining), both of which lead to lower circularity rate.
“What goes around comes around – EU circularity rate”, Eurostat, 18th September 2019 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/DDN-20190918-2
A European Commission (JRC) Science for Policy publication looks at how raw materials use interacts with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that raw materials are necessary for sustainability objectives (e.g. for production of energy-saving technologies) but that their extraction has significant impacts. The role of forestry is underlined, providing raw materials, as well as ecosystem and climate services, on condition of sustainable forest management. The role of phosphate and potash, in SDG2 (“Zero Hunger”) is noted, by their contribution to agricultural productivity. The importance of EU Raw Materials policies, and also policies for the Circular Economy and minerals conflicts are underlined, as is the need for monitoring.
“Future supply of raw materials must not repeat the sustainability problems of the past”, European Commission (JRC), Mancini et al., 2nd October 2019 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/future-supply-raw-materials-must-not-repeat-sustainability-problems-past
An 800 page report from the IWMI (International Water Management Institute) presents business models for energy, nutrient and water reuse in low- and middle-income countries. The report underlines the potential to combine closing nutrient recycling loops, develop a circular economy, recover waste and water treatment costs and develop viable businesses, whilst ensuring the key public service of sanitation. Decentralised solutions may help address the non-availability of funding necessary to establish or upgrade large scale installations. Examples presented adding “night soil” (faeces) in composting of municipal solid waste to improve the nutrient value of the product, using low-cost technology and enabling sale to farmers (Sri Lanka), composting livestock waste (Mexico), public toilet faeces to nutrient-rich compost (Rwanda), faecal sludge use on farm (India), provision of sanitation and processing faeces and urine to organic fertiliser for agriculture (Burkina Faso).
“Resource recovery from waste. Business models for energy, nutrient and water reuse in low- and middle-income countries”, M. Otoo & P. Drechsel, ed., Routledge, ISBN 978-1-315-78086-3, 2018 http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Books/PDF/resource-recovery-from-waste.pdf
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has published LEAP guidelines (Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership) on how to assess and account nitrogen and phosphorus flows and life cycle assessment (LCA) for livestock production and supply chains. FAO underlines the importance of these nutrients for the sustainability of agriculture, citing planetary boundaries and that phosphorus is a non-renewable, non-substitutable, finite resource. The aim is to enable identification opportunities to improve nutrient management, improve nutrient efficiency and reduce impacts. ESPP participated in the document development process, underlining the importance of evaluating recycling flows, and the final document does clearly address not only inputs, outputs and losses but also specifically nutrient recycling.
“Nutrient flow and associated environmental impacts in livestock supply chains. Guidelines for assessment”, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations 2018, 196 pages, ISBN 978-92-5-130901-8 http://www.fao.org/partnerships/leap/publications/guidelines/en/
The Journal of Environmental Quality has published (open access) a special issue on phosphorus with 23 papers, mainly on phosphorus in agriculture and catchment management. The papers are mostly reviews and opinion summaries, rather than new research. A summary (Johnston & Poulton) of 175 years of long-term field experiments at Rothamsted, UK, and at other sites shows the clear link between plant available phosphorus in soil (soil P higher than the critical level related to soil phosphorus buffering capacity) and crop yield, with high fertiliser efficiency when soil P is near the critical level and inputs are slightly higher than offtakes (90 – 55% P-use efficiency). Other papers show the challenges of phosphorus loss mitigation strategies: no single solution or measure fits all, uncertainty of results, time delays. The situation in the Chesapeake Bay is illustrative (Kleinman, Fanelli et al.), despite the management plan, dissolved P is increasing in some tributaries and challenges include legacy P, artificial drainage and livestock density. Several papers present data on P behavior in agricultural catchments, showing that agriculture increases labile P in soils compared to natural vegetation (Neidhardt, Acthen et al.), that agricultural soil P losses occur in both drains and surface runoff (Macrae, Ali et al.) and that high P losses occur with drought and with rainfall events because of resuspension of legacy P in sediments (Bieroza, Bergström et al.). A review of studies (Nash, McDowell et al.) shows that recent fertiliser application can contribute 30 – 80% of P-runoff from grassland, but that this can be reduced to <10% by good management practices. A series of blogs are published to promote the content of this science special issue to a wider audience.
Journal of Environmental Quality special issue on phosphorus, JEQ Volume 48 Issue 5, September-October 2019 https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/jeq/tocs/48/5#h1-SPECIAL%20SECTION:%20CELEBRATING%20THE%20350TH%20ANNIVERSARY%20OF%20DISCOVERING%20PHOSPHORUS%E2%80%94FOR%20BETTER%20OR%20WORSE
Blogs on phosphorus: “The discovery and general uses of phosphorus”, “Why is phosphorus needed on farms”, “What are sources of phosphorus for crops”, “What are the challenges regarding phosphorus use”, “Ten things we can do to manage phosphorus better” https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/author/soilsmatter2011/ and web story https://www.soils.org/discover-soils/story/reduce-reuse-recycle-the-future-of-phosphorus
The EU-funded Expert Network on Critical Raw Materials (SCRREEN) has published a “Report on the Future Use of Critical Raw Materials”. This includes a useful breakdown of use of phosphate rock (2016, worldwide, provided by IFA, International Fertilizer Association), indicating that >80% goes to fertilisers, 7% to animal feeds, <5% to detergents and <1% to human food additives (5-6% other industrial uses). The report underlines that unlike for example fossil fuels, phosphorus cannot be replaced in agriculture because it is essential for plants and animals (although the report does misguidedly add “with current scientific understanding”). The report indicates that world demand for phosphate rock is likely to grow considerably, with increasing world population and in parts of the world increasing animal products in diets, leading to conclude a possible “inelastic supply gap at market in the decade of 2020-2030” and that “current phosphate rock reserves will be depleted in approximately 70 to 140 years”. No mention is made of the environmental impacts of phosphorus use (eutrophication).
SCRREEN (Solutions for CRitical Raw materials – a European Expert Network, Horizon 2020, 2016-2020) “Report on the Future Use of Critical Raw Materials”, L. Tercero Espinoza et al., http://scrreen.eu/results/ and deliverable D2.3 http://scrreen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SCRREEN-D2.3-Report-on-the-future-use-of-critical-raw-materials-2.pdf
The Horizon 2020 cluster event, Girona, 22nd October 2019, brought together 12 R&D projects in the field of clean water with themes including phosphorus removal, groundwater nitrates and antimicrobial resistance.
Stefan Peiffer, University of Bayreuth, presented the recently started P-TRAP project (https://h2020-p-trap.eu/) that targets diffuse phosphorus input to surface waters. The project will focus on immobilization of phosphorus in artificially drained agricultural areas as well as long-term stabilization of phosphorus in lake sediments, using iron-containing by-products from drinking water treatment. Also, vivianite and phosphorus-containing Fe(III)oxides recovered from phosphorus “traps” in agricultural runoff will be evaluated as a fertilizer in collaboration with Spanish company Fertiberia.
Sara Johansson, University of Girona, presented her work on phosphorus and potassium recovery from digested sludge liquors developed within the recently finished TreatRec project (https://treatrec.eu/). Published results show that anammox as a nitrogen removal step before struvite precipitation enables the formation of potassium struvite (magnesium potassium phosphate (MgKPO4*6H2O). Granular partial nitritation-anammox sludge can also function as a biological crystallizer and form hydroxyapatite.
Philipp Kehrein, Delft University, presented his work in the Super-W project (https://www.superw.ugent.be/) to identify bottlenecks hindering implementation of treatment and recovery technologies in wastewater treatment plants. His recommendation is that WWTPs increase efforts in value chain development for recovered resources e.g. work with market actors for recovered products.
Daniela Buzica and Anna Marczak, European Commission DG Environment, participated via video link and presented current development in EU water policy. Water and sludge reuse are two of the topics that are being considered in the evaluation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
“Clean Water”, Horizon 2020 MSCA-ITN cluster event for Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSC) Innovative Training Networks (ITN) projects, Girona, Spain, 22nd October 2019. Jointly organised by the Research Executive Agency (REA) and the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-2020-msca-itn-cluster-event-clean-water_en
WETSUS Netherlands and other partners have received a subsidy from the Dutch scientific organisation NOW (Idea Generator Call) for research into stimulating iron phosphate precipitation, as vivianite (iron II phosphate) from freshwater sediments and waters with high phosphorus loadings. The objective is to remove phosphorus contributing to eutrophication in a potentially recoverable form, because vivianite is magnetic, and because it is easier to separate phosphorus from iron II than from iron III phosphate (so potentially enabling recovery as phosphate salts).
“Subsidy for vivianite research”, WETSUS News September 2019 https://www.wetsus.nl › home › wetsus-news › wetsus-news-september-2019
Weeks & Hetiarachchi (in the JEQ special issue indicated above) provide a review of new fertiliser technologies, and of their results in use. New fertiliser approaches presented are (1) controlled release fertilisers, using coatings, pH modifiers, scaffolds (loading onto materials such as layered double hydroxides LDH, nano-particles, graphene oxides), organic and organo-mineral matrices and inherent slow-release chemicals (2) “blockers”, intended to inhibit fixation of P onto anions in soils (i.e. calcium, iron, aluminium in soils), including maleic-itaconic polymers and humic substances (from decomposition of organic materials) and (3) inducers, intended to stimulate uptake by crops of poorly available soil P, including oxide nano-particles of anatase (titanium), magnetite (Fe2O), zinc and copper. The authors conclude that in many cases field results do not reflect positive claims from pot trials, mechanisms are complex (impacts on soil chemistry, crop P uptake, soil microbes) and that considerable more work is needed to identify economically and environmentally viable products. The paper does not consider that use of microbes as biostimulants to improve P uptake.
“A Review of the Latest in Phosphorus Fertilizer Technology: Possibilities and Pragmatism”, J. Weeks & G. Hettiarachchi, J. Environ. Qual. (JEAQ) 48:1300–1313 (2019) http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2019.02.0067
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Contributions (600 words) are invited from researchers, companies, stakeholders on “Nutrients and Climate Change” for publication in a SCOPE Newsletter Special Issue (41 000 distribution). Submit your text to be included! Deadline 29th February 2020. Instructions here.
Summary of the 9th International Phosphorus Workshop (IPW9)
ETH Zurich, 8 – 12 July 2019:
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Earlier SCOPE editions www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SCOPEnewsletter
In this SCOPE Newsletter:
SCOPE summary edition of the 1st Summit of the Organic Fertiliser Industry in Europe (SOFIE), 5 - 6 June 2019, organised by ESPP. SOFIE brought together, for the first time ever, the European carbon-based fertiliser sector, and attracted over 125 participants, from industry (two thirds of participants), regulators, stakeholders and R&D, covering 14 European countries, as well as India and North America.
New ESPP member, LEX4BIO is a Horizon 2020 R&D project, started 1st June 2019. The main goal of the project is to provide a knowledge-based on bio-based fertilisers, in order to secure safe and efficient use of nutrient rich-side streams in European agriculture, reducing the dependency on imported phosphorus fertilisers and energy intensive nitrogen fertilisers. The objectives are to optimise the usage of bio-based fertilisers from side-streams, ensure their safety, build evidence-based trust in their usage and develop legislative framework. LEX4BIO will collect and process regional nutrient stock, flow, surplus and deficiency data, and review and assess the required technological solutions. Furthermore, socioeconomic benefits and limitations to bio-based fertiliser use will be analysed. A deliverable of LEX4BIO will be a toolkit to optimise the use of bio-based fertilisers and to assess their environmental impact in terms of non-renewable energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and other LCA impact categories, In order to facilitate the connection between bio-based fertiliser production technologies and regional requirements.
LEX4BIO information https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=en&menue_id_in=300&id_in=12743
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The EU Fertilising Productions Regulation (FPR) is now finally published in the EU Official Journal of 25th June (in all EU official languages). This new regulation opens the European market for recycled fertilisers; and also for organic fertilisers, biostimulants, composts and digestate, which to date could only be sold under different national legislations. It thus also opens the European market for nutrient recycling technologies. Products which respect the new FRP criteria (CE-Mark) will benefit from the “single market” (can be sold anywhere in Europe) and further will automatically have End-of-Waste status. There is now a three year delay period before FRP implementation, that is before companies can place on the market CE-Mark fertilisers – but companies wishing to be ready in three years should start preparations now. The new FRP is flexible, in that the European Commission can add further products and materials by a comitology process. The JRC “STRUBIAS” report (struvite and recovered phosphate salts, biochars and pyrolysis materials, ash-based materials) is expected to be published soon, and these materials are expected to be added to the FRP annexes by end 2019 – early 2020. Work will now also start to define a list of animal by-products (and ABP end-points) to be integrated into the FPR, for which CMC10 “Animal By-Products” is currently an empty box. The European Commission is also working on testing methods and standards to accompany the new FRP, a ‘Questions and Answers” document to explain how the regulation works, guidance on FRP product labelling, and definition of criteria for “By-Products” for CMC11 (industrial by-products, organic or food by-products … other than animal by-products). To input to these activities, please contact ESPP.
EU Fertilising Productions Regulation (FPR) publication text https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2019:170:TOC
It is our understanding that the addition of “digestate” to the list of materials exempted from the obligation of REACH Registration (Annex V) has finally been approved (Member States CARACAL Committee 17th May 2019), and the Regulation formalising this is expected to be published in July 2019. The modification of REACH (the European Chemicals Regulation) adds simply the word “digestate” to the list of materials exempted from registration (after compost and biogas, which were already specified). However, the Regulation making this modification gives more details, defining digestate as “a residual semisolid or liquid material that has been sanitised and stabilised by a biological treatment process, of which the last step is an anaerobic digestion step, and where the inputs used in that process are biodegradable materials originating only from non-hazardous source segregated materials, such as food waste, manure and energy crops”. The Regulation indicates that no REACH registrations for digestate have been submitted, but that this modification will remove uncertainties for producers and users of digestate and for enforcement authorities. This exemption of digestate in REACH Annex V was requested from the European Commission by the European Biogas Association and the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP) in 2014.
Draft Regulation adding ‘digestate’ to the REACH Annex V exemptions from registration: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/tbt/en/search/?tbtaction=search.detail&Country_ID=EU&num=630
The Italy Government has entrusted to ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) the objective of establishing an Italy Phosphorus Platform. A launch meeting at the Italy Environment Ministry, Rome, on 26th March, brought together around fifty participants. The platform objectives cover all aspects of phosphorus sustainability: P in the food chain, optimising P use, recycling in organic materials and in mineral fertilisers, high tech uses of P such as batteries and fire safety. Four work-packages are engaged, each with an ENEA coordinator: WG1 = Market and added value for recycled phosphorus (), WG2 = Technologies and Best Practices (), WG3 = Legislation – regulatory obstacles (), WG4 = Promotion and long-term sustainability (). An objective of the platform is to propose an R&D / innovation agenda, proposing innovation funding and support. Project deliverables for 2019 include a summary of EU policies and initiatives on phosphorus, an analysis of phosphorus flows in Italy (markets, supply, demand), a catalogue of technologies for phosphorus recovery and of best management practices, reports on the legislative framework and regulatory and policy proposals. WGs 1-3 have as deliverables by end 2019 reports of conclusions, with proposed actions. Deliverables of WG4 include, by end 2019, to identify organisations willing to participant in the Italy Phosphorus Platform as founding members and to define an operating scenario and budget. To date, around fifty organisations have expressed interest to join the new platform.
The first Summit of the Organic Fertiliser Industry in Europe (SOFIE, 5-6 June 2019, Brussels) brought together, for the first time ever, the European carbon-based fertiliser sector, and attracted over 125 participants, from industry (two thirds of participants), regulators, stakeholders and R&D, covering 14 European countries, as well as India and North America. The workshop addressed industry and markets for added-value organic fertiliser products, agronomic evidence of carbon-based fertilisers impacts on crops and on soils, and opportunities and challenges for industry from developments in European regulations. Discussions underlined that organic and mineral fertilisers are complementary products and confirmed the need to deliver consistent and quality products to farmers, adapted to agronomic requirements and to practical considerations. Market opportunities identified include the development of Certified Organic Farming (an added-value market for appropriately produced carbon-based fertilisers), links to innovative bio-stimulant products, increasing recognition of the importance of soil organic carbon and development of the circular economy for nutrients and carbon. These markets will be considerably changed by the new EU Fertilising Products Regulation which will enable export within Europe (new CE-Mark opening a ‘single’ EU market).
SOFIE was organised by ESPP in partnership with the International Fertiliser Society (IFS). Meeting slides are online here and a full conference conclusions and summary (SCOPE Newsletter N°130) will be published shortly www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE2019
N2 Applied is a Norwegian technology development company, with the head office in Oslo and a test centre in Svene. N2 Applied is a catalyst and an incubator for high-tech initiatives related to nitrogen. N2 Applied has developed technology to enable on-farm processing of manure or biogas digestate to produce a nitrogen fertiliser. Using renewable electricity and air, a plasma reactor fixes nitrogen by splitting the N2 and O2 molecules in air into N and O atoms to generate nitrogen oxides. These nitrogen oxides react with ammonia in manure or digestate to form ammonium nitrate, so lowering pH and stabilising the nitrogen, reducing ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions during storage and field application. After solid/liquid separation the liquid fraction of manure or digestate can be managed as a liquid nitrogen fertiliser, compatible with organic farming (depending on the manure and digestate substrate inputs). Most of the phosphorus will remain in the solid fraction. N2 Applied joins the ESPP network to share knowledge and collaborate on efficient and sustainable nutrient management in agriculture.
N2 Applied website www.n2applied.no
See also: “Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing”, Graves et al., Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, Jan. 2019, vol. 39, Issue 1, pp 1–19 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-018-9944-9
ESPP has published a draft “Phosphorus Fact Sheet”. The objective is to provide in a readily accessible form, supported by reference sources, key numbers and data relating to phosphorus production, uses, environmental impacts and recycling, in order to offer in one place answers to often asked questions. This responds to the issue that for many aspects of the phosphorus cycle, data is not easily available, or published data is contradictory or out of date, or confusing because of use of different units (tonnes of rock, of phosphorus, of P2O5 …). Best estimates are made of how much phosphorus goes to different applications: agriculture (much the biggest use: c. 87% to fertilisers and 7% to animal feed), fire safety, batteries, food and beverage … Estimates are also provided on phosphorus in food, in sewage, phosphorus “use efficiency” … The objective is not to have fully scientifically justified numbers, but estimates which are considered realistic by competent stakeholders. Any comments are welcome: on the estimated data, on the sources used, or for other data on aspects of phosphorus management which it would be useful to include.
ESPP Phosphorus Fact Sheet for comment https://phosphorusplatform.eu/images/download/ESPP-Phosphorus-fact-sheet-v21-4-19.pdf
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