European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform

ESPP workshop, with partners in Norway and UNEP uPcycle, on nutrient management in aquaculture: fish feed, seafood processing and fish sludge valorisation, Norway & online, 10-12 June 2025, covering nutrient flows, environmental best practice, phosphorus recycling, regulatory challenges. The workshop will contribute to the United Nations (UNEP) project uPcycle, leading to a UNEP white paper on phosphorus sustainability in aquaculture. Site visits to in-sea fish farm with sludge recovery, research installations, fish sludge processing.

One or two slots are still available for presentations of fish and aquaculture industry nutrient sustainability actions, fish feed industry, fish sludge nutrient recycling. Programme, registration https://phosphorusplatform.eu/AquacultureFisheries

Nutrient sustainability in livestock

Workshop outlines key messages for UNEP white paper

ESPP - UNEP uPcycle project workshop outlines draft principles (one page) for sustainable nutrient management in livestock - open for comment. Full workshop summary including presentations by the European Commission, UNEP, FAO, industry and research. Over one hundred participants took part at this workshop, organised in Saint Malo, Brittany, and online, with TIMAC AGRO (the leading activity of the Groupe Roullier), Cooperl (the Brittany pig farmers’ cooperative), ESPP, BETA Tech Center (Vic University, Spain) and CEH UK, in Saint Malo, Brittany, France, 5-7 March 2025, as part of the United Nations UNEP GEF uPcycle project. The workshop summary includes proposed Key Messages for the UNEP white paper on nutrients in livestock (one page).

ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n° 155 (18 pages), April 2025 “Phosphorus sustainability in livestock” www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Scope155

Comments are welcome on these proposed Key Messages.

Calls

ESPP call for consultant: feasibility of recycled P ‘quotas’ in fertilisers

ESPP is looking for an industry consultant or economics and market expert to outline and assess the feasibility and possible mechanisms for ‘quotas’ for recycled phosphorus in fertilisers (minimum recycled nutrient content requirements). The aim is to produce of a 5-page brief, outlining potential approaches to defining and implementing recycled P quotas and identifying associated opportunities, challenges and possible unintended consequences. This should consider different fertiliser product categories (including both mineral and organic fertilisers, both commercial and ‘on-farm’), national or EU-level targets, company overall or per-product … The work will include: collating relevant literature (including published analysis of ‘quotas’ in other sectors), first draft paper, refinement of this draft via 2-3 online or stakeholder meetings, finalisation of briefing paper with references. The paper aims to contribute to EU policy developments on nutrient circularity (see ESPP’s stakeholder proposals for market pull policies to support nutrient recycling and for nutrients in the EU Circular Economy Act). Objective is to finalise the paper by end September 2025

Work will be funded and published by ESPP. Expressions of interest to ESPP by 9^th May to

Help ESPP continue sharing free information on phosphorus sustainability

We have launched a crowdfunding campaign to sustain free access to our information and resources, in particular this eNews and SCOPE Newsletter. Your support is essential to keep knowledge on phosphorus sustainability open to all.

ESPP is committed to sharing open, up-to-date and (as far as feasible) objectively validated information on phosphorus sustainability, recycling, and innovation — essential for environmental protection, food security, and the circular economy. Through our website, eNews, SCOPE Newsletter, and social media, ESPP provides free, open-access information on the latest technologies, scientific research, and policies related to phosphorus. We connect stakeholders across industries, encourage innovation, and share best practices to advance sustainable phosphorus management.
ESPP operates without public subsidies, relying solely on membership fees. This funding model, while preserving our independence, limits our capacity to expand activities and to continue providing high-quality information, by making the full content of the eNews, SCOPE Newsletter and our website freely accessible. Your support can help us to continue the free distribution of up-to-date information on phosphorus sustainability, promote recycling innovation and facilitate cross-sector dialogue and collaboration. If you believe in open access and a more sustainable future, please consider making a donation. Every contribution helps keep knowledge flowing!

Donate here: https://gofund.me/e25dfa8c

Sign the joint stakeholder call for nutrients in the EU Circular Economy Act

To sign this joint call, contact ESPP, specifying your organisation name, signatory contact, logo.

The EU Circular Economy Act is currently under preparation. This will be the first EU legal Act (Parliament and Council) for circularity and recycling, replacing the Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plans 1 and 2, and is has been announced as part of the new Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal (see below).

Now is the time to input to this proposed Act, which is expected to include changes to Waste legislation, Public Purchasing, producer responsibility, and aims to boosting consumer demand for recycled materials.

ESPP has prepared detailed technical input, addressing nutrient circularity in a wide range of regulations and policies www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

All organisations are invited to co-sign the 1-page “joint call for nutrients in the EU Circular Economy Act” www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Public consultations open

Open: EU consultations on simplification of sustainability reporting

Public consultations on modifications to EU Sustainability Reporting Standards, as part of the Commission’s ‘Omnibus’ simplification package. See ESPP eNews n°95.

European Commission ‘Omnibus Package’ announcement 26^th February 2025 “Commission simplifies rules on sustainability and EU Investments” https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_614?link_id=a2a47574-5401-4cc8-95c7-0c429f73aeed

EFRAG public consultation (under mandate from the European Commission) on simplification of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) open to 6^th May 2025 https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90824354/ESRS-Set-1-revision-Questionnaire-for-public-feedback

Open: EU consultation on next EU budget framework

EU public consultation on post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), to inform the architecture of the EU budget for the next 5-10 years. See ESPP eNews n°95.

“EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – performance of the EU budget”, public consultation, open to 6^th May 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14526-EUs-next-long-term-budget-MFF-performance-of-the-EU-budget_en

New ESPP member

LIFE Phos4EU – demonstration of vivianite recovery

The Phos4EU project focuses on scaling up the ViviMag process for extracting vivianite (hydrated iron(II) phosphate) from municipal wastewater treatment works. The ViviMag technology uses magnetic separation to extract vivianite from sewage liquors (see ESPP Technology Catalogue). The LIFE project will scale up from the existing pilot plant (automated 1 m³/h pilot) to representative scale (half full scale, 9 m³/h digested sludge inflow) and test at waste water treatment plants (Roermond Netherlands and Burgos Spain). The project aims to recover at least 60% of the phosphorus in the input sludge and produce significant quantities of vivianite (c. 600 tonnes). This will be used for trials and market chain evaluation of possible uses of vivianite including in fertilisers, in fire safety, as a pigment, and as an input material for phosphorus recovery process tests (separation of phosphorus and iron to produce useable products, such as phosphoric acid or P₄, iron chloride). CO₂ emissions reductions will be calculated. The project partners are Limburg Water Board, Brabantse Delta Water Board, Acciona, Aquaminerals and STOWA, in cooperation with Kemira (ViviMag patent owner), Wetsus, Delft University, ICL, Rijn en IJssel Waterboard and Haskoning.

Phos4EU LIFE project (LIFE22-ENV-NL-LIFE Phos4EU – 101113877) 2025 – 2027, EU LIFE website project summary LINK.

Photo: 1 m³/h pilot ViviMag unit, 2023.

Policy

EU Battery Recycling Regulation to require phosphorus to be accounted

From 1^st January 2030, phosphorus must be taken into account in calculating battery material recycling efficiency. ESPP suggests to go further and add phosphorus to the list of five elements with specific recycling targets. The final version of the Amending Regulation (adopted by the European Commission, pending publication) defining calculation methods for the battery recycling (fixing annexes to the EU Battery Recycling Regulation 2023/1542) specifies that the battery material recycling rate must take into account carbon and iron from cells and phosphorus. ESPP requested that this be modified from the draft submitted to public consultation in October 2024 (see ESPP eNews n°93) which left consideration of phosphorus voluntary (along with chlorine and sulphur). ESPP notes that the EU Battery Recycling Regulation 2023/1542 includes in Annex VI the obligation that labelling must indicate all EU Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) present at > 0.1% by weight. Phosphorus is an EU Critical Raw Material, with EU imports from Russia today a significant issue, and Lithium Iron Phosphate is today the dominant battery technology. ESPP therefore suggests that a delegated Regulation be considered to add phosphorus to the list of five elements with specific recycling targets (in Annex XII-C of 2023/1542).

Adopted Delegated Regulation “supplementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 … by establishing the methodology for calculation and verification of rates for recycling efficiency and recovery of materials from waste batteries, and the format for the documentation”, https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14265-Calculation-and-verification-methodology-of-rates-for-recycling-efficiency-and-recovery-of-materials-of-waste-batteries_en

EU Battery Recycling Regulation 2023/1542 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj/eng

ESPP letter to the European Commission on Battery Recycling Directive 31^st December 2024 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

EU phosphate supply: can Europe find enough P without Russian imports ?

Expert analysis by Alberto Persona (Fertecon - S&P Global) shows EU P supply risks and dependency on imports from Russia, need to find and invest in new supply sources, joint projects in phosphate rock mining countries, recycling. The seven page analysis, following a suggestion by ESPP, is published here and fills information gaps as to date analysis has mainly concentrated on nitrogen fertiliser and potash supply and the EU nitrogen fertiliser industry crisis (caused by natural gas prices). The analysis notes the complexity of the phosphorus supply and use chains, including phosphate rock, phosphoric acid, P₄ and derivatives (used in renewable energy and strategic industry sectors), fertilisers, animal feed phosphates, industrial phosphate uses, as well as P in animal feed and food products, manure and other organic wastes. International supply of phosphate rock, the raw material of all phosphorus value chains, is highly concentrated with five countries accounting for close to 80% of international trade: Jordan, Syria, Peru, Egypt. For phosphate fertilisers, the situation is similar, with again 5 countries accounting for about 80% of international trade: Morocco, Russia, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and China. EU phosphate imports overall decreased hugely 2021 – 2023, with the supply disruption and price increases following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Today around 25% of fertilizer imports and 30% of phosphate rock imports still come from Russia. Possible answers to the EU’s current high dependency on a small number of supply countries, including significantly Russia include: direct European investment in phosphate rock production and processing in other countries and development of new supply sources such as possible new mine projects in Europe and phosphorus recycling.

“The EU’s phosphate conundrum” (7 pages), April 2025, Alberto Persona, Associate Director of Fertilizer Analytics, Fertecon - S&P Global Commodity Insights here https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/downloads

EU Clean Industrial Deal (CID): decarbonisation, circularity

Commission flags fertilisers as a showcase for low-carbon and recycled nutrients reducing import dependencies, emissions and prices for farmers. CID may open door for actions on P-recycling, P₄, bioeconomy, investments.

The fertilisers industry is flagged as an illustration of the potential of the CID, with low-carbon and recycled nutrient fertilisers (page 16).

The European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal (CID) aims to make decarbonisation a driver for economic growth, quality jobs and business resilience, by removing dependency on energy prices and imported resources, and in parallel circularity, to maximise resource use and reduce import dependencies, making the EU more competitive and resilient. Sectorial plans will be developed for automotive, steel and metals, chemicals (adoption late 2025), transport and the bioeconomy. Significant funds will be mobilised for investments in clean transition, decarbonisation and circularity.

Specific policies announced include:

Introducing sustainability, resilience and ‘made in Europe’ criteria in Public Procurement (see also: “ESPP input submitted: Evaluation of public procurement directives” in ESPP eNews n°95),
Trans-Regional Circularity Hubs
Possible company joint purchasing for Critical Raw Materials (phosphates, P₄), in an EU Critical Raw Materials Centre,
Incentivise diversion from landfill to recycling and more effective separative collection,
Work with Member States to green tax systems,
Facilitate trade and investment partnerships (ESPP comment: could be relevant for phosphate and phosphorus chemicals?),
Support investments in green energies, electricity grid and storage

The CID includes (page 14) indications concerning the Circular Economy Act planned for 2026. This will aim to:

“enable the free movement of circular products, secondary raw materials and waste, foster a higher supply of high quality recyclates and stimulate demand for secondary materials and circular products while bringing down feedstock costs”,
“harmonise “end of waste” criteria to facilitate the transition from waste to valuable secondary raw materials”,
“simplify, digitalise and expand in a targeted manner extended producer responsibility”
“boost demand through criteria for public procurement”
“mandate the use of new raw material sources like recycled and bio-based materials to substitute, for example, virgin fossil materials in plastics”.

European Commission “Clean Industrial Deal. A plan for EU competitiveness and decarbonisation”, 26^th February 2025 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en

EU Green Deal progress assessment

European Commission 2025 analysis of Green Deal underlines challenges to deliver the -50% nutrient loss reduction target. The 150 page document by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) analyses progress towards achieving Green Deal targets and relevant policies by seven thematic areas, including ‘Circular Economy’ and ‘Greening the CAP / Farm-to-Fork’ and covers a total 154 targets (from 44 policy documents), some binding, others non-binding. Progress is considered on-track for nearly two thirds of targets, whereas around one third will require accelerated effort and 10% are in reverse or stagnation. Nutrient loss reduction is considered as ‘requiring acceleration’ despite the 2005-2020 trend being “rather stagnant” (indicator: nitrates in groundwater, page 87). The Key Messages for the CAP thematic area state: “Meeting reduction targets for … nutrient losses remains challenging and requires acceleration. The consumption footprint of food showed an increasing trend, primarily driven by animal-based products …The EU food system contributed to the transgression of some planetary boundaries.” Nutrient recovery and more efficient fertiliser application are also cited under the thematic area ‘Zero Pollution Ambition’, with nutrient loss reductions are identified as posing challenges to soil health strategy targets, and nutrient losses to water are again flagged in the Key Messages for this thematic area.

“Delivering the Green Deal. Progress towards targets”, European Commission (JRC) 2025, 150 pages, ISBN 978-92-68-23180-7, https://dx.doi.org/10.2760/3105205

Circular Economy Act

EURIC (recycling industry) priorities

The confederation calls to integrate climate and circularity policies. Proposals include facilitating End-of-Waste, distinguishing between raw waste and processed secondary raw materials, recycled target contents for products. Although EURIC is little concerned by the nutrient circular economy and organics recycling, EURIC’s priorities roadmap 2024-2029 includes a number of proposals relevant to nutrients in the future EU Circular Economy Act:

Accelerate EU End-of-Waste criteria, with fast-track where a value chain agrees on proposed criteria,
Mutual Recognition (i.e. by other Member States) of “National” End-of-Waste for non-hazardous wastes,
Distinguish between unprocessed waste and quality recycled secondary materials, to enable free trade of the latter,
Facilitate waste shipments,
Address at source contaminants and chemicals susceptible to be an obstacle to recycling and protect the EU market from imports of products which are not compliant,
Lower VAT for recycled products,
Set recycled content targets (“quotas”) for products (EURIC refers to metals, tyres and textiles),
Facilitate innovation and testing.

“4 priorities for recyclers 2024-2029. Bridging policy ambition with industrial reality”, EURIC, the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation, 2024, 8 pages https://euric.org/images/Position-papers/EuRIC_Priorities_2024-2029.pdf

Italians call for ambitious Circular Economy Act

Confindustria (Italy industry federation) and Italian MEPs call for simplification and a technology neutral approach to support recycling technologies to develop circularity in parallel with climate goals. An informal meeting in the European Parliament was hosted by MEP Massimiliano Saini (EPP), with Cofindustria, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Italy’s Minister for the Environment, Antonio Decaro MEP (S&D), the European Commission and a number of industry representatives. Cofindustria has published a report on Circular Economy strategies, making recommendations including

Coordinate energy transition, sustainability, supply security and circular economy policies,
Harmonise and simplify regulations (e.g. EcoDesign, Green Claims, waste …),
Simplify waste management authorisation procedures and rationalise End-of-Waste,
Promote circularity through Public Procurement and fiscal and financial measures,
Remove obstacles and streamline site permitting,
Rationalise End-of-Waste,
Simplify regulation for research and innovation.

“Informal debate in European Parliament shows early industry demands for Circular Economy Act”, EuroNews, 17^th March 2025 HERE

“Circular Economy: industrial strategies and prospects”, Confindustria, full report in Italian 300 pages, summary in English 30 pages, March 2025 https://www.confindustria.it//home/policy/position-paper/dettaglio/rapporto-economia-circolare

Netherlands associations proposals for Circular Economy and End-of-Waste

Based on wide consultation of stakeholders, proposals are to enable currently complex End-of-Waste by ‘Voluntary Certification’ defined between supplier and buyer, which can then be translated into legal criteria. The proposals are developed by consultant EcoMatters for Invest-NL, a state-owned organisation which finances entrepreneurs, and Groene Chimie Nieuwe Economie, a platform to facilitate sustainable transition in chemicals production. Proposals include:

Develop End-of-Waste ‘Self Declaration’,
Develop EU recognition of national End-of-Waste rulings,
Enable national End-of-Waste rulings to justify other End-of-Waste claims,
Clarify End-of-Waste requirements, in particular concerning health and environment safety,
Enable industry-led certification schemes for specific waste streams, recycling technologies or applications, when End-of-Waste criteria do not exist, with legal recognition, where possible using existing certification systems and organisations,
Develop EU End-of-Waste criteria, in particular for plastics and for bio-based waste streams,
Providing a single point of contact,
Develop guidance, link to product legislation.

“End of Waste White Paper” (44 pages, in English), Invest-NL, Groene Chimie Nieuwe Economie, EcoMatters, 05_04_2023 https://www.invest-nl.nl/business-development/publicaties/end-of-waste?lang=en

“Eeinde-Abvalstatus Pplossingstrategie & Plan” (End of Waste Status Solution Strategy), (16 pages, in Dutch,, with 2 page English summary), Invest-NL, Groene Chimie Nieuwe Economie, BinGo Results, July 2023 https://www.invest-nl.nl/business-development/publicaties/end-of-waste?lang=en

Nutrient recycling

CleanTeQ Water delivering first PHOSPHIX® ion-exchange P-recovery plant

Full-scale (90 m³/h) PHOSPHIX unit will treat discharge from an MBR (membrane bio-reactor) treating wastewater for an industrial client in Ireland. Detailed design phase is underway and plant is expected to be operational in early 2026, recovering up over 100 tonnes per year of hydroxyapatite rich sludge (dry mass basis) per year (c. 15 t/y of phosphorus – P). This follows successful on-site testing of a pilot unit operating at 8 l/h inflow. PHOSPHIX® was developed by CleanTeQ Water (Australia) and is commercialised and implemented in Ireland through a partnership with ENVA, a provider of waste management and resource recovery solutions. The PHOSPHIX® process uses selective ion exchange to achieve P-removal to <0.1 mgP_ortho/l. Sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride are used for ion exchange resin regeneration then lime is used to precipitate calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite) for P-recovery, and the P-depleted solution can be recycled back for further use for regeneration, so minimising reagent consumption. For this project, the MBR inflow to the PHOSPHIX® unit has soluble phosphorus levels up to 20 mgP_ortho/l, moderate levels of organics (TOC < 10 mg/L) and low suspended solids (TSS < 5 mg/L), but contains significant levels of ions such as 1,500 mg/l SO₄, 600 – 800 mg/l HCO₃, and 500 mg/l Cl. The selective phosphorus removal has shown not to be significantly impacted by these ions.

See ESPP Nutrient Recovery Technology Catalogue https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/techcatalogue

“Clean TeQ Water Awarded a Contract of over AU$11m for a PHOSPHIX® Plant in Ireland” [c. 7 million €], 15th November 2024 https://www.cleanteqwater.com/news/clean-teq-water-awarded-a-contract-of-over-au11m-for-a-phosphix-plant-in-ireland/

A poster outlining the project will be presented at the IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Conference, the Netherlands, in May, and a full paper will be presented in May Australia’s water conference OzWater

Stercore manure pyrolysis project validated

EU-funded expert’s opinion should enable STERCORE’s manure pyrolysis to start construction in The Netherlands, aiming to process c. 400 000 t/y manure and farm wastes to biochar, methane and food-grade CO₂. The plant construction in Emmen, The Netherlands, was announced in 2020 but has been delayed by a court case brought by an environmental NGO Milieudefensie Westerveld. This was finally resolved by the Netherlands High Court declaring Milieudefensie’s appeal unfounded in 2023. EU Green Assist has funded an expert review of Stercore’s business plan and technical documentation, following a request by one of the company's equity funders. The EU’s Green Assist (Green Advisory Service for Sustainable Investments Support, InvestEU and LIFE) can fund free advisory services by accredited experts, to project promoters, financial institutions or other project partners, with the aim of facilitating green investment projects. The Green Assist funded opinion for Stercore and the resolution of the legal challenge should now allow the project to go ahead. The plant will include composting to pre-dry and sanitise the input materials, pyrolysis, treatment of syngas to purified methane (objective 23 million m³/y), recovery of purified liquified CO₂, combining of the biochar with organic materials and mineral nutrients to produce tailor-made fertilisers.

Stercore: See ESPP Nutrient Recovery Technology Catalogue https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/techcatalogue

“Green Assist: the Green Advisory Service for Sustainable Investments Support” LINK.

EU CINEA press release “Green Assist: Producing sustainable end products from renewable raw materials”, 28^th January 2025

Stercore press release “STERCORE has been fully vindicated by the Council of State”, 12^th October 2023

EasyMining confirms funding for first Ash2Phos plant

The Saxony-Anhalt Environment Ministry has confirmed 27 million € funding for the first full-scale Ash2Phos P-recovery plant at Schkopau near Leipzig, to process 30 000 t/y of sewage sludge incineration ash (see ESPP eNews n°62). The Ash2Phos process leaches more than 90% of the phosphorus out of ash using hydrochloric acid, then separates iron, aluminium and heavy metals by a series of dissolution and precipitation steps, resulting in a clean calcium phosphate product of animal food quality. A second 30 000 t-ash/y plant is under permitting at Helsingborg, Sweden (see ESPP Nutrient Recovery Technology Catalogue). The Schkopau plant is a joint venture with Gelsenwasser AG, one of Germany’s largest utility companies operating mainly in the Ruhr, Muensterland, lower Rhein and Eastern Westphalia regions. The Minister of the Environment for Saxony-Anhalt, Armin Willingmann, commented: “With the establishment of this highly innovative phosphorus recovery plant, Saxony-Anhalt can once again make a name for itself as a state of future technologies. Phosphorus is a critical raw material on which our agriculture in particular depends on. Recovering the raw material could also make an important contribution to protecting our environment and our natural resources.”

“Saxony-Anhalt funds innovative phosphorus recovery plant in Schkopau, Germany”, EasyMining News, 17^th February 2025.

Research

Food phosphate additives widespread in US foods

Labels suggest that phosphate food additives are present in over half of 40 000 processed food products from leading US manufacturers. Suggestions of health risks are however unclear. Analysis of labels of processed food products from the 25 leading US food product companies conclude that one or more phosphorus-containing food additives are present in 56% of products representing 52% of (relevant) sales (the sales of these P-additive containing products represent some 250 billion US$ revenue for these 25 companies). The most frequently identified additive (32%) is however lecithin, which is not an inorganic phosphate food additive, but is a mixture of extracted plant phospholipids. Also, nearly one third of the products containing P-additives were beverages (probably largely phosphoric acid used in fizzy drinks). The authors conclude that this shows widespread population exposure in the USA to P food additives, neglecting to point out that this is only relevant for people significantly consuming processed food products. They note that this study does not allow quantification of contribution of P food additives to dietary P intake. Despite this, the paper’s abstract states that “Phosphate additives have more rapid/efficient absorption than naturally occurring dietary phosphate and … greater contribution to total phosphorus intake.”. This is misleading and to ESPP’s understanding wrong: it ignores that the paper’s data suggests that 32% of P-additives are lecithin, plus 10% P-modified starch, which are not inorganic and not better absorbed. There is no evidence in the paper to support the surprising statement that food additive P in diets is higher than natural diet P. Indeed, the paper’s cited references include Fulgoni et al. 2021 who concluded that food additive P is less than one fifth of total P intake and decreasing (see summary in ESPP eNews n°70). The paper also suggests that phosphate food additive intake is linked to health problems in the general population (not kidney patients), but the cited references for this seem limited and unclear, in some cases making a link between ultraprocessed food consumption and kidney decline (Cai et al, Netherlands, 2022) without evidence that this is related to phosphorus in the ultraprocessed foods, in other cases based on only one high phosphate dose (Volk et al. 2022). To ESPP’s understanding, there is evidence relating increased (baseline) blood phosphate levels to health problems (in particular cardio vascular disease CVD) in healthy human populations (not kidney patients), as well as animal studies showing such effects and known potential physiological mechanisms (calcium phosphate precipitation leading to artery hardening, hormone changes), but no clear evidence that increased diet phosphorus leads to increased blood phosphorus (except in the hours after the P intake) in persons whose kidneys are functioning normally (see discussion of Cooke (IFAC) 2017 in ESPP eNews n°16). One cited recent study, however, based on FFQ (food frequency questionnaire) and urine analysis of nearly 4 000 Jackson Heart Study participants, concludes a link between estimated food phosphate intake (but not natural diet P) and kidney function (Duong et al. 2022)

“Phosphate-based additives in processed foods: is excess exposure a cause for concern? A cross-sectional examination of the United States packaged food supply”, E. Dunford & M. Calvo, Am J Clin Nutr, 2025, 121, 873-881, DOI.

“Industrial Use of Phosphate Food Additives: A Mechanism Linking Ultra-Processed Food Intake to Cardiorenal Disease Risk?” M. Calvo, E. Dunford & J. Uribarri, Nutrients 2023, 15, 3510, DOI.

“Bioavailability of phosphorus and kidney function in the Jackson Heart Study”, C. Duong et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2022, 116, 541–550, DOI.

Stay informed

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ESPP members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews095
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Events

10-12 June 2025, Bergen, Norway: nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries workshop

9^th April: Flashphos demonstration of sludge drying for P₄-recovery

17-18 June 2025: European Wastewater Management Conference

Consultations

Open: EU Fertilising Products Regulation – audit frequencies

Open: Evaluation of EFSA

Open: US EPA consultation on PFAS in sewage sludge and water

Open: EU consultation on simplification of sustainability reporting and taxonomy

Open: EU consultation on next EU budget framework

Closed: EU call for evidence on green transformation for industry and livestock

ESPP input submitted: EU public consultation on water resilience

ESPP input submitted: Evaluation of public procurement directives

ESPP input submitted: UK Parliament Inquiry on Nitrogen

ESPP input submitted: ash-recovered phosphates in Organic Farming

Policy

European Commission “Vision for Agriculture and Food”

State of Europe’s waters

European Commission Report on Water Framework Directive Implementation

Nutrient recovery

UKWIR report: valorisation of potable water treatment sludges

UN FAO report on nitrogen in agri-food systems

Phosphorus, food and health

Mouse maternal high phosphorus diet impacts offspring mineral metabolism and growth

Mouse high P diet leads to heart disease risks

Sustainable development of the food & beverage industry

Commiserations

Stay informed

ESPP members

Events

10-12 June 2025, Bergen, Norway: nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries workshop

A few slots are still available for presentations of fish and aquaculture industry nutrient sustainability actions, fish feed industry, fish sludge nutrient recycling. Programme: https://phosphorusplatform.eu/AquacultureFisheries

9^th April: Flashphos demonstration of sludge drying for P₄-recovery

Demonstration of pilot sewage sludge dryer – grinder (input 50 kg/h wet sewage sludge), presentation of Flashphos P₄recovery project and operating experience in sludge processing to date. Stuttgart and online. Discussion with experts about sludge treatment, P-recovery and challenges of novel recycling approaches. The Flashphos (EU Horizon 2020) aims to demonstrate recovery of white phosphorus from dried sewage sludge at 250 kg/h pilot scale (see ESPP eNews n°94). The preparation of the sewage sludge, to a dry fine, homogenous powder, is key to the process, to allow fast gasification in the FlashReactor using the organic carbon in the sewage sludge for heat energy. This prepares the minerals for P₄ release with a reducing agent (coke or similar) in the Refiner.

Flashphos (EU Horizon 2020 R&D project, 2021-2026) https://flashphos-project.eu

Demonstration event organised by University of Stuttgart, Buss-SMS-Canzler GmbH and Steinbeis Europa Zentrum. 9th April 2025, 9h30 – 16h15, Stuttgart, Germany, and online. In English. Free. Agenda, registration: https://eveeno.com/flashphos

17-18 June 2025: European Wastewater Management Conference

ESPP will speak at Europe’s leading conference for wastewater treatment operational experience, solutions and technologies, Telford International Centre, UK, 17-18 June 2025.

Early bird registration to 11^th April 2025 https://ewwmconference.com/

Consultations

Open: EU Fertilising Products Regulation – audit frequencies

EU public consultation, open to 27^th March 2025, on change to audit requirements for recovered materials (D1), to avoid excessive audit frequency for high volumes, and change to ammonium nitrate fertilisers conformity assessment requirements (explosive potential).

“EU fertilising products - amendment of conformity assessment procedures”, public consultation, open to 27^th March 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14548-EU-fertilising-products-amendment-of-conformity-assessment-procedures_en

Open: Evaluation of EFSA

Public consultation open to 1^st April 2025 for the evaluation of EFSA (European Food Safety Agency).

See ESPP eNews n°94.

Questionnaire plus possibility to input general or specific comments (max. 5 000 characters) and/or upload documents or input papers.

“European Food Safety Authority – evaluation of performance 2017-2024”, EU public consultation open to 1^st April 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14068-European-Food-Safety-Authority-evaluation-of-performance-2017-2024_en

Open: US EPA consultation on PFAS in sewage sludge and water

Public consultation open to 16^th and 25^th April 2025 (respectively) on US EPA draft risk assessment of PFOA and PFOS in sewage sludge used in agriculture, forestry or landfilled and draft water quality limits for PFOA and PFAS. PFOA (perfluoroocatnoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) are both part of the PFAS family (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The conclusions will inform future US regulatory action under the Clean Water Act. The US EPA classified both PFOA and PFOS as likely carcinogenic in 2024 and concluded that they can have a range of other impacts (see here PFOA and PFOS). The draft risk assessment concludes that land use of sewage sludge (e.g. digested or composted sludge) could result in human health risks, from PFOA and PFOS, exceeeding acceptable thresholds for both cancer and non-cancer risks (based on 40 annual applications at 10 tDM/ha/y, the median US sewage sludge application rate). Human health risk levels were exceeded in scenerios of application to grazing land or for food with risks resulting from PFAS levels in e.g. drinking water, fish, beef, milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables. In some cases, risks levels were exceeded with only one application of sewage sludge containing 1 ppb PFAS. Risk estimates for some human intake pathways can exceed EPA acceptable thresholds by “several orders of magnitude", including via drinking water, contaminated milk from grazing, eating fish or fruit and vegetables. The EPA underlines the need for prevention at source: monitoring of PFAS in sewage works and pre-treatment of industrial sources.

“Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS)”, US EPA public consultations open to 16^th and 25^th April 2025 https://www.epa.gov/biosolids/draft-sewage-sludge-risk-assessment-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctane

Open: EU consultation on simplification of sustainability reporting and taxonomy

Public consultations on modifications to EU Sustainability Reporting Standards and to the EU Taxonomy Regulation annexes, as part of the Commission’s ‘Omnibus’ simplification package. This package announces simplifications and wider exemptions for the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and the EU Taxonomy, CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) and due diligence. The Commission estimates that the proposed simplifications will bring over 6 billion € reduction in administrative costs and mobilise 50 billion € public and private investment. It is part of the Commission’s commitment to reduce administrative burdens by 25% and by 35% for SMEs. Key points include:

Removing 80% of companies from CSRD, leaving only the largest companies
Ensuring that larger companies’ reporting obligations and due diligence do not burden SMEs in the value chain
Simplify the DSNH (Do NO Significant Harm) criteria
Exempt smaller importers (90% of companies) from CBAM
Simplify calculation of embedded emissions
Extend implementation deadlines
Various other simplification, coherence and harmonisation changes

EU public consultation, open to 26^th March 2025, on technical modifications to EU Taxonomy Regulation annexes https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14546-Taxonomy-Delegated-Acts-amendments-to-make-reporting-simpler-and-more-cost-effective-for-companies_en

Open: EU consultation on next EU budget framework

EU public consultation, open to 6^th May 2025, on post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), to inform the architecture of the EU budget for the next 5-10 years. Six different consultations are open, addressing EU policies on Member States and Regions (inc. agriculture), external action, education / civil society, civil protection and crisis response, single market, budget performance.

On policies with Member States and Regions, the consultation is a short questionnaire (11 questions) asks for opinions on relative importance of challenges from transport and security to decarbonising the economy (one of the 22 options proposed is “Maximising the potential of the circular economy”), obstacles and effectiveness of EU funding, specific objectives of different policies (Cohesion, Agriculture = CAP, fisheries & marine, transport). As well as the short questionnaire, it is possible to submit a free document or position paper.

The consultation questionnaire on ‘budget performance’ addresses in particular gender equality and climate & environment (e.g. “do no harm” principle).

Closed: EU call for evidence on green transformation for industry and livestock

Non-public call for input, data or examples on green transformation pathways, plans and investment needs to reduce greenhouse emissions and increase circularity of IED installations (industrial sites, large livestock farms) Two studies are launched by the European Commission to evaluate the investments needed by different industries (covered by IED 2010/75, as updated by Directive 2024/1785) “to achieve carbon neutrality, zero pollution and circular economy objectives”, and to support definition of “transformation plans” for these industries. IED covers both industrial sites subject to operation permitting (IED = “Industrial Emissions Directive”) and also, since 2024, large livestock farms – a total of around 75 000 industrial and livestock installations across Europe. Information requested includes defining transformation pathways for IED covered industries (including intensive livestock), costs of transformation, content of transformation plans, proposed benchmarks and targets (may be linked to BAT), available technologies, issues of access to funding.

If you are interested, please contact ESPP (member of the EU IED Forum) and we will send you the consultation documents, including contacts for submitting information, or you can send information to ESPP and we will forward . Formal deadline closed 14^th March.

ESPP input submitted: EU public consultation on water resilience

ESPP input underlines the importance of Circular Economy (recycling of water and nutrients) in improving water resilience, and that climate change will increase needs for both nutrients and irrigation water. Climate change is expected to enhance nutrient mineralisation, so increasing nutrient losses, and increase crop nutrient uptake due to increased atmospheric CO₂, thus directly linking water resilience to nutrient management and fertiliser use. ESPP suggests that the EU Water Resilience Strategy should take into account the need to reduce EU dependency on imported fertilisers, the importance of reducing pollutants at source, the Critical Raw Materials Act, the European Commission’s announced EU Circular Economy Act and the recast Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 2024/3019 which refers to water resilience in Recital 29 and art. 15 and requires the definition of Phosphorus Reuse and Recycling Rates in art. 20. Concerning pollution at source, ESPP states that this is a key prerequisite for water reuse, for nutrient recycling and for circularity of other materials recovered from waste water treatment. Industrial chemicals which pose obstacles to circularity or to water reuse should be phased out rapidly, with authorisation only for very limited authorisations for limited essential uses where loss to the environment is not expected until alternatives can be developed. In particular, the restriction of PFAS announced in 2020 (COM(2020)667) should be implemented rapidly, banning all non-essential uses.

“European Water Resilience Strategy”, public consultation, closed 4^th March 2025. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14491-European-Water-Resilience-Strategy_en

ESPP input submitted (1 page): www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

ESPP input submitted: Evaluation of public procurement directives

ESPP input that the EU’s three public procurement Directives should be updated to better facilitate and incite environmental objectives in public purchasing selection, in particular to support the circular economy, in coherence with the Commission’s ‘Vision for Agriculture and Food” COM2025(75) which fixes the aim of strengthening the role of Public Procurement with a “best value” approach to reward quality and sustainability, including certified Organic products and short food supply chains, and with the Enrico Letta report April 2024 “Much more than a market - Speed, Security, Solidarity – Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU Citizens”. ESPP suggests that consideration of environmental aspects be no longer an option in Public Procurement, subjecto to difficult conditions, but should required wherever feasible, including taking into account circularity, use of secondary raw materials and EU Critical Raw Materials, as well as the bioeconomy and short supply chains, local, regional and EU production.

See ESPP eNews n°94.

“Public procurement directives – evaluation”, EU public consultation, closed 7^th March 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14427-Public-procurement-directives-evaluation_en

ESPP input submitted (1 page): www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

ESPP input submitted: UK Parliament Inquiry on Nitrogen

ESPP input underlined synergies between reducing nitrogen losses, recycling nitrogen and development of renewable manure biogas, as well as the need to recycle N to reduce dependency on imported fertiliser and natural gas. ESPP underlined that reducing nutrient losses is signed into the United Nations COP15 Kunming-Montreal convention Global Biodiversity Framework, December 2022 (ESPP eNews n°74) and that reducing N losses can be combined with N-recovery (e.g. ammonia stripping/scrubbing from manure offgases) or with improved recycling of N in wastes (reduce N losses from manure or digestates during field application, e.g. by acidification of manure or by injection into soil rather than surface spreading – so increasing the effective recycling rate). Input summarised conclusions of the two international workshops on nitrogen recycling organised by ESPP in 2023 (SCOPE Newsletters n°s 145 and 148) and the operational summary of literature relevant to N-recycling in SCOPE Newsletter n° 147. ESPP also underlined the importance of ensuring that recovered nutrients find a market, commercially (competition with ‘virgin’ mineral nutrients), in regulations and as regards product quality. See ESPP’s proposals (developed with wide stakeholder consultation) for policies to facilitate nutrient circularity (input to the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act) and for “market pull” for recycled nutrients.

UK Parliament (House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee), Call for Evidence on Nitrogen, closed 7^th March 2025 https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/515/environment-and-climate-change-committee/news/205099/environment-and-climate-change-committee-launches-new-inquiry-into-nitrogen/

“UKWIR provides evidence for the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee Nitrogen Inquiry, 14^th March 2025 https://ukwir.org/hol-0

ESPP input submitted (4 pages): www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

ESPP input submitted: ash-recovered phosphates in Organic Farming

ESPP input to EU consultation on use of calcium phosphates from sewage sludge ash in certified Organic Farming: ESPP supported the proposed authorisation and requested consideration of other recycled nutrient materials.

ESPP welcomed the proposed authorisation of calcium phosphates derived from sewage sludge ash as fertiliser in Organic Farming, based on the positive EGTOP Opinion of March 2024, and requested that this modification of the Organic Farming inputs regulation 2021/1165 be implemented rapidly, with the text as proposed. ESPP noted that the proposal contributes positively to sustainability and productivity of Organic Farming, to stewardship of the EU Critical Raw Material “Phosphate Rock” (Critical Raw Materials Act 2024/1252) and to EU Circular Economy objectives.

In order to ensure safety and farmer confidence, ESPP supported the proposal that the recovered calcium phosphate should respect the EU Fertilising Products Regulation quality criteria and contaminant limits.

ESPP noted that the wording “calcium phosphate” can mean any inorganic compound (derived from sewage sludge incineration ash) consisting of calcium, phosphorus, hydrogen and oxygen, e.g. monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, octacalcium phosphate, amorphous calcium phosphates, hydroxyapatite, single super phosphate, triple super phosphate.

ESPP requested future consideration, for Organic Farming, of calcium phosphates recovered from ash from animal by-products and of “Calcined Phosphates” from sewage (EGTOP gave a positive opinion in 2016 recommending authorisation for use in Organic Farming). ESPP suggested that EGTOP consider all ash-derived phosphates respecting the EU FPR (PFC1 mineral phosphate fertiliser criteria and CMC13 criteria, possibly subject to other specific Organic Farming criteria such as exclusion of manure from ‘factory farming’, solubility criteria … ). This would avoid the current one-by-one assessments which are slow and time-consuming.

“Organic production – amended list of authorised products and substances”, EU public consultation closed 4^th March 2025. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14024-Organic-production-amended-list-of-authorised-products-and-substances_en

ESPP input to public consultations: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Policy

European Commission “Vision for Agriculture and Food”

Strategy document aims for an “attractive, competitive, resilient, future-orientated and fair” agri-food system, including climate, carbon credits, nature and environment protection, nutrient management and nutrient circularity. The vision aims to achieve “strategic autonomy and food sovereignty” and to reconcile food security, food safety, farm incomes and climate and environmental objectives (including soil health, clean water and water scarcity, biodiversity), whilst emphasising simplification, competitiveness and digitalisation. Vulnerabilities identified include dependency on imports for fertilisers, feed and energy, in particular for high-protein feeds and fertilisers. Fertilisers are identified as “essential for food production and security”, and pose price stability problems for farmers, with the EU increasingly dependent on a small number of import supplying countries. Support is necessary for low-carbon fertilisers and recycled nutrients. Farm nutrient management and nutrient circularity are cited objectives. The bioeconomy, carbon farming, nature credits and renewable energy production are seen as key areas for innovation and additional sources of income for farmers.

The vision indicates that CAP (Common Agricultural Policies) currently account for 23% of average EU farm income and confirms the CAP as the key tool for taking forward policy objectives.

ESPP comment: as often with such strategy documents, there is a feeling that everything has been included to please everyone (and that ESPP has selectively cited a few paragraphs on nutrients and fertilisers found somewhere in the 27 pages). However, the following do appear as announced actions (rather than ‘wishes’), whilst underlining that one-size-fits-all solutions are not applicable to farming across Europe and that actions must therefore be largely delegated to national, regional and local authorities:

Carbon credits
Nature credits
A voluntary on-farm environmental benchmarking system “On-Farm Sustainability Compass”
CAP reduction of farm subsidy disparities (capping for big farms), focus on young farmers and on farming in areas of “natural constraints”. CAP to focus on incentives and investments, rather than “conditions”
Alignment of standards for imported products, to ensure fair competitiveness of EU farms, e.g. presence of pesticides banned in the EU, animal welfare conditions
Support for EU fertiliser production
Support for low-carbon fertilisers and recycled nutrients, in particular appropriately used and treated digestates
Reinforcement of agricultural crisis funding mechanisms (European Food Security Crisis Mechanism, agricultural reserve)
Strengthening the role of Public Procurement with a “best value” approach to reward quality and sustainability, including certified Organic products and short food supply chains
Work stream on “excellence livestock production chain” addressing global competition, imports/exports, climate and environmental footprint, maintenance of extensive grasslands (valuable for climate, landscape, biodiversity), sustainable production models
Addressing nutrient pollution hotspots with territorial approaches to management and control of livestock farming and support for extensification, in the context of the evaluation of the Nitrates Directive due end 2025.

“Commission presents its roadmap for a thriving EU farming and agri-food sector”, press release, 19^th February 2025 and European Commission Communication COM 2025(75) – 27 pages “A Vision for Agriculture and Food. Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations” here.

State of Europe’s waters

The European Environment Agency (EEA) report on the state of waters 2024 says the EU needs to accelerate actions to improve water resilience and water quality. Less than 30% of waters achieve good chemical status, with little improvement over the last decade. Climate change will accentuate pressures on water resources. Member States report that the most significant pressure on both surface and groundwater resources is agriculture: intensive use of nutrients and pesticides. Diffuse agricultural pollution, in particular pesticides and nutrients, is important in impacting water quality, as are long-lived pollutants, in particular mercury and brominated flame retardants (each of which alone are responsible for nearly half of water body quality failures – one parameter failure = quality failure). Agriculture is considered more than twice as impacting on surface waters than wastewater discharges, and also as having high impact on groundwaters. Agricultural nutrient losses (leaching/run off and in soil erosion) are more than four times wastewater discharge for nitrogen and more than two times for phosphorus. The EEA notes that “high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus and contamination by organic substances from manure and sewage continue to have serious ecological effects in Europe. These include toxic algal blooms and oxygen depletion”. Nearly 20% of surface waters failed nutrient quality standards and nearly 50% of monitoring sites are eutrophic or susceptible to become eutrophic. EEA notes that climate change will accentuate nutrient losses from agriculture: “Heavy rain events can also cause drastic erosion of phosphorus-rich agricultural soils and loss of manure from animal husbandry, resulting in additional phosphorus inputs into surface waters”. The importance of the Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity Strategy targets to reduce nutrient losses and pesticide use by 50% by 2030 in addressing water quality failures.

EEA indicates that “Recycling nutrients from sewage sludge and manure, such as phosphorus as a non‑renewable resource, increases food security while simultaneously reducing nutrient enrichment of natural water bodies and risks of eutrophication” noting that “sewage sludge can be used beneficially for its nutrients and organic matter content. Similarly, manure from livestock rearing can be recovered. Common uses include land application as a soil conditioner or fertiliser and, in some cases, for energy recovery through biogas production or incineration”.

“Europe's state of water 2024. The need for improved water resilience”, European Environment Agency, EEA Report 07/2024 https://dx.doi.org/10.2800/02236

European Commission Report on Water Framework Directive Implementation

Fewer than 40% of EU surface waters are in Good Ecological Status and fewer than 30% in Good Chemical Status, with nearly no improvement over the last six years. Member States are asked to reduce agricultural nutrient pollution. The Commission report is based on detailed analysis of Member States’ River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) reports and covers c. 90% of EU surface and ground water bodies (97 000 surface water bodies, 15 000 groundwater bodies). The Commission notes that apparent the lack of improvement may be partly because of better monitoring, and because Directive applies the “one out all out approach” (failure for one parameter means classification as overall Quality failure), but that it also results from inadequate measures taken to reduce pollution and inadequate progress in their implementation. Ecological quality status failure (waterbodies not in Good Ecological Status or Good Ecological Potential) is particularly due to eutrophication, confirming findings from the Nitrates Directive reporting (2021) which indicated 30 – 40 % of freshwater surface waters and over 80% of marine waters were eutrophic. For chemical quality status, pollution by mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) are particularly cited, as well as heavy metals, biocides and pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants (e.g. hexachlorobenzene).

Pressures on surface water bodies identified by member states include atmospheric deposition of pollutants (89% of waterbodies), morphological changes (drainage, irrigation, dams, etc, 57%), agricultural pollution (32%) and urban wastewater treatment or non-connection (14%, 9%).

Considering nutrients, it is indicated that nitrates from agriculture (fertilisation, manures, unsustainable land management practices) are the biggest pollutant of groundwater and a problem in surface waters, whereas for phosphorus the biggest source to marine waters remains urban wastewater.

The report reminds that CAP 2023-2027 measures should reduce agricultural pollution, but for the period covered by this report, CAP funding has been insufficient and delayed. It is estimated that CAP 2022-2027 Eco-Schemes and AECCs (Environmental, climate-related and other management commitments) supporting improved nutrient management are planned to cover over 15% of EU agricultural area.

The report notes that “No Member State is using thresholds for nutrient concentrations to assess the good ecological status of surface waters, and only some are determining the required load reduction upstream in the relevant river basin”.

The Commission concludes that groundwaters are largely in good status, but that “surface waters are in a highly critical situation” and that compliance with the Water Framework Directive’s quality status objectives will not be achieved by the 2027 deadline. Key actions needed are identified as increasing funding for implementation of River Basin Management Plan ‘Programme of Measures’ and integration of water into other legislation.

Over 40 action recommendations are given including: “stepping up action to reduce nutrient pollution, including by setting and achieving maximum nutrient loads in all river basin districts, in line not only with the WFD (Water Framework Directive) but also the MSFD (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) and Nitrates Directive”.

A Commission Report on the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), issued in parallel to the report on the Water Framework Directive, also underlines that nutrient pollution and eutrophication remain major challenges, especially in the Baltic, North East Atlantic and Mediterranean. It is noted that nutrient pressures will change with climate change. One of 24 recommendation actions is “stepping up action to reduce nutrient pollution to achieve the objectives of the MSFD, WFD and the Nitrates Directive”.

“Protect waters and better manage flood risks”, European Commission press release IP/25/342, 4^th February 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_342

Report “on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC)”, European Commission, COM(2025)2, 4^th February 2025 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2025%3A3%3AFIN&qid=1738678027971

Report “on the Commission's assessment of the Member States’ programmes of measures as updated under Article 17 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC)”, European Commission, COM(2025)3, 4^th February 2025 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2025%3A3%3AFIN&qid=1738678027971

Nutrient recovery

UKWIR report: valorisation of potable water treatment sludges

UK Water Industry Research report analyses current routes and possible improvements for valorisation of iron and aluminium sludges from drinking water treatment (these sludges are completely different from and are not related to sewage sludge). At least 115 000 t/yDM of such sludges are generated in the UK. They contain 2 – 8% dry solids, up to 41% iron or 21% aluminium and significant levels of organics (13 – 26% total carbon). Currently most such iron sludges are discharged to sewers (the iron content contributes to sewage works phosphorus removal and improving settling, so partly substituting virgin coagulant consumption) and the majority of aluminium sludges are spread to land (soil improver, land reclamation). Discharge to sewers can also have negative impacts on sewage treatment (increased sludge production, deterioration of biological treatment, acidity for aluminium sludges). A significant potential valorisation route for iron sludges is addition to anaerobic digesters, with methane generation from organics in the sludge and iron acting to improve anaerobic digester operation and suppress H₂S. However, “waste” status of the iron sludge is an obstacle to this valorisation route. Other valorisation routes identified include incorporation into brickmaking, ceramics or construction materials, often after removal of organics (e.g. calcination). Processes to chemically separate iron from phosphorus in such sludges are discussed, in particular sulphuric acid digestion followed by purification (membranes, ion exchange) but these are at the lab scale and to date not economically viable.

“Circular Economy – water treatment sludges”, UKWIR (UK Water Industry Research, the UK water industry’s joint research organisation), 67 pages, 2024, Report Ref. No. 24/SL/09/02 https://ukwir.org/water-industry-research-reports

UN FAO report on nitrogen in agri-food systems

Report on nitrogen in the global food system underlines the importance of dietary choices, spatial misbalances of livestock production and the need to recycle agri-food wastes to livestock feed. FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) explains that nitrogen loss (e.g. nitrates to water, ammonia to air) impact the environment, climate and health. Improving nitrogen management is considered essential to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular those relating to water, climate, health and hunger, including increasing food production in lower-middle income countries. FAO estimates that global Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) in crop systems is just over 60% (N in output crops / N inputs) and in livestock is 4 – 45% (N in animal – eggs – dairy / N in feed). Overall, N in human food produced is around 30% of global mineral fertiliser inputs and around 15% of total inputs (including biological N fixation and atmospheric deposition). Illustrated data on N international trade is provided and the main cause of N losses in livestock production is identified as feed crop production (with associated mineral fertiliser use and land change). The report notes the potential for reducing protein content of livestock diets (especially cattle), increasing recycling of agri-food wastes to feed (especially pigs) and of improving manure management (e.g. reducing ammonia losses in storage, more efficient application to crops). Priorities for circularity are identified as: reduce food waste, use FLW (food loss and waste) in animal feed (whilst ensuring food chain safety), use arable land to produce human food crops not animal feed and use livestock to convert non-food biomass (e.g. grass) to human food. Promising routes for progress noted include low-emission production of mineral N fertilisers, processing manure, agri-food wastes and industrial wastes to bio-based fertilisers. The need for quality control and appropriate application rates and methods are underlined for organic fertilisers.

“Sustainable nitrogen management in agrifood systems”, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations), 130 pages, 2025 https://doi.org/10.4060/cd3388en

See also “Guidelines on the role of livestock in circular bioeconomy systems”, FAO LEAP (Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance in ESPP eNews n°90 and “Nutrient flow and associated environmental impacts in livestock supply chains. Guidelines for assessment”, FAO in ESPP eNews n°37.

Phosphorus, food and health

Mouse maternal high phosphorus diet impacts offspring mineral metabolism and growth

High phosphorus diet either before or during pregnancy of female mice resulted in offspring with lower gut P uptake, modified levels of blood hormone levels related to mineral metabolism and lower body weight. The female mice were fed either normal (control = 0.8% P) or high-P (1.5% P) diet either for 21 days before pregnancy, or during pregnancy, then normal-P diet during breast feeding of offspring (3 weeks). After weaning, offspring were fed a normal-P diet 3-10 weeks. The high-maternal-P offspring showed no difference in blood plasma P concentrations compared to normal-maternal-P offspring, but showed lower urine P excretion corresponding to reduced gut P-transporter mRNA expression. They also showed modified blood levels of parathyroid hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and vitamin D, which are all three related to hormonal mineral metabolism control. Body weight of the high-maternal-P offspring was significantly lower at 3, 6 and 10 weeks of age. The authors note that these animal study results may not transpose to humans and that in this trial only male offspring were studied.

“Maternal excess dietary phosphate intake in the periconceptional period is a potential risk for mineral disorders in offspring mice”, M. Hayashi-Suzuki et al., Scientific Reports, 2025, 15:8844 DOI.

Mouse high P diet leads to heart disease risks

Diets on high phosphorus (2%) showed heart modifications, including atrial fibrosis and oxidative stress, compared to mice on a normal phosphorus diet (0.6%), for both kidney-impaired and non-impaired mice. 8 week old male mice were fed the different diets for 10 weeks, followed by 4 weeks normal-P diet. Half the mice in each group were operated to remove 5/6 of kidney function (partly nephrectomised). The authors conclude that the high P diet increased atrial fibrillation risk. Biological signalling mechanisms are discussed (STAT3, NF_KB, Nox4) and collagen expression. The authors note that mouse serum phosphorus is considerably higher than in humans and that previous studies have shown that high P diets in mice lead to increased serum P concentrations, even with non-deteriorated kidney function, whereas this is uncommon in humans. Therefore, high diet P in healthy humans may not lead to similar atrial risks, whereas it is likely to do so for humans with poor kidney function.

“High-phosphate diet causes atrial remodeling and increases atrial fibrillation vulnerability via STAT3/NF-κB signaling and oxidative stress”, Y-J. Hsu et al., Acta Physiologica. 2023;00:e13964 DOI.

Sustainable development of the food & beverage industry

ESPP participated in the 13^th Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry Summit (February, Brussels), presenting on nutrient circularity in the agri-food sector, together with Pär Larshans (Ragn-Sells). The event brought together around 60 participants, including representatives from Ferrero, Danone, Heineken, Unilever, Arla Foods, Fyffes, and OSI Group, to discuss sustainability challenges and strategies across the food value chain. Discussions focused on corporate environmental stewardship, sustainable sourcing, and the role of data in driving innovation. Companies exchanged views on ways to measure and reduce the environmental footprint of food production, with attention to eco-design, procurement, decarbonisation, and regenerative agriculture. A key takeaway was the need for reliable data and assessment tools to advance circularity and sustainability goals.

13th Annual Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry Summit, 4-5 February 2025, Brussels, website
ESPP slides available on slideshare.

Commiserations

Waltraud Hermann, wife of ESPP Secretary and previously President, Ludwig Hermann, sadly died on 13^th March. Many ESPP contacts met Waltraud Hermann and appreciated her energy and enthusiasm. We will regret her and all our thoughts are with Ludwig and his family. If you wish to make a gesture, Waltraud wished for donations to the association SOS Mitmensch, Austria, https://www.sosmitmensch.at/site/ueberuns IBAN AT12 2011 1310 0220 4383

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Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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Events

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: 5-7 March 2025

13^th March 2025: EU sewage phosphorus “reuse & recycling” targets

10-12 June 2025, Bergen, Norway, nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries

15-17 October 2025, Wageningen, NL. RAMIRAN: the manure management event

EU consultations

Evaluation of EFSA

Evaluation of public procurement directives

EU fertiliser imports

Limited EU proposal for tariffs on Russian fertilisers

Circular Economy policy

BusinessEurope priorities for Circular Economy

EESC calls for policies to move “from waste plants to resource plants”

ESPP new members

STEPS Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability Center

REALM Reusing Effluents from Agriculture to unLock the potential of Microalgae

Regulatory questions on biomass from waste

ESPP workshop on legal status of algae & biomass grown in wastes

Legal Opinion: algae from waste, manure, minerals recycling to animal feed

Nutrient recovery

Culterra obtains EU fertilising products CE-mark

EasyMining demonstrates iron recovery with Ash2Phos P-recovery process

Canada Biogas Association points to important role of digestate in nutrient recycling

NEWTRIENT ‘Solutions Catalog’ evaluates over 500 dairy manure technologies

ReLEAF questionnaire for farmers on bio-based fertilisers

Flashphos pilot P₄recovery pilot starts testing

Research

Eutrophication – climate change link

Smart phone fluorescence quantification of inorganic phosphates

Stay informed

ESPP members

Events

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: 5-7 March 2025

This event will focus on making livestock production, animal feed, and manure and digestate management more circular. The workshop will help create a UNEP report on sustainable nutrient use in livestock farming.

How can we balance efficient nutrient management in intensive livestock farming with social benefits (such as lower prices and regional agri-food specialisation) while tackling nutrient imbalances in certain areas?

Location: Saint Malo, Brittany (with some sessions online)
Topics Covered: • Sustainable livestock nutrient management • How nutrients move in livestock production, • The impact of different diets on nutrient use, • Animal feed, farming methods, and nutrient footprints, • Life cycle analysis (LCA) of livestock production, • Recycling and reusing manure nutrients
Participants: Experts from UNEP (United Nations), the European Commission (DG AGRI, DG RTD), livestock farmers, meat producers, the agri-food industry, environmental organisations, and researchers.
Organisers: UNEP uPcycle, Roullier (fertilisers, animal nutrition, food industry), Cooperl (Brittany pig farmers and pork industry solutions), ESPP, BETA Technological Center, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH).

In-person participants have the opportunity of site visits:

Roullier’s Global Research Centre (fertilisers and agriculture)
Minerallium, a unique experience exploring minerals from Earth’s origins to plants, animals and humans
Cooperl’s waste to resource vision and processes, with the Bulle Environment immersive showroom
Couiclang pig farm, state-of-the-art pork production sustainability

On-site participation limited to 60 persons to enable active discussion, white paper drafting, site visits. Wed. 5 – Fri. 7 March 2024, Saint Malo, France (Brittany coast, 1 hour from Rennes high-speed train station and airport) and partly online. Online access will include plenary presentations. To participate in discussions and white paper, we recommend in-person attendance. To request to participate in Saint Malo, pre-register now: https://phosphorusplatform.eu/LivestockBrittany

13^th March 2025: EU sewage phosphorus “reuse & recycling” targets

The requirements of the new EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 2024/3019 (UWWTD) for phosphorus removal, reuse and recycling: interactions between tighter discharge consents, chemical P-removal coagulants, P-recovery. With the European Commission (ongoing work defining UWWTD phosphorus “reuse and recycling rates”). Showcase of leading technologies to recover phosphorus sewage, and how these interact with iron/aluminium content, vivianite recovery and processes to recover phosphorus from vivianite, plant availability of phosphorus in sewage sludges. Within Aquatech, Europe’s biggest water industry trade show.

13^th March 2025. In Aquatech, Amsterdam RAI and online. Programme and registration https://phosphorusplatform.eu/AquatechWorkshop

NOTE: for onsite workshop participation, separate prior registration for both Aquatech (free access)https://www.aquatechtrade.com/amsterdam and for the workshop here are necessary

10-12 June 2025, Bergen, Norway, nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries

ESPP workshop, with partners in Norway and UNEP uPcycle, on nutrient management in aquaculture feed, seafood processing and fish sludge valorisation, Bergen (Norway) & online, 10-12 June 2025, covering nutrient flows, environmental best practice, phosphorus recycling, regulatory challenges. The workshop will contribute to the United Nations (UNEP) project uPcycle, leading to a UNEP white paper on phosphorus sustainability in aquaculture.

If you wish to contribute, please email indications of your organisation’s areas of interest, competence, possible content of presentation, to . The outline programme will be soon available.

15-17 October 2025, Wageningen, NL. RAMIRAN: the manure management event

Abstract deadline 15^th February. Europe’s leading manure and organics conference. Managing organic resources in agriculture: opportunities and challenges. 250 participants in 2023 (see ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter n°149). Covers organic nutrient utilisation, air and water emissions, manure processing technologies, policy & regulation, with particular focus on nutrient use efficiency, nutrient recycling and manure climate emissions.

Organised by ESPP member Wageningen WUR. www.ramiran2025.nl

EU consultations

Evaluation of EFSA

Public consultatoin open to 1^st April 2025 for the evaluation of EFSA (European Food Safety Agency). Public questionnaire (second stage consultation) asks for input on the importance of EFSA’s objectives (providing scientific advice, risk communication, cooperation with stakeholders and Member States, identifying emerging risks), effectiveness of EFSA and EU added value, aspects such as independence or openness, different work areas (animal health, biological hazards, contaminants in the food chain …), quality and clarity. Specific questions address links to the new (2021) EU Transparency Regulation framework.

Questionnaire plus possibility to input general or specific comments (max. 5 000 characters) and/or upload documents or input papers.

“European Food Safety Authority – evaluation of performance 2017-2024”, EU public consultation open to 1^st April 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14068-European-Food-Safety-Authority-evaluation-of-performance-2017-2024/F_en

Evaluation of public procurement directives

EU consultation open to 7^th March for the evaluation of the three EU public procurement directives (Public Procurement 2014/24/EU, Procurement by utilities 2014/25/EU, Concessions 2014/23/EU). This first stage consultation (‘Call for Evidence’) asks for free input on the effectiveness, relevance, coherence and EU added value of these directives, in the context of the European Court of Auditors report 2023 which points to decreasing competition in public procurement and the Enrico Letta report April 2024 “Much more than a market - Speed, Security, Solidarity – Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU Citizens”. ESPP notes that these public procurement directives currently prioritise the lowest cost option (e.g. art. 67.1 of 2014/24/EU “most economically advantageous”), subject to respecting environmental obligations (art. 18.2) but with option (only) of taking into account the “price-quality ratio … on the basis of criteria including environemental aspects” (art. 67.2), where environmental externalities can be taken account only if “monetary value can be determined and verified” (art. 68.1.6).

Input: free 4 000 character text plus possibility to upload a fee document.

“Public procurement directives – evaluation”, EU public consultation open to 7^th March 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14427-Public-procurement-directives-evaluation_en

EU fertiliser imports

Limited EU proposal for tariffs on Russian fertilisers

The European Commission has proposed a c. 13% tariff on some fertiliser imports from Russia and Belarus and also an extension of the existing 50% tariff on Russian cereal an oilseed imports (2024/1652) to a wider range of agricultural products. The proposal will now be considered by the European Parliament and Council (Member States). The Commission estimates that the EU imported 1.3 bn€ of fertilisers from Russia in 2023. This is similar to the pre-tariffs value of 2023 EU imports of Russian grains and oilseeds. Tariffs proposed on some fertilisers are 40 – 45 €/tonne until June 2026 (c. 13% of value, additional to the existing 6.5% tariff on all fertiliser imports), doubling in June 2027, then becoming “prohibitive” (c. 100%) in June 2028. For comparison, the USA recently announced 25% tariffs on many imports from Canada (10% on energy). The EU’s proposed tariffs would apply to mineral N, NP and NK fertilisers from Russia or Belarus, but not P or K fertilisers (customs codes 3103, 3104). The fertiliser types subject to proposed tariffs represent over 2/3 of EU fertiliser use (the proportion of such fertilisers from Russia covered is not specified). The tariffs would not impact transit of the targeted goods from Russia or Belarus to third countries, i.e. do not impact trade of these goods through Europe, transport, insurance, storage in Europe. The Commission says that the proposals aim to support the EU fertiliser industry and agriculture and allow for diversification in countries supplying imports, whilst ensuring fertiliser availability at an affordable price for farmers, and without impacting supplies to developing countries or global food security.

ESPP notes that the proposed tariffs on fertilisers are relatively low and will have a limited impact until June 2028. This means that significant financial flows - potentially exceeding a billion euros - may continue towards Russia for fertiliser purchases, including through taxpayer-funded CAP support for farmers. Meanwhile, the EU fertiliser industry faces challenges that could affect its long-term viability and, in turn, EU food security. ESPP recommends that the EU actively support farmers in sourcing recycled, green, or EU-produced fertilisers (with lower environmental footprint) and consider stronger trade measures on fertilisers from Russia and Belarus. Additionally, ESPP highlights the absence of phosphate fertilisers in the current tariff proposal, despite phosphate being listed as an EU Critical Raw Material and the EU relying on imports for around 90% of its supply, with a significant portion still coming from Russia.

Fertilizers Europe welcomed the proposal for tariffs on Russian fertilisers: “For too long, the European fertilizer industry has been exposed to artificially low-priced imports from Russia and Belarus, seriously distorting the market and undermining fair competition. Consequently, the Russian share of EU Nitrogenous fertilizer imports reached a 5-year high, while urea imports volumes from Russia reached a 10-year high.”. Fertilizers Europe however also considers the proposed tariff levels too low too slow, suggesting a 30% tariff immediately.

“Commission proposes tariffs on remaining agricultural products and on fertilisers from Russia and Belarus”, European Commission, 28 January 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_340 and proposed tariffs regulation COM(2025) 34 final, 2025/0021 (COD) https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=COM(2025)34&lang=en

“Fertilizers Europe welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to impose tariffs aimed at reducing EU dependency on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus, Calls for Greater Ambition”, Fertilizers Europe, 29 January 2025 https://www.fertilizerseurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Fertilizers-Europe_Press-Release_Tariffs-on-Russian-Belarusian-fertilizers_29-01-2025.pdf

Circular Economy policy

BusinessEurope priorities for Circular Economy

Industry says it is committed to accelerating the Circular Economy for a cleaner and more competitive Europe and identifies incentives and regulatory changes needed to ensure the business case for circularity and maintain Europe as world leader in circular economy products and solutions. BusinessEurope sees as barriers: inadequate infrastructures for collection and sorting, lack of information sharing along value-chains, lack of demand for circular products, regulations inhibiting cross-border movement of wastes for recycling, obstacles to recycling scale-up, lack of harmonised EU End-of-Waste criteria and divergent national requirements and admnistrative burdens. Priorities for action include:

policy coherence and implementation: avoidance of legislative contradications, reducing admnistrative burdens, implementation tools and information, knowledge sharing, harmonising legislation between Member States, effective enforcement and market surveillance (ensuring a level playing field vis-à-vis imports into the EU)
specific regulatory actions: free movement of materials for recycling, facilitating testing and demonstration, further develop EU End-of-Waste criteria
circular economy Standards
R&D funding for circular economy industry focal areas
EU-level targets for recycled and bio-based contents for relevant materials, for separate collection, sorting and waste processing
reinforce Green Public Procurement to support circularity
update Extended Producer Responsibility fees to reward product durability, recycled content, …
appropriate use of digital tools, such as product passports, whilst ensuring focus on data relevant for circularity to avoid unnecessary administrative burden

“EU Circular Economy Policy. BusinessEurope priorities for 2024-2029”, 10^th July 2024.

EESC calls for policies to move “from waste plants to resource plants”

European Economic and Social Committee Opinion calls for financial support and regulation to develop recycling and resource recovery, specifically citing nutrient recovery from wastewater, sludge and other sources. EESC says that a “shift from linear product-to-waste thinking to waste-to-resource” is needed and a “revised strategy” at the EU-level to forward recycling and resource recovery projects, in close cooperation with regional and local authorities and in coherence with the Waste Hierarchy. Market conditions must be adjusted to level the playing field between recycled and virgin materials The need to modify waste regulation is noted, including regulating waste “as a key raw material” with standards under REACH, End-of-Waste Criteria, harmonisation of standards for recovered materials and management of cross-border shipments. It is noted that this requires management of waste at the EU rather than national level, with appropriate and flexible chemical regulations and site permitting (Industrial Emissions Directive). Regulation should be revised where it currently prevents the use of recycled materials and recovered nutrients in various sectors (inc. agriculture and organic farming, animal rearing, aquaculture) and “should prioritise product quality over origin”. EESC also calls for use of innovative technologies, upskilling of the workforce including health and safety and sustainability training and for financial support, e.g. through a pollution fee to support recycling costs, through European Investment Bank financing for integration of resource recovery into waste management and with R&D and pilot project funding. EESC “strongly supports maximising nutrient recovery from wastewater, sewage sludge and other sources, through best-practice treatment, recycling and through resource recovery methods aimed at capturing valuable minerals”, recommends that recovery targets be set for phosphorus and nitrogen and that the Critical Raw Materials Act should focus more strongly on recycling. Recovery of potassium is also cited, including from incinerator ashes is also cited.

“From waste plants to resource plants”, Own-Initiative Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee, CCMI/228, rapporteur Anastasis YIAPANIS, co-rapporteu: Michal PINTÉR, 23^rd October 2024.

ESPP new members

STEPS Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability Center

STEPS is an academic research centre supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation addressing key knowledge and technology gaps in P sustainability. STEPS is headquartered at North Carolina State University, USA, and engages 10 other partnering institutions in convergence research that integrates disciplinary contributions across the physical, life, social, and economic sciences with stakeholders across sectors and scales. Research within the STEPS Center draws from atomic and molecular insights (e.g., chemistry, materials research, biochemistry, bioengineering) to develop materials and technologies that are deployed at the human scale (e.g., environmental and agricultural engineering, plant biology, crop and soil sciences) while considering supply-chains, life cycle, and other regional and global issues (e.g., ecology, economics, sociology, policy). STEPS further supports research projects that transcend length scales (e.g., science of team science, informatics and AI, education research, outreach). As a U.S. leader in P sustainability, STEPS produced an initial roadmap for P sustainability in the U.S. in 2023 by convening stakeholders in working groups and will update the roadmap in future years. STEPS also recently launched a Partners Program to grow the community both within the U.S. and internationally and to facilitate outreach, technology transfer, and commercialization. By joining ESPP, we aim to grow our networks and to enhance phosphorus sustainability globally.

https://steps-center.org/

REALM Reusing Effluents from Agriculture to unLock the potential of Microalgae

The Horizon Europe funded project REALM aims to use microalgae to turn nutrient-rich water from greenhouses and soilless agriculture into valuable resources, with decentralised and automated systems. The on-farm cultivation includes nutrient removal and CO₂ fixing by microalgae, water recycling, automation of cultivation (raceway ponds, tube bioreactors) and microalgae harvesting. The concentrated microalgae will be refined to generate fractions for biostimulants and biopesticides for agriculture or use to feed bivalves, shrimp and zooplankton which can then be used as fish feed. Joining the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP) aligns perfectly with REALM's mission to advance sustainable nutrient management. ESPP provides a unique platform to connect with key stakeholders, share knowledge, and stay at the forefront of nutrient recovery and innovation. Through this collaboration, REALM can strengthen its contribution to sustainable nutrient cycles, enhance visibility within the European bioeconomy sector, and ensure its outcomes align with broader environmental and policy goals.

REALM https://realmalgae.eu/ Horizon Europe project (EU Aquaculture Assistance Mechanism) with 16 partners and associated partners, coordinated by Necton (Companhia Portuguesa de Culturas Marinhas S.A.), Portugal

Regulatory questions on biomass from waste

ESPP workshop on legal status of algae & biomass grown in wastes

13^th November 2024, with Barry Love, specialist in environmental law, European Commission, stakeholders, and research experts. End-of-Waste, Animal Feed Regulations, Animal By-Product status, EU Fertilising Products Regulation …

ESPP introduced the workshop by underlining that the growth of algae and other biomass is an effective process to purify wastewaters, but raises questions concerning the possible use of the produced algal biomass, both regarding quality and safety (possible contaminants or pathogens) and also legal status: does algae grown in waste or in an animal by-product (such as manure or household food wastes) have waste or animal by-product status ? Also, if Europe wishes to develop algae production for biofuels or materials sustainably, then the algae will need nutrients (including phosphorus), which should be supplied by secondary sources rather than by fertilisers from phosphate rock. And where algae are grown for biofuels or biomaterials, the phosphorus present in algae is not wanted in the final product (e.g. biofuels), so it should be recovered and recycled.

Maris Stulgis, European Commission, DG MARE, underlined that it is important for the industrial development of blue bioeconomy resources to ensure regulatory clarity. The EU’s Blue bioeconomy and blue biotechnology actions focus on making better use of resources which are today not well used. Algae production is the most notable developing sector of the blue bioeconomy, with important potential for valorising wastes as input feed materials. The blue bioeconomy also targets other alternative and secondary resources such as jellyfish, sea stars, and fish processing wastes. Improving governance and legislation is a strong objective of the EU’s Algae Initiative. In 2022, announced proposes action to fully harness the potential of algae in Europe for healthier diets, lower CO2 emissions, and address water pollution.The European Commission supports networking, information exchange and R&D and the European Algae Stakeholder Platform (EU4Algae) has over 1 000 members. The European Commission has started a major industry study (ends June 2025) into algae potentials, which will include looking at feed for algae production, nutrient recycling and wastewater treatment using algae and uses of resulting produced algae materials, use of ‘waste’ algae (e.g. beachcast), including market opportunities, legal aspects and safety standards.

Carlos Unamunzaga, European Algae Biomass Association. EABA has around 250 members, around half from industry, provides a platform for dialogue and actively contributes to the development of standards and preparation of regulations. Algae are used in a wide range of applications, to produce ingredients for human and animal food, both nutrients and health additives, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biofuels, fertilisers and biostimulants, chemicals, bio-fibres and for CO₂ mitigation, nutrient removal from wastewater and bioremediation. There are no EU regulations specific to algae, and they are covered by a range of legislation such as aquaculture (708/2007 and 1379/2013), novel foods (2283/2015), certified Organic Farming (848/2018), EU Fertilising Products Regulation (1009/2019). The development of EU standards is a key route to ensure coherence, quality, and safety, as both regulatory and market acceptance of algae in different applications.

Marcella Fernandes de Souza, Ghent University, presented two EU-funded R&D projects on algae. SEMPRE-Bio (ongoing) and ALG-AD (finalised) investigate using manure digestates as a sustainable nutrient supply and substrate for algae production. This poses technical challenges in dealing with the viscosity, turbidity and ammonium content of the digestate. Moreover, questions on quality and safety (possible pathogens in produced algae) but also legal challenges are raised: is the produced algae a waste? Or an animal by-product ? And how does this restrict its further end use?

Efthalia Arvaniti, SUBMARINER Network and Sustainable Projects GmbH, presented AlgaeProBanos, an EU-funded project developing algae products in the Baltic – North Sea, for use in textile applications, cosmetics, food products, animal feed and fertiliser biostimulants. The project is seeks to use secondary nutrient streams as inputs to microalgae production on land, and integrate nutrient recycling regimes and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU).

Soufiane HSINA, Business Development Manager at Ciments du Maroc (Heidelberg Materials Group), presented their carbon capture project using microalgae to capture CO₂ from the cement plant kiln, as part of HM & CIMAR’s sustainability strategy. As a high-energy consumption company, reducing CO₂ emissions has been a long-term goal, including carbon capture technologies for CO₂ sequestration. Ciments Du Maroc, launched a pilot project with its partners in 2018 to use the flue gas from the cement kiln to grow microalgae at the Safi cement plant, one of the largest in Morocco.The project aims to produce around 50 tons of dried microalgae powder per year, eliminating around 80 to 100 tons of CO₂ per year. The facility has been operational since 2021 and managed by a 100% Moroccan team since the end of 2022. They successfully produce high-quality microalgae powder on a semi-industrial scale, which is marketed under the “ALGACEM” brand for applications such as animal feed additives and biostimulant. To ensure compliance with European and Moroccan standards, a rigorous quality management system is implemented.

Barry Love, specialist in environmental law, Environmental Law Chambers, Glasgow, Scotland, presented and discussed in detail with participants in Brussels and online, the legal analysis commissioned by ESPP on “the Waste/Animal By Product (ABP) status of waste-derived algae with particular reference to the Animal Feeds Regulation”. This analysis is summarised below. Three different legal aspects were discussed: waste regulation, animal by-products regulation, use in animal feed.

The EU Waste Framework Directive suggests that European and Member State regulators should ensure that End-of-Waste status is not an obstacle to development of the Circular Economy and to placing on the market of recycled products, in that it states (art. 6) that Member States “shall take” measures to ensure that waste “is considered to have ceased to be waste” if it has undergone recycling or recovery and complies with specified conditions. This is confirmed in the Opinion of the Advocate General to the European Court of Justice (Case C-60/18 AS Tallinna Vesi -v- Keskkonnaamet) where she refers both to the Waste Framework Directive objective to promote waste recovery, but also to the “fundamental rights of the persons concerned … fundamental right of property”.

Sewage, wastewaters, digestates and materials derived from these are generally regulated by the Waste Framework Directive, and so by waste / End-of-Waste constraints, but may also be constrained by other regulations, in particular the Animal By-Products Regulations for manure slurries and digestates, dairy and meat industry processing waters, digestates from biowastes (household food waste).

The Animal By-Products (ABP) Regulations create big challenges for recycling. This is because of strict rules in the text and unclear wording, which makes it hard for businesses and investors to get involved.

For example, Article 13 of Regulation 1069/2009 lists only a few ways to dispose of or process Category 2 ABPs (including manure). One option (Art. 13(f)) allows spreading raw manure on land without processing. However, it does not clearly allow spreading separated solid manure, dried manure, manure compost, or digestate - unless these follow the rules in points (d) or (e). These rules cover making organic fertilisers, composting, or biogas production, but they do not clearly mention digestate.

Also, using manure (raw or processed) to grow algae is not mentioned in Article 13, making its legal status uncertain.

Discussions noted:

Many different authorisations exist for the use of algae grown in ‘virgin’ substrates. Algae grown in waste substrates may need new authorisation processes, based on data showing safety (contaminants, pathogens) and quality.
Questions were raised as to whether a “production process” can have waste as an input. The European Commission FAQ for the Fertilising Products Regulation (Q8.40) suggests that production process cannot use waste as input materials because “waste is used only in recovery operations, and not in a production process”.
It is unclear whether fish excrement is covered by the ABP Regulations. In Regulation 1069/2009, Articles 3.20 and 2.2(k) exclude it from the definition of manure. However, Annex I of Regulation 1774/2002 (which is referenced in Article 3.1 of 1069/2009) does not exclude it. Aquaculture sludge is also not included in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. Yet, in several countries, it is already used as a fertiliser under national rules—often after processes like solid/liquid separation, drying, composting, or digestion.
Washing of algae grown in wastewaters is important to ensure that the produced algae are not contaminated by residual wastewater.
The legal analysis for ESPP suggests that CO2 from offgas, when used to grow algae, is considered a “waste.” This is because offgases are only not seen as waste if they are released into the atmosphere (according to Article 2(a) of the Waste Framework Directive)
Participants raised questions concerning the authorisation of algal biomass as a fertilising product in certified Organic Farming. “Algae and algae products” are authorised as fertilisers under the EU Organic Farming regulations only if “from organic [production] or collected in a sustainable way” and only if processed only by physical processes, water or acid/alkali extraction or fermentation (see 2021/1165, consolidated version, annex II).
Participants suggested that EU rules should allow products based on their quality and safety, not based on whether they come from waste or animal by-products (ABP). However, the current Waste and ABP regulations do the opposite as they ban any use or recycling unless a specific End-of-Waste or ABP End-Point process is approved.
This was discussed at the stakeholder workshop on the future EU Circular Economy Act, Brussels & online, 21^st January 2025.

“Algae, wastes and the circular economy. Regulatory status of algae and biomass grown using waste or animal by-products”, ESPP legal workshop, 13th November 2024, Brussels & online www.phosphorusplatform.eu/legalworkshop Watch replay online here.

Legal Opinion: algae from waste, manure, minerals recycling to animal feed

Lawyer’s Opinions for ESPP and EasyMining from Barry Love, Environmental Law Chambers, provide detailed analyses on the legal status of algae grown in wastewater or manure, and of recycled nutrients for animal feeds.

The lawyer’s analyses underline that they address only the regulatory aspect, and that health and environment safety and other social aspect must also be addressed.

The analyses note that the wording of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD 2008/98) fixes as a principle that Member States must enable recycling and recovery (art. 6 and recitals), and the European Court of Justice has indicated that Member States must ensure that non-decision on End-of-Waste status must not amount to an obstacle to the circular economy (judgement §27 in C-60/18).

The legal analyses discuss the legal definition of and criteria for ‘waste’ status, ‘by-products’ and for End-of-Waste, interactions with Animal By-Products regulations (ABP) and ABP End-Points, mixtures of wastes with ABPs, different processing routes and uses for manures, regulatory status of algae or other biomass cultivated in or fed by different wastes (manure, waste waters, food wastes, digestates …) or fed with industrial offgases (e.g. carbon dioxide) and specific restrictions under the Animal Feed regulations and under the Nitrates Directive.

The analyses conclude that algae grown in wastewaters are ‘waste’ (be it untreated or partially treated sewage, digestate, greenhouse wastewater, industry wastewaters …) unless and until they obtain End-of-Waste status. The fact that there is an intended use (e.g. as a fertilising product, or for processing to extract proteins or biofuels) does not modify the fact that algae produced from / in wastewater have regulatory “waste” status. This is similarly true for e.g. sewage sludge incineration ash or (as confirmed in ECJ case C-60/18) stabilised sewage sludge. This is the consequence of the EU Waste Framework Directive definition of waste as something the holder discards, intends to discard or is required to discard: that is, irrespective of whether a subsequent holder of the material considers it to have potential value (e.g. as a secondary raw material or as a recycled fertilising product).

The analyses consider that the situation is different for crops grown in a field on which sewage sludge is spread, because in this case the spreading of the sewage sludge can be considered as ‘disposal’ or ‘recovery’ or (informal) End-of-Waste under the Waste Framework Directive. On the other hand, reeds or wood grown in a sewage treatment process would likely be considered waste (e.g. reeds used for roof thatch wood from willow trees used bioenergy from a structure constructed and managed for sewage treatment for a small settlement, or as polishing downstream of secondary sewage treatment).

Similarly, algae grown in manure slurry or food wastes are “ABP Derived Products” as defined by the EU ABP Regulations (manure and separated collected food wastes / biowastes are Cat.2 Animal By-Products = ABP). Therefore, an ABP End-Point would be required before such algae could be marketed without ABP Regulation restrictions.

The above would suggest that, today, algae grown in sewage can be used as a component material under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR), under the conditions of CMC2 plant materials (this CMC does not exclude waste plant materials, see EU FPR FAQ, Q8.22) whereas algae grown in manure or food waste cannot (because no ABP End-Point has been defined for such use in fertilisers). ESPP suggests that, awkwardly, such ABP-grown algae could still not be used in an EU fertilising product even if the manure/food waste had undergone anaerobic digestion or manure processing conditions to achieve a relevant ABP End-Point, because algae cultivation is not listed as a ‘post-processing’ method in the FPR.

The analyses also address the implications of the Animal Feed Regulation (AFR 767/2009, Annex III), which excludes from use in animal feed:

wastes from wastewater treatment “irrespective of any further processing”: the legal analyses conclude that this exclusion may not exclude nutrients recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash if they obtain End-of-Waste status;
manures “irrespective of any form of treatment”: the Opinions conclude that this exclusion could also be not applicable to nutrients recovered from manure if they obtain End-of-Waste status, since they result from a recovery process, not from manure treatment;
“solid urban waste”: this exclusion is not relevant as it only covers waste in its untreated form, so does not exclude nutrients recovered from processing of such waste.

As regards nutrients extracted from sewage sludge incineration ash, the analyses examine the history of this exclusion, and its different wordings, as the Animal Feed regulations evolved from 1991 to today. This analysis suggests that the aim of the current wording is principally to exclude not only biological sewage sludge but also any other waste materials generated during wastewater treatments. This leads to the conclusion that today’s wording does not intend to exclude materials which are not wastes and which do not result from the wastewater treatment but from downstream recovery processes.

The analyses note that if Animal By-Products are incinerated then they cease to be regulated by the ABP regulations and the ash is governed by the Waste Framework Directive (WFD art. 2(2)b and ABPR 1069/2009 arts. 13 and 14 “disposal”).

It is also noted that the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE) Regulation 999/2001 specifically bans (Annex VI) feeding to ruminants of dicalcium and tricalcium phosphates “of animal origin”. This today appears to exclude any such phosphate recovered from any ABP or ABP ash.

Concerning the Nitrates Directive, the analyses note that crops grown after spreading manure, or algae or plants grown in manure slurry should not be considered to be manure “even in a processed form” because the recovered algae are a new and fundamentally different material from the initial manure. Thus such algae or plants, or recycled nitrogen materials extracted from them, should not be concerned by the manure nitrogen spreading limits of the Nitrates Directive. The analyses suggest the same conclusion for e.g. ammonium salts recovered from offgases of manure storage or treatment.

ESPP comments that these legal analyses contribute to identifying obstacles and ambiguities in current EU regulation texts which can prevent or hinder nutrient circularity. However, even if these legal analyses suggest that recycling may be legal, companies and investors are unlikely to roll-out recycling technologies whenever there is doubt. Such questions need to be resolved by either modification of the regulatory text, a European Commission written document or by a European Court of Justice decision (this last option being slow and problematic).

“Legal Opinion on the Waste/Animal By Product (ABP) status of waste-derived algae with particular reference to the Animal Feeds Regulation”, Barry Love, Environmental Law Chambers, for ESPP, 4/11/2024 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

“Legal Opinion on the use in Animal Feed of inorganic phosphates recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash or from MSW incineration ash”, Barry Love, Environmental Law Chambers, for EasyMining, 4/11/2024 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Nutrient recovery

Culterra obtains EU fertilising products CE-mark

Culterra’s organic and organo-mineral fertilisers based on secondary raw materials, used in the retail and professional markets (https://www.culterra.com/com/appl.html), are now CE-mark certified and can be sold across Europe. The certification is module D1 certification for both production sites of Culterra, in The Netherlands and in Germany. The company has obtained CE-mark certification by the notified body EFCI under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) for its leading organic and organo-mineral fertilisers (PFC 1 A and PFC 1 B), soil -improvers (PFC 3A and PFC 3B) and Blends (PFC 7), using as component materials virgin materials (CMC 1), plant materials (CMC 2), food industry by-products (CMC 6), animal by-products (CMC 10) and industrial by-products (CMC 11). Culterra is also certified ISO-22000, ISO-9001 and Organic Farming input (under 834/2007) “Achieving CE certification underscores our commitment to providing safe, high-quality, and environmentally friendly solutions that fully meet our customers’ expectations,” says Leon Fock of Culterra.

“Culterra Holland gets CE certification for fertilisers ‐ press release - Culterra sets standard for safety and quality by achieving CE certificate”, January 2025 https://www.culterra.com/com/docs/Culterra%20CE%20marking%20-%20Press%20Release.pdf

EasyMining demonstrates iron recovery with Ash2Phos P-recovery process

In tests, over 90% of iron in sewage sludge incineration ash is recovered as high purity ferric chloride, recyclable in wastewater phosphorus, removal. This results in an iron depleted silicon sand. Pilot-scale tests several hundred kg input ash, 20 kg batches) have been carried out since 2022, funded by Re-Source (Sweden government innovation funding), with Feralco (iron coagulant producer) and Sydvatten (Southern Sweden Water company). The tests show that the recovered iron chloride offers quality equivalent to commercial iron coagulants and that the iron-depleted sand, which no longer has the characteristic rust red colour imparted by iron oxide, is compatible with use in concrete in construction. The iron recovery can be operated as an additional add-on to the Ash2Phos process which recovers over 90% of phosphorus in sewage sludge incineration ash (see ESPP Nutrient Recycling Technology Catalogue).

“New process maximises material recovery in water treatment plants”, EasyMining (Ragn-Sells group), 16^th October 2024.

Canada Biogas Association points to important role of digestate in nutrient recycling

50-page guide on digestate nutrient reuse and recovery from Canada Biogas Association explains the sustainability value of digestate nutrient recycling and presents and evaluates a range of technologies. Canada has nearly 300 biogas plants, processing two million tonnes of manure, crop residues, source separated domestic, commercial and industrial organic wastes. The concentration of livestock production and the linear produce – waste economy removes nutrients from agriculture, leading to a reliance on mineral fertilisers. Reuse and recycling of digestate nutrients contributes to the nutrient circular economy, sustainability and food security. This Guide, published as a supplement to the Canadian Digestate Management Guide, explains different levels of digestate processing and nutrient recycling technologies and provides cascade examples of different technology combinations. Technologies covered include solid-liquid separation (from simple screening or screw presses to flocculation, centrifuges and ultrafiltration), ammonia stripping and recovery, phosphate precipitation, production of organic fertilisers (concentration of liquids, drying of solids). Information given includes separation indices (for water, nitrogen, phosphorus …), output materials and streams, relative operating and capital costs and key benefits.

“Digestate Nutrient Reuse and Recovery Technology Summary”, Supplementary materials to the Canadian Digestate Management Guide, May 2024 https://www.biogasassociation.ca/images/uploads/documents/2024/resources/Digestate_Nutrient_Reuse_and_Recovery_Summary_May_2024.pdf

NEWTRIENT ‘Solutions Catalog’ evaluates over 500 dairy manure technologies

Working with farmers cooperatives NEWTRIENT evaluates manure treatment solutions on 9 criteria, including viability, costs and vendor information. The evaluations are published in NEWTRIENT’s online catalogue. NEWTRIENT’s members include leading US dairy cooperatives representing over 20 000 dairy farmers and half of US milk production as well as dairy industry innovation and trade associations. NEWTRIENT aims are to reduce dairy’s environmental footprint, meet nutrient management objectives and enable farmers to meet their business goals. Over 500 solutions are today evaluated including digester systems, composting, bedding management, energy systems, drying, evaporation, ammonia stripping, pyrolysis, additives, screw presses, centrifuges, nitrification-denitrification, ultrafiltration membranes, screens, phosphate precipitation, feed and manure additives, conservation practices, and service providers … NEWTRIENT also publishes regular news items presenting on-farm manure nutrient management implementation success stories.

NEWTRIENT www.newtrient.com See also ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter n°125.

ReLEAF questionnaire for farmers on bio-based fertilisers

The ReLEAF project (ESPP member) is conducting a survey to understand farmers’ knowledge, preferences, and priorities regarding bio-based fertilisers. The questionnaire is available in seven languages, and will be open until the 20^th February 2025. ESPP notes that such surveys have already been carried out by other EU-funded R&D projects, see e.g. Egan et al. in ESPP eNews n°78, Lex4Bio in ESPP eNews 74. A criticism of such surveys is that the answers are voluntary responses, resulting in result bias (mainly persons already informed or motivated will respond).

ReLEAF project questionnaire on farmers’ knowledge, preferences, and priorities regarding bio-based fertilisers: https://releafproject.eu/shaping-the-future-of-bio-based-fertilisers-share-your-insights/

Flashphos pilot P₄recovery pilot starts testing

The EU funded FlashPhos project (ESPP member) will soon start pilot tests for thermochemical recovery of elemental phosphorus (P₄) from dried sewage sludge (250 kg/h), see photos. The process will operate in three stages (project Conceptual Engineering Report D4.1 29/10/2021, page 13): production of dry sludge dust in a dryer-grinder ; flash conversion of dried, ground sewage sludge to produce heat and an intermediate slag ; then reduction of this slag in a refiner with a reducing agent (e.g. coke) to generate P₄ and a final slag. The aim is to valorise this final slag to cement production. Energy to heat the refiner will be provided by electricity. The aim of the project is to demonstrate the process in three pilot units, one for each stage. To date, the dryer-grinder pilot has been built and is operating at a sewage treatment plant. Gasification pre-tests have been performed using a lab tube furnace, 20 cm diameter, 2.5 m high to try out different reaction conditions and evaluate the effect of various additives. Also, synthesised slags intended to be similar to the final process slag have been tested for reactive properties relevant to use to cements. The Flash reactor and Refiner pilots have been constructed and are now nearing completion at ARP GmbH, Leoben, Austria (see photos and drawings), with a capacity of 250 kg/h of dried sewage sludge input. The FlashPhos project includes market and sustainability studies, so the usability of other side products (metal-containing ashes and ferrophos alloy) will be tested. FlashPhos can be seen as follow-up of the EU funded project RecoPhos (2012-2015, see SCOPE Newsletter n°136), in which a small pilot (10 kg/h) inductively heated coke bed reactor was developed and tested at the University of Leoben, Austria, to recover P₄ from sludge ash.

Flashphos (EU Horizon 2020 R&D project, 2021-2026), led by University of Stuttgart, with partners including ESPP member Italmatch: https://flashphos-project.eu

Research

Eutrophication – climate change link

Lakes and reservoirs are estimated to emit greenhouse gases equivalent to around one fifth of fossil fuel emissions. One-page summary of links between eutrophication (caused by nutrient losses) and climate change-driving methane emissions. Methane emissions from all inland waters (also including rivers) are estimated at around one fifth of total global methane emissions and increasing eutrophication is expected to cause these emissions to increase worldwide, maybe to double. At the same time, climate change is expected to accentuate eutrophication. The authors indicate that it is therefore important to reduce nutrient losses from sewage works and from agricultural land, including by nutrient management plans, improved irrigation and cropping, addressing soil erosion and dietary changes (lower meat and dairy consumption would mean less phosphorus losses from land producing animal feeds). Remediation of eutrophied lakes and rivers would also contribute to reducing methane emissions. Further research is needed to better understand how eutrophication contributes to aquatic methane emissions in different local conditions, and to identify effective mitigation measures.

“A critical eutrophication–climate change link”, M. Scholz et al., Nature Sustainability 2025 DOI.

Smart phone fluorescence quantification of inorganic phosphates

Lab tests demonstrate use of a fluorescence-emitting compound with a smartphone camera fluorescence analysis app to measure levels of inorganic phosphates in foods. A specifically designed Samarium (Sm, a lanthanide rare earth element) metal-organic framework compound (MOF) was synthetized, based on H₄DBB (1,3-di(3′,5′-dicarboxylphenyl)benzene). This gave fluorescence of somewhat different colours with soluble inorganic phosphate ions (PO₄^3-, H₂PO₄^- and (PO₃)₆⁶ and showed to be structurally stable, pH stable and water resistant. Synthetic ion solution tests showed that the Sm-DBB enabled rapid measurement of concentrations of these different inorganic phosphate ions and that results were not perturbed by presence of 35 different other ions, including halides, metals, organic ions, different nitrogen ions … Tests with food materials involved crushing three different foods (shrimps, marine fish, bacon), stirring with water, then centrifuging and membrane filtration. The Sm-DBB was mixed into the supernatant for initial tests. In a second stage, Sm-DBB test papers were prepared onto which the supernatant could be dripped and then fluorescence measured using a smartphone app (ColorCollect) under UV light.

“Smartphone-Assisted Fluorescence Determination of Inorganic Phosphorus Using a Samarium Metal−Organic Framework”, X. Zhou et al., Inorg. Chem 2025 DOI.

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Events, surveys

Workshops 21-22 January 2025: proposals for the EU Circular Economy Act and CAP

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: 5-7 March 2025

13^th March 2025: EU phosphorus “reuse & recycling” targets

June 2025, Bergen, nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries

Perspective from IPW10, August 2024

Survey

Circular Economy policy

Proposals for nutrients in the EU Circular Economy Act

Suez calls for market, policy and enforcement actions to support EU Circular Economy

ECOS: Circular Economy is part of wider resource, climate and pollution objectives

Ragn-Sells: rethink the Waste Hierarchy to enable the circular economy

50% reduction in animal protein needed for EU food system circularity

Stakeholders call for ambitious and holistic Circular Economy vision

Research project proposals for nutrient Circular Economy policies

ESPP new member

BETA Technological Center

EU continues fertilisers imports from Russia

1 billion € EU fertiliser imports indirectly subsidise Russia’s war against Ukraine

Regulatory

Revised EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive published

EGTOP proposes definition of “factory farming” for manure

Phosphorus and the EU Battery Recycling Regulation

Nutrient recovery

UK water industry prioritisation of resource recovery opportunities

Stay informed

ESPP members

Events, surveys

Workshops 21-22 January 2025: proposals for the EU Circular Economy Act and CAP

Register now for ESPP’s 2x one-day stakeholder workshops to define policy proposals for

nutrient recycling in the announced EU Circular Economy Act, and resource recovery from water treatment, agri-food streams and animal by-products. With the European Commission, ACR+, Suez, Eureau …
nutrient management and recycled nutrients in the EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) revision.

Two one-day meetings to develop proposals to input to the European Commission: Tuesday 21^st January (Circular Economy) and Wednesday 22^nd January (Common Agricultural Policy) January 2025, Brussels and online. Programme, registration: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/policy2025

Consult ESPP’s updated draft proposals for the EU Circular Economy Act: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/policy2025

To present your proposals at these workshops in Brussels, a very few slots are still available, contact outlining the input you wish to make.

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: 5-7 March 2025

5-7 March 2024, Saint Malo, France and online. To participate: pre-register here https://forms.office.com/e/D2RbpJZY57

13^th March 2025: EU phosphorus “reuse & recycling” targets

13^th March 2025. In Aquatech, Amsterdam RAI and online. Programme and registration https://phosphorusplatform.eu/AquatechWorkshop

Access to Aquatech is free by prior registration https://www.aquatechtrade.com/amsterdam

June 2025, Bergen, nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries

ESPP workshop, with partners in Norway and UNEP uPcycle, on nutrient management in aquaculture feed, seafood processing and fish sludge valorisation, Norway & online, June 2025 (dates tbc), covering nutrient flows, environmental best practice, phosphorus recycling, regulatory challenges. The workshop will contribute to the United Nations (UNEP) project uPcycle, leading to a UNEP white paper on phosphorus sustainability in aquaculture.

If you wish to contribute, please email indications of your organisation’s areas of interest, competence, possible content of presentation, to

Perspective from IPW10, August 2024

Some outcomes of the 10^th International Phosphorus Workshop in Dundee Scotland (IPW10), “phosphorus processes in catchments”, by Phil Haygarth, Lancaster University, UK. IPW10 was the 10^th in a series of meetings that started in Wexford Ireland in 1995. The IPW meetings are focused on the interactions of phosphorus between land (particularly agricultural land) and water and the dynamics between the two interfaces, as well as phosphorus sustainability and bio geochemical issues. IPW10 was organised by a team from the James Hutton Institute led by Marc Stutter and Sara Trojan, with 72 talks 29 posters, 3 plenary blocks, 12 topic sessions, 4 excursions, 3 workshops, 2 special sessions and a poster session. There were 115 attendees from 19 countries and it was pleasing to see a good gender balance, with. female and early career researchers prominent on the agenda and in positions of leadership. Key topics were:

phosphorus interactions with carbon and nitrogen cycles,
‘legacy’ phosphorus,
detecting and measuring change in catchments,
nature based solutions for phosphorus management,
challenges of alternative fertilisers
climate change effects on phosphorus processes.

I particularly wish to highlight the topic on climate change, which offered much lively debate and discussion. This is a contemporary, fascinating and meaningful topic, with high future relevance, for both the effects of phosphorus on climate and reciprocal effects of change and phosphorus.

Having had the privilege to attend all IPWs since inception, the IPW focus group and topic are a vibrant meeting space for the phosphorus community, particularly for Europe, but also attracting contributions worldwide.

The next and 11^th edition of IPW will take place in Denmark in 2027.

IPW10, the 26^th - 30^th August 2024 https://congresshub.uk/event/10th-international-phosphorus-workshop-ipw10/

IPW10 plans to lead to a special phosphorus science issue in the Journal of Environmental Quality

Survey

Survey on Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for bio-based fertilisers. The EU-funded R&D project Novafert would like to hear your opinion, in order to help shape the project’s proposals on PEFCR options.

Novafert survey, takes less than five minutes https://www.novafert.eu/survey-towards-product-category-rules-for-bio-based-fertilisers/

Circular Economy policy

Proposals for nutrients in the EU Circular Economy Act

The European Commission has announced a “Circular Economy Act”. Contribute to our joint stakeholder input. Draft proposals here for comment. Join the workshop to develop these proposals, Brussels & online, 21^st January 2025. ESPP’s draft proposals, for discussion, cover: overall policy objectives and coordination, market uptake of recycled nutrients, nutrients in the CAP (back-to-back CAP workshop, 22^nd January), waste regulations, pilot plants, animal by-products, animal feed, taxonomy, standards, the Critical Raw Materials Act, nutrient data.

Draft proposals and 21^st January workshop registration: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/policy2025

Suez calls for market, policy and enforcement actions to support EU Circular Economy

ESPP member, Suez, says the new EU Circular Economy Act should address market conditions for secondary raw materials because investments made in recycling facilities are today not able to turn at full speed. Key barriers identified are “dumping” imports of recycled materials, market prices of virgin materials lower than that of recycling, lack of financial incentives and insufficient control and implementation of regulatory obligations with absence of penalties when these are not met.

Specific actions proposed relevant to nutrient and organic recycling include:

Minimum recycled content requirement on final products
Investment support for recycling facilities
Harmonised European End-of-Waste criteria (exists today for fertilising products, but not for industrial uses of phosphorus or other elements)
Reduce micro-pollutants and apply the polluter payer principle to fund treatment
Improve monitoring of PFAS
Encourage water reuse alongside water use efficiency
Develop nutrient recycling from sewage sludge and sludge reuse in agriculture
Incentivise biomethane, using feed-in tariffs, by including biomethane and digestate in carbon credits and with use of digestates as fertilisers

“Circular Economy Act 2024. SUEZ’s comments and recommendations”, December 2024.

ECOS: Circular Economy is part of wider resource, climate and pollution objectives

Environmental NGO, ECOS (Environmental Coalition on Standards) position on Circular Economy emphasises a systems approach (narrow, slow, close, cycle, regenerate*) integrating waste prevention and resource management.

This requires EU policies to integrate a systems perspective and comprehensive transition, addressing both enablers and barriers to circularity, including new business models, lifestyle changes and cultural norms. ECOS calls for an EU target to reduce absolute consumption of resources, to keep the EU material footprint within the planetary boundaries of 5 t/capita/year (compared to nearly 15 t in 2022**) and an EU policy Sustainable Resource Management Framework. Waste prevention targets should be specified for different sectors and waste streams. The importance of avoiding toxic substances which can hinder recycling is underlined: ESPP notes that this is relevant for recycling of organics such as sewage biosolids or manure. ECOS makes proposals for the Ecodesign Regulation, including impacts of intermediates such as steel and chemicals used in manufacture, repairability and resale of products, market surveillance and enforcement in particular for online and import. ECOS makes specific proposals for plastics, textiles, vehicles, buildings and construction. For the bioeconomy, ECOS underlines the importance of cascading use, in particular avoiding combustion for energy of organic materials which can be valorised in other applications (material or agronomic value). ECOS recommends to better regulate green claims regarding recycling, to ensure that such claims take into account resource consumption and product lifetime, and calls for a "mandatory and unified”" EU approach to GPP (Green Public Procurement) to promote circularity and environmental performance.

* See e.g. “Circular ecosystem innovation: an initial set of principles”, Konietzko et al. 2020 DOI: Narrow = use less, Slow = use longer (durability, repair), Close = use again, Regenerate = make clean.

** Eurostat https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/europes-material-footprint .

“Recommendations for a Circular Economy Act”, ECOS, 12^th September 2024 HERE.

Ragn-Sells: rethink the Waste Hierarchy to enable the circular economy

Leading waste and recycling company makes proposals to revise the EU definition of waste and the Waste Hierarchy to ensure a fair market for recycled resources. Ragn-Sells (ESPP member) is the leading waste management company in Scandinavia, actively developing a range of material recovery and recycling value chains. The company calls for a paradigm shift – from waste to resources - a new society approach, considering waste as a sustainable resource, requires extensive reforms of legislation and taxes. The overall objective of policy should not be the reduction of waste but the reduction of natural resource extraction and this should be the first principle of a revised Waste Hierarchy. To support this, mining and extraction wastes should be subject to the same landfill taxes as ‘waste’, with some form of Border Adjustment Mechanism for imported products containing virgin resources. To ensure a fair market, secondary raw materials should be subject to the same regulations as virgin raw materials. In particular, standards and authorisations should be based on material quality, not origin. A further key principle, currently missing from the Waste Hierarchy, is the avoidance of toxic contaminants which are an obstacle to reuse and recycling and the Polluter Pays Principle to ensure that those introducing contaminants into material cycles cover full costs of their removal and treatment.

Ragn-Sells suggests to replace the current EU definition of waste (something which the holder discards, intends or is obliged to discard) by:
- no economic value
- no information on content, so preventing recycling
- containing contaminants preventing recycling
- illegal or unsuitable for recycling

Ragn-Sells calls to replace the Waste Hierarchy with a policy which aims to reduce the need to extract virgin resources. Current ‘recycling targets’ often fail to do this because they do not include the requirement to replace consumption of virgin materials, so that use as ‘bulking’ in construction materials or landscaping can ‘count’ as recycling. Targets should instead be defined as % of recycled content in used materials. Recycling targets should ensure that recovered materials have a market to replace virgin materials, and that contaminants are removed from the cycle. Also, production of waste should not be penalised when resulting from depollution activities (water treatment, offgas treatment). Regulations banning uses of recycled materials, because of their origin, should be not applicable when safety and quality comparable to virgin materials is demonstrated (examples: current exclusion of cat.1 animal by-product ashes, potassium from waste incineration ashes, nutrients from aquaculture fish sludges, from EU fertilisers; EU exclusion of purified minerals from sewage or manure ashes in animal feed).

The correct action should not be fixed by today’s rigid Waste Hierarchy, instead the condition of the resource should decide what is the best treatment method. This approach can for example consider waste incineration plants with energy recovery as detoxification and resource hubs when valuable resources that are contaminated need to be extracted, whereas at present they are the always the second-to-last option in the Waste Hierarchy. Incineration eliminates organic contaminants, concentrates mineral resources and enables removal of heavy metal contaminants. CO₂ should also be treated as a potential resource, with CCU (carbon capture and use) policies that enable production of raw materials from urban flows where captured CO₂ is a needed component.

“From waste to resource plants: The need for a paradigm shift in principles and policies”, Ragn-Sells 17^th June 2024.

“Ragn-Sells’ view on Circular Economy”, 2023 (12 pages) https://www.ragnsells.com/globalassets/ragnsells.com/documents/ragn-sells-view-on-circular-economy2023.pdf

50% reduction in animal protein needed for EU food system circularity

Researchers suggest a circular EU food system could reduce farmed land surface by over 70% (or increase food exports) and per capita greenhouse emissions by 30%. A “radical redesign” of the livestock sector is needed. Total livestock production would be reduced with diets shifting from 60:40 animal:plant protein currently to 35:65, and total diet protein intake would decrease from c. 100 to 60- 80 g/person/day (ETA-Lancet guideline is 64g: see ESPP eNews n°48), that is a -50% reduction in per capita animal protein in diet. Animals are however needed for circularity, in particular dairy and aquaculture fish. The necessity of crop rotations, to ensure soil fertility, would require significant changes in agricultural practice, and also drives production of nitrogen-fixing fodder crops. Because lower animal numbers would reduce manure available for fertilisation, nutrient recycling from waste streams would be essential, in particular phosphorus from sewage. This would be inadequate for crop production and mineral fertilisers would continue to be needed. Mineral P fertiliser use is estimated at around half current use in the scenario where agricultural land use is reduced, up to around +50% more than current use in the scenario where land is used to produce food for export. Circularity of the food system is thus coherent with considerably reducing land use (enabling biodiversity restoration) and per capita greenhouse emissions reductions, as well as healthier diets, but requires changes across all components of the agriculture, food and recycling system.

“Circularity in Europe strengthens the sustainability of the global food system”, H. Van Zanten et al., Nature Food, 2023 DOI.

“Circularity in animal production requires a change in the EAT-Lancet diet in Europe”, B. van Selm et al., Nature Food, 2022 DOI.

“The role of farm animals in a circular food system”, H. van Zanten et al., Global Food Security, 2019 DOI.

See also Hannah van Zanten in ESPP eNews n°62 and ongoing updates to this work at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wolfram-Simon

Stakeholders call for ambitious and holistic Circular Economy vision

Joint open letter signed by 14 organisations calls to move focus from waste management to resource use reduction and for policies including tax shifts and trade tariffs (CBAM), extension of EPR, public procurement, safe chemicals. The signature NGOs and business organisations * underline that despite the European Commission’s first and second Circular Economy Action Plans, EU overall circular material use rate has stagnated (10.7% in 2010, 11.5% in 2022**) and call for policy to address materials and resources, rather than focussing only on waste management, with binding EU resource use reduction targets on material and consumption footprints. They call for high-level policy coordination, suggesting having a dedicated European Commissioner for Circular Economy. Specific policy proposals include:

Shifting tax burden from jobs to raw materials (see also Ex’Tax proposals in ESPP eNews n°6),
Include Circular Economy criteria in trade policy, for example by extending the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) to cover raw materials resource intensity in imported products,
Improve Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), to focus on prevention, recyclability, recycled content and high quality recycling,
Binding and qualitative targets for product lifetime, reuse and repair,
Policies for a circular single market, referring to Enrico Letta’s report for Council, April 2024, which proposes
- ensure a level playing field for circular materials, products and services, e.g. by digital product passports, Ecodesign,
- stimulate demand for circular material, e.g. by recycled content requirements
- EU End-of-Waste criteria and harmonisation of waste classifications across Member States
- standards for circular products and materials (European standards organisations)
- use of biomass for high value applications such as materials and chemicals
- challenges and opportunities in the water sector
- financial support, e.g. EU Innovation Fund, European Investment Bank
- more European, more competitive public procurement with clear social value goals (not only ‘lowest price’)
Public Procurement: update the EU Public Procurement Directive 2014/24 to include circular economy incentives and penalties
Support the actions of local and regional authorities. See proposals of the Circular Cities Frontrunner Group:
- support city and region actions, particularly with funding for scale-up (beyond pilots) and support for capacity building
- binding EU material footprint and material circularity targets
- fiscal shift away from linear tax systems
- public procurement support of circular businesses
- de-risk private investment in circularity
EU financial investment support for prevention, re-use and recycling
Safety: implement the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability measures to phase out chemicals susceptible to hinder recycling
Implementation of policies and actions against non-compliance

* Signatory stakeholders: Business for a Better Tomorrow, rreuse, Institut cirkulární ekonomiky, Changing Markets Foundation, ECOS (Environmental Coalition on Standards), CSCP (Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production), New ERA (European Reuse Alliance), ACR+ (Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management), EEB (European Environmental Bureau), Zero Waste Europe, Reloop, Circle Economy Foundation, Fair Resource Foundation,

** European Environment Agency https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/circular-material-use-rate-in-europe

Joint open letter to the new European Commission, 4^th November 2024: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Circular-economy-open-letter-to-MEPs-04.11.2024.docx.pdf

“Much more than a market: speed, security, solidarity. Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU Citizens”, Enrico Letta for European Council April 2024, 147 pages https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/ny3j24sm/much-more-than-a-market-report-by-enrico-letta.pdf

“Open Letter from the Circular Cities Frontrunner Group. Accelerate the circular economy for a prosperous and competitive Europe”, Amsterdam, Vittoria-Gasteiz, Milano, Turku, Copenhagen, Leuven, Malmö, Porto, 1^st October 2024 https://openresearch.amsterdam/image/2024/9/30/circular_cities_advocacy_group_letter_and_attachment_final.pdf

Research project proposals for nutrient Circular Economy policies

Analysis for ESPP identifies over 40 policy proposals made by R&D projects, covering a range of EU regulations, markets for recycled nutrients, stakeholder engagement and research. Over 600 R&D projects were contacted and 26 relevant policy proposal documents were identified from more than 20 R&D projects then grouped by theme or object. Most identified proposals concern EU policies and regulations including the Common Agricultural Policy and Organic Farming, EU Fertilising Products Regulation, water and waste regulations and overall policy (INMAP, Circular Economy). Proposals supported by a significant number of projects include: simplifying acceptance of recycled nutrients under EU and national fertilisers regulations ; developing an official definition of “bio-based fertilisers” ; providing policy, regulatory and/or financial market support for recycled nutrients. Beyond these shared trends, the analysis shows a rich variety of proposals across various themes from the different R&D projects.

Further comments and input to this document are welcome if there are R&D project policy proposal documents have been missed, or policy recommendations which are not included.

“Summary of R&D project policy proposals on nutrient circular economy”, Daniel Frank www.danielfrank-communications.com for ESPP, 2 January 2024. Document online here: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/policy2025

This analysis will be presented at ESPP’s stakeholder workshop on proposals for the EU Circular Economy Act, 21^st January, Brussels and online: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/policy2025

ESPP new member

BETA Technological Center

The mission of BETA Technological Center is to improve the competitiveness and the quality of life of rural societies. Sustainable nutrient management is an important topic for BETA TC’s actions. BETA TC participates in and leads national and International research projects and cooperation with companies, public administrations and social entities. BETA TC offers a wide range of innovative solutions and services, through applied research and development in seven complementary fields of expertise:

Environmental Technologies and Circular Bioeconomy,
Applied Ecology and Global Change,
Sustainable Food & Farming Systems,
Sustainability Accounting and Optimization,
Green Digital Transition,
Governance for Sustainability,
Knowledge Transfer and territorial-sectorial projects.

One of the main topics targeted by BETA is the sustainable nutrient management. In this regard, we are working with the valorisation of nutrient-rich by-products to produce bio-based fertilisers that can substitute synthetic fertilisers, promoting a sustainable and low-emission agri-food system. Through advanced technologies, we monitor and optimise the use of nutrients to ensure environmental, economic and social balance in agricultural systems.

BETA TC is excited to become a member of ESPP because this offers unique opportunities for networking with different stakeholders working on sustainable phosphorus management. ESPP is organises and promotes relevant events and initiatives, enabling meaningful discussions and collaborations, and its joint document discussions foster collective progress on critical issues. Being part of ESPP allows us to access valuable knowledge and insights from leading experts, to enhance our efforts in phosphorus sustainability and align with best practices in the field.

https://betatechcenter.com/

EU continues fertilisers imports from Russia

1 billion € EU fertiliser imports indirectly subsidise Russia’s war against Ukraine

Fertilizers Europe (ESPP member) says EU policies have led to increased fertiliser imports from Russia since 2021. Hundreds of millions of € of European taxpayers’ money, via CAP payments, are indirectly funding Putin’s war. The biggest EU importers of Russian fertilisers are Poland, France and Germany. The EU has exempted fertilisers from sanctions or tariffs on Russian imports, whereas European fertiliser production is heavily penalised by high natural gas and phosphate rock prices. The EU fertilisers industry is being driven to closure, and European farmers are increasingly dependent on Russia. The European Commission confirms that Russian fertiliser imports are today significantly higher than before Russia attacked Ukraine (see ESPP eNews n°92). Fertilizers Europe states that EU imports of urea from Russia have more than doubled since 2021 whereas much of the EU’s ammonia production is still today shut down (over 2/3 of European production was shut down in 2021). This situation makes the EU dependent on Russia for fertilisers, and if it continues and leads to permanent fertiliser industry closures in Europe, will make the EU dependent on Russia for food supply.

In 2023, Russia introduced a 10% export duty on fertilisers, and in 2024 a special tax on profits. The Moscow Times says that EU imports of Russian fertilisers were 1.1 bn € in 2024, so export duty collected by the Russian government would be 110 M€. Fertilizers Europe estimates that Russia’s fertilisers industry contributes 600 M€ to the Putin administration’s special tax on profits. ESPP notes that a significant part of EU farmers’ income comes from EU CAP subsidies* so that part of these tariffs and taxes collected by the Russian government is coming from the EU public finances. The 1.1 bn€ Europe is paying for Russian fertilisers is around 2% of the EU’s annual CAP budget of 54 bn€ and around 1% of the total EU budget. EU dependency on Russian fertilisers is also increasing greenhouse emissions, because European fertiliser producers have significantly lower emissions per tonne production than imports, and because Russian urea is replacing fertilisers with lower nitrogen losses in use.

Fertilizers Europe calls on the EU to change its policies to support EU fertiliser production, in order to enable fertiliser supply to EU farmers at accessible prices, without dependency on Russian imports and without funding Russia’s war against Ukraine, and to support EU fertilisers producers in moving away from natural gas production of ammonia (Haber Bosch) to green ammonia (from renewable electricity). ESPP underlines that supporting recycled fertilisers (N and P) and nutrient recycling would also contribute to these objectives.

“Beyond gas. The risks of fertilizer dependence for the EU” and “EU imports of Russian fertilizer financing the war”, Fertilizers Europe website, December 2024 https://www.fertilizerseurope.com/beyond-gas-the-risks-of-fertilizer-dependence-for-eu/

“Russian Fertilizer Exports to EU Jump 43% Year-on-Year”, Moscow Times, 9^th October 2024 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/10/09/russian-fertilizer-exports-to-eu-jump-43-year-on-year-a86633

“Supporting European farmers’ incomes through Common Agricultural Policy direct aids: facts and questions”, V. Chatellier, H. Guyomard, Rev Agric Food Environ Stud 104, 87–99 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41130-023-00192-8 or https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04044282/document

Regulatory

Revised EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive published

Recast Directive requires sewage phosphorus “reuse and recycling rates” to be defined by January 2028, evaluation of nitrogen recovery by 2033, fixes more stringent P and N discharge limits, addresses contaminants in sewage. The new Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 2024/3019 effectively replaces the 1991/271 UWWT Directive. The Commission estimated that the Directive proposal would add c. 2.3% to water tariffs (see ESPP eNews n°71).

The recast Directive requires that sewage phosphorus reuse and recovery rates be fixed as follows (art. 20):

“The Commission shall adopt … by 2 January 2028 … delegated act … (to specify) a combined minimum reuse and recycling rate for phosphorus from sludge and from urban wastewater not reused … taking into account available technologies, resources and the economic viability of phosphorus recovery as well as the phosphorus content of the sludge and the level of saturation of the national market with organic phosphorus from other sources while ensuring that there is safe sludge management and no adverse impact on the environment or human health.”

Concerning N-recovery, art. 30 specifies, as one of ten questions to be addressed in the evaluation of the Directive by the Commission by 31^st December 2033: “the feasibility and appropriateness of setting Union minimum reuse and recycling rates for nitrogen from sludge or from urban wastewater, or both”

Other important changes from the existing 1991/271 UWWT Directive, relevant to nutrients, include:

More stringent discharge limits for phosphorus and nitrogen (art. 7 and Annex I):
- 0.5 / 0.7 mgP_total/l or 90% / 87.5% P removal, for wwtps > 10 000 / 150 000 p.e. (was 1-2 mgl/ or 80%),
- 8 / 10 mgN/l or 80% N removal (was 10-15 mg/l or 70-80%),
- these limits would be applicable (as before) to all wwtps > 10 000 p.e. in eutrophication Sensitive Areas (art. 7.3),
but additionally would be applicable to all wwtps > 150 000 p.e. even if not in Sensitive Areas (art. 7.1),
- the concept of Less Sensitive Areas is abolished (previously required less treatment).
“Energy neutral” by 2040 (art. 11). Energy neutrality is defined as “total renewable energy produced at wwtps” versus total energy used by the plants. Calculation is as a national total, not per wwtp, and covers all wwtp > 10 000 p.e. The possibility of waste water treatment reaching climate neutrality will be evaluated by 2033 (art. 30).
Collection and secondary treatment of wastewater for all agglomerations > 1 000 p.e. (was 2 000 p.e.) (art. 3.2, 6.3).
A new concept of “Quaternary treatment” is introduced. (art. 8 and Annex I). This requires at least 80% removal of indicator organic pollutants. It would be obligatory for all wwtps > 150 000 p.e. and for all wwtps > 10 000 p.e where a pollution risk is identified, or discharging into bathing waters, etc.
“Extended producer responsibility” (EPR, art. 9 & 10 and Annex III) will be implemented for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics only, such that companies placing these on the market must cover the full costs of monitoring and quaternary treatment. Possible extension of EPR to other products (micropollutants in urban wastewater) will be evaluated by 2033 (art. 30).
The Commission will develop and adopt by 2027 methodologies for measuring microplastics in wastewater and in sludge, and PFAS in wastewater, and then these must to be monitored in wwtps > 10 000 p.e. (art. 21).
Promote water reuse, taking appropriately into account nutrient management (art. 15).
A new concept of “Integrated urban wastewater management plans” is obligatory for all agglomerations > 100 000 p.e. and all > 10 000 p.e. where stormwater or urban runoff meet certain conditions (art. 5, Annex V).
New definitions of “sludge”, “micro-pollutant”, “antimicrobial resistance”, “tertiary treatment”, “quaternary treatment” … and modified definitions of “urban wastewater”, “domestic wastewater”, “non-domestic wastewater’ (replaces and widens the definition of “industrial wastewater”). The definition of “appropriate treatment” disappears (was previously required for smaller wwtp) (art. 2).

NOTE: the above obligations are the final requirement in the future, at specified date deadlines, with in some cases intermediate levels fixed for certain date horizons and/or certain exemptions. The articles/annexes cited refer to the new Directive 2024/3019 (not to the numbering in the 1991/271 Directive). The above is in many cases a simplification, please refer to the published Directive legal text for precise detail.

ESPP welcomes this new Directive as ambitious and pragmatic to continue to improve Europe’s water quality, to further limit phosphorus and nitrogen losses, to move towards the nutrient Circular Economy and to address emerging pollutants, in particular PFAS, pharmaceuticals and micro-plastics.

EU Directive “concerning urban wastewater treatment” 2024/3019 of 27^th November 2024. European Commission website: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/urban-wastewater_en Full Directive legal text: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202403019https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202403019

EGTOP proposes definition of “factory farming” for manure

The EU expert committee has proposed criteria for the acceptance of manure and other animal by-product (ABP) derived fertilisers in certified Organic Farming. The Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production (EGTOP) was requested by Member States and the European Commission to advise of the current wording “factory farming origin forbidden” in Regulation 2012/1165 (list of products and substances for use in Organic Farming) which limits use of recycled nutrients from manures and other ABPs from conventional farming. EGTOP notes “the need and demand to compensate for “exporting” and loosing nutrients from the farm and to compensate by “importing” external organic fertilisers from animal husbandry and/or recycled by-products and waste seems necessary to close the nutrient cycle and to maintain plant yields in organic farms”. EGTOP reviewed a range of criteria for livestock production methods, such as farm size (livestock numbers), slatted floors, air quality, feedstuff origin, animal pharmaceuticals, animal ‘longevity’, energy use, but concluded for simple set of criteria for the present, whilst recommending possible future criteria separating between stable / space / fresh air barn / outdoor run / Organic.

For the present, EGTOP recommends to replace the “factory farming” wording by criteria based on the origin of the material (that is, criteria concerning the livestock farms producing the manure or ABP), the processing the material has undergone and the application rate (on the use Organic farm). That is, materials from

farms using lifelong caging: not allowed
non-Organic farms, animal husbandry method unknown: unprocessed material = not allowed, material composted or digested according to requirements of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation CMC 3 or 5: 100 kgN/ha/y
non-Organic farms, known to not use lifelong caging: unprocessed = 125 kgN/ha/y, composted or processed as above = 170 kgN/y
from Organic farms, processed or not: 170 kgN/ha/y

The Opinion suggests that these criteria should apply to all ABP materials currently listed in 2012/1165 as authorised for use as fertilisers in certified Organic Farming: manures, egg shells, recovered struvite and precipitated phosphates, specified animal by-products. ESPP notes that “Composted or fermented household waste” (i.e. from food waste or biowaste), which is authorised in the Organic Farming regulations 2012/1165 without the specification “Factory farming origin forbidden”, is presumably not concerned by this EGTOP Opinion despite probably containing non-Organic origin animal by-products.

ESPP welcomes this proposal which is clear, pragmatic and feasible to implement and verify, and which will open opportunities of appropriate recycling of manure and ABP nutrients in Organic Farming, resolving the current exclusion of such nutrient recycling by unclear and variable interpretation of the current “factory farming” wording. ESPP hopes that this EGTOP proposal can be rapidly integrated by the European Commission into the EU Organic Farming regulations.

EGTOP Opinion “Criteria for the use of animal-derived fertilisers form conventional farming replacing the term ‘factory farming’”, adopted 10^th June 2025, HERE.

Phosphorus and the EU Battery Recycling Regulation

ESPP has written to the European Commission requesting that phosphorus should be included in battery recycling obligations because it is a Critical Raw Material and use in batteries is becoming significant with roll-out of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries = LFP (see ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter n°151).

The EU Battery Recycling Regulation 2023/1542 does not refer specifically to phosphorus, but includes in Annex VI the obligation for EU Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), that labelling must indicate CRMs present at > 0.1% by weight. This concerns both phosphorus (the element in any form = the EU CRM “Phosphate Rock”) and P4 derivates (the EU CRM “Phosphorus”). The Battery Recycling Directive specifies in Annex XII overall recycling targets by % total weight of the battery (“rate of recycling efficiency”, Annex XII part B) and specific material recovery targets for five elements (Annex XII part C): cobalt**, copper**, lithium**, nickel** and lead. The first four of these are on the EU Critical and Strategic Raw Materials List, lead is not.

A draft ‘daughter’ Delegated Regulation defining calculation methods for the battery recycling required and defined (in point 3) calculation for the five specific materials (Annex XII part C of 2023/1542) and (in point 2) calculation for the % of total weight recycling (Annex XII part B of 2023/1542). For this calculation of the “rate of recycling efficiency”, the draft text (point 2-5) indicates that “Oxygen, carbon from carbon sources at cell level, iron from iron sources at cell level, phosphorus, chlorine, and sulphur may be taken into account …”. However, the tables specifying what must be documented for the rate of recycling efficiency and recovery of materials (points 7 and 9 of the draft) specifies: cobalt**, copper**, lithium**, nickel**, manganese**, aluminium, phosphorus*, chlorine, sulphur, iron (steel) and oxygen.

ESPP suggests that Annex XII of 2023 Battery Recycling Regulation should be modified to add phosphorus to the list of five elements with specific recycling targets, because ‘Phosphate Rock’ is an EU Critical Raw Material and because Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries is today the dominant battery technology (electric vehicles and grid storage). ESPP also suggests that, in the proposed ‘daughter’ Regulation (defining calculation methods), the currently proposed wording of point 2: “may be taken into account” (optional ?) is very unclear and does not correspond to the wording of the tables in points 7 and 9 which seem to specify certain elements as obligatory, and that the lists of elements in point 2 and points 7 and 9 are not coherent. ESPP suggests that phosphorus should necessarily be taken into account in calculating the “rate of recycling efficiency” if present at >0.1% of total weight (in coherence with the labelling requirement of 2023/1542 Annex VII). This is important because both via purified phosphoric acid and P4 derivatives are essential for different battery components: fire safety of plastics and composites (battery casings, structures, electrical insulation, cables and connectors, cell separator membranes), cathode materials (LFP batteries), organic electrolytes of lithium ion batteries (lithium fluoro phosphate).

Draft Delegated Regulation “supplementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 … by establishing the methodology for calculation and verification of rates for recycling efficiency and recovery of materials from waste batteries, and the format for the documentation”, public consultation October 2024 (closed) here.

** = on EU lists of Critical and Strategic Raw Materials; * = on EU list of Critical Raw Materials, as specified in the EU Critical Raw Materials Act 2024/1252, Annexes I and II.

Nutrient recovery

UK water industry prioritisation of resource recovery opportunities

UKWIR identifies existing flows (grit, fats-greases, heat) as first option; phosphorus and nitrogen as aligned to core business and with technology available; and possible opportunities for CO₂, cellulose, biochar/HTC and hydrogen. This 150 page report by UK Water Industry Research (the UK water industry’s joint research organisation) is developed to provide input to the UK government’s national bioresources strategy and to prioritise resource recovery opportunities from wastewaters. It is based on input from all the UK water companies, a workshop with over 40 stakeholders and interview with a dozen organisations. This concluded that priority objectives are environmental and net zero climate impacts of processes, circularity and nutrient management/soil health. 79 possible materials potentially recoverable from wastewater were screened: sludge, liquors or gases was considered, including various nutrients (P, N, S, metals), biogas, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, iron phosphate, various forms of organics (biochars, algae, biodiesel, cellulose, chitosan, VFAs*, PLA*, vanillin, and others) … The report assesses: technological readiness level for recovery processes, purity of recovered resource, potential markets (applications, market access, prices) and compatibility with existing assets (current wastewater treatment plants). Conclusions are that the first priority is to optimise valorisation of flows already separated: grit, screenings (separated by large-grid wastewater inflow screens, use: composting or pyrolysis), ashes (use in construction or road foundations), FOG (fats, oils and greases, uses: refining to lubricants, anaerobic digestion, combustion to energy) as well as heat. Phosphorus and ammonia recovery “should be undertaken”, because considered as aligned to the core business function of wastewater treatment and because viable technologies are available. Potential uses for phosphorus are identified only as fertiliser, or phosphoric acid for fertiliser production. Potential uses for ammonia are identified as fertilisers, chemical manufacture or compressed ammonia as a fuel. Other potentially interesting resources cited are carbon dioxide (by membrane separation from biogas from sludge anaerobic digesters, where this is upgraded to biomethane), cellulose and possible pyrolysis/HTC materials (biochars, hydrochars). Hydrogen production may in the future be preferable to biogas production. Key noted questions for future implementation include possible pressures on current valorisation of sewage biosolids to agriculture, regulatory challenges (e.g. end-of-waste status), markets for recovered resources and government policies.

“Response to national bioresources strategy – prioritisation of resource recovery opportunities”, UKWIR (UK Water Industry Research”, Report Ref. No. 24/SL/12/06, ISBN 978-1-83872-004-9, 2024 https://ukwir.org/water-industry-research-reports

VFA = volatile fatty acid. PLA = polylactic acid

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Events

19 December 14h: ESPP General Assembly

21-22 January 2025: proposals for the new EU Circular Economy Act and CAP

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: 5-7 March 2025

13^th March 2025: EU phosphorus “reuse & recycling” targets

June 2025, Bergen, nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries

Call for abstracts: Ramiran

Call for experts

Policy

Proposals for EU Circular Economy Act

Revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive validated

Norway assessing safety of sewage sludge use in agriculture

ESPP asks for EU safety assessment of phosphates from ash for animal feed

Phosphorus in COP29 Ragn-Sells workshops

ESPP calls for Critical Raw Material Act action for phosphorus

Fertilisers

EU Fertilisers Expert Group meeting 26-27 November 2024

Call for data and examples on certain recycled nutrient streams

CEN call for experts and for laboratories

EU rules for national nutrient statistics

Cheap fertilizers from Russia - a threat to the EU economy

ESPP new Members

CleanMatter - phosphorus recovery by electrolysis

SYNECO

Politecnico di Milano

Wien Energie

Stay informed

ESPP members

Events

19 December 14h: ESPP General Assembly

ESPP General Assembly (members only). ESPP actions 2025, budget 2025, ESPP positions on Circular Economy Act, Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive phosphorus reuse and recycling targets.
Online. Contact

21-22 January 2025: proposals for the new EU Circular Economy Act and CAP

Registration is open for ESPP’s back-to-back one-day stakeholder workshops to define joint policy proposals for

nutrient recycling under the announced EU Circular Economy Act, and resource recovery from water treatment, agri-food streams and animal by-products
nutrient management and recycled nutrients in the EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) upcoming revision.

The new EU Circular Economy Act is under preparation. This will follow the second Circular Economy Action Plan (March 2020), but is expected to be a Regulation and not simply a Commission plan (see mission letter for the new Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy). This means that it could include changes to existing Regulations (e.g. waste, chemicals, industry site permitting, animal by-products) and that it will be discussed by and possibly amended by Council (Member States) and European Parliament. ESPP aims to develop ambitious policy proposals.

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: 5-7 March 2025

Can intensive livestock be more phosphorus efficient than extensive or organic farming ? Looking at P flows, P efficiency in feed, P-recycling, best nutrient management practices. UNEP uPcycle workshop, organised by BETA Technology Centre (University of Vic), with ESPP, hosted by Cooperl (the Brittany pig farm cooperative) and Roullier (feed and fertilisers). With site visits to the Minerallium (chemistry of minerals and phosphates), Roullier fertiliser and feed production and research, Cooperl experimental livestock technology research farm and Cooperl’s manure and animal by-product reprocessing to energy and organic fertilisers. This workshop will be limited to 60 participants, with representatives of livestock farmers organisations, meat and dairy processers and distribution, animal feed industries, with selected experts from science and from P recycling.

5-7 March 2024, Saint Malo, France and online. To participate: pre-register here https://forms.office.com/e/D2RbpJZY57

13^th March 2025: EU phosphorus “reuse & recycling” targets

Workshop In Aquatech, Amsterdam RAI, on the revised EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, coagulants (iron/aluminium salts), phosphorus removal and P “reuse and recycling” targets. How can coagulants contribute to achieving the revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive P-removal requirements? Impacts of coagulant use on Fe/Al concentrations in sewage sludge, on sludge digestion and methane production. Fe/Al and crop P availability in sewage sludge (phosphorus “reuse”) and in sewage sludge biochars/hydrochars. Impacts of Fe/Al in sludge on P-recovery processes: in sewage works, from sewage sludge ash. Routes to increase P-recovery rates in P-recovery upstream of sludge valorisation in cement production.

13^th March 2025. In Aquatech, Amsterdam RAI and online. Programme and registration https://phosphorusplatform.eu/AquatechWorkshop
Access to Aquatech is free by prior registration https://www.aquatechtrade.com/amsterdam
See ESPP first workshop on iron-phosphate interactions (2020) www.phosphorusplatform.eu/scope138

June 2025, Bergen, nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries

If you wish to contribute, please email indications of your organisation’s areas of interest, competence, possible content of presentation, to

Call for abstracts: Ramiran

Europe’s leading manure conference, Ramiran, (since 1978) will take place 15-17 October 2025, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Call for abstracts is open to 15^th February 2025. Ramiran 2025 will cover the following aspects of manure management: agronomic value, greenhouse emissions, air quality, water quality, soil quality, integral analysis, policy and regulation. Field visits: research farm, dairy farm.

Ramiran 2025: www.ramiran2025.nl
Summary of Ramiran 2023 in ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter n°149.

Call for experts

WaterEurope, the organisation for the promotion of water innovation, research and technology, is looking for participants for its Expert Groups, including “Resource Recovery”. Deadline 16^th December 2024.

“Water Europe launches its new Collaboration Matrix”, Water Europe, 25^th November 2024.

Policy

Proposals for EU Circular Economy Act

Contribute to ESPP’s draft joint stakeholder proposals for the announced EU Circular Economy Act. Download the current draft proposals and submit your comments to ESPP by email or at the workshop 21^st January 2025 (Brussels & online).

https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/policy2025

Revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive validated

The revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive has been finally validated by Council and Parliament, including the introduction of “Phosphorus reuse and recycling targets”, and is pending publication in the EU Official Journal. The revised Directive was voted and approved in European Council 5^th November and was validated by European Parliament in October (formal consultation, no comments so no vote). The revised Directive includes: phosphorus reuse & recycling targets, to be defined within 3 years from Directive publication, feasibility study on N reuse and recovery (by 2033, tighter P and N discharge limits, urban wastewater systems to achieve “energy neutrality”, quaternary treatment (removal of organic contaminants) with Extended Producer Responsibility (initially for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics only), water use, microplastics measurement …

Revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive: European Council Press release and votes - final agreed text https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/PE-85-2024-INIT/en/pdf
ESPP is workshop on the requirements of the revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for phosphorus removal and recycling, 13^th March 2025 within Aquatech, Amsterdam RAI + online (Aquatech is the world’s largest professional event on water, with 20 000 participants)

Norway assessing safety of sewage sludge use in agriculture

Norway Food Safety Agency (NFSA) has commissioned a study into health and environment safety of use of sewage sludge as a fertilising product, to conclude by end 2025. Currently 50 – 60% of Norway’s sewage sludge is applied to land, with wide variations between regions. The study is carried out by VKM (Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and the Environment) and will update a previous study by VKM (2009) and will not address copper & zinc, cadmium and heavy metals (covered in other studies, 2014, 2009, 2022). It will cover sewage sludge, digested, solid/liquid separated, dried, pelletised, thermal hydrolysis, pyrolysis (biochars), ashes and struvites, and specifically what conditions (e.g. temperature, time) are needed for pyrolysis and combustion to eliminate contaminants. The study will examine which contaminants are susceptible to be present in sewage sludge and in these different sludge processing materials, including with implementation of stricter waste water treatment works discharge consents, and at their risks, including possible ‘cocktail’ effects. It will address use in agriculture, including on crops, grassland grazed by livestock, vegetable, fruit and berries, in particular looking at the safe time between application and grazing/harvesting.

“Sewage sludge as a fertilizer and soil conditioner”, VKM HERE and “Risk assessment of contaminants in sewage sludge used as fertilising product - fate and effects in the food chain and the environment in Norway” HERE. Study delivery: end 2025.

ESPP asks for EU safety assessment of phosphates from ash for animal feed

ESPP has requested the European Commission to engage an official safety assessment of use in animal feed of purified calcium phosphates from sewage sludge incineration ash. More widely, ESPP asks that EU Animal By-Products (ABP) and Animal Feed regulations be updated to better enable nutrient recycling whilst guaranteeing safety. This is coherent with joint positions taken by a number of industry federations from the animal feed, fertilisers and rendering sectors (links below). Appropriate regulatory changes, subject to safety assessment, could be included in the announced EU Circular Economy Act. Specifically concerning the exclusions of sewage and manures irrespectively of further processing in the Animal Feed Regulation (Annex III of 767/2009), ESPP requests “reconsidering these exclusions for recovered purified mineral nutrient products, on condition that the heat and/or chemical processing ensures removal of organics and contaminants and so guarantees safety”, for example recovery from incineration ashes or from offgases. For the case of EasyMining purified calcium phosphates recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash, a safety assessment has been carried out by the Swedish National Veterinary Authority (SVA) and concludes that pathogen risk is negligible (see ESPP eNews n°84). ESPP proposes that the European Commission consider requesting a safety assessment from EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) to follow the currently ongoing EFSA assessment of prion (BSE) risk of Cat.1 ABP ash use as fertiliser (link below).

“ABPs and nutrient circularity”, ESPP letter to European Commission, DG SANTE, 30^th November 2024.
Joint letter to DG SANTE “The EU needs an approach to materials from animal origin in the food chain that is fit for the Circular Economy” (2 April 2024, 16 organisations including ESPP)
Joint industry letter regarding measures to improve animal feed circularity (7 organisations including ESPP), 18_9_24
The above online at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory
EFSA-Q-2024-00278, Mandate number M-2023-00166 https://open.efsa.europa.eu/question/EFSA-Q-2024-00278

Phosphorus in COP29 Ragn-Sells workshops

Three COP29 sessions, organised by Ragn-Sells in collaboration with UNEP and Alfa Laval Technologies, emphasised the need to transform waste into resources and showcased innovative technologies. A key focus was the role of wastewater treatment plants (wwtps) in water reuse (as potable water or for agriculture), as well as energy and nutrient recovery. However, UNEP noted that only 16% of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) explicitly address wwtps and resource recovery as GHG emission mitigation strategies. While 70 countries recognise wwtps for emissions reduction, most omit energy or nutrient recovery, and many exclude wastewater treatment altogether. With NDC 3.0 submissions due next year, incorporating wastewater resource recovery into climate strategies could significantly reduce GHG emissions while delivering financial, environmental, and health benefits. Technologies like EasyMining’s Aqua2N (see ESPP eNews n°74) and Ash2Phos (see ESPP eNews n°62) enable recovery of valuable nutrients such as nitrogen (as ammonium salts) from wastewater and pure calcium phosphate (Revocap) from sewage sludge (see ESPP eNews n°82). While a plant in Germany is set to operationalise Ash2Phos by 2027, EU legislation currently prohibits using the Revocap product in animal feed, probably leading to export to Canada, where approval processes are underway. Other innovations include Chromafora’s SELPAXT technology, which removes over 90% of PFAS from liquid matrices, and Alfa Laval’s decanter centrifuges for separating salts in the Aqua2N process. Sustainable aquaculture was also discussed, focusing on aquaculture fish sludge collection for energy and nutrient recovery, including the Ragn-Sells Havbruk’s project in Norway, utilising Framo’s sludge collection technology, and the recently EU-funded Aquaphoenix project (see ESPP eNews n°90) led by NORCE.

Ragn-Sells COP29 insights.
“The world needs a circular transformation, in order to succeed we need to adopt new processes in society and use innovative technology – these solutions already exist”, Sweden at COP29 - video
“From Wastewater Treatment Plants to Resource Recovery plants – raising the ambition for NDCs 3.0”, Sweden at COP29 - video
“Closing the phosphorus cycle, will reduce eutrophication and methane emissions”, Sweden at COP29 - video

ESPP calls for Critical Raw Material Act action for phosphorus

ESPP has written to the European Commission asking how the Critical Raw Material (CRM) Act 2024/1252 will be implemented for ‘Phosphate rock’ and ‘Phosphorus’ and proposing cooperation. The CRM Act includes specific actions for “Strategic” Raw Materials (phosphorus is not on this list) and also dispositions applicable to all “Critical” Raw Materials (including ‘Phosphate rock’ and ‘Phosphorus’, the latter meaning P₄) including:

Member States single contact point for project permitting (Art. 9 & Art. 18)
Member States to include CRM projects in national and regional planning (Art. 13).
Commission monitoring of supply risks (Art. 20)
Member States to identify and monitor key value chain operators (Art. 21)
Member States programmes to incentivise resource efficiency and increase the use of secondary CRMs (Art. 26(1))
Commission to specify products and waste streams with CRM recovery potential (Art. 26(7))
Environmental footprinting for prioritised CRMs and certification template (Art. 30 & Art. 31)
Commission to update every three years the lists of Critical and Strategic Raw Materials

ESPP suggests that recycling of phosphorus (meaning CRM = ‘Phosphate rock’) from sewage and use of phosphorus in fertilisers are addressed by the revised EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and the EU Fertilising Products Directive, but that other actions need to be defined:

Recycling from other sources (manure, agri-food waste, industrial streams …)
Use other than in fertilisers (animal feed, industry …)
Improving fertiliser use efficiency
Supply risks of ‘Phosphate rock’, so including phosphoric acid, mineral phosphate chemicals
Uses and supply risks of ‘Phosphorus’ = P₄ and organic phosphorus chemicals derived from P₄) including production of P₄ from wastes
Consideration of Purified Phosphoric Acid as a possible Strategic Raw Material.

Letter from ESPP to the European Commission on implementation of Critical Raw Materials Act concerning ‘Phosphate Rock’ and ‘Phosphorus’, 26^th November 2024 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Fertilisers

EU Fertilisers Expert Group meeting 26-27 November 2024

ESPP participated at this Fertilisers Expert Group which brings together the European Commission, Member States, different sectors of the fertilisers industry, NGOs and experts. Points discussed:

need for experts, from research and industry, to participate in CEN (European Standards Organisation) to develop European Standards for recycled fertilisers. See below.
further organisations are obtaining Notified Body (NoBo) status (now 16 across Europe), enabling them to deliver Certification of CE-mark EU fertilising products, and also NoBos are widening the range of products and materials they cover.
fertilisers statistics: EU imports of nitrogen fertilisers from Russia are today significantly higher than before Russia attacked Ukraine (around 30% of EU fertiliser imports). EU phosphate fertiliser consumption has fallen to around 75% of mid-term average since the price peak which resulted from Russia’s attack on Ukraine (European Commission slides).
progress was presented on defining criteria for use of certain Animal By-Products in EU fertilising products (QLab study, see ESPP eNews n°89, draft final report here), nitrification efficiency inhibitors, micro-organism biostimulants (CMC7)
evaluation of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation: a public call for evidence is announced for early 2025 (EU consultation strategy here)
Eurostat explained the new SAIO (Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs) Regulation, which should provide in the future data needed to assess EU policies on nutrients and fertilisers, including the Green Deal Farm-to Fork nutrient loss reduction target and the Common Agricultural Policy. See below.
DG ENVI presented the ongoing Nitrates Directive Evaluation. The evaluation aims to assess if the Nitrates Directive remains fit for purpose and is in line with EU environmental and climate ambitions and contributes to sustainable, resilient agriculture and food security, including the Green Deal target to reduce nutrient losses. A public consultation (end 2023) received nearly 250 inputs (see ESPP eNews n°84). A further study is now underway looking at costs and benefits of the Directive, implementation, historic N and P flows, administrative burdens. The aim is to conclude the evaluation before end 2025.
Definition of “biowastes”. The waste regulation definition of “biowaste” (separately collected household organic waste and similar) excludes various agri-food industry by-products and wastes, thus resulting in them not being allowed as inputs to anaerobic digestates and composts under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. ESPP and other stakeholders underlined that this is a significant problem, as such streams offer organic and nutrient content and are widely taken as inputs to digestion/composting, where use higher up the waste hierarchy is not possible (quality, logistics). ESPP suggests however that the solution is to modify the wording of CMCs 3, 5, 12, 14 (compost, digestate, precipitated phosphates, biochars) to ensure that such streams are allowed as inputs, with safety criteria, and with coherent wordings – not to try to distort the definition of “biowaste” (see below streams from biorefineries).
NMI updated on the study ongoing for the European Commission on possible new secondary materials and processes for inclusion into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (CMCs). A draft report will be published in coming months and will be followed by a stakeholder workshop in 2025. Materials under consideration include vivianite, human urine/excreta, secondary limes, ammonium salts from fire extinguishers, micronutrients from battery recycling, recovered nitrogen and potassium salts, algae and plants grown in wastewaters, industry sludges, cyanobacteria, various agri-food industry streams, several additional processes. ESPP suggests that several materials/streams are not yet being considered appropriately, despite having been submitted in the 2022 ‘survey’ (see detail in ESPP eNews n°85) in particular: use of waste/by-product acids for P extraction from ashes (CMC13 “derivates”), additional nutrients/micronutrients from battery recycling, streams from biorefineries (see below), phosphates recovered by leaching from sewage sludge and other biochars (see call for data below). Overall ESPP hopes that proposals for new CMCs / new processes will take a wide approach, to not exclude future innovation, subject to ensuring safety: for example authorise not only recovered Mn and Zn from battery recycling, but also other micronutrients and nutrients (Cu, Zn, P, K …).

EU Fertilisers Expert Group documents here (under Library -> Meetings)

Call for data and examples on certain recycled nutrient streams

To support proposals to consider such materials as inputs for EU fertilisers (EU Fertilising Products Regulation CMCs), ESPP urgently needs examples of recovery processes and data on quality and safety of recovered products for the following. Without such supporting information, these are unlikely to be taken into consideration in the currently ongoing NMI study for the European Commission (see above):

Waste streams and by-products from biorefineries. It is not feasible to authorise these “one by one” as every biorefinery has different processes, and often variable inputs over time. ESPP would suggest criteria such as any biorefinery or agri-food processing site using only plant material inputs (animal by-products are covered differently), with no contact between the stream considered and biocidal products or chemicals Classified for chronic health or environment impacts. We need examples of such streams, including indications on potential quantities, agronomic value, safety.
Micronutrients and nutrients from battery recycling
Phosphates recovered from leaching of biochars or hydrochars, including from sewage sludge or manure.

Contact:

CEN call for experts and for laboratories

CEN (European Standards Organisation) and the European Commission (DG GROW) are calling for experts from research and industry to participate in development of European Standards for recycled fertilisers. Experts are needed for CEN Technical Working Groups to develop European Standards for testing methods for Fertilising Products Regulation specifications for STRUBIAS materials (precipitated phosphates, ash materials, biochars / pyrolysis materials), for Animal By-Products and for recovered ammonia salts (and CMC15 materials).

CEN is also looking for further laboratories to participate in inter-laboratory studies for the validation of testing methods. This concerns mainly testing of: various elements, nutrients and parameters in inorganic fertilisers, liming materials, organic and organo-mineral fertilisers, nutrient polymers when used in fertilisers, nitrification inhibiting compounds (determination, efficacy)..

Experts for CEN recycled fertiliser standards development. See CEN mandate M564. If interested: contact:
Laboratories. Start of studies foreseen early 2025. See list of projects here. Contact (as soon as possible) CEN/TC 260

EU rules for national nutrient statistics

Implementing Regulation of SAIO (Statistics on Agricultural Input and Output Regulation) requires collection by Member States of data on inorganic fertiliser nutrients, certain organic fertiliser types, nutrient balances. The updated SAIO Regulation (2022/2379 see ESPP eNews n°75) fixed the principle that Member States should collect and submit data on inorganic and organic fertilisers and nutrient balances. This Implementing Regulation 2024/2212 confirms that data will be required as national total (NUTS0 not regional NUTS2), defines reporting periodicity and specifies the details of what data must be provided. Some of this data is currently collected by some Member States on a voluntary basis but coverage of all Member States will now be obligatory from 2026. Data requirements include: nitrogen (and also specifically urea), phosphorus and potassium used in agriculture in inorganic fertilisers; organic fertilisers (quantities and total content of phosphorus and of nitrogen); data needed to calculate total national phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient balances (crop and forage quantities and nutrient content coefficients per different crops); data on P and N in manure (quantities, nutrient content coefficients, livestock excretion factors, per different animals and ages); data on P and N in crop residues and in crop seeds; data on nitrogen fixation and atmospheric nitrogen deposition. The aim is to ensure full nutrient data coverage across Europe, compatibility and availability to users. The implementing Regulation specifies only that data for “Organic fertilisers” “used in agriculture” must be separated into three categories: “sewage sludge”, “other organic fertilisers” and “organo-mineral fertilisers”. Raw manure is excluded. The aggregated data for “other organic fertilisers” will presumably thus cover a very wide range of materials: composts and digestates (including of manure), processed organic fertilisers, biowaste / food waste, paper or food industry sludges. It is unclear to ESPP whether sewage sludge composts, digestates or biochars/hydrochars would be classified as “sewage sludge” or “other organic fertiliser”. The SAIO does not cover nutrients traded in animal feed, food crops and other products.

“Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2212 of 3 September 2024 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 … as regards statistics on nutrients” https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/2212/oj

Cheap fertilizers from Russia - a threat to the EU economy

The conference, hosted by MEP Krzysztof Hetman, focused on the challenges that the EU agriculture sector is facing due to the surge in low-cost fertiliser imports from Russia and Belarus.

Krzysztof Hetman, MEP, highlighted the economic challenges arising from the EU's decision to halt gas imports from Russia following its attack on Ukraine. This shift has led to a significant reduction in nitrogen fertiliser production across Europe, threatening jobs and food security. Meanwhile, Russia has redirected its gas supply toward producing fertilisers, which are now being exported to Europe from Russia at a low price and are “flooding” the EU market.

Adam Novak, Polish Ministry of Agriculture, emphasised that the issue extends beyond fertilisers to encompass Europe's food security, economic stability and profitability for farmers, energy security, and environmental protection. He stressed that each of these sectors must be safeguarded and that trade regulations with Russia should ensure fairness, including appropriate tariffs and customs duties for imports. Between January and September 2024, over 3.75 million tonnes of fertilisers were imported from Russia, with projections exceeding 5 million tonnes by year-end. Krzysztof Hetman, MEP, added that while fertilisers are currently cheap, this apparent benefit is temporary; as Europe becomes increasingly dependent on Russian fertilisers, prices will rise.

Theodora Nikolakopoulou, European Commission (DG GROW), highlighted the 2022 Commission communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers, as well as the establishment of the EU Fertilisers Market Observatory, aimed at improving market transparency and data access. The Observatory has convened six times since 2023. She provided an overview of recent market trends for nitrogen fertilisers, emphasising that ammonia production is heavily reliant on natural gas, which accounts for 70-90% of its variable production costs. In 2022, record-high natural gas prices in the EU caused a significant drop in ammonia production, resulting in a surge in imports. She noted that EU nitrogen fertiliser imports have historically fluctuated but have reached a consistently higher level since 2021, reflecting a structural decline in EU competitiveness due to local gas price trends. Most imports come from Russia and Egypt, with urea imports from Russia increasing by 10% between 2023 and 2024. She also underscored the EU's commitment to promoting sustainable and more efficient fertilisers through the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) and supporting farmers via the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Farm Sustainability Tool for nutrients (FaST), and research and innovation initiatives such as EIP-AGRI and the Soil Deal for Europe.

Tiffanie Stephani, Yara, noted that Russia now accounts for one-third of all urea imports to the EU, with particularly high volumes going to Poland, Germany, and France. In Poland, 65% of urea imports during the first three quarters of 2024 originated from Russia. She explained that Russian fertilisers are priced artificially low due to state-regulated gas costs, creating an uneven playing field for EU producers and threatening their survival. Moreover, importing Russian fertilisers indirectly supports Russian gas production, undermining the EU's goals to reduce reliance on Russian energy and inadvertently contributing to the war. She emphasized the serious risks posed by this situation: fertilisers are critical for sustaining EU food production, and any future supply shortages could jeopardise food security across the continent. While EU producers are committed to advancing circularity and decarbonisation, the unfair competition from Russian imports undermines their ability to compete effectively and sustain vital investments. Unlike EU producers, Russian fertilisers are not subject to Europe’s stringent environmental standards, directly threatening the EU’s environmental ambitions. The fertiliser industry in Europe supports 76,000 jobs, which are now at risk as temporary shutdowns of production facilities could become permanent without immediate action. To address these challenges, she proposed that the EU reduce its dependency on Russian imports by fully utilising its domestic capacity to meet fertiliser needs and safeguard the European fertiliser industry. She also called for the introduction of a 30% duty on Russian fertilisers to effectively curb imports and restore fair competition.

Hubert Kamola and Justyna Dziewisz, Grupa Azoty, Poland, explained that over the past two decades, Russian agriculture has undergone significant modernisation, prioritising its domestic market by selling fertilisers at lower prices to Russian farmers. This shift has been accompanied by a steady increase in agricultural exports, with grain exports becoming a key instrument of Russian geopolitical influence. This strategy has gradually reduced the market share of EU farmers both globally and locally. Over the past seven years, Russia's fertiliser production has grown by 33%, and forecasts suggest a further 47% increase in the next six years. Meanwhile, imports of Russian fertilisers into the EU27 rose by 30% in the first three quarters of 2024. Since the war began, the EU has indirectly supported Russia by purchasing fertilisers worth 5.5 billion €. From Poland's perspective, the increase in imports from Russia has pushed out other suppliers and EU producers. The EU could be self-sufficient in fertiliser production, as consumption is well below the production capacity of domestic producers. The rise in imports from Russia and Belarus poses severe risks, including the economic decline of EU producers, the displacement of local suppliers from the market, the elimination of third-country exporters supplying Europe, and a growing dependency on Russia and Belarus, who will increasingly dictate prices in the European market.

Marek Maraszek, Trade Union of Employees and Renata Wyskwar, Trade Union of Engineers and Tecnicians, Grupa Azoty, emphasised that the fertiliser sector currently provides significant employment in Poland. They called for the implementation of tariffs and customs duties on fertilisers imported from Russia.

“Cheap fertilizers from Russia - another threat to the EU economy”, 20^th of November, European Parliament, link.

ESPP new Members

CleanMatter phosphorus recovery by electrolysis – text pending validation/ correction

CleanMatter has developed a patented electrolysis process to recover phosphoric acid from sewage sludge incineration ash by electrolysis without chemical addition. The process can be powered by renewable electricity and is based on the cation-exchange membrane (CEM) electrolysis cell presented by Lisbeth Ottosen in ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°138, now improved and patented. Electrical current applied causes acidification at the anode, which can release over 85% of phosphorus from a suspension of sewage sludge incineration ash (grinding is not necessary), or potentially from other inorganic substrates. Most heavy metals stay undissolved in the ash, with copper and zinc accumulating in the cathode compartment in a solution stream which may be valorisable to industry, so resulting in a phosphoric acid low in heavy metals. The dry weight of the treated ash is reduced by around one half. The process has to date been successfully demonstrated in several test installations, up to 1 t-ash/day. A 5t-ash/day pilot plant is planned, aiming for market launch of the process in 2026. CleanMatter is joining ESPP to focus on sharing information and learning about the phosphorus recovery market by meeting and exchanging with colleagues from all over the world.

CleanMatter is a spin-off from Denmark Technical University, established in 2021 to develop the “Power-to-P” electrolysis P-recovery process https://clean-matter.com/

SYNECO

SYNECO is an EU rural development fund project to support farmers in reducing impacts on air and water, improving soil quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The project brings Malta’s largest fruit and vegetable farmers’ cooperative (FCCS), with around one thousand farmers, alongside cattle (Koperattiva Produtturi tal-Halib) and pig (Koperattiva ta’ min Irabbi l-Majjal) cooperatives. SYNECO will employ innovative manure processing technologies to transform livestock slurry into fertiliser products, rather than continuing to treat it at urban wastewater treatment facilities, which is costly and in appropriate. The project will also teach (?) farmers to use a smart app for managing their fertilisation and crop production, including information on the soils of fields using AI-interpreted satellite data. The project prioritises gender equality and employment of young people, whenever possible. Joining ESPP gives SYNECO the possibility to follow and participate more closely in the ongoing dialogue on technological innovations and policies for maximising nutrient recycling in line with EU policies. We consider important, for the sustainability of our project results, that SYNECO’s concept for manure processing takes advantage of results and conclusions of other European initiatives. We see ESPP as a forum which offers opportunities for dissemination of our project results.

www.synecomalta.com

Politecnico di Milano

Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) sees ESPP as a strategic choice for complementing its research activities and its engagement in EU-funded projects on circularity of municipal and industrial secondary resource streams. In particular, POLIMI is actively participating in ESPP stakeholder networking, outcomes dissemination and interaction with European policymakers. POLIMI’s research activities develop innovative technological solutions for the treatment of municipal and industrial streams, to valorise waste and by-product streams into sustainable products and to create circular value chains. POLIMI is currently coordinating two new relevant European projects: PHOSTER = Phosphorus and magnesium recovery from waste streams for production of high-value renewable fertilizers (ERA-NET Cofund on Raw Materials - ERA-MIN 3) and UPCYCLE = UPscaling deep conversion routes for hard-to-reCYCLE biogenic waste (MSCA Doctoral Network). POLIMI is also engaged at the national scale as leader in Task 8.3.1 of AGRITECH, working on nutrient recovery from wastes to produce mineral fertilizers and promoting water recovery for the agri-food sector (National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies, founded within the Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilenza (PNRR, National Recovery and Resilience Plan - NextGenerationEU).

www.polimi.it

Wien Energie

Wien Energie is the largest regional energy utilities provider in Austria. Wien Energie has strong sustainability, greenhouse and circular economy objectives, including recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge incineration ash. Wien Energie ensures that the city's residents enjoy reliable, uninterrupted access to electricity, power, heating, cooling, electromobility and telecommunications. To promote climate protection, Wien Energie is investing to decarbonise its portfolio and to extend renewable energy production, with the objective of a climate neutral Vienna by 2040. Wien Energie’s circular economy objectives include phosphorus recovery from ash from our incineration plant processing sewage sludge from Vienna’s water treatment facility, one of the largest in Europe. After pioneer testing, we are now planning and evaluating for full scale implementation, to respect the 2024 Austria Waste Incineration Ordinance (Abfallverbrennungsverordnung AVV 2024, see ESPP eNews n°87) which requires the recycling of 80% of phosphorus from sewage sludge incineration ash by 2033. This will reduce import of phosphates to Austria, contribute to the circular economy and reduce environmental impact. Wien Energie is actively seeking collaborations and partnerships in the field of phosphorus recovery. “Becoming a member of the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP) is our first step towards fostering collaborations, securing funding, and developing a market for recycled phosphorus. Additionally, we are interested in exploring further circular products derived from sewage sludge treatment.”

https://positionen.wienenergie.at/blog/gastbeitrag-phosphorrueckgewinnung/

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ESPP members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews091
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Events

13 November 2024: Regulatory status of algae grown using wastewater, wastes or ABPs

21-22 January 2025: nutrient proposals for the new EU Circular Economy Act and the CAP

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: March 2025

ESPP actions

Preparing for the new EU Circular Economy Act

Join the ESPP-EBA Consultants List

Call for Policy Recommendations from R&D Projects

Animal By-Product webinar summary & conclusions

Bringing Animal By-Products into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Nutrient recycling value of ABPs

EBIC & ECOFI proposals for ABP regulation compatible with Circular Economy

Current regulatory status

Examples of ABPs but not today authorised under the EU FPR

Discussions and questions from the ‘Chat’

ESPP – EBIC – ECOFI - Eurofema conclusions from the meeting

Livestock and nutrients

EU livestock environmental innovation platform launched

Manure management technologies for sustainable dairy farming

EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

European Court upholds FPR chromium limits (ferrous slags)

Fertiliser and mulch film polymer biodegradability

Regulation on digital labelling of fertilisers published

One fifth of soil P deficits caused by global trade

Research

JRC – Towards Sustainable Food Systems

Soil phosphorus: research and policy needs

Stay informed

ESPP members

Events

13 November 2024: Regulatory status of algae grown using wastewater, wastes or ABPs

Brussels and online, Wed. 13^th November 13h – 18h, legal status of biomass produced in wastewater treatment or with waste gas, manure or food waste inputs, and valorisation in fertilisers, feeds and industry. Presentation and discussion of legal analysis prepared for ESPP by Barry Love, Environmental Law Chambers, with user industries, algae production and processing experts, EU and national regulators.
Brussels and online, Wed. 13th November 13h – 18h, information and registration www.phosphorusplatform.eu/legalworkshop

21-22 January 2025: nutrient proposals for the new EU Circular Economy Act and the CAP

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, plans an ambitious EU Circular Economy Act, to follow the second Circular Economy Action Plan (March 2020), replacing this Commission document by a regulatory act. Ms von der Leyen’s mission letter for the new Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, specifies that the new Circular Economy Act should include measures to create market demand for secondary materials and a single market for waste, especially for critical raw materials (phosphate rock is on the EU Critical Raw Material List since 2014, confirmed in the EU Critical Raw Materials Act 2024). ESPP will develop proposals for nutrients in this expected new Act

The Common Agricultural Policy represents over 40% of the EU budget. The current CAP runs from 2023 to 2027. An interim evaluation report is expected in 2025. ESPP will develop proposals for integrating nutrient management (including the Green Deal and UNEP Biodiversity Convention 50% nutrient loss reduction objective) and nutrient recycling into the future CAP revision.
Two day meeting to discuss these two important policies and to develop proposals to input to the European Commission. 21 -22 January 2025, Brussels and online, information and registration soon available on https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/policy2025

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: March 2025

Can intensive livestock be more phosphorus efficient than extensive or organic farming ? Looking at P flows, P efficiency in feed, P-recycling, best nutrient management practices. UNEP uPcycle workshop, organised by BETA Technology Centre (University of Vic), with ESPP, hosted by Cooperl (the Brittany pig farm cooperative) and Roullier (feed and fertilisers). In Saint Malo and Lamballe, near Rennes, Brittany, France, 4-7 March 2025 (tbc). With site visits to the Saint Malo Minerallium (chemistry of minerals and phosphates), Roullier fertiliser and feed production and research, Cooperl experimental livestock technology research farm and Cooperl’s manure and animal by-product reprocessing to energy and organic fertilisers. This workshop will be limited to 60 participants, with representatives of livestock farmers organisations, meat and dairy processers and distribution, animal feed industries, with selected experts from science and from P recycling.
If you would be interested to participate or present, please contact

ESPP actions

Preparing for the new EU Circular Economy Act

ESPP has prepared or is developing several policy proposal documents. Your comments and input are welcome.

Perspectives for EU water policy and for the Sewage Sludge Directive, in the context of the planned new EU Circular Economy Act (see above under ‘Events’) (14/10/24)
ESPP input to Nenuphar questionnaire on EU policies on nutrient management Targets for Phosphorus “Reuse & Recycling” under the revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (Jan. 2024, v4/10/24)
Market pull policies to support nutrient recycling (Jan. 2024, v4/10/24)
ESPP policy documents are here : www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulator

Join the ESPP-EBA Consultants List

Have you worked with consultants on regulatory aspects of recycling, digestate and compost, waste status, fertilisers regulations, animal by-products? ESPP and the EBA are developing a list of consultants in such areas The list includes consultants and advisors in regulatory, and market topic, dossier preparation and registrations such as the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR), national fertiliser legislation, Animal By-Product Regulation, REACH, organic farming, End-of-Waste criteria, and more. The goal of this list is to provide companies and organisations with contacts, along with details on each consultant’s area of expertise and geographical coverage. Please note that this list is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement of the listed consultancies.
If you can suggest a consultancy for inclusion, or if you wish to add your own consultancy to the list, please send details to and

Call for Policy Recommendations from R&D Projects

ESPP invites R&D projects to share their policy recommendations, contributing to the upcoming policy framework being developed by the European Commission. Current legislative efforts will have a significant impact on phosphorus recycling, nutrient stewardship, and include key measures such as the Circular Economy Act (see above), targets for sewage phosphorus reuse and recovery, and revisions to the Common Agricultural Policy.

ESPP is preparing a comprehensive overview of policy recommendations from EU-funded and other R&D projects. This effort will help highlight aligned proposals across projects and ensure relevant recommendations reach policymakers. All contributing projects will be credited in our summary, presented during our upcoming workshop in Brussels (with online access) on 21-22 January 2025 and submitted to EU policy makers.
If your project has developed any policy recommendations—whether as published proposals, conclusions from policy work packages, policy presentations, or draft documents—please share them with us: and For inquiries or further information, feel free to contact us.

Animal By-Product webinar summary & conclusions

Bringing Animal By-Products into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Over 400 participants joined the 2-hour webinar organised by ECOFI, Eurofema, EBIC and ESPP on recycling animal by-products (ABPs) to fertilisers on 17^th September, with participation of the European Commission (DG SANTE, DG GROW Fertilisers).

The webinar was opened by Ludwig Hermann, ESPP Board. Regulatory challenges and circular economy value of animal by-product recycling were outlined by Kristen Sukalac (EBIC and ECOFI) and Leon Fock (Eurofema), the European federations representing the biostimulant and organic fertiliser industries.

Nutrient recycling value of ABPs

Leon Fock, Eurofema, underlined the importance of fertiliser recycling of animal by-products for both farmers and the food industry. Various animal by-products cannot be used in human food, animal feed, pet food or industry for regulatory – safety reasons or because of logistics, and so are used in fertilisers, so valorising nutrients and organic material. ABPs are often combined in organic fertilisers with other secondary materials, such as crop residues or plant-based food industry by-products, so that regulatory obstacles to the use of ABPs have impact many different organic fertilisers. A challenge is that there is little coherent data on the organic fertiliser industry so it is difficult to quantify ABP recycling to fertilisers today. Data is available in some countries or some sectors, but no aggregated nor European data. However, ABPs are probably the main source of phosphorus and of protein (nitrogen) to organic fertilisers.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) shows that ABP-based organic fertilisers offer low carbon footprint per nutrient content compared to both mineral fertilisers and to other recycling routes (see SOFIE2).

Kristen Sukalac, EBIC and ECOFI, underlined the current discrepancies between EU regulations on health (animal by-products) and policies for Circular Economy. Recycling of animal by-products to fertilisers and biostimulants is important to avoid waste of resources and to offer solutions to farmers, so contribute to the competitivity, resource efficiency and resilience of the EU agri-food sector. Guaranteeing safety remains essential, but the overall approach of animal by-product regulation needs to evolve to put more emphasis on upscaling revalorisation. The current regulations reflect the preoccupations of the mad cow crisis of the 1980’s. A recent joint letter signed by 16 organisations (including ESPP) calls for a review of the Animal By-Product Regulation architecture to enable more flexibility in authorisation of recycling processes and products derived from ABPs, whilst continuing to ensure safety and environmental protection, improving institutional efficiency and protecting company confidential information.

EBIC & ECOFI proposals for ABP regulation compatible with Circular Economy

The current ABP Regulations do not deliver circularity for livestock production according to the waste hierarchy: use as food, feed, fertiliser / materials recycling, with combustion for energy as a last resort.

EBIC and ECOFI’s proposals include:

Harmonise ‘core’ dossier content and processes for ABPs for different end-uses (cosmetics, food, fertilisers …) with differences or additional requirements only where necessary for specific value chains,
Validate safety by recognised overall criteria, with independent testing, rather than by defining “one-by-one” processes (ABP “standard methods”),
Differentiate ‘processing’ (modification of an ABP) from ‘transformation’ (resulting in a completely different substance, e.g. incineration, hydrolysation),
Restructure and consolidate the different existing Regulation and daughter regulations to facilitate understanding and implementation by users,
Ensure coherent implementation.

Current regulatory status

Theodora Nikolakopoulou, European Commission DG GROW, explained that ‘Derived Products’ from ABPs can today be used in fertilising products in Europe under two different routes (in addition to on-farm use of e.g. manure):

EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR), with End-of-Waste status. This requires that an ABP ‘End-Point’ has been defined under the ABP Regulations and is specified in the FPR,
Under national fertilisers regulations, in which case veterinary controls and traceability apply.

Under the FPR, products derived from ABPs can be used either as such (under CMC10) or as inputs to further processing (under CMCs 3 = compost, 5 = digestate, 12 = precipitated phosphates, 13 = ashes/ash derivates, 14 = pyrolysis materials/biochars). However, in all cases, these materials need to have an ‘End-Point’ determined according to the ABP Regulation.

At present, processed manure is already covered by CMC 10 (under specified conditions, see the consolidated version of the FPR) and COM services are working on the inclusion of certain other derived products from ABPs (QLab study, assessment of derived products from ABP which have an ‘End-Point’ determined, according to Regulation 2023/1605):glycerine of Category 2 and 3 materials, and other Category 2 material resulting from biodiesel process and the production of renewable fuels

Category 3 materials other than glycerine
processed animal protein of Category 3 materials
meat-and-bone meal of Category 2 materials
blood products of Category 3 materials
hydrolysed protein, including hydrolysed protein derived from residues coming from the leather or textile industry
dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate
horns, horn products, hooves and hoof products

Matjaz Klemencic, European Commission DG SANTE, explained the process for authorisation of an ABP or derived product under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. The regulatory architecture is:

The ABP Regulation (EC) 1069/200 provides for the legal bases, categorization and authorised uses of animal by-products;
Implementing Regulation (EU) 142/2011 provides for safe processing methods of animal by-products in derived products;
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1605 determines ABP ‘End-Points’ for certain organic fertilizers and soil improvers.

