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Comparison of the environmental performance of different treatment scenarios for the main phosphorus recycling sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2017

Stefan Josef Hörtenhuber ,
Michaela Clarissa Theurl  and
Kurt Möller
Stefan Josef Hörtenhuber*
Affiliation:
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL) Austria, Doblhoffgasse 7/10, 1010 Vienna, Austria University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Austria
Michaela Clarissa Theurl
Affiliation:
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL) Austria, Doblhoffgasse 7/10, 1010 Vienna, Austria Institute of Social Ecology Vienna, Universitaet Klagenfurt, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Kurt Möller
Affiliation:
Department of Fertilization and Soil Matter Dynamics, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
*
Author for correspondence: Stefan Josef Hörtenhuber, E-mail: stefan.hoertenhuber@fibl.org
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Abstract

Efficient phosphorus (P) recycling from rural and urban areas is becoming an increasing issue due to the scarcity of natural P deposits. Based on a life cycle assessment (LCA), we analyzed the environmental performance of 17 different P supply and recycling approaches from urban wastes, biosolids and slaughterhouse wastes compared with the two conventional inorganic fertilizers phosphate rock and triple superphosphate. The results show that many recycled P fertilizers (RPFs; e.g., digestates from urban organic wastes, biosolids and their ashes, meat and bone meal (MBM) and its recycling products) are competitive in terms of LCA results compared with conventional P fertilizers. For each of the P recycling sources, one or more treatment options were identified, which have more favorable LCA results than the conventional references. For sewage sludge, we found that direct application of the stabilized biosolids, and incineration with application of the ash showed the lowest LCA impacts per kg P; their treatments even generated net credits from added values. The same applies for the anaerobic digestion treatment of urban organic wastes. For MBM, low environmental impacts were identified for each of the analyzed treatment options, especially for anaerobic digestion, incineration, feeding with application of manure and direct application. Similarly, low environmental impacts and net credits were found for directly applied biomass ash. Some organically based RPFs demonstrate added values, i.e., as nitrogen and potassium fertilizer effect, energy gains during the treatment, or a humus sequestration potential. If these added values are considered in the LCAs, 11 out of 17 RPFs will have advantageous effects for the majority of addressed impact categories.

Keywords

Recycled P fertilizerslife cycle assessmentGWPabiotic resourcesfossil energy depletion potentialacidificationeutrophication
Type
Research Paper
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 34 , Issue 4 , August 2019 , pp. 349 - 362
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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Footnotes

*

New address: Center for Agricultural Technology Augustenberg, Institute of Applied Crop Science, Kutschenweg 20, 76287 Rheinstetten-Forchheim, Germany.

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