Static yields and quality issues: Is the agri-environment program the primary driver?

The Finnish agri-environmental program (AEP) has been in operation for 20 years with >90 % farmer commitment. This study aimed to establish whether reduced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) use has impacted spring cereal yields and quality based on comprehensive follow-up studies and long-term experiments. We found that the gap between genetic yield potential and attained yield has increased after the AEP was imposed. However, many contemporary changes in agricultural practices, driven by changes in prices and farm subsidies, also including the AEP, were likely reasons, together with reduced N, but not phosphorus use. Such overall changes in crop management coincided with stagnation or decline in yields and adverse changes in quality, but yield-removed N increased and residual N decreased. Further studies are needed to assess whether all the changes are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable, and acceptable, in the long run. The concept of sustainable intensification is worth considering as a means to develop northern European agricultural systems to combine environmental benefits with productivity.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0637-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Phosphorus availability changes chromium toxicity in the freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris

Chromium (Cr) is one of the most serious pollutants in aquatic systems. This study examined the relationship between the toxic effects of Cr on the freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris and phosphorus (P) availability on the algal physiology and ultrastructure. Cr inhibited C. vulgaris growth in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, and its inhibitory effect was related to the P concentration. In a low-P medium, Cr showed approximately 2.2–3.7-fold stronger toxicity than in a high-P medium. Cr was absorbed into the algal body where it disrupted the chloroplast structure and decreased the chlorophyll content. However, Cr had a weaker chlorophyll inhibitory ability and destructive power against the chloroplasts in the high-P medium than in the low-P medium due to the partial blockage of Cr absorption in high P-medium. Cr exposure also changed the metal ion and anion absorption profiles, which was also closely related to the concentration of P. Cr treatment increased the volume of the vacuole, and the larger vacuole reduced the space available for chloroplasts, as based on optical and electron microscopy results, but a higher P availability could alleviate this damage. These results suggest that high P alleviated the toxicity of Cr by decreasing Cr absorption and increasing the absorption of beneficial ions. It is, therefore, necessary to consider the phosphorus availability when the toxicity of metal compounds is evaluated.     

湖泊内源磷的释放与富营养化的植物修复

阐述了磷形态的不同分类方法及磷的形态、水生生物、温度、pH值、溶解氧和扰动等因素对湖泊沉积层磷释放的影响,并对植物修复富营养化湖泊的机理和影响植物修复的环境因素进行了探讨和分析,指出在加强控制外源污染的同时,因地制宜,选择适宜的水生植物种类,对湖泊进行植物修复,逐步恢复湖泊的自然净化能力,可有效抑制湖泊富营养化。     

Phosphate rock formation and marine phosphorus geochemistry: the deep time perspective

The role that phosphorite formation, the ultimate source rock for fertilizer phosphate reserves, plays in the marine phosphorus (P) cycle has long been debated. A shift has occurred from early models that evoked strikingly different oceanic P cycling during times of widespread phosphorite deposition to current thinking that phosphorite deposits may be lucky survivors of a series of inter-related tectonic, geochemical, sedimentological, and oceanic conditions. This paradigm shift has been facilitated by an awareness of the widespread nature of phosphogenesis—the formation of authigenic P-bearing minerals in marine sediments that contributes to phosphorite formation. This process occurs not just in continental margin sediments, but in deep sea oozes as well, and helps to clarify the driving forces behind phosphorite formation and links to marine P geochemistry.Two processes come into play to make phosphorite deposits: chemical dynamism and physical dynamism. Chemical dynamism involves the diagenetic release and subsequent concentration of P-bearing minerals particularly in horizons, controlled by a number of sedimentological and biogeochemical factors. Physical dynamism involves the reworking and sedimentary capping of P-rich sediments, which can either concentrate the relatively heavy and insoluble disseminated P-bearing minerals or provide an episodic change in sedimentology to concentrate chemically mobilized P. Both processes can result from along-margin current dynamics and/or sea level variations. Interestingly, net P accumulation rates are highest (i.e., the P removal pump is most efficient) when phosphorites are not forming. Both physical and chemical pathways involve processes not dominant in deep sea environments and in fact not often coincide in space and time even on continental margins, contributing to the rarity of high-quality phosphorite deposits and the limitation of phosphate rock reserves. This limitation is becoming critical, as the human demand for P far outstrips the geologic replacement for P and few prospects exist for new discoveries of phosphate rock.     

