Phosphorus Gone For Good? Blog Post #2 Unit 2: Chemical Reactions

Here is the link to my article:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2017/03/15/phosphorus-supply-low/#.WfUCZxNSwWo

Phosphorus Is Vital for Life, and We're Running Low

During Unit 2 we looked at different types of chemical reactions for example synthesis, decomposition, single displacement, double displacement, combustion incomplete and complete and so much more. For my second blog post I will be talking about how phosphorus fertilizer used in fields is running low. Phosphate is always found bounded with oxygen. Since phosphate is used to fertilize soil it normally reacts with calcium and iron to make insoluble salts. In 4.2 we learned about synthesis reactions. Synthesis reaction is a reaction in which two or more compounds combine together to make a larger complex compound. The general pattern is A + B→ AB. The synthesis reaction for calcium phosphate is Ca + (PO4)3 → Ca3(PO4)2. The synthesis reaction for iron phosphate is a multivalent which means that since iron has more than one charge (2 and 3) there are two possible reactions for it; Fe(s) + (PO3)4 → Fe3(PO2)4 (aq) and Fe(s) + (PO3)4 → FePO4 (aq). We also learned that when a non metal or metal is combined with polyatomic ion it creates an aqueous solution and an aqueous solution is a compound that can be dissolved in water. Due to the increased demand of phosphate fertilizer, supplies are running very low.

In the article "Phosphorus is Vital For Life, and We're Running Low", talks about the supply of phosphate fertilizer and how it is running low because of it's increased demand. Phosphorus is very useful for the growth of plants and the diet of livestock. Phosphate fertilizer is extracted from phosphate mines in Morocco which has one of the largest supply for phosphate in the world. Scientists are growing more concerned that phosphate mines will reach their peak and no longer have any supply of phosphate, since 70 percent of phosphate fertilizer comes from this one country alone. Phosphate is a really good fertilizer because of it's ability to diffuse through water and the soil. When phosphate is used to fertilize for example corn crops only a fifth reaches the corn. This results in a waste of phosphate because when only a fifth of it reaches the food, the rest is either bounded to calcium or iron that is found in the soil. When it is combined with calcium it can be deposed in oceans which is a big waste of the fertilizer. Phosphate fertilizer is also wasted when it is converted into cellular compounds that creates organically bound phosphorus such as phospholipids or phytate. Agricultural is usually depleted of phosphate during harvest and land practices such as ploughing. The waste of the fertilizer is the reason why phosphate fertilizer may be reaching it's peak.

After reading this article, I can conclude that it is important that farmers and gardeners are conscious of their use of phosphate fertilizer. Since 70 percent of the worlds phosphate fertilizer comes from one country alone, phosphate is at risk at reaching its peak. Once the phosphate fertilizer is put on crops it diffuses into the soil and can now bound with calcium and iron. Only a fifth of the phosphate goes into the crops and the rest is either cellular phosphorous compounds or the combination of calcium phosphate is released into the ocean. A way phosphate fertilizer can minimize it's risk of reaching it's peak is by not putting a lot of the fertilizer on crops. Only a fifth of phosphate reaches the food therefore it is not necessary to put a lot. This helps minimize the supply of phosphate coming from Morocco and can help save a lot of phosphate. Is it safe for phosphate to be forming compounds with iron and calcium?