P-TRAP

P-TRAP - Phosphorus in surface water – New approaches for disposal, recycling, and management

In Germany, almost two out of every three bodies of water contain too much phosphorus due to soil fertilisation. The result: Excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants that remove oxygen from the water, thus endangering the ecosystem. At the same time, phosphorus is a valuable resource. The EU project P-TRAP seeks to recover phosphorus from bodies of water and transfer it into a circular economy.
 
The mineral phosphorus performs a number of essential tasks in all living things and is irreplaceable.  An average wheat harvest of eight tons per hectare, for example, removes 37 kilogrammes of phosphorus from the soil. Farmers must then reintroduce this nutrient back into the soil via fertilisers. The agricultural sector uses over 40 million tonnes of phosphate per year as a mineral fertiliser worldwide, according to information from the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). Next to nitrogen, this resource is the most important nutrient in the world for increasing harvest yields.  This creates demand for it as a resource, making it so valuable.

At the same time, soils are commonly being overfertilised. Phosphate makes its way into the groundwater, rivers, and lakes, where it causes massive plant and algae growth. This, in turn, removes oxygen from the water, which is dangerous to fish populations. The result: the body of water turns over.
the EU project P-TRAP seeks to develop new methods and approaches for recovering phosphorus from bodies of water and thus kill three birds with one stone: water management, resource recovery, and the establishment of a circular economy.

To do so, the project utilises the already existing drainage system in agriculture. This drainage system protects plants from harmful soil saturation by transferring excess water in the soil to a receiving drainage channel, such as a trench or ditch. However, these bodies of water often contain dissolved phosphorus. In the future, the water is to be collected at these points and mixed with iron oxide, because iron binds with phosphorus. The captured iron-phosphorus compounds will then be converted into a marketable fertiliser.

“What is special about this project is that we start with a drainage system here, not in the traditional way with sewage treatment plants, but with diffuse sources that reach surface waters via the groundwater.”, explains Prof. Dr. Stefan Peiffer from the University of Bayreuth. 

As a whole, P-TRAP seeks to develop, test, and optimise novel approaches for recovering phosphorus from agricultural drainage systems. The P-TRAP consortium consists of 16 international partner organisations that together offer eleven new positions for young researchers. Characteristic of ETNs is the joint focus not just on research work, but also on educating a new generation of entrepreneurial and innovative young scientists. They are taking part in a structured training programme that counts BayFOR among its partners. The programme focuses on interdisciplinary workshops devoted to specific aspects of research and the targeted development of soft skills, such as entrepreneurship, project management, science communication, and many others. The programme also gives the doctoral students the opportunity to play an active role in industrial enterprises.