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Phosphate can be precipitated from wastewater effluent by forming a slow release fertilizer called struvite. Old technology. On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 8:06 AM, Jason Evans <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Interesting piece on Slate.com that dives into the importance of > fertilizers, and a European toilet designed to recycle phosphorus: > > http://www.slate.com/id/2258112/entry/2258053/ > > So even though the phosphorus atoms never disappear, they're not available > as fertilizer. The world has between 4 billion and 8 billion tons of > phosphate reserves, and we extract one-eighth of a billion tons per year. > So simple arithmetic says we could "run out" of phosphorus in about 30 > years. The end could come even sooner if we ramp up biofuel production, > since switchgrass, corn, and other biofuel crops will require loads of > phosphorus-rich fertilizer. And unlike nitrogen, there's no other ready > source than mining. > > What can we do? There's scrimping, of course, but humans almost never do > that well, (See peak oil.) We prefer technical solutions. One promising > strategy calls for recycling P. And the easiest way to do so is to recycle > pee—through a European technology called NoMix toilets... > > -Jason >