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Human Perturbation of the Global Phosphorus Cycle: Changes and Consequences
Zengwei Yuan1, Songyan Jiang1, Hu Sheng1
1State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China.
Environmental Science & Technology
|February 7, 2018
Summary
Human activities have tripled global phosphorus (P) mobilization, impacting ecosystems and water quality. Sustainable P management is crucial for food security and mitigating environmental damage.
Area of Science:
- Earth System Science
- Environmental Chemistry
- Biogeochemical Cycles
Background:
- The phosphorus (P) cycle is a critical Earth system process.
- Natural P mobilization is a slow process.
- Human activities significantly alter the P cycle through intensified releases from the lithosphere.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the extent of human alteration of the P cycle.
- To illustrate the consequences of these alterations.
- To emphasize the need for sustainable P management.
Main Methods:
- Integration of estimates from recent scientific literature.
- Synthesis of data on global P mobilization and accumulation.
- Analysis of human-altered P pathways.
Main Results:
- Human alterations have tripled global P mobilization in the land-water continuum.
- P accumulation in soil has increased by 6.9 ± 3.3 Tg-P yr-1.
- Approximately 30% of atmospheric P transfer is attributed to human activities.
Conclusions:
- Sustainable P supply is vital for future food security due to regional scarcity and increasing demand.
- Accelerated P loads cause widespread eutrophication, impairing water quality and aquatic biodiversity.
- Phosphorus enrichment stimulates carbon and nitrogen cycling, necessitating its inclusion in global change models.
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