World Phosphorous Use Crosses Critical Threshold

[Moontanman]

World Phosphorous Use Crosses Critical Threshold

 

Algae collects on the surface water along the south shoreline of Lake Mendota near the University of Wisconsin-Madison on June 23, 2008. The algae blooms that occur in surface waters such as lakes and streams are fueled primarily by excess phosphorous, which runs off farm fields and suburban lawns. A new study by UW-Madison limnologist Stephen Carpenter recalculates global use of phosphorous and shows that the element's overuse is the primary cause of the pollution of fresh surface water. (Credit: Bryce Richter)

 

ScienceDaily (Feb. 14, 2011) — Recalculating the global use of phosphorous, a fertilizer linchpin of modern agriculture, a team of researchers warns that the world's stocks may soon be in short supply and that overuse in the industrialized world has become a leading cause of the pollution of lakes, rivers and streams.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110214163110.htm