Puyallup, Wash. — Scientists at Washington State University (WSU) believe phosphorus recycled from human and animal waste for plant fertilizer could ease demand for the dwindling, increasingly expensive rock-mined element. They have found plants flourish with struvite, a material in waste composed of magnesium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Teaming with Multiform Harvest, a Seattle phosphorus recovery company, the researchers are fine-tuning the application and amounts of fertilizer in hopes of marketing a product and benefiting the world’s food supply. "You can’t continue mining a finite resource forever,” said Rita Hummel, a scientist at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center. "But as long as we … can reclaim struvite from animal manure and sewage, then this is something that’s sustainable. We’re figuring out how to use it effectively and safely.” Hummel is using Multiform Harvest struvite from wastewater treatment plants at Yakima, Wash., and Boise, Idaho. In addition, struvite from manure at dairy farms could result in the development of regional nutrient recycling. Not only could reclaiming struvite from waste localize production and distribution, but it could also help mitigate water pollution problems such as overloading phosphorus in agricultural soils. Despite WSU’s concerns, the phosphate industry maintains that it is not in danger of running out of reserves any time soon.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain