Human Impact on Erodable Phosphorus and Eutrophication: A Global Perspective

TLDR

Human activities such as mining, fertilizer production, and agricultural practices are altering the global phosphorus cycle, leading to soil accumulation and increased runoff risk to aquatic ecosystems. The study estimates the increase in net phosphorus storage in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems using a global budget approach. An agricultural mass balance was calculated, indicating that the majority of phosphorus accumulation occurs in agricultural soils. The analysis shows net phosphorus storage has risen at least 75 % above preindustrial levels, with accumulation rates declining in developed countries but rising in developing ones.

Abstract

Human actions—mining phosphorus (P) and transporting it in fertilizers, animal feeds, agricultural crops, and other products—are altering the global P cycle, causing P to accumulate in some of the world’s soil. Increasing P levels in the soil elevate the potential P runoff to aquatic ecosystems (Fluck et al. 1992, NRC 1993, USEPA 1996). Using a global budget approach, we estimate the increase in net P storage in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems to be at least 75% greater than preindustrial levels of storage. We calculated an agricultural mass balance (budget), which indicated that a large portion of this P accumulation occurs in agricultural soils. Separate P budgets of the agricultural areas of developing and developed countries show that the rate of P accumulation is decreasing in developed nations but increasing in developing nations.