Towards global phosphorus security: a systems framework for phosphorus recovery and reuse options

Human intervention in the global phosphorus cycle has mobilised nearly half a billion tonnes of the element from phosphate rock into the hydrosphere over the past half century. The resultant water pollution concerns have been the main driver for sustainable phosphorus use (including phosphorus recovery). However the emerging global challenge of phosphorus scarcity with serious implications for future food security, means phosphorus will also need to be recovered for productive reuse as a fertilizer in food production to replace increasingly scarce and more expensive phosphate rock. Through an integrated and systems framework, this paper examines the full spectrum of sustainable phosphorus recovery and reuse options (from small-scale low-cost to large-scale high-tech), facilitates integrated decision-making and identifies future opportunities and challenges for achieving global phosphorus security. Case studies are provided rather than focusing on a specific technology or process. There is no single solution to achieving a phosphorus-secure future: in addition to increasing phosphorus use efficiency, phosphorus will need to be recovered and reused from all current waste streams throughout the food production and consumption system (from human and animal excreta to food and crop wastes). There is a need for new sustainable policies, partnerships and strategic frameworks to develop renewable phosphorus fertilizer systems for farmers. Further research is also required to determine the most sustainable means in a given context for recovering phosphorus from waste streams and converting the final products into effective fertilizers, accounting for life cycle costs, resource and energy consumption, availability, farmer accessibility and pollution.     

Simultaneous removal of phosphorus and potassium from synthetic urine through the precipitation of magnesium potassium phosphate hexahydrate

This study investigated the simultaneous removal of P and K from synthetic urine through the precipitation of magnesium potassium phosphate hexahydrate (MPP, MgKPO₄·6H₂O) in bench-scale experiments. Results show that the removal efficiencies of P and K are mainly determined by the solution pH and the molar ratio of Mg:K:P. Co-precipitation of struvite-type compounds, i.e., magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (MAP, MgNH₄PO₄·6H₂O), magnesium sodium phosphate heptahydrate (MSP, MgNaPO₄·7H₂O), and MPP, was confirmed by analysis of the solid precipitates using a Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersive X-ray Apparatus and an X-ray Diffractometer. The co-precipitation significantly influenced the removal of K. As much ammonium as possible should be removed prior to MPP precipitation because MAP had higher tendency to form than MPP. The inevitable co-precipitation of MPP and MSP resulted in the addition of more MgCl₂·6H₂O and Na₂HPO₄·12H₂O to obtain the high removal of K. In total, the removal efficiencies of P and K were 77% and 98%, respectively, in the absence of ammonium when pH was 10 and the molar ratio of Mg:K:P was 2:1:2. The results indicate that the MPP precipitation is an efficient method for the simultaneous removal of P and K to yield multi-nutrient products.     

The role of root hairs in cadmium acquisition by barley

The role of root hairs in Cd acquisition from soil was investigated in three pot experiments using a root hairless mutant (bald root barley, brb) and its wild-type (WT) cultivar of barley (Hordeum vulgare). brb had significantly lower concentrations and lower total amounts of Cd in shoots than WT. The Cd uptake efficiency based on total root length was 8-45% lower in brb than in WT. The difference between brb and WT increased with increasing extractable Cd in soil under the experimental conditions used. Additions of phosphate to soil decreased Cd extractability. Both soil and foliar additions of phosphate decreased root length, and root hair formation in WT. These effects resulted in decreased Cd uptake with increasing P supply. Cd uptake in WT correlated significantly with root length, root hair length and density, and soil extractable Cd. Root hairs contribute significantly to Cd uptake by barley.     

天然水与28种市售饮用水中"三氮"和磷的调查

2004年8月,测定了海水、黄河水、小清河水、雨水、地下水以及17种瓶装矿泉水、9种瓶装纯净水和北京市、青岛市自来水中的"三氮" (NH 4-N、NO-2-N、NO-3-N) 、无机磷、pH、DO等,发现天然水中NO-3-N过高,水体氮负荷增加,N/P最高达697,雨水pH最低为3.98,部分矿泉水NO-3-N比青岛市自来水还高,北京市自来水的NO-3-N高达8.53 mg/L,为所测饮用水之首.     

城市生活污泥和矿化垃圾中氮磷淋失的模拟研究

通过模拟土柱实验,分析了城市生活污泥和矿化垃圾中氮磷的迁移对地下水的影响以及矿化垃圾对氮磷的去除特性.测定项目包括总磷、总氮、硝态氮、pH和电导率(EC).结果表明:施用污泥和矿化垃圾后淋滤液的pH呈下降趋势;EC和总氮都有显著增加;硝态氮增加特别明显,容易造成地下水污染;总磷变化不大,污染地下水的可能性较小.矿化垃圾对氮的去除作用不明显,反而增加了淋滤液中的氮素含量,但对磷的去除效果明显.因此,在利用矿化垃圾取代土壤时,应注意矿化垃圾中氮特别是硝态氮的污染.     

杭州市水域的磷污染与禁限含磷洗涤剂的响应关系研究

以拥有中国典型城市湖泊——西湖的杭州市作为研究对象,计算了含磷洗涤剂的磷负荷贡献率,分析了禁磷前后城市内河和西湖水体中磷负荷浓度的变化行为。研究结果表明,洗涤剂中磷酸盐磷占杭州市生活污水中总磷负荷的30.7%,实施禁磷后钱塘江和运河中磷负荷有不同程度的降低,但西湖水体的磷负荷变化不明显。从而可以认为,在杭州市实施禁磷可以作为控制水体富营养化的一个辅助手段,可以遏制水体进一步恶化。而全面消除水体富营养化还需建设城市三级污水处理厂、控制面源污染等其它手段的协作才能实现。