The ‘End-point’ is the point in the manufacturing chain at which the ABP derived product is considered to no longer pose any significant risk to public or animal health. Beyond this ‘End-Point’, it is no longer subject to the veterinary controls of Regulation (EC) 1069/2009. The ‘End-point’ defines to which input materials it applies, the processing conditions, and the final use (petfood; pharmaceuticals; biofuels; cosmetics; medical devices; fertilisers; … ). End-Points are for a specific end-use (e.g. in fertilising products) and the ABP derived product is then subject to other relevant applicable legislation (e.g. national or EU fertilisers regulations, REACH …).

An ’End-Point’ can only be defined by reference to a processing method specified in Regulation (EU) 142/2011 (“standard” or “alternative”). Additional processing methods can only be added to (EU) 142/2011 after an assessment by EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) of risks for health and the environment, following submission by a Member State (whose competent authority has assessed the proposed processing method). Use in EU fertilisers (with EU End-of-Waste status and without veterinary controls and traceability) in only possible modification of (EU) 142/2011 to add the additional processing method, after publication of a Commission Delegated Regulation defining the End-Point for use in fertilising products (DG SANTE) and after a Commission Delegated Regulation including the specified material into the FPR (DG GROW).

It is not possible for an ABP or “Derived Product” to be included in the EU FPR whilst retaining its ABP status. A material with an EU ABP End-Point can, on the other hand, be authorised for use under national fertilisers regulations, as well as under the EU FPR.

However, ABP derived materials can be used under national fertiliser regulations, without the processing method being included in (EU) 142/2011 and without an EU-defined ABP End-Point. In this case, the ABP derived product (used as fertiliser) remains subject to ABP veterinary controls and traceability.

An ABP End-Point for use in fertilising products does not provide “end of animal by product status” for any other use, so specifically does not modify exclusions under the Animal Feed Regulation 767/2009 (Annex II $1 and $5). It also does not modify the status of processed manure under the Nitrates Directive.

Examples of ABPs but not today authorised under the EU FPR

ESPP presented several examples of ABP materials that have been and/or are currently used in national fertilizers in EU Member States, with national authorization. To the industry’s understanding, these uses have not shown any identified safety concerns and deliver satisfactory products to farmers and users:

Category 1 Animal By-Product ash
Alternative composting and anaerobic digestion processes
Fish and aquaculture sludge
Certain hydrolysed proteins

Martin Alm, EFPRA (European Fat Processors and Renderers Association), indicated that estimates suggest Europe generates around 1 million t/y of Cat1 ABP meat and bone meal (MBM). The ABP Regulation requires that this material is “disposed of” by incineration and this generates some 100 – 310 kt/y Cat1 MBM ash (some Cat1 material is disposed of by combustion in cement kilns, not generating ash). This ash contains maybe 10-30 kt P/y (which corresponds to 1-3% of annual P use in mineral fertilisers). Cat1 ash has been widely used as fertiliser in the UK for over a decade, and is also used as a fertiliser for forestry in Portugal. DG SANTE has mandated an Opinion from EFSA on the prion (BSE/TSE) risk of Cat1 ash, expected by May 2025 (possibly with then a second phase on contaminant risks). EFPRA has provided detailed answers to EFSA questions. ESPP has submitted a “Risk appraisal” report commissioned from SAFOSO (September 2024, see ESPP eNews n°90 and www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory).

The objective is to obtain authorisation of Cat1 ash, and of phosphate fertilisers produced from processing of Cat1 ash, under FPR CMC13 and also clarity for Member State authorisation of Cat1 ash under national fertilisers regulations.

Stefanie Siebert, European Compost Network (ECN) and Lucile Sever, European Biogas Association (EBA), summarised the problems currently encountered with alternative composting and anaerobic digestion processes.

The potential for nutrient recycling of digestates and composts is considerable. The EU Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC obliges separative collection of municipal organic wastes (by 31/12/2023). This will result in some 40 million t/y going to composting or anaerobic digestion. Separately collected municipal organic wastes (“biowaste”), which includes household kitchen wastes, can contain animal by-products and is classed a ABP category 3. Already in 2022, the development of renewable biogas production resulted in the production of some 28 million tonnes (dry matter) per year of agriculture-based digestate, much of which was from manure (a Cat2 ABP) with high nutrient value. This is expected to increase considerably with EU renewable energy objectives.

However, most compost and digestate is today produced, and used as organic fertiliser or soil improver under national regulations, with compost or AD processes which do not respect the ABP Regulation (EU) 142/2011 method specifications (which require 70°C for one hour residence time, particle size < 12 mm). The sanitisation requirements are either laid down in national rules or validated processes are authorised by national authorities and these vary significantly from one Member State to another.

ECN and EBA consider that the standard process requirements under ABPR (70 °C 1h 12mm) are not realistic and are not used in practice, and in particular are unsuitable for composting and anaerobic digestion of separately collected kitchen waste from households:

The maximum 12 mm particle size is not suitable for composting (structured material is needed for air flow), biowastes and green wastes have larger particles, larger particles are used in both wet and dry anaerobic digestion processes
The specified temperature > 70 °C is too high for microbiological decomposition

After extensive preparatory work, ECN submitted in July 2023 a proposal to include one alternative compost processing method into the ABP Regulations: tunnel composting 60°C, 48 h <200 mm and 55 C, 72 h <200 mm. EFSA delivered a positive Opinion in May 2024 (ESPP eNews n°87). ECN is now waiting for corresponding modifications to the EU Animal By-Products regulations 1069/2009 142/2011, which would enable use of these methods for EU fertilising products (FPR CMC3).

ECN and EBA consider that further alternative time-temperatures are needed and methods which have been validated by national authorities should be taken into account (by inclusion into EU ABP regulation End-Points). The current one-process-by-one-process approach to evidence collection, dossier preparation, EFSA assessment and finally possible modification of EU regulation annexes, is not feasible for industry (composting and digestion involve many SMEs and public organisations, using different methods in different countries) and is inefficiently time consuming for EFSA and for the European Commission. Without alternative time-temperature profiles, there can be expected to be no CE marked composts or digestates from ABP-derived materials, including from manure.

ESPP notes certain ABPs derived products, in particular “processed manure”, can be used as inputs to FPR composts and digestates (CMCs 3 and 5) if they have reached the ABP End-Point before composting/digestion, even if the compost/AD process does not achieve the above ABPR standard processing criteria. This is unclear in 2023/1605 which refers only to use “in” fertilising products (not to use “in production of …”), but has been clarified by the European Commission in the EU FPR FAQ (Q8.31). Various processing methods are specified for manure and other ABPs in 142/2011, in addition to sterilisation. However, it is generally not economic for operators to carry out such “double processing” (hygienisation and then composting/anaerobic digestion – composting/digestion then hygienisation). For this reason, recognition is needed of other composting/anaerobic digestion processing methods in the ABP Regulation, and then into the FPR in CMCs 3/5.

Torhild Tveito, Norway Food Safety Agency, indicated that aquaculture in Norway alone produces already today more than 2 Mt/y of fish sludge (10% DM) and aquaculture is expected to double in the coming decade. Resulting phosphorus losses to the sea were estimated in 2019 at 14 ktP/y (Broch & Ellingson 2020), that is more than 1 ½ times Norway’s mineral phosphate fertiliser use. Fish sludge is already generally collected and treated from inland (freshwater) aquaculture, and some operators are today implementing systems to collect fish sludge in coastal aquaculture (fish pens in the sea), to avoid discharge into coastal waters. Fertilisers produced from fish sludge are already exported to countries outside the EU and EU recycling and fertiliser companies are interested.

Questions need to be addressed concerning fertilising products processed from fish sludge: hygiene and pathogen safety, heavy metals, contaminants, salinity, agronomic value. However, the Norway Food Safety Agency believes that resolving the regulatory obstacles should not wait until these are answered, whereas at present fish sludge is excluded from current studies on new FPR CMC materials

At present fish sludge is excluded from current studies on new EU FPR CMC materials (NMI study for DG GROW, see ESPP eNews n°86) because a question have been asked whether it is an animal by-product. However, the Norwegian Food Safety Agency believes it should be possible to move forward already today the study for FPR consideration. This to avoid having a lengthy process with first studies and discussion on hygiene, and then after that start studies related to the FPR. The Agency believes that these processes move at the same time..

ESPP comment: The ABP status and the definition of “fish sludge” both require clarification. Fish excreta are excluded from the definition of manure in 1069/2009 (art. 3.20 and art. 2.2-k) but not in 1774/2002 (Annex I Specific Definitions). Also, some stakeholders consider that fish sludge contains only fish excrement and uneaten fish food, whereas others suggest that it may contain some dead fish or parts thereof. Technologies are today available to separate dead fish from the residues sinking for fish pens (e.g. ESPP member Ragn-Sells).

Chiara Manoli, ILSA SpA (for EBIC and ECOFI), discussed the current exclusion of many different hydrolysed proteins from the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR). “Hydrolysed proteins” as defined in the ABP regulations, covers a wide range of different amino acids, peptides and polypeptides, derived from different protein-containing ABP materials by widely varying hydrolysis processes. These processes are often company-specific and proprietary, using carefully defined and managed temperature, time, pH, pressure and other conditions to generate hydrolysates with specific and consistent performance characteristics.

Although tonnages of hydrolysed proteins used are relatively low, they are key elements in different organic fertilisers and biostimulants, so contributing to significant market value and agronomic impact. A 2022 survey of 48 companies involved in the European fertilising products industry revealed that around 350,000 metric tonnes are produced annually, half of which are sold in bulk formats.

The different hydrolysates, derived from different ABP proteins, are designed to deliver particular biostimulant properties, and/or nutrients in specific organic forms (especially nitrogen, but also phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium). Hydrolysed proteins can be tailored for compatibility with plant root metabolism, soil properties and microbes or for slow release.

Different hydrolysed proteins are today widely authorised for use under national fertiliser regulations, often with a given hydrolysed protein currently authorised in several Member States. According to feedback from EBIC members in September, most hydrolysates are already placed in the market in 4-9 Members States, which could be upscaled if these products could access the Single Market.

Industry considers unclear the wording of the Delegated Regulation 2023/1605 concerning hydrolysed proteins derived from non-ruminant ABPs “must be produced using a production process involving appropriate measures to minimize contaminations” because it does not specify what criteria need to be met to achieve this requirement.

EBIC and ECOFI also requested:

that all hydrolysed protein end points under Reg. 142/2011 be explicitly recognised and included in CMC 10 of FPR;
guidance as to how to request EFSA Opinions and prepare proposals for possible future EU ABP End-Points for other types of hydrolysed proteins without submitting numerous dossiers for highly specific individual company materials (how to develop a group assessment and regulatory proposal process, whilst respecting company-confidential process and product data).

Jessica Fitch, ECOFI, submitted the example of guano (not presented in the webinar to save time). Guano is taken to mean aged, accumulated wild bird and bat excrements (not fish heads as the word was used in the past in Norway). Bat and seabird guano are today sustainably harvested, and provide a nature-sourced high nutrient, high micronutrient fertiliser, which delivers nutrients according to plant needs. Guano is processed in the country of origin: sun-drying, sifting, and removal of feathers and other foreign objects. At least sixteen EU Member States allow the use of guano in fertilising products and it has been safely used for many years. It is authorised in Organic Farming (authorised under Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1165) and is valued as a nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser.

EU imports of seabird guano range are c. 3000 - 8000 t/y, depending on climatic conditions and policies of exporting countries. Guano contains approximately 10-12 %N, 5 %P and 2 – 3% K. The ability to trade across EU borders is essential because large shipments are imported and the sold onwards to other companies that repackage the original delivery in big bags, often combining with other components to make a more complete final fertilising product.

At the EU level, however, although “guano of bats and birds” was specifically mentioned in art. 46 of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR), art. 3 of 1605/2023 refers only to bat guano (as in 142/2011). ECOFI requests clarification of an ABP End-Point for seabird guano and of its inclusion into the EU FPR.

Chris Thornton, ESPP, indicated other ABPs which have been flagged by industry stakeholders as currently excluded from the EU FPR despite authorisation and use in some Member States:

(some) Seafood processing wastes, fish bones ?
(some) Dairy processing wastes ?
Precipitated phosphates from biowaste or manure
Pyrolysis products from biowaste or manure (depending on process)

ESPP underlines that this is a preliminary list, based on input received, and that further analysis is needed to clarify more precisely which ABPs / processing methods are concerned, nutrient recycling potential (quantity and quality) and current regulatory status or questions under the ABP and FPR.

Several participants requested that raw sheep’s wool be added to the above list for consideration.

Discussions and questions from the ‘Chat’

A difficulty is the lack of available market information, in most Member States, on quantities and values of different types of organic fertiliser and biostimulant, and on ABP materials used as inputs for these. This could be partly addressed by better including organic fertiliser products and components (and more widely, secondary materials and the bioeconomy) into EU statistics systems, in particular: Eurostat, NACE codes, SAIO, EU fertilisers market data portal (see ESPP eNews n°79)

One company online indicates using around 10 000 tonnes of protein, feather meal and bone powder out of a total of 40 000 tonnes of organic and organo-mineral products manufactured and sold.

Questions were asked concerning the legal status of algae and other biomass grown using ABPs as inputs, for example algae grown in manure treatment ponds. This will be discussed at ESPP’s workshop in Brussels & online, 13^th November afternoon, with environment specialist lawyer Barry Love, the European Commission and algae innovation experts (see www.phosphorusplatform.eu/legalworkshop).

Concerns were voiced about the process for evaluating new materials and processes, as possible new CMCs or CMC modifications under the FPR. Innovation is currently rapid in organic fertilisers, biostimulants and nutrient recycling, so it is important that new proposals be taken into consideration, without waiting for conclusion of the current NMI study which only addresses materials submitted before June 2022.

ESPP – EBIC – ECOFI - Eurofema conclusions from the meeting

ABPs have been widely used for many years under national fertiliser regulations across Europe, showing safety and farmer satisfaction. They offer significant opportunities to further the nutrient circular Economy. Industry operators do not understand why it is proving complex and slow to authorise them under the FPR.
The objective is open and constructive dialogue between concerned industries and regulators (European Commission, Member States) with the aim of finding pragmatic and clear regulatory solutions for materials where a significant EU market potential, agronomic value and safety are demonstrated.
Specific cases which should be addressed rapidly include:
- aquaculture and fish sludge
- alternative processing methods for composts and digestates (especially for biowastes, manure)
- hydrolysed proteins
- algae and biomass grown using ABPs (e.g. manure) as inputs
- guano
- raw wool
Need for a permanently open and reactive process, engaging both DG SANTE and DG GROW, to assess new proposals for ABP materials and processes, to respond to innovation (where justified: demonstrated safety, EU market, agronomic value).
Proposal to reconsider the ABP Regulation architecture to reflect waste hierarchy, circular and bioeconomy objectives, whilst continuing to ensure safety and downstream confidence.
How to take into account experience of safe use of an ABP material / process and existing authorisations in Member States, in EU Regulation and in a single EU market, whilst maintaining both subsidiarity and national competence ? The single market is important not only for fertilising product manufacturers, but also very much for recycling process technology suppliers (difficult to sell a recycling process which produces a ‘fertiliser’ in one country but a ‘waste’ in another).
Importance of guidance to industry on ABPs in the FPR and on related aspects of the ABP regulations, as well as coherent implementation between Member States.
Watch the webinar replay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91qEJWil2kU – slides https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fLmQa1y54y4TL7YRTiK61HFQ3gAH8dqp?usp=sharing

Livestock and nutrients

EU livestock environmental innovation platform launched

JRC platform aims to gather and analyse information on innovative industrial and environmental techniques that can drive decarbonisation, depollution, resource efficiency, and a circular economy in large agro-industrial plants covered by the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED 2010/75/EU). This Directive was amended in 2024 to now cover around three quarters of EU pig and poultry farms (280-380 LSU or more = Livestock Units) – see ESPP eNews n°89. The Platform will gather information on innovative techniques which have reached at least operational demonstration stage, input by stakeholders, and on EU funding schemes, and enable searches by sector or region. JRC will analyse input submitted before publishing, including comparison with BAT (Best Available Technology). The EU BAT BREF for “Intensive rearing of poultry or pigs” however dates from 2017(here). See also the very dynamic and up-to-date catalogue of environmental techniques for livestock maintained by the US dairy farmers’ organisation NEWTRIENT https://www.newtrient.com/ for which technologies are independently assessed in operation on farms.
EU JRC INCITE Platform: https://innovation-centre-for-industrial-transformation.ec.europa.eu
Europe’s leading conference on recycling of manure and agricultural residues, RAMIRAN, will next take place in Wageningen, Netherlands, 15-17 October 2025 www.ramiran2025.nl

Manure management technologies for sustainable dairy farming

Newtrient, in partnership with Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), has released a series of videos highlighting innovative manure management technologies implemented by dairy farms. These videos, part of Newtrient's 2020 Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) project, showcase how advanced dairy systems are improving water quality and farm sustainability.
Fessenden Dairy in King Ferry, NY, manages manure from its 850-cow herd through a Bedding Recovery Unit and a composting system. The Unit produces dry manure solids for use as bedding, while liquids are stored for later application. Composting, an aerobic process requiring oxygen, moisture (60-65%), and proper carbon-nitrogen ratios, is completed in a rotary drum within 24 hours using high enough temperatures (50-65°C) for bacteria to work. This process creates pathogen-free compost, reducing environmental impact and nutrient runoff into local water systems. Fessenden's system supports cow health and farm sustainability, although it's not a simple plug-and-play solution and requires careful management.
Dairy Dreams, part of the Pagel Family Businesses, milks nearly 3 000 cows and uses a digester to produce methane and a nutrient recovery system to process manure. After methane extraction, solids are separated for cow bedding, and the remaining effluent undergoes ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. This process yields a phosphorus-rich ultrafiltration concentrate, a nitrogen-rich reverse osmosis concentrate, and clean water. The system reduces environmental impact by decreasing the need for commercial fertilisers and cutting methane emissions, while also creating sustainable fertiliser products for the farm.
Royal Dairy in central Washington milks around 6 000 cows and uses a vermifiltration system to filter wastewater. This system, covering 3 hectares, relies on over 50 million earthworms and microbes to process roughly 1.5 million litres of water daily. The water, cleaned by the worms' digestive processes, is reused for irrigation and flushing, while the filtered solids go to composting. This method has significantly reduced contaminants, improved water quality, and enhanced soil health, with microbial populations increasing four to five times. The vermifiltration system also supports carbon capture, emission reduction, and creates valuable by-products like worm castings.
In-Vessel Composting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At5mwoIPSHI&t=1s
Ultrafiltration with Reverse Osmosis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUGn6YlPNv4&t=3s
Vermifiltration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7muCXGorKhY
Newtrient is a company representing United States dairy producers. Newtrient online suppliers catalogue provides independent expert evaluations of technologies and suppliers, covering technical and economic aspects, after-sales service and farmers’ operating experience (see SCOPE Newsletter n°125)

EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

European Court upholds FPR chromium limits (ferrous slags)

Ruling says European Commission was justified to set chromium (Cr_total) and vanadium and thallium limits on metal slags used under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR), to protect human health and the environment. Such slags can be used as liming products. All the arguments put forward by the German Iron slag Industry Federation, who brought the case, were rejected, and they are condemned to pay costs. The European General Court ruling underlines that this specification in the Commission’s Delegated Regulation 2022/973 (By-Products, CMC11) was based on the scientific analysis of the JRC which concluded that long term repeated use of iron slags would lead to accumulation of chrome and vanadium in soils, susceptible to exceed soil quality standards and with possible toxicity impacts. The Court firmly concludes that environment and health protection are required for FPR criteria, rejecting the slag industry’s claims that these should not be considered. The Court analyses in detail the question of chromium and vanadium, concluding that their potential toxicity justifies setting limits, that for chromium it is justified that these limits address total chromium (not only chromium VI), that criticisms of the PNEC limits for chromium and vanadium are not justified and that “given the important quantities of chromium and vanadium in ferrous slags” the Commission was right to take into account the possibility that these PNEC levels might be exceeded.
PNEC = Predicted No Effect Concentration
General Court judgment in Case T-560/22, total chromium in ferrous slags, Fachverband Eisenhüttenschlacken eV versus European Commission, 11^th September 2024, available in German and in French HERE.

Fertiliser and mulch film polymer biodegradability

European Commission publishes study on assessment of biodegradability of polymers used in fertilisers and in mulch films. This accompanies the Delegated Regulations defining these criteria, which are pending publication. The biodegradation criteria proposed for polymers are based on 90% ultimate degradation / mineralisation measures as evolved CO2, in soil and in water, after 2 years for mulch films and after four years for polymers used as fertiliser coatings or for water retention. The study underlines the lack of available data, because polymers used today are mainly not biodegradable, variability of biodegradation depending on soil and climate conditions and the absence of available test methods for biodegradability in water over prolonged time. A number of studies suggest that much the biggest source of microplastics in agricultural soils is probably mulch films, and that these can reduce availability of phosphorus to crops: see ESPP eNews n°88.
Finalised Delegated Regulations (adopted by the European Commission 15^th July 2024, following public consultation in March-April 2024 (see ESPP eNews n°85), pending publication https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13898-EU-fertilising-products-biodegradability-criteria-for-polymers-and-other-technical-amendments_en
“Study to assess biodegradability criteria for polymers used in EU fertilising products as coating agents or to increase the water retention capacity or wettability and of mulch films”, Aimplas, published by the European Commission 2024, 254 pages https://dx.doi.org/10.2873/179169

Regulation on digital labelling of fertilisers published

Specifies additional information which can be provided by digital link on EU fertilising products, in addition to legally obligatory information physically on the label, and authorises digital-only labelling for bulk products. Additional information provided digitally can cover project composition and use. Different types of information can be accessible to different users (blenders, distributors, farmers, general public).
EU Regulation 2024/2516, amending the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/1009, as regards the digital labelling of EU fertilising products, 18^th September 2024 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2516/oj

One fifth of soil P deficits caused by global trade

Study shows that global trade is draining soil P from some world regions (in particular Africa, Russia, Oceania) to others. One fifth of global P consumption is estimated to be driven by non-food products (mainly fibre crops). General global trade expended 60x from 1970 to 2017, rising from 12% to 28% of GDP. Worldwide soil deficit increases grew from 2.7 to 6.9 MtP/y over this period, whereas soil P accumulation increased little (8.1 to 9.6 MtP/y). Thus, although soil P accumulation continues to annually exceed soil P depletion, regions losing soil P have seen this depletion accelerate (note: soil P accumulation or depletion does not relate directly to losses to water). 90% of soil P deficits are in developing or least developed regions. In 1970, trade only accounted for 0.2 MtP/y of P-deficits, but this increased to 1.3 MtP/y by 2017, that is nearly one fifth of global P deficits. Non-food products (mainly fibre crops, but also wood, leather …) accounted for around one fifth of global soil P-depletion, but over half of traded P-deficits (this compares to Hamilton et al. 2018 who concluded that non-food products accounted for over one third of P-losses and around half of traded P impacts).
“Impacts of global trade on cropland soil-phosphorus depletion and food security”, K. Niu et al., Nature Sustainability,2024 DOI.

Research

JRC – Towards Sustainable Food Systems

Analysis of EU agri-food system impacts, trends and relevant policies concludes current impacts will not improve without policy changes, will be exacerbated by climate change. Systemic, less fragmented policies are needed: “The current legislative context thus might not be suitable to counteract the global environmental crises. With no further actions, the EU food system will remain highly resource intensive, with the related consequences on the environment”. Inadequate monitoring of impacts and of policy effects, and incoherent uptake of initiatives across Europe are underlined. The absence of mandatory measures to reduce food waste is noted. The report recognises that phosphorus and nitrogen flows surpass planetary boundaries, and that supply is import dependent, compromising the environmental viability and resilience of the EU food system. The example of Denmark is given, where combined policies on N and P discharges successfully reduced N and P balances by over 50%, with actions including fertilisation accounting and quota systems, improved manure management, taxes on non-agricultural fertilisers and phosphorus in animal feed, agri-environment schemes and farm advisory services.
“Towards sustainable food systems: an analysis of EU policy measures setting environmental sustainability requirements. Current status and assessment of impacts”, S. Mengual et al. European Commission Joint Research Centre 2024, 87 pages, DOI.

Soil phosphorus: research and policy needs

Review paper summarises data on phosphorus flows and stocks, both for fertilisation management and to support sustainability policies. Over 150 publications are cited. To sustainably manage P in soils, we need information on two critical aspects: the quantity of phosphorus in the soil and its availability to plants. In this article, authors summarize recent scientific studies with conceptual diagrams, reviewing both studies on the spatial distribution of phosphorus and its availability. They find that phosphorus fertiliser recommendations are often based on outdated concepts and could be improved with new measurement techniques. Additionally, current soil phosphorus maps underestimate the high local variability in phosphorus concentrations and should be improved by accounting for this uncertainty. Translating these findings into practice will require close collaboration between science, policy, and industry. Cheaper and more accurate measurement methods for soil P pools and fluxes need to be developed, and science and policymakers should work together on P-footprints for food products. Policies should incentivise P-efficient agricultural practices, including P-efficient crop breeds, and improve spatial planning of livestock production to reduce regional P misbalances.
“Understanding soil phosphorus cycling for sustainable development: A review”, J. Helfenstein et al., One Earth, 2024 DOI.

Stay informed

ESPP members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews090
Download as PDF

Events

ESPC5 – register now online or for Lleida: 8-10 October

Regulatory status of algae grown using wastewater, wastes or ABPs, 13^th November 2024

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: March 2025

ASLO P-sustainability session

Nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries – June 2025

EU policies

CSRD reporting requirements include circularity and Critical Raw Materials

EU Future of Agriculture report

ESPP input to Ecodesign preparatory study

EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Microorganisms for “biostimulants” to improve crop nutrient processes

Two EU harmonised standards for fertilising products

Nutrient recycling technology catalogue

Update and new entries for Catalogue of Nutrient Recovery Technologies

Nutrient circularity in livestock and aquaculture

ESPP – UNEP uPcycle workshops: aquaculture, intensive livestock

Animal feed industry calls for circularity

SAFOSO final report on Cat1 animal by-product ash

EU funding for aquaculture sludge nutrient recycling

Sewage-recovered phosphate from Germany to animal feed in Canada

Consultation: UN FAO draft document on livestock in the circular bioeconomy

Marine advisory councils call on fishery and aquaculture circularity

Research and innovation

Lab testing of P₄ synthesis from phosphoric acid

Groundwater is a significant source of phosphorus to Oneida Lake, USA

Stay informed & ESPP members

Events

ESPC5 – register now online or for Lleida: 8-10 October

The 5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, 8-10 October 2024, online and Lleida Spain, has already over 200 registrants. Online registration enables participation in all plenary sessions and selected parallel sessions with access to live streaming and to the session questions and discussions (‘chat’), as well as speaker and registrant profiles and contact via the conference networking app (Swapcard, as for other ESPP events). Lleida participants can also participate in site visits to industrial nutrient recycling and digestate processing (Fertilizantes del Ebro and Bioenergia d'Almenar). Join us for this unique networking, industry, policy and science event worldwide.

Deadline for on-site (Lleida) registration is 29^th September. Online registration remains open.
Updated programme, online and Lleida registration, site visit details: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/espc5

Regulatory status of algae grown using wastewater, wastes or ABPs, 13^th November 2024

Brussels and online, Wed. 13^th November 14h00 – 18h30, legal status of boimass produced in wastewater treatment or with waste gas, manure or food waste inputs, and valorisation in fertilisers, feeds and industry. Presentation and discussion of legal analysis prepared for ESPP by Barry Love, Environmental Law Chambers, with the European Commission, user industries, algae production and processing experts, EU and national policy makers.

Brussels and online, Wed. 13th November 14h – 18h, information and registration www.phosphorusplatform.eu/legalworkshop

Phosphorus use and recycling in intensive livestock: March 2025

Can intensive livestock be more phosphorus efficient than extensive or organic farming ? Looking at P flows, P efficiency in feed, P-recycling, best nutrient management practices. UNEP uPcycle workshop, organised by BETA Technology Centre (University of Vic), with ESPP, hosted by Cooperl (the Brittany pig farm cooperative) and Roullier (feed and fertilisers). In Saint Malo and Lamballe, near Rennes, Brittany, France, 4-7 March 2025 (tbc). With site visits to the Saint Malo Minerallium (chemistry of minerals and phosphates), Roullier fertiliser and feed production and research, Cooperl experimental livestock technology research farm and Cooperl’s manure and animal by-product reprocessing to energy and organic fertilisers. This workshop will be limited to 60 participants, with representatives of livestock farmers organisations, meat and dairy processers and distribution, animal feed industries, with selected experts from science and from P recycling.

If you would be interested to participate or present, please contact

ASLO P-sustainability session

Deadline for submission: 21^st October 2024. As part of the major ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting, 26-31 March 2025, session on phosphorus in marine and freshwaters. Presentations can cover phosphorus aquatic biology, eutrophication, impacts of climate change on phosphorus loading, phosphorus management in agriculture, food systems and diet, phosphorus policies and regulation.

ASLO 2025 Aquatic Sciences Meeting, 26-31 March 2025, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, session 5539 “Taking the pulse of phosphorus sustainability: challenges and solutions across the freshwater to marine continuum”, led by James Elser & Eric McLamore https://www.aslo.org/charlotte-2025/

Nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries – June 2025

ESPP workshop, with partners in Norway and UNEP uPcycle, on nutrient management in aquaculture feed, seafood processing and fish sludge valorisation, Norway & online, 17-19 June 2025 (tbc), covering nutrient flows, environmental best practice, phosphorus recycling, regulatory challenges. The workshop will contribute to the United Nations (UNEP) project uPcycle, leading to a UNEP white paper on phosphorus sustainability in aquaculture. Workshop in Norway with possible online connected meetings in Brussels, Chile. Site visits: state-of-the-art aquaculture, fish sludge processing installations.

If you would potentially contribute, please email indications of your organisation’s areas of interest, competence, possible content of presentation, to

Photo: trout in Montenegro fish farm, BuhaM WikiCommons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:BuhaM

EU policies

CSRD reporting requirements include circularity and Critical Raw Materials

Large companies and listed SMEs must now publish reports on environmental and social risks, impacts and actions. Information must cover resource use and circular economy, waste and Critical Raw Materials. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) 2022/2464, which entered into force on 5^th January 2024, concerns all companies > 250 employees or turnover > 50 M€, listed SMEs (except micro-companies) and non-EU companies with an EU branch with turnover > 150 M€. The CSRD extends obligatory company non-financial reporting to “double materiality”: that is both the company’s impacts on the environment and on sustainability issues and repercussions of these issues on the company itself (social and environmental risks). The Directive is implemented through ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards): twelve standards covering (2) general requirements and disclosures, (5) environment (climate, pollution, water, biodiversity – ecosystems, resources – circularity) and (4) social. These are now detailed in the Commission implementing regulation 2023/2772 (July 2023). Under ESRS E5 “Resource use and circular economy”, companies must describe their resource inflows in particular Critical Raw Materials (E5-5 §30) and waste in particular food waste, biomass, non-metallic minerals and Critical Raw Materials (E5-4 §38), as well as how company actions impact resource efficiency, in particular Critical Raw Materials (E5-2 §20a). The implementing regulation specifically refers to “nutrient recycling” in the definition of Circular Economy (ESR E5 – ‘Objective’ §3).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772 of 31 July 2023 … as regards sustainability reporting standards https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2023/2772/oj

EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) 2022/2464: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022L2464

EU Future of Agriculture report

“Strategic Dialogue” report, which will shape the new European Commission’s “Vision for Agriculture and Food”, recommends improving nutrient management, reduction and decarbonisation of mineral fertilisers, organic farming. The 110-page final report of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen received today the final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, launched in January 2024, includes 10 pages of political principles and 50 pages of recommendations. The more digestible Executive Summary (6 pages) specifies ten “guiding political principles” and 14 recommendations. The guiding principles refer to 10 = food security and 4 = geopolitical security, to sustainability (linked to 6 = economics, 7 = markets, 8 = innovation and technology) and to 9 = “balanced diets that are healthier and more sustainable”). Recommendations include promoting sustainability and reduced GHG emissions (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and in particular sustainable livestock 9) and changing diets (6). Recommendation 7 includes “to reduce external inputs as mineral fertilisers and pesticides, improve nutrient management, advance in the decarbonization of mineral fertilizers … to support organic production as well as agroecological farming practices”. In the detailed recommendations text, a section on nutrient management (in §2.2.2 pages 61-62 calls for the (announced but not yet published) EU Integrated Nutrient Management Plan (INMAP) to be centred on improving nutrient efficiency and circularity, safe recycling of nutrients, decarbonisation of fertilisers and EU strategic autonomy. The report underlines the need for collaboration and partnership between governments, research and industry in the circular economy (page 20: “the circular economy extends far beyond nutrient cycles and geographical collaborations and involves all partners as equals”). Nutrient management is also recognised as important in recommendations 3.1.1 “Nonet land” (soil health and land take), 3.2.1 water resilience and 3.2.2 crop breeding.

European Commission press release IP/24/4528 , 4^th September 2024 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_4528

Final report “Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe”, September 2024 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_24_4528/IP_24_4528_EN.pdf

ESPP input to Ecodesign preparatory study

ESPP has submitted comments to the European Commission (DG GROW) regarding the "Ecodesign preparatory study for product specific measures on scarce, environmentally relevant and critical raw materials and on recycled content”. Phosphorus (as P₄), which is on the EU Critical Raw Materials list (CRM), was only briefly mentioned in the preparatory study (draft 11/6/2024), despite its importance for the five product categories identified for further study: fridges, imaging equipment, personal computers, washing machines and electrical motors. The CRM “Phosphorus” (in the specific P4 form) is in fact critical for fire safety through flame retardants, electronic chip production, and potentially semiconductor doping. ESPP urged for a thorough investigation of phosphorus's relevance in the next phase of the study and offered to assist in gathering additional information. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) entered into force on 18 July 2024 and replaced the Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC), enabling introduction of Ecodesign criteria for a broader range of products and defining obligatory requirements for the most energy and greenhouse-gas-intensive products.

“Ecodesign preparatory study for product specific measures on scarce, environmentally relevant and critical raw materials and on recycled content” Interim Study Report, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1781&qid=1719580391746

EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Microorganisms for “biostimulants” to improve crop nutrient processes

Study launched for the European Commission (DG GROW) on microorganisms for possible authorisation under the EU FPR (CMC7) to propose an assessment methodology, screen proposals and assess microorganisms/processes. Proposals assessed will be those submitted to the EU survey of 2022 (see ESPP eNews n°69). The study has been contracted to AIT (Austrian Institute of Technology). The published ‘inception report’ (30 pages) presents the study approach, work plan and timeline. It further includes a first draft methodology indicating data requirements and decision criteria for microorganism taxonomic description, health and safety risks and for agronomic efficiency. The latter will be assessed against the four functions specified in PFC6 of the EU FPR, that is improving nutrient use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, crop quality or availability of nutrients in soil or rhizosphere. This will rely on the guidance and standards published or being developed by other organisations to substantiate efficacy claims of biostimulants, in particular the 2023 CEN standards: CEN/TS 17700-1:2022 Plant biostimulants - Claims - Part 1: General principles; CEN/TS 17700-2:2022 Plant biostimulants – Claims - Part 2: Nutrient use efficiency resulting from the use of a plant biostimulant; CEN/TS 17700-3:2022 Plant biostimulants – Claims - Part 3: Tolerance to abiotic stress resulting from the use of a plant biostimulant; CEN/TS 17700-4:2022 Plant biostimulants - Claims - Part 4: Determination of quality traits resulting from the use of a plant biostimulant; CEN/TS 17700-5:2022 Plant biostimulants - Claims - Part 5: Determination of availability of confined nutrients in the soil or rhizosphere.

“Technical studies to support the inclusion of new materials and microorganisms under the Fertilising Products Regulation, Lot 1 microorganisms & processes”, Inception report, 21^st march 2024, AIT, LINK.

Two EU harmonised standards for fertilising products

The European Commission has published in the Official Journal the first two references of harmonised standards, developed by CEN, to implement the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR): EN 17816:2023 Liming materials – Determination of physical and chemical properties and specific contaminants and EN 17817:2023 Fertilizers, liming materials and inhibitors - Determination of the quantity (declared by mass or volume).

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2387 referencing two harmonised standards for EU fertilising products, Official Journal 10^th September 2024 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL_202402387

European Commission mandate to CEN (n° M564) listing harmonised standards to be developed to support the EU FPR C(2020) 612, amended by C(2022) 47 and C(2023) 8288 https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/enorm/mandate/564_en

Nutrient recycling technology catalogue

Update and new entries for Catalogue of Nutrient Recovery Technologies

ESPP has updated the Catalogue of Nutrient Recovery Technologies summarising processes for recovery of nutrients from sewage, manure or other sources. Recently added processes include Charlene (RE-CORD), Sinfert, SusPhos, Pyreg, and Stiesdahl Skyclean. Additionally, the catalogue has transitioned from a PDF file to an interactive web-based system, enabling users to directly access detailed information about each technology. The catalogue has also expanded its scope to include nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) recovery, with new filtering options available to search by type of recovery, operation, or input material.

The catalogue is open for the addition of new technologies. To be included, technologies should be operational or demonstrated at full-scale or pilot scale and should recover any of the nutrients: phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and/or micro-nutrients. Required information includes details about the technology supplier (website, contact information), input materials (e.g., sewage sludge, ash, manure), output products (nutrient content, organic carbon content, and other characteristics), process description (including the management of contaminants), current operating status (including the number and capacity of operational plants, pilot capacities, and duration of continuous operation), and photos of operational installations.

To include further technologies in the Catalogue: send information to

ESPP Catalogue of Nutrient Recovery Technologies http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/p-recovery-technology-inventory

Nutrient circularity in livestock and aquaculture

ESPP – UNEP uPcycle workshops: aquaculture, intensive livestock

ESPP with UNEP uPcycle and other partners, will organise workshops on nutrient management and phosphorus recycling in intensive livestock (4-7 March 2025 tbc) and aquaculture and fisheries (17-19 June 2025 tbc). See above.

To present or participate, contact

Animal feed industry calls for circularity

Livestock feed industry federations have called for a “Feed Circularity Roadmap” and for discussions with regulators to identify possibilities to improve use of secondary materials in animal feeds whilst ensuring safety and quality. A joint letter signed by seven organisations and sent to the European Commission and to national food safety agencies, calls for dialogue to address regulatory restrictions to use of certain recycled materials in animal feed, in order to improve livestock circularity and reduce dependency on natural resources, soya import, deforestation pressures. The letter responds to a report by the EU Heads of national Food Safety Agencies (HoA) “Towards sustainable food systems - Reflections by Heads of Food Safety Agencies" (Sept. 2023, not online). The industry federations joint letter calls for public publication and discussion of this HoA report and dialogue to develop ‘Feed Circularity Roadmap’ identifying regulatory blockages to circularity in animal feed systems based on the examples indicated in the HoA report and other cases proposed by feed industry sectors.

Joint letter from industry federations to the European Commission (DG SANTE) and to the HoA (EU Heads of national Food Safety Agencies), 18^th September 2024. Signed by European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers, European Former Foodstuff Processors Association, European Fat Processors and Renderers Association ESPP, EuropeanPetFood, FEFAC, European Feed Manufacturers Federation, International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

SAFOSO final report on Cat1 animal by-product ash

Risk appraisal of Cat1 ABP ash (incinerated to EU standards) finds no evidence of BSE risk. The EU had only 4 (total) cases of classical BSE 2014-2019 and none 2019-2023. Use of the ash as fertiliser in the UK has not shown BSE cases. The UK Government (when the UK was still in the EU), authorised use of Cat1 ash as fertiliser subject to End-of-Waste requirements (Environment Agency 2012) and some 70 000 t/y of ash has been used as fertiliser since then. Portugal has also authorised use of Cat1 ash (2 000 + t/y) as fertiliser, but in forestry only. In neither case has an increase in BSE incidence resulted, despite use starting in the UK when BSE levels were higher than in the EU today. Considering different EU-authorised rendering processes upstream of disposal by incineration or power-station combustion, under the conditions required by the EU Animal By-Product and Industrial Emissions Directives, the report estimates that risk reduction to ash is between 30 000 – 100 000 and 10 million - 30 million depending on the rendering method. Taking a “worst case” scenario of five BSE cows in a single batch, this concludes that residual batch BSE infectivity [(Bo)ID50/kg-ash] is estimated to be 5.5 - 16.4 x 10^-8 (rendering ABP Method 1) or x 10^-5 (no risk reduction considered for other rendering methods). The risk appraisal was carried out for ESPP by animal health consultancy experts SAFOSO Switzerland. ESPP has transmitted the SAFOSO report, and the 50+ studies and documents referenced in it, to EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) to input to their current assessment of prion risk European Commission (DG SANTE) has requested from EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) requested by the European Commission in April 2024 (conclusions expected by April 2025). EFPRA (European Fat Processors and Renderers Association) estimates that Cat1 ABP ash in Europe contains maybe 1 – 3 % of phosphorus used in mineral fertilisers (this does not include P in Cat1 material currently going to cement kilns).

European Commission DG SANTE “Request for a scientific opinion on the presence of biological and chemical hazards in ash from Category 1 material after incineration, co-incineration, and combustion”, Ares(2024)2805627 - 17/04/2024, EFSA reference EFSA-Q-2024-00278, Mandate number M-2023-00166 https://open.efsa.europa.eu/question/EFSA-Q-2024-00278

The above is ESPP’s simplified summary of the SAFOSO report. Please refer to the full report for conclusions and details.

“Risk appraisal of use of Category 1 animal by-products ash as fertiliser”, SAFOSO for ESPP, September 2024 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

EU funding for aquaculture sludge nutrient recycling

AquaPhoenix EU Horizon project will receive 10 million € to develop and implement technology to transform and recycle “fish sludge” from aquaculture in Hardangerfjord Norway, in particular with phosphorus recycling. Fish sludge is a mixture of uneaten fish feed and fish faeces and can damage freshwater or marine environments. The project is led by NORCE with 30 partners including ESPP member EasyMining (Ragn-Sells), Framo and five fish farming companies are taking part in the four-year project: Eide Fjordbruk, Erko Seafood, Lingalaks, Tombre Fish Farms, and Bremnes Seashore, all located near Rosendal, Norway. The Åland Fish Farmers’ Association, Finland, is also a partner, interested in experience transfer to the eutrophication sensitive Baltic. The Hadangerfjord, Norway, produces some 100 000 tonnes of farmed salmon annually. Other trials by Lerøy Seafood suggest that around 60% of fish sludge can be collected below net cage aquaculture in fjords.

“Fish farming project in Hardangerfjord awarded over 10 million euro in grants”, Ragn-Sells, 14^th August 2024 https://www.ragnsells.com/about-us/press-media/articles/hardangerfjord/

“120 million NOK for unique EU project on sludge collection in Hardangerfjorden"”, NORCE 12^th August 2024 https://www.norceresearch.no/en/news/120-millioner-kroner-til-unikt-eu-prosjekt-for-slamoppsamling-i-hardangerfjorden

“Net pen collection system trapped 60% of sludge”, Fishfarmingexpert, 22^nd April 2022 https://www.fishfarmingexpert.com/leroy-seafood-lift-up-morenot-aquaculture/net-pen-collection-system-trapped-60-of-sludge/1288746

Sewage-recovered phosphate from Germany to animal feed in Canada

Gelsenwasser Germany, Friesen Group Canada and EasyMining will recover calcium phosphates from sewage sludge incineration ash in Germany use in livestock nutrition in North America. The EU animal feed regulations pose regulatory obstacles to use of sewage-recovered phosphates in animal nutrition, irrespective of the quality and safety of such secondary phosphates. Canada and the USA do not have such regulatory barriers. High-quality calcium phosphates will be recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash in Schkopau, near Leipzig, Germany, from Gelsenwasser’s wastewater treatment plants. Gelsenwasser is a German utilities company, established in 1887 in the Ruhr region, and with today 6 billion € turnover in water and energy activities. Friesen Group is family-owned medium sized Canada and US supplier of animal feed, breeding and other livestock services. EasyMining, part of the Ragn-Sells group (ESPP member) has developed the Ash2Phos process to recover high-quality calcium phosphorus from biosolids or other organic waste ashes, recovering over 90% of the phosphorus from the ash.

“European recycled phosphorus can be exported to Canada”, 21^st November 2023 https://newsroom.easymining.com/posts/pressreleases/european-recycled-phosphorus-can-be-exported

“Green Light for a new phosphorus recovery Plant to address global resource needs”, 10^th September 2024 https://newsroom.easymining.com/posts/pressreleases/green-light-for-a-new-phosphorus-recovery-pla

Consultation: UN FAO draft document on livestock in the circular bioeconomy

Consultation open to 27^th September on 230 page draft from the United Nations FAO (LEAP TAG ‘Circular Bioeconomy Approaches’). ESPP notes that the document provides extensive literature references but no “guidelines” or practice recommendations, and no useful numbers on circularity potential. The draft document covers indicators of Nutrient Use Efficiency circularity, LCA and food systems modelling; plant by-product and animal by-product based animal feed potentials; manure and food waste management; public policies; food safety; planetary boundaries, one-health and other analysis frameworks. The document provides a high-level view, with many academic references and some industry information, and many examples, but not actionable technical or policy recommendations. Many numbers are given on different current recycling routes in the livestock sector, suggesting that there is already today a high level of circularity (in particular of use of animal and plant by-products), but there are scarcely any numbers for estimates of possible improvements in circularity through proposed practices (compared to current practice). The FAO document notes that “livestock can play a crucial role in the circular bioeconomy by recycling resources that are not part of the primary food basket, through diverse contributions in areas such as food production, utilization of plant-based products, residual management, nutrient cycling, soil health and renewable energy generation …. vital role in nutrient cycling and soil health”, referring to Van Zanten et al. 2019 (biophysical concept of circularity). The report notes that livestock circularity can be measured using different indicators (e.g. Partial Nutrient Balance, Nutrient Use Efficiency, Gross Nutrient Surplus, Nutrient Recycling Index …) where each one emphasises a different metric. Circularity of feed can, for example, be assessed as regards energy value, protein content or phosphorus cycling. Manure management is discussed: collection, storage, treatment and processing, including recovery of energy and processing to fertilisers. Quantities of manure generated worldwide and per continent are indicated.

Public consultation is open to 27^th September. ESPP made input to the public consultation on the document welcoming the collection of information as a reference documents, regretting the absence of clear “Guidance” in the document (despite its title) and suggesting that it should be reformulated to separate clear and actionable recommendations for practice, and noting the need for numbers to estimate the potential for improvement of circularity compared to current existing recycling and valorisation practices.

“Guidelines on the role of livestock in circular bioeconomy systems”, draft, UN FAO (United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organisation, LEAP Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance, TAG Technical Advisory Group), https://www.fao.org/partnerships/leap/news-and-events/news/detail/en/c/1708905/

Open for public input to 27^th September 2024: https://www.fao.org/partnerships/leap/resources/public-review/en/

ESPP input submitted 13/9/2024: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Marine advisory councils call on fishery and aquaculture circularity

Identified obstacles to blue economy recycling include the exclusion of aquaculture sludge from the EU fertilisers and the Animal By-Products regulations . The seven-page policy paper from NSAC (North Sea Advisory Council), MAC (Marine Advisory Council), AAC (Aquaculture Advisory Council) and CCRUP (Consultative Council for Ultraperipheric Regions) follows the Circular Blue Economy event (January 2024, see ESPP eNews n°84). It identifies sustainability concerns (health, ecosystems, fisheries) for fishery and aquaculture waste and by-product recycling, opportunities and economic benefits, consumer attitudes and current regulatory and policy objectives. It is noted that today, 40% of fish meal used in aquaculture feed originates from marine fishery leftovers and that there is a need to reduce this reliance by increasing use of other vegetable or animal by-products. The advisory councils specifically identify as regulatory obstacles the current exclusion of fish sludge (aquaculture wastewaters) from the EU Fertilising Products Regulation and the status of fishery and aquaculture derived materials under the Animal By-Products Regulation. The councils consider that “There is a need to revisit the 2009 Animal By-Product Regulation to align with the principles of the circular economy and food sustainability, without compromising safety standards in the current landscape. The new version should categorise fish excreta as manure and make them suitable for use as fertiliser.” The AAC already called for farmed fish effluent to be classified as an Animal By-Product in 2022. They also note the obstacles posed by “the necessary co-existence of animal by-product materials processed within the same establishment. Such integration is pivotal for enhancing industry efficiency and making the best value of raw materials. Certain fishery products, and in particular cut offs from the processing industry, could be classified as animal by-products, and once declared animal by-product, such raw materials cannot be upgraded and processed for food markets. Mixing different raw materials, approved for food or for feed, is not permitted either.” More flexibility in regulation is needed, whilst continuing to ensure health and safety. The councils underline the need to enable use of aquaculture and fishery wastes in Organic Farming.

“Joint-AC Advice on valorisation of fisheries and aquaculture by-products”, 3 September 2024, https://www.nsrac.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/12-2324-Joint-AC-Advice-on-Valorisation-of-fisheries-and-aquaculture-byproducts.pdf

Research and innovation

Lab testing of P₄ synthesis from phosphoric acid

A lab-scale reactor (32 mm diameter, 1.2m high, acid input 0.01 ml/minute, 1 hour runs) was tested for production of white phosphorus (P₄) from phosphoric acid using carbon reducing agent electrically heated to 900 - 1000 °C. No data is provided as to whether this would be more energy efficient than current P₄ furnaces using coke and electric heating and operating at >1500°C. ESPP notes that energy is economised in that calcium is separated from phosphate upstream of the process (production of the phosphoric acid, by the ‘wet acid’ route, using sulphuric acid which has zero energy footprint because it is a by-product of oil refineries) but on the other hand very considerable energy will be consumed to evaporate water (85% phosphoric acid is 85% H₃PO₄ so in effect 38% water: 15% as water and 13% in the H₃PO₄). The phosphoric acid (85% concentration) was dripped from the top of the reactor tube onto a 20 – 50 cm bed of coke or activated carbon bed. The phosphoric acid is thermally decomposed into P₂O₅ and H₂O gases at the top of the bed held at 1000℃. The generated gases are reduced in the carbon bed into CO, H₂, and P₄ gases. Some of the P₄ was condensed in the lower, cooler layers of the bed and trickled down through the silica filter reactor base into a water bath, some came off as gas which was reacted in water bath. A difficulty identified is that because there is no silica input (from phosphate rock or ash), no slag is produced (an energy consumption benefit), whereas the molten slag in conventional furnaces removes impurities from the system. Some impurities are however retained in the carbon reactor bed. No data is given concerning carryover of phosphoric acid with the offgas. Other challenges to address are removal from the reactor of the ash from reacted coke, and collection of solid white phosphorus (rather than reaction to phosphoric acid in a water bath). ESPP notes that it is likely that phosphine PH₃ will be released: this could pose operational challenges, or could be a commercial opportunity (phosphine is a precursor for organophosphorus chemistry). ESPP considers that these lab tests show that P₄production from phosphoric acid is technically possible, but that energy analysis is needed to assess whether this offers significant benefits compared to a conventional P₄furnace (using phosphate rock or secondary ash as input), solutions must to be found to remove contaminants and inerts from the reactor (calcium, silica) given that there is no slag outflow, more work is needed on carryover of phosphoric acid and phosphine, and that scale-up will require addressing corrosion throughout the system (hot acid, corrosive offgases …). Based on these first tests, Tohoku University is now conducting experiments with acid input 0.6 litres/hour.

“White phosphorus production by a carbothermic reduction of upcycled crude phosphoric acid”, H. Yu et al., Resources Conservation & Recycling 211, 2024, 107868, DOI.

Groundwater is a significant source of phosphorus to Oneida Lake, USA

Total groundwater P concentrations reached high values (up to 100 mg/l), with inorganic P representing c. 10% of total P, elevating lake P concentrations at the shore sediment–water interface and in the overlying water column. The role of groundwater leakage in P loading dynamics was evaluated along the shoreline of Oneida Lake (New York, USA), a shallow mesotrophic 207 km² lake. Two studies were conducted focusing on different scales along the lake: the first during summer 2017 and 2018, with sampling stations installed along 800 m of the southern basin shoreline; the second during summer 2020, sampling 10 representative sites around the entire shoreline. Groundwater leakage volume was measured and used with total P (TP, unfiltered samples) and Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (SRP, filtered sample) data of pore and lake water samples to estimate P loads. Groundwater SRP concentrations and loads, although low, were constant throughout each summer season (c. 0.2 mg/L in 2017-18, 0.1 mg/L in 2020), indicating a consistent input of readily available P to the littoral environment, while TP concentrations were significantly higher than SRP (c. 2.0 mg/L in 2017-18, 25.0 mg/L in 2020), and widely variable across time and space (up to c.100 mg/L in 2020). Local and regional precipitation were positively correlated with flow rates and P fluxes. Sampling sites adjacent to residential areas exhibited higher P concentrations, possibly due to septic systems or garden fertiliser use. High TP loads also occurred adjacent to forested landscapes, possibly because of dissolved organic compounds leaching from the forest soils. In the study, SRP concentrations averaged less than 10% of TP, indicating that dissolved organic P, likely available for biological consumption, was the predominant fraction entering the lake via groundwater seepage (TP samples showed little to no particulate fraction). Therefore, even though the P entering the lake through groundwater seepage (3% of annual water inflow into the lake) is a small fraction of the total P loading to the lake, it may have an important impact due to its high bioavailability.

“Groundwater inputs could be a significant but often overlooked source of phosphorus in lake ecosystems”, M. Sol Lisboa et al., Scientific reports 14, 2024, 16269, DOI

Stay informed & ESPP members

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ESPP member logos 06.08.24 page 0001

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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Events, calls, job offers

5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference 8-10 October 2024, Lleida, Spain

Upcoming call for projects on water circular economy

Phosphates 2025 conference to include potash

Job offer – BETA Technological Center

DPP P-recycling German thesis prize

ESPP new member

ReLEAF

Animal By-Products nutrient recycling in fertilisers

Webinar: including Animal By-Products into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Safety and agronomic value of Animal By-Products as fertilisers

Watch the replay: webinar on use of ‘Processed Manure’ in EU fertilising products

“Processed Manure” in consolidated EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Policy and regulations

European Commission further actions for failure to implement water policies

‘Polluter Pays’ lacks implementation in EU farming and industry policies

Increasing EU biomethane and digestate production

EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) – revision published

Research

Phosphorus-based superconductor material

Waterlogging of soil can increase plant availability of iron phosphates

Nutrient flows studies

Landfilled P in Rimini province (Italy) could meet 96% of crop demand

Low nutrient use efficiency in Flanders (Belgium)

Potential to recycle P will increase in Montreal (Canada) by 2050

Phosphorus management in Spain could increase efficiency and reduce losses

High P inflow and storage in Gippsland's agricultural system (Australia)

Phosphorus use efficiency trends across thirteen countries

Phosphorus flow studies previously summarised by ESPP

Stay informed & ESPP members

Events, calls, job offers

5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference 8-10 October 2024, Lleida, Spain

120 abstracts received. With three European Commission services, United Nations, industry & experts from Europe and worldwide. Site visits to industrial nutrient recycling, digestate processing (Fertilizantes del Ebro, biogas installations). ESPC5 follows on from ESPC4 Vienna, 2022 which, with 320 participants onsite and 80 online, was the biggest conference on phosphorus ever worldwide. Join us for this unique networking, industry, policy and science event.
Updated programme, registration, site visit details: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/espc5

Birdwatching in Spain after ESPC5. Some of us will be taking a long weekend birding on the Spanish steppes around Lleida after ESPC5. Anyone interested in joining, contact

Upcoming call for projects on water circular economy

The European Water4All partnership has announced a Joint Transnational Call (c. 36 M€) for research and innovation projects to improve long-term water security, including resource recovery and valorisation.
The “Water for Circular Economy” call, backed by 36 funding agencies from Europe and outside, will be announced on September 12, 2024, with a total budget of c. 36 M€. The deadline for submitting pre-proposals is November 2024, and the projects will have a duration of 36 months. Research proposals must address at least one of the following themes: enhancement of water circularity in industries; urban water circularity; resource recovery and valorisation; economic, environmental and social implications of water reuse and recovered products. Project outcomes should contribute to the development of evidence-based water management policies and strategies at global, EU, and national levels, within the frameworks of the Green Deal, Water Framework Directive, Just Transition and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Water4All 2024 Joint Transnational Call Pre-announcement.

Phosphates 2025 conference to include potash

CRU have announced that Phosphates 2025 (31/3/25 – 2/4/25, Orlando) will also cover potash. A call for abstracts is opened to 27^th September 2024. Themes will cover all aspects of the potash industry (as is the case for phosphates, for which CRU Phosphates is “the” annual industry & technology meeting place): mining and resources, beneficiation, fertilisers, environmental aspects of production management, sustainability.
Abstracts of 200-400 words should be sent to
Phosphates 2025 website: https://events.crugroup.com/phosphates/home

Job offer – BETA Technological Center

BETA Technological Center, Vic (Barcelona), Spain, is recruiting: "Senior Technician for the management of competitive projects in the field of governance". Application deadline 1^stSeptember. The selected person will be responsible for the implementation and technical management of the Horizon Europe CSSBOOST project.
Information: https://utalent.uvic.cat/index.php/Sollicituds/Vista/index/AD/11328

DPP P-recycling German thesis prize

DPP, the German Phosphorus Platform, is for the second year offering a 1000 € prize for a German bachelors or masters thesis on phosphorus recycling. The degree must have been obtained in Germany. The prize will be attributed at DPP’s annual meeting (DPP Forum), Frankfurt-am-Main, 23^rd October 2024. The first (2023) DPP thesis prize was awarded to Jannik Mühlbauer (TU Dresden) for his thesis “Laboratory studies on thermochemical sewage sludge treatment”.
Application (letter of motivation, CV, diploma, supervisor’s report, in one pdf file) plus the final thesis, must be sent by 1^st September to
DPP Forum, 23^rd October 2024 https://www.deutsche-phosphor-plattform.de/aktuelles-forum/

ESPP new member

ReLEAF

The four year 2024-2028 ReLEAF project is funded by the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) to test efficient, safe, and sustainable bio-based controlled release fertilisers. The project has 17 partners from 9 countries, 6.5 M€ allocated EU funding, and is coordinated by Leitat technological centre, Spain. The project aims to valorise several bio-wastes widely available in Europe (sewage sludge, fish processing wastewaters and sludge, mixed food wastes, and agri-food wastes) to obtain fertilising ingredients, biostimulants, and bioplastics that will allow to obtain 100% bio-based controlled release fertilisers and fertiliser-functionalised horticulture elements (mulching films and planting pots). The ReLEAF products will be tested on different soil and climate conditions to demonstrate their efficiency and safety. ReLEAF aims to close the nutrient cycle, while promoting a sustainable agriculture in Europe, fully aligning with the ESPP’s objectives. ESPP membership will facilitate knowledge sharing, clustering and networking, to accelerate uptake of ReLEAF solutions and widen the project impact.
More information: https://www.linkedin.com/company/releaf-project-eu/
http://releafproject.eu/ (under construction)
Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking https://www.cbe.europa.eu/cbe-ju-2023-call-projects

Animal By-Products nutrient recycling in fertilisers

Webinar: including Animal By-Products into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

17^th September, 14h – 16h (CEST, Brussels time). Recycling animal by-products to fertilisers: nutrient circularity, food chain safety and consumer confidence. Jointly organised by ECOFI, Eurofema, EBIC and ESPP. With participation of the European Commission (DG SANTE, DG GROW Fertilisers). This webinar will address several key questions: Which Animal By-Product (ABP) materials can currently be used in EU fertilising products? Under what processing conditions? How do the EU ABP Regulations and the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) fit together? What other materials could be considered? What logic and procedures should be followed to consider additional materials?

Secondary materials and fertiliser industry operators are invited to submit examples of ABPs with significant recycling potential as fertilisers. These should be safe, higher uses in the waste hierarchy (food, animal feed) should not be feasible, and they should currently not be authorised under the EU FPR.

This first webinar will present the current regulatory context, discuss several examples of potentially valuable ABPs that are currently excluded from the FPR, and propose ways to advance the inclusion of different types of ABP materials.
Registration open (free) https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrce6sqz0qGdD1o9cwY3u7GaJ4oo1gn5cA#/registration
Please send industry examples of ABP materials for consideration: short text indicating origin of material (from which industries, type of by-product), processing, agronomic value, potential (tonnes/year EU), health and environmental safety, industry contacts (emails) – to

Safety and agronomic value of Animal By-Products as fertilisers

QLab webinar presents conclusions proposed as input for pathogen safety, contaminants and agronomy for studied Cat.2 and Cat.3 ABPs for the Fertilising Products Regulation CMC10. Further input is still possible. The webinar included participation of the European Commission (DG GROW) and industry stakeholders. The study covers: processed insect frass, glycerine, by-products from production of fuels from ABPs, other Cat.3 materials, Processed Animal Protein (PAP), hydrolysed proteins, Meat and Bone Meal (MBM), Di- and Tri-Calcium Phosphate from bones, blood products, horn and hoof products, feathers and down, wet blue leather. Proposed conclusions are that in all cases, the processing required under the Animal By-Product Regulation are sufficient to ensure pathogen safety, when correctly applied (this includes BSE/TSE prion safety, given that Cat.1 materials are excluded). Pharmaceutical contaminants, including antibiotics or antibiotic resistance, could be an issue in some materials, and for these should be monitored and if possible reduced at source. In some materials, some contaminants could require specific limits on a case-by-case basis: methanol in glycerine; heavy metals in glycerine, horns & hoofs, hides & skins; arsenic in feathers & down; heavy metals and chromium in wet blue leather (chemicals used in tanning); possibly dioxins in feathers or horns where they may biologically accumulate. For processed insect frass, there are questions about protein allergens (in handling). Another question raised is possible deterioration of materials during storage, potentially resulting in mycotoxins.

The materials considered, based on available publications, show positive fertilising value, bringing organic material and/or nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, micronutrients) and can stimulate soil biology.

After any further input, the QLab report to the European Commission will be finalised, including proposed regulatory wording for inclusion of these materials into the FPR CMC10 (processing, contaminant and other criteria).

Webinar participants suggested that heavy metal levels are already fixed by FPR PFCs and need not be otherwise limited. ESPP commented that heavy metal limits in PFCs are adequate if these come only from heavy metals already present in the animal. However, for wet blue leather or skins/hides from tanning and leather processing, where chemicals including chromium, and arsenic are used, then specific limits in the CMC will ensure consumer and farmer confidence and environmental safety, and avoid “dilution” of such industrial pollutants into fertilisers and so onto fields.

Participants underlined that testing of e.g. allergens, pharmaceuticals, would be prohibitively expensive for organic fertiliser producers, and that these costs should be born by the livestock production and ABP processing sectors, so inciting to reduce at source.
Input and comments on the questions and conclusions proposed in these slides are invited to

Watch the replay: webinar on use of ‘Processed Manure’ in EU fertilising products

Organised by CERTrust, with Theodora Nikolakopoulou of DG GROW. ‘Processed Manure’ is now authorised under CMC10 of the FPR under specific conditions (see ESPP eNews n°88) and manure can also be used as input to CMC3 (composts), CMC5 (digestates), CMC14 (pyrolysis materials) under conditions. This webinar discusses the regulatory mechanism of these authorisations, ABP ‘End Points’, interactions with national fertiliser regulations and other regulations, sterilisation and hygienisation conditions, temperature-time conditions, use conditions, post-processing, packaging and storage obligations, certification documentation, how manure-derived recovered nutrients are in some cases authorised under other CMCs (e.g. recovered ammonia salts from offgases under CMC15).
Webinar 1^st July 2024 - watch replay and read transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsUrwXJB_4w

“Processed Manure” in consolidated EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

The online consolidated version of the FPR has been updated to include “Processed Manure” in CMC10, as specified in the Delegated Regulation 2024/1682 (4 March 2024), see ESPP eNews n°88. The first batch of other materials which will hopefully be soon added to CMC10 are still under assessment (see QLab webinar above). ESPP recommends to users to always refer to the “consolidated” version of the FPR, in order to avoid working with outdated texts which do not take into account recent amendments (despite the consolidated version is only for guidance and does not include the recitals of the amending regulations). Note that CMC11 (By-Products) Regulation 2022/973 is NOT (and will not be) integrated into the consolidated FPR (for legal reasons) so should be consulted separately for CMC11. Also note that the link below to the consolidated FPR is to the CURRENT version: on opening this link, you should verify if there is not a more recent version (under “Hide all versions” on left hand side of page).
Consolidated EU Fertilising Products Regulation, consolidation of 3/7/2024 HERE.

Policy and regulations

European Commission further actions for failure to implement water policies

The EU continues to engage new infringement procedures against Member States for not fully implementing EU water policies, allowing pollution and deterioration of water bodies, including by phosphorus and nitrogen.
Failures to adequately collect and treat sewage or reduce agricultural nitrogen pollution are progressively being resolved, although this has in some cases only been after the European Commission engaged legal action at the European Court of Justice (ECJ): e.g. Belgium - ECJ C-395/13, France, Hungary - ESPP eNews n°56, Spain, Italy, Poland - ESPP eNews n°25, Germany – Euractiv 1/6/2023.

Implementation of the 1991 Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (that is before the recently decided revision) and the 1991 Nitrates Directive both still remain incomplete. Over the last year, the Commission has engaged actions against:

Slovakia: insufficient sewage collection for six agglomerations – INFR(2021)2147
Belgium (referral to ECJ): nitrate pollution in the Flanders region “successive Flemish nitrate action programmes [Nitrates Directive] have failed to deliver results and, to date, pollution levels remain excessively high, posing a risk to humans and the environment”.- INFR(2022)2051
Greece (referral to ECJ): inadequate sewage collection in 153 agglomerations, inadequate secondary treatment in 143 of these, failure to remove phosphorus before discharge into a Sensitive Area in one agglomeration – INF(2020)2021
France (referral to ECJ): drinking water exceeding legal nitrate concentration in 107 water supply zones in seven regions (Drinking Water Directive) - INFR(2020)2273
Cyprus: insufficient sewage collection and/or treatment for 31 agglomerations – INFR(2017)2046
Estonia: inadequate regulation of industrial wastewater – INFR(2023)2180
Ireland: failure to adequately treat wastewater from 8 agglomerations, failure to remove phosphorus before discharge into a Sensitive Area in a further three agglomerations – INFR(2023)2180
Spain (referral to ECJ): continuation of infringement procedures for inadequate collection of wastewater from 29 agglomerations and inadequate treatment of wastewater from 225 agglomerations – INFR(2012)2100 updated 21/12/2023
Portugal: inadequate secondary treatment in 15 agglomerations, failure to remove phosphorus before discharge into a Sensitive Area in three agglomerations INFR(2022)2028

The Commission has also engaged actions towards a number of Member States for inadequate implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60) and/or the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56), concerning reporting and definition of water basin management plans, river basin action programmes and flood risk maps.

Although there remain significant failure in EU water policy implementation by Member States, the situation is worse for EU waste policy: the Commission announced in July 2024 initial opening of infringement procedures against 27 Member States for failure to meet the 2020 target to prepare 50% of municipal waste for reuse and recycling (EU Waste Framework Directive 94/62 amended by 2018/852).

‘Polluter Pays’ lacks implementation in EU farming and industry policies

OECD paper indicates the need to improve coherence between EU agriculture and industry policies and the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle set by the Water Framework Directive. The ‘Polluter Pays’ principle was established by the OECD in 1972 and then as one of the 27 guiding principles of the UN ‘Rio Declaration’ 1992. The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60) art. 9 fixes the “principle of recovery of the costs of water services, including environmental and resource costs, … in accordance in particular with the polluter pays principle”. The OECD’s 50-page analysis discusses challenges to implementation, including the distinction between water service users (paying water fees) and polluters. In particular, farmers using fertilisers or phytochemicals (diffuse pollution) will not pay environmental or depollution costs via water use fees. The OECD paper identifies pesticide taxes in place in Sweden and Denmark, a nitrate fertiliser tax in France only and a tradable phosphates quota system in The Netherlands. However, diffuse pollution is causing WFD quality status failure in nearly 40% of EU surface waters. In France, removal of nitrates and phytochemicals from drinking water costs 0.5 – 1 billion €/year (not considering environmental costs of water body quality degradation) whereas the nitrates tax revenue is <0.2 billion €/y. A study in Denmark estimated that a 150% tax on nitrates fertilisers would be needed to reduce losses by -30% (water quality target). The paper notes that cross-compliance introduced into the EU Common Agricultural Policy (that is, farmers must respect environmental legislation such as the Nitrates Directive or Water Framework Directive) to receive farm subsidies face difficulties of implementation, in particular identification of individual farmer responsibility in diffuse pollution. Also, CAP penalties are considered inadequate to ensure compliance. Measures such as obligatory balanced farm fertiliser plans and soil monitoring can contribute to ensuring application of ‘Polluter Pays’ to diffuse agricultural pollution. Nutrient credit trading programmes are noted, e.g. Great Miami River Watershed, Ohio. Identified challenges include Extended Producer Responsibility to implement ‘Polluter Pays’ for industrial chemicals (e.g. pharmaceuticals under the revised EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, see ESPP eNews n°83) costs of ‘legacy’ pollution, the absence of an EU legal framework to apply ‘Polluter Pays’ to soil pollution.
“The implementation of the Polluter Pays principle in the context of the Wate Framework Directive”, D. Sanchez Trancon, X. Leflaive, an output of the OECD Environment Policy Committee (EPOC) Working Party on Biodiversity, Water and Ecosystems (WPBWE), OECD Environment Working Papers No. 238, 23 May 2024, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/699601fc-en

Increasing EU biomethane and digestate production

2024 “Biomethane Map” from European Biogas Association shows nearly 40% increase in EU biomethane production capacity since 2022-2023 producing nearly a million tonnes of digestate. EBA’s updated map identifies over 1 500 biomethane plants across Europe, of which 80% are connected to methane compression, either for injection into the natural gas distribution network or for transport fuel. 25 billion € of private investment is already identified as secured for further plant investment, and will result in nearly 1 000 new plants by 2030. The EU objective to increase biomethane production by x10 by 2030 will be fed mainly by manure, as well as agricultural by-products and sequential crops. This will result in high-nutrient digestates. EBA estimates that by 2030 digestates in Europe will contain 4.1 Mt of nitrogen, 0.7 Mt of phosphorus and 0.4 Mt of potassium, that is around 60% of phosphorus currently used in mineral fertilisers. Today around 2/3 of digestate is used locally on fields and only around 16% is processed to fertiliser products. (See Giulia Cancian, EBA, in SCOPE Newsletter n°146 and EBA digestate report in ESPP eNews n°86).
“New edition of the Biomethane Map shows 37% increase in biomethane capacity in the EU compared to the previous map”, European Biogas Association (EBA), 5^th July 2024.

EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) – revision published

The revised IED was published on 24^th April 2024, setting mandatory emissions and environmental criteria across industry, increasing emphasis on material efficiency and covering around three quarters of pig and poultry farms. The Directive is implemented by BAT (Best Available Technology BREFs, established under a JRC process, and formally adopted by the European Commission. Emission limits, environmental technologies and other standards defined in these BAT BREFs then become mandatory for all installations of the relevant industry sector across Europe (above specified size). Under the new title “Industrial and Livestock Rearing Emissions Directive”, intensive pig and poultry farms (as defined in Annex Ia) will be covered from 280 – 380 LSU( livestock units). This is expected to increase the number of pig and poultry farms covered from around 35% under the current IED to 75 – 80% by 2030. Intensive cattle farms are not yet covered, but the Commission must assess this possibility by 2026. The revised Directive also increases the emphasis on materials and resource efficiency.
JRC BAT BREFs https://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference
Industrial and Livestock Rearing Emissions Directive (IED 2.0) 2024/1785 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL_202401785
European Commission IED2.0 page: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/industrial-emissions-and-safety/industrial-and-livestock-rearing-emissions-directive-ied-20_en

Research

Phosphorus-based superconductor material

Research shows that lead – phosphorus based material can be superconductor (zero electrical resistance) at room temperature and pressure. The “LK-99” material was synthesised from copper phosphide (CuP, a derivate of elemental phosphorus P₄) and lanarkite (a lead sulphate – lead oxide mineral). The superconductivity is considered to result from structural distortion as copper ions substitute lead ions in the phosphate lattice, enabling electron movement. This research paper provides another example of possible applications of P₄- derived chemicals in electronics developments.
“The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor”, S. Lee et al., 2023. arXiv:2307.12008, DOI

Waterlogging of soil can increase plant availability of iron phosphates

In pot trials, iron II and III phosphates were not effective P-fertilisers for rice, but the P-availability was increased by 60-day waterlogging of the soil and addition of organic matter (glutamate). Three iron II (vivianite) and three iron III phosphates were pot-trialled with rice in three P-deficient soils (pH: 4.5 limed to 6.1, 6.0, 7.9, iron 0.9, 2.6, 2.9 gFe/kg). The vivianites were provided by Wetsus (recovered from wastewater), Fertiberia and laboratory synthesis. The iron III phosphates were phosphorus-loaded iron materials from drinking water treatment (two Aquaminerals, one from NeReDrain agricultural drainage P-trap). In the pot trials, the iron phosphates were compared to triple super phosphate (TSP) at the same P application rate plus a control (no added P). N, K and micronutrients were added in all cases. The rice pot trials (21 days) showed in all cases plant P uptake considerably lower than with TSP and generally not higher than for the control (no added P), in all three soils for all the iron phosphate materials tested, both in pot trials with waterlogged and non-waterlogged soil. In longer soil incubation tests (60 days), with waterlogged soil, the different iron phosphates did show P-release (increased soil CaCl₂ extractable P) compared to the control, in two of the three soils (not in the limed acidic soil), in particular when organic matter was also added (glutamate).
“Increasing phosphorus fertilizer value of recycled iron phosphates by prolonged flooding and organic matter addition”, R. Saracanlao et al., Pedosphere 34(3), 2022, pp 631-640. DOI

Nutrient flows studies

Landfilled P in Rimini province (Italy) could meet 96% of crop demand

Of nearly 240 tP/y entering the system, c. 80 tP/y accumulate in soils or are lost to water bodies. Recovery of P from digested sewage sludge would meet up to 96% of the annual P demand for crops, but this flow is currently landfilled.
Material flow analysis has been applied to characterise the 2020 phosphorous cycle in the seven municipalities of the Rimini province (Italy) and the State of San Marino. The area is served by the Santa Giustina wastewater treatment plant (560 000 p.e.), where sewage sludge undergoes anaerobic digestion. Two phosphorus flow analysis studies from the literature were used as archetypes for the modelling of the system (van Dijk et al., 2016 and Koppelaar and Weikard, 2013), and data were gathered from databases, inventories and statistics (from EEA, ISPRA, ARPA, USDA, …), and complemented with literature searches including ESPP Fact Sheet. The model showed that 236 ± 23 t P enter the system annually, of which 122 ± 12 t P/y from fertilisers applied to agricultural soils (producing wheat, lettuce, alfalfa, and grapes), and the remainder from imported food products, animal feed supplements for livestock, and household chemicals. The greatest P flow within the system (158 ± 31 t P/y) is from the agricultural soils to the harvested crops, even though a net accumulation in soils of 15 ± 23 t P/y was estimated by the model. The P consumed by the population is excreted into the sewage system, along with P from household chemicals, for a total of 142 ± 3 t P annually, corresponding to the recovery P potential at theoretical 100% efficiency rate. In 2021, current treatment technologies at the WWTP allowed the removal of about 117 ± 2 t P/year from wastewater (removal efficiency rate of 82%). This amount of P could theoretically meet up to 96% of the annual demand of mineral fertilisers in the system, but currently goes to landfill. The P discharge after water treatment is 25 ± 3 t P/y and adds to P leached flow from crop production (45 ± 8 t P/y). The resulting net P input to water bodies of 66 ± 8 t P/y and runs off to natural water bodies.
“Phosphorous flow analysis and resource circularity at the province level in north Italy”, C.M. Duque Torres et al., Sustain. Chem. Pharm. 33 (2023) 101133 DOI

Low nutrient use efficiency in Flanders (Belgium)

Detailed N and P flow analysis for the livestock-intensive region of Flanders shows low nutrient use efficiency (11% N, 18% P). Recycling/reuse could be increased from 35% N and 37% P of system inputs to 45% N and 48% P.
A recent study (Vingerhoets et al., 2023) modelled 40 sectors and processes, examining over 1 800 nutrient flows within the Flanders region. This included the fate of nutrients post-consumption, using data from various sources like government agencies, farming industries, treatment facilities, and households. The study builds on Coppens et al. (2016), which analysed nutrient flows in the same region for 2009, quantifying 160 N and P flows across 21 compartments. The 2016 study found 20 kgN/cap/y and 0.53 kgP/cap/y were emitted to the environment, lower than the EU averages. Crop and livestock production were the main contributors to emissions. In crop production, animal manure supplied 55% of the N and 87% of the P demand for fertilisers, contributing significantly to environmental nutrient losses. Inorganic fertilizers accounted for 32% of N and 6% of P. Despite advancements in waste management, only a small fraction of nutrients in waste streams were recycled (17% N and 12% P).

Vingerhoets et al. (2023) estimated a total system input of 87.9 ± 2.4 kgN/cap/y and 13.9 ± 0.4 kgP/cap/y, mainly from imports of plant and animal products (50% and 53% of N and P inputs), mineral fertilizers (21% N, 4% P), and animal feeds (18% N, 20% P). Compared to 2009, N and P inputs decreased (87.9 vs. 130 kgN/cap/y and 13.9 vs. 19 kgP/cap/y). Nutrient inputs were exported in food products (19% N, 20% P), feed (8% N, 11% P), side streams (including manure, 27% N, 61% P), lost to the environment (39% N, 4% P), or accumulated in soils (7% N, 4% P). Feed flows were dominant due to intensive livestock production. About one-third of consumed nutrients were assimilated into animal products, with the remainder in animal manure, reused for crop production, processed, or exported. The model showed a low nutrient use efficiency of 11% for N and 18% for P. Currently, 55% of 59.6 kgN/cap/y and 56% of 10.0 kgP/cap/y in recoverable streams are recycled or reused, providing 35% and 37% of total N and P input, respectively. Implementing recovery technologies for untapped recoverable streams (e.g., treated municipal wastewater, dried and exported poultry manure, activated-sludge treated pig and cattle manure, and point source NH₃ emissions) could increase recovery efficiency by 22.7% for N and 17.6% for P, enhance reuse efficiency by 14.6% for N and 24.4% for P, and replace 45% of external N input and 48% of external P input.
“Detailed nitrogen and phosphorus flow analysis, nutrient use efficiency and circularity in the agri-food system of a livestock-intensive region”, R. Vingerhoets et al., J. Clean. Prod. 410 (2023) 137278 DOI
“Follow the N and P road: High-resolution nutrient flow analysis of the Flanders region as precursor for sustainable resource management”, J. Coppens et al., Resour. Consev. Recycl. 115 (2016) 9-21 DOI

Potential to recycle P will increase in Montreal (Canada) by 2050

Over 80% of imported P is landfilled, 17% flows to the Saint Lawrence River, and less than 3% is available for recycling. There is potential to recover P from wastewater and solid organic waste and to reduce P flows to landfill by up to 95%.
The study presented a P flow analysis in the island of Montreal (Canada) in the year 2014, and explored possible flow modifications in the 2008-2050 period following potential policy changes and shifts in social behaviour. The study focussed on the food, wastewater, and waste management sectors, not calculating inputs and flows related to pet food and pet waste, household products containing P, and other flows. The geographical system boundary for the analysis was the island of Montreal, therefore flows associated with food systems operating exclusively off-island were not considered. P concentrations, quantities, and flow rates were based on peer-reviewed literature and published government reports. Site-specific data were used when possible, supplemented by provincial or national values. Results showed that approximately 3% of imported P (from food, feed and fertilisers) is being recovered in compost, with only 0.2% being recycled to urban food production. The majority of P is accumulating in landfills (c. 85%, mostly as sewage sludge), while 17% is exported to the river. At present, there is c. 1.7 ktP/y in organic waste streams, of which c. 2/3 is in sewage and c. 1/3 is in organic wastes. The amount of organic solid waste (food, leaves, and yard waste) being collected is expected to increase. The amount of compost produced from these solid wastes is predicted to eventually exceed the needs of on-island agriculture, resulting in available P for off-island markets.
“Dynamic simulation of phosphorus flows through Montreal’s food and waste systems”, Treadwell et al., Resour. Conserv. Recy.131 (2018) 122–133, DOI

Phosphorus management in Spain could increase efficiency and reduce losses

P flow analysis (PFA) suggests that Spain’s current P cycle is not efficient with significant losses and soil accumulation. However, data incoherences mean that precise conclusions cannot be drawn.
A phosphorus flow analysis conducted for Spain (19 autonomous regions plus Baleares and Canarias islands) for the year 2012 suggests that a net total of 215 kP/y was imported by Spain (imports – exported products). The numbers given suggest that one third of this is accumulating in stockpiled food and animal feed products. This would mean* that around a quarter of Spain’s food and animal feed production was being stockpiled, which seems unlikely. The PFA also suggests that over half of compost production was stockpiled (13 ktP/y accumulation in compost), also unlikely, as well as accumulations in industrial chemicals and fertiliser stocks. As indicated by the authors, these apparent accumulations are probably due to “partial information” rather than reflecting reality. This suggests that the PFA estimates for losses of phosphorus to water (45 ktP/y, of which 32 ktP/y from sewage works and 13 ktP/y from agricultural land) and for accumulation in soils (42 ktP/y) are probably too low.

These incoherences mean that the authors’ conclusions concerning efficiency of crop and animal production P use, and comparisons with efficiency in other countries, are not meaningful: it seems likely that much of the apparent “accumulation” of P is in reality P being lost to water or accumulated in soils.

The PFA numbers indicate that input to agricultural land (340 ktP/y) consisted of mineral fertilisers (48%), animal manure (39%), urban sewage sludge (10%), compost and others (3%). Fertiliser use data (kgP/ha applied) indicated an overdosing trend in Spain, up to 4 times the average for EU-27, with a ratio of applied mineral fertilisers to total fertiliser application close to the EU-27 average. 60% of the P received by wastewater treatment plants is removed in sewage sludge and around 69% of the sewage sludge was recycled to agriculture.
* comparing P shown as stockpiled to P shown as input to “Food and feed” in fig. 1.
“A Phosphorous Flow Analysis in Spain”, J. Álvarez et al., Sci. Tot. Env. 612 (2018) 995-1006 DOI

High P inflow and storage in Gippsland's agricultural system (Australia)

A six-year (2008–2013) P flow analysis in Gippsland, Australia, found that c. 70% of annual P inflow was stored within the region, and that the per capita P inflow (60 kg P/y) was remarkably higher than other regions (1.6-20.7 kg P/y).
In Gippsland, an intensive agricultural food-producing region of Australia, most of the annual inflow, outflow, and storage of P in the region is associated with the livestock farming system. The annual inflow of P primarily comes from commercial fertilisers for pastures (66% of the 15 ktP/y total input) and livestock feed (29%), while livestock products account for 94% of the mean annual total outflow (c. 4 ktP/year). The majority of P storage (66%, c. 7 ktP/year) is in livestock farm soils, where cattle excreta accumulate. These findings are consistent with previous flow studies (summarised in SCOPE Newsletter n° 77 and 95), indicating that Australia is a significant P importer, with livestock production accounting for a large share of the country's P consumption, including fertilised pastures and animal feeds, and that P in animal manures mostly accumulates in the soils of pastures. Over the study period, over 65 ktP accumulated in the region, and c. 3 ktP were lost through soil erosion and runoff. Both the annual inflow and storage of P in the Gippsland region and the livestock farming system showed a decreasing trend over the study period, while the annual outflow remained nearly the same. This suggests improved P management, coinciding with several initiatives for sustainable nutrient management in the region’s dairy farms. Despite these improvements, c. 0.5 ktP annually entered water bodies from different subsystems, negatively impacting the aquatic environment. Additionally, nearly half of the annual total P inflow in the waste management system remains unrecovered or unutilised, ending up in landfill or the environment as disposal of garbage (from solid waste streams), wastewater, and sewage sludge.
“A multi-year phosphorus flow analysis of a key agricultural region in Australia to identify options for sustainable management”, R. B. Chowdhury et al., Agric. Sys. 161 (2018) 42-60 DOI

Phosphorus use efficiency trends across thirteen countries

Agricultural phosphorus use efficiency in thirteen countries averages c. 45%. It is higher in crops & pastures (c. 70%) and lower in the livestock sector (c. 20%).
The study reviewed national scale P flow analyses to compare the major key P inflows, outflows, and P use efficiency (PUE*) in the crop-pasture, livestock and overall agricultural production sectors across various nations**. National flow studies were selected among peer reviewed single- or multiple- years flow studies published between 2005 and 2020, considering agricultural flows including crop, pasture and livestock production, and from which quantitative data were available.

Crop-pasture sector: mineral fertilisers and livestock manure account for c. 90% of the annual total P inflow in all considered countries. PUE in this sector ranges from 25 to 85%, with European countries showing higher PUE (66-85%) due to significant P inflow from animal manure, and therefore higher P recovery and recycling. Countries like Japan, South Korea, Finland, Portugal and Norway exhibit high soil P storage (>50% of inflow) and lower PUE (25-50%).
Livestock sector: P inflows mainly come from livestock feed from pasture/crop production (e.g., France, Bangladesh) and feed industry (e.g., China, Netherlands, Portugal). Total P outflow (livestock manure and products) was almost equal to the inflow, indicating almost no or low storage (ESPP note: logically the only “losses” in livestock are in bones and other non-food parts of the animal). PUE ranged from 2% (Bangladesh) to 34% (Netherlands), averaging 18%. Higher PUE is noted in Pacific and European countries, attributed to higher P outflow as livestock products for food production. However, authors excluded this flow from the calculation due to the uncertain fate of P in manure, which can be wasted or lost.
Overall agricultural sector (including crop-pasture and livestock sector): P inflows are primarily from mineral fertilisers (China, India, Bangladesh) and imported feed (Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Norway), with major outflows being crop/plant and livestock products. PUE ranged from 22 to 76%, averaging 46%. Countries with higher PUE (i.e., EU countries) often recycle P from organic waste streams, and show high PUE in the crop-pasture subsystem.

Given the positive correlation between high PUE in the crop-pasture subsystem and high PUE in the overall agricultural sector, the authors conclude that applying P fertilisers for producing more plant-based food than animal feed/pasture for generating animal-based food could reduce P input and improve PUE in the overall agricultural production system. They also underline the potential for improving PUE in the agricultural system of Asian countries by reducing the use of mineral fertilisers and enhancing the use of livestock manure through recovery and recycling, following many EU-countries example.

* Definitions of P use efficiency (PUE), as reported by the authors for the sector of:
- crop production: conversion ratio of the total P input into useful plant exports (e.g., harvested crops)
- animal/livestock production: conversion ratio of the total P input into useful animal/ livestock products (e.g., milk and meat)
** Selected national P flow studies: Bangladesh, China (summarised in ESPP Scope Newsletter 128), India, Japan, South Corea, Australia (see Scope Newsletter 95), New Zealand, Austria (see Scope Newsletter 143), Finland, France (see Scope Newsletter 104) , Germany, Netherlands (see Scope Newsletter 105), Norway (see Scope Newsletter 123), Portugal, Spain (see summary above), Sweden, Switzerland (see Scope Newsletter 128), Turkey, UK (see Scope Newsletter 113) and USA. Only 13 countries were considered for PUE comparison in the overall agricultural sector.
“Phosphorus use efficiency in agricultural systems: A comprehensive assessment through the review of national scale substance flow analyses”, R. B. Chowdhury et al., Ecol. Indic. 121 (2021) 107172 DOI

Phosphorus flow studies previously summarised by ESPP

State/Region/City	eNews	SCOPE Newsletter	State/Region/City	eNews	SCOPE Newsletter
Europe		85, 92, 117	Global	43, 58	73, 76, 99, 128
Austria		54, 113, 128, 143	Australia		77, 95
Baltic	42		Bangkok		122
Brussels	47		China		65, 78, 103, 128
Finland		78	Egypt (Nile)		67
France		93, 101, 104	New Zealand		116
Germany	65		Ontario	68
Netherlands		97, 105	Uganda		113
Nordic Countries		123	Review	38	128
Northern Ireland	49
Paris region	22
Slovenia		50
Stockholm		122
Sweden		71, 93, 99
Switzerland		80, 85, 102, 108, 126, 128, 141
UK	73	98, 108, 113, 116

Stay informed & ESPP members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews088
Download as PDF

ESPP actions

Registration is now open for the 5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference

Webinar: including Animal By-Products in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

EFSA call for input on P-recycling from Cat.1 Animal By-Product ash: deadline 5^th July

“Processed Manure” now authorised in EU fertilising products

Positions and prizes

IFS 10^th Brian Chambers crop nutrition research prize

PhD positions open on nutrient recycling and fertilisers

Job offer - Morocco

Nutrient recycling

ISO Circular Economy standard integrates nutrient recycling

Updated position paper on sewage sludge biochar

3^rd PRO-FEM Conference, Catalunya: Bio-based Fertilisers and nutrient recovery

Microplastics

Microplastics and phosphorus in soils

Soil impacts of microplastics in sewage sludge and household organic waste composts

Stay informed & ESPP members

ESPP actions

Registration is now open for the 5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference

8-10 October 2024, Lleida, Spain. 120 abstracts received. With three European Commission services, United Nations, industry & experts from Europe and worldwide. Site visits to industrial nutrient recycling, digestate processing (Fertilizantes del Ebro, biogas installations). ESPC5 follows on from ESPC4 Vienna, 2022 which, with 320 participants onsite and 80 online, was the biggest conference on phosphorus ever worldwide. Join us for this unique networking, industry, policy and science event.
Updated programme, registration, site visit details: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/espc5

Webinar: including Animal By-Products into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

17^th September, 14h – 16h (CEST, Brussels time). Recycling animal by-products to fertilisers: nutrient circularity, food chain safety and consumer confidence. Jointly organised by ECOFI, Eurofema, ESPP and EBIC. With participation of the European Commission (DG SANTE, DG GROW Fertilisers). This webinar will address several key questions: Which Animal By-Product (ABP) materials can currently be used in EU fertilising products? Under what processing conditions? How do the EU ABP Regulations and the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) fit together? What other materials could be considered? What logic and procedures should be followed to consider additional materials?

EFSA call for input on P-recycling from Cat.1 Animal By-Product ash: deadline 5^th July

The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) is calling for input by Friday 5^th July on use of Cat.1 Animal By-Product ash in fertilisers, considering prion risk (TSE/BSE) and other possible biological or chemical risks (see ESPP eNews n°87, EU EFSA Mandate M-2023-00166, EFSA-Q-2024-00278). Draft SAFOSO risk appraisal report here – for comment to 4^th July. If you are aware of data, publications or evidence relevant to the health or environmental safety or to agronomic value of ABP Cat. 1 ash, please submit to EFSA (with copy for information copy to ESPP) or send to ESPP and we will submit for you.

ESPP has submitted a number of reports and studies which we have collected to date, and also a specific and new analysis of prion (BSE/TSE) risk estimation for use of Cat.1 ash for fertiliser, prepared for ESPP by SAFOSO. A “final draft” of this analysis has been submitted to EFSA and can be consulted here. Your comments and additions to this document are invited to ESPP. We will submit to EFSA, in August, a finalised version taking into account additional information which you send us.
Input to EFSA MUST be made via the specific web portal Portalino, by Friday 5^th July, and must refer to question number EFSA-Q-2024-00278. To do this, you must first contact EFSA by email and request opening of a Portalino account. Alternatively, send your input to ESPP and we will submit.
Draft SAFOSO risk study of Cat.1 ash, for ESPP – for comment and input by end July please here.

“Processed Manure” now authorised in EU fertilising products

Manure can now be used as an input for CE-mark fertilising products, under specific conditions, as such after ABP Regulation sterilisation under CMC10, or also as input to composts, digestates, biochars (CMCs 3, 5, 14). European Commission Delegated Regulation 2024/1682 (4^th March 2024), completing DG SANTE Delegated Regulation 2023/1605 (see ESPP eNews n°86), enables, as of now and under specified conditions, the use of “Processed Manure” as a component material under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) CMC10. This concerns ‘Processed Manure’ as defined in the EU Animal By-Products Regulation ABP 1069/2009 and Annex XI, §2, ch. I of 142/2011.

Manure can already today also be used as an input to EU FPR composts and digestates (CMC3, CMC5) if the composting / anaerobic digestion process achieves the ABP sterilisation requirements (ABP Annex XI, §2, ch. I of 142/2011) or as an input to EU FPR pyrolysis and gasification materials (CMC14) if the pyrolysis/gasification process achieves the ABP “Processed Manure” sterilisation requirements (as above).

The new Delegated Regulation 2024/1682 sets specific conditions for use of “Processed Manure” in EU FPR CMC10 including:

processing must be as specified for “Processed Manure” in the EU Animal By-Product Regulations (temperature, time, registered installation …),
this also means that the requirements of the ABP ‘End-Point’ for fertilisers, fixed by Delegated Regulation 2023/1605 must be respected: size or packaging, mixing with other materials, labelling,
particle size,
pressure granulation, pelletisation, drying,
stability,
PAH₆

Note that this new Delegated Regulation 2024/1682 covers only ‘Processed Manure’ in FPR CMC10. The conditions for inclusion into CMC10 of other Cat.2 and Cat.3 materials (as listed in Delegated Regulation 2023/1605) are still under study. Cat.2 and Cat. 3 materials can already be used as inputs to FPR composts and digestates (CMCs 3, 5) if the composting/anaerobic digestion process achieves the ABP sterilisation requirements (ABP Annex XI, §2, ch. I of 142/2011.
European Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1682 “amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards adding processed manure as a component material in EU fertilising products”, 4^th March 2024 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401682https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401682

Positions and prizes

IFS 10^th Brian Chambers crop nutrition research prize

The International Fertiliser Society prize (UK£ 1000 plus 2 x UK£ 500) rewards completed or advanced research (PhD / MSc level) susceptible to make a practical contribution to improving crop nutrition. Application form (one page) and information on previous prize winners is here
Submission deadline: 30^th September. IFS Brian Chambers International Award for Early Career Researchers in Crop Nutrition. HERE.

PhD positions open on nutrient recycling and fertilisers

Timac Agro and University of Bari, Italy, have opened for candidatures five PhD positions:

Innovative Strategies for the Application of Plasma-Activated Means for Plant Nutrition
Exploring a circular model for natural polymers production for microencapsulation in agriculture
Valorising olive paste on a circular model for agricultural soil health
Enhanced Design and Evaluation of Porous Materials for Nutrient Recovery and Their Potential as Fertilisers
Ash recovery: Development of strategies for nutrient recovery from waste streams for contributing to the fertiliser industry’s sustainability

The PhDs will be with University of Bari (Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro), Department of Earth and Geoenvironmental Sciences. They are three year PhDs, with 6-12 months at another international research institute. They are funded by Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) – Next Generation EU (NGEU) and TIMAC AGRO Italia S.p.A.
Applications should be submitted within 1-2 months. Deadlines and further information:https://www.dindistegeo.it/ or Daniela Pinto and Daniel El Chami .

Job offer - Morocco

The Global Phosphorus Institute (GPI), Benguérir, Morocco, is recruiting a Research and Operation Analyst. Application deadline 15^th August. Role is to review information (regulatory, company, scientific) to support decision making and to plan and organise activities.
Information: https://www.tgpi.org/en/home -> “Opportunities”
Information on GPI, see ESPP eNews n°56.

Nutrient recycling

ISO Circular Economy standard integrates nutrient recycling

Newly published ISO 59004, vocabulary and principles for the circular economy, includes definitions related to nutrient cycles and cites nutrient recycling as an example of circular economy actions. This new ISO standard, defining vocabulary and principles, joins four others in the ISO 59000 family, which aim to harmonise understanding of the circular economy and support its implementation and measurement, with ISO 59010 (circular economy business models), ISO 59020 (measuring and assessing circular economy performance), ISO 59040 (product circularity data sheet) and ISO 59014 (principles of recovery of secondary materials).

ISO 59004 provides terms and definitions, sets a vision and principles for a circular economy, and offers practical guidance for actions to implement in any organisation. Key points include:

definitions: 3.1.21 “Biological cycle” is defined as biological nutrient cycling, and refers to composting (definition 3.1.17), anaerobic digestion (3.1.18) and “extraction of bio-chemicals” (not defined).
anaerobic digestion is noted to produce “normally, nutrient-rich digestate” and nutrient recovery from composting or anaerobic digestion is cited under value creation in “Cascading of biological resources” (6.4.3.3)
energy recovery should if possible be coupled with resource recovery, with nutrient capture cited (6.4.7)
nutrient cycling is cited as a critical ecosystem service (6.5)
cited examples of actions towards value recovery include: recovery and recycling of biowaste; processes for extraction of biobased products and feedstocks from biowaste, residual biomass, wastewater and sludge; R&D to extract nutrients as fertilisers from wastewater (B.4) and safe return of nutrients and carbon to soils from biodegradable materials (C.4.5).
ISO 59004 (May 2024), 51 pages, c. 200€, “Circular Economy – Vocabulary, principles and guidance for implementation” https://www.iso.org/standard/80648.html

Updated position paper on sewage sludge biochar

European Biochar Industry (EBI) Consortium document presents evidence that pyrolysis can largely eliminate organic contaminants, discusses phosphorus plant availability, and calls for inclusion of sewage sludge biochar into the FPR (EU Fertilising Products Regulation). The document has been input to the currently ongoing NMI study (for the European Commission) into additions and extensions to the FPR Component Material Categories (Annex II CMCs). It updates a previous position paper of January 2023 (ESPP eNews n°73). It aims to present new scientific evidence published since the JRC STRUBIAS report 2019. This report concluded that sewage sludge should be excluded from authorised inputs to FPR biochars (CMC14) but noted that this “could possibly be revised once robust and extensive techno-scientific evidence underpins the safe use of (specific) pyrolysis & gasification materials derived from sewage sludge”.

Arguments and evidence are provided on contaminant elimination in pyrolysis processes. It is explained why the technology is adapted for implementation in municipal sewage works (deployable and scalable). Agronomic, environmental and carbon benefits of biochar are presented, including contribution to carbon sinks and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. It is noted that sewage sludge biochar is authorised under national regulations in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

PFAS elimination

The 20-page paper brings together arguments and references showing that pyrolysis at 600°C or higher can eliminate nearly 100%% of PFAS (several studies) with data from one installation suggesting that PFAS are not transferred to flue gas. This is confirmed (at pyrolysis temperatures from 400°C) in the 2024 study by Husek et al. (ESPP eNews n°85), not cited in the EBIC document.

Concerning PFAS, ESPP notes that the cited study by Sørmo et al. 2023 (ref. 13 in the document) analysed PFAS in 8 different input materials (of which 4 sewage sludges, wood chips, garden waste …), in resulting biochar and in flue gas, for a Biogreen 2-10 kg/hour pyrolysis unit (ETIA Technologies, now part of VOW ASA), operated at temperatures 500 – 800°C. PFAS in the biochars ranged from non-detectable to 3.4 ppb, with removal of 99.6% or higher in all cases. Sørmo et al. found PFAS in flue gas, after combustion of the condensed pyrolysis oil, at all pyrolysis temperatures tested and for all of the feedstocks. Mean flue gas PFAS concentration was c. 70 ng/m². This also confirms similar results in flue gas in the Thoma study. Thoma et al. 2022 report analysis of PFAS in biochar produced from bio-dried sewage sludge and in offgas from a commercial Pyreg pyrolysis system (c. 3 500 t dried sewage sludge/year). The pyrolysis operated with reactor inner wall temperatures 650°C front end and 590°C rear end (residence time c. 19 minutes). PFAS in offgas was analysed after post-combustion at 1020°C. 21 of 41 PFAS compounds were detected in the input sewage sludge, but none in the biochar (the authors note that non-analysed PFAS compound could be present). Only two of the analysed PFAS compounds were found in the post-combustion offgas (analysis in scrubber water). Kundu et al. 2021 report results from lab scale pyrolysis (250 g/h, semi-continuous, 5 h residence time) at 600 – 700 °C of anaerobically digested, solar dried sewage sludge. The authors report suggest 50% - 96% destruction of 6 of the 12 analysed PFAS compounds and net formation or low destruction of the others. For several of the PFAS compounds, most of the final PFAS output was estimated to be in the post-combustion offgas (analysed in scrubber water).

Evidence of elimination of pharmaceuticals, microplastics and other organic pollutants is provided. Heavy metals are largely not removed in pyrolysis but the paper argues that their concentration ratio to phosphorus is the same as in sewage sludge and that they are less mobile.

Phosphorus plant availability and processing conditions

The EBI paper concludes that phosphorus in sewage sludge biochar is plant available. ESPP suggests that further evidence is would be useful on this: only one relevant published study is cited, ref. 47, Fristak et al. 2018, laboratory pyrolysis at 430°C for two hours, compared to 2 seconds currently required in the EU FPR CMC14). ESPP notes that a second study cited (ref. 21, Chen et al. 2022), suggests that at 600°C or higher pyrolysis will result in mainly mineral forms of phosphorus, in particular apatite (the principal mineral of phosphate rock, which is poorly plant available) and it can be guessed probably also iron/aluminium phosphates in sewage sludge biochar (also mostly poorly plant available).

For ESPP, further evidence should be developed to show that sewage sludge pyrolysis carried out at a high enough temperature to ensure elimination of PFAS and other organic contaminants, resulting in a material with immobilised heavy metals and immobile carbon (justifying carbon credits), can achieve the phosphorus availability criteria of the EU FPR (80% NAC solubility), so justifying the claim to be phosphorus “reuse & recycling” (new Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive vocabulary).

The EBI paper proposes that specific conditions be included into the FPR CMC14 for input of sewage sludge: minimum operating temperature 550°C - 600°C for a non-specified minimum time (“duration that ensures full carbonisation”). ESPP regrets that more precise temperature and time proposals are not put forward by industry, taking into account factors such as particle size and other process parameters, or other specific analysis criteria to demonstrate full carbonisation. