Periodic Table of Endangered Elements : spotlight on Phosphorus
ISF’s Dana Cordell presents at a science-policy workshop held at the European Parliament in Belgium.
Phosphorus plays a vital role in our bodies and is crucial for crop production in the form of phosphate fertilisers. However, phosphate rock, the primary source of phosphorus formed over millions of years in the Earth's crust, is a finite resource, and 85% of remaining phosphate is controlled by just five countries, including Morocco, China, Egypt, Syria and Algeria.
ISF Research Director Dana Cordell presented alongside industry experts at a science-policy workshop held at the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium, ‘The role of Chemicals in our daily life: The Phosphorus element – feeding the world and beyond’.
The workshop, presented by the European Chemical Society (EuChemS), focused on phosphorus risks and opportunities – looking towards preserving this precious element for generations to come. In this context, EuChemS promoted discussion on Phosphorus across the scientific, industrial, and political communities.
It brought together experts from around the globe, including an opening address by Member of the European Parliament Maria Spyraki and speakers from the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, Leipzig University, Radboud University, National Research Council of Italy, New York Times, CRU Group, French National Centre for Scientific Research, REMONDIS TetraPhos GmbH, SusPhos BV, European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform and TU University Dresden.
Dana’s presentation highlighted the risks for food security and sustainability opportunities. She explains, “For example, investing in local renewable fertilisers can buffer against increasingly risky fertiliser import markets from geopolitically sensitive regions, and at the same time, prevent phosphorus in wastewater polluting our water where it can cause widespread algal blooms. But a big question remains: who is responsible for ensuring phosphorus security?”
The workshop is part of a series that focuses on risks associated with individual chemical elements, including Lithium, Carbon and Nitrogen. It stems from the EuChemS Periodic Table initiative, which aims to shed light on the availability and vulnerability of these elements to raise social awareness of the limited mineral resources available on Earth.
European Chemical Society (EuChemS) Periodic Table of Endangered Elements
The Periodic Table of Endangered Elements is treated and updated as a living document – continuously portraying relevant snapshots of the state of our finite resources.
As an outcome of the discussion in the 2023 phosphorus science-policy workshop, the organisers may revise the colour of Phosphorus on the Periodic Table of Endangered Elements from yellow to orange. The talks will be available to watch here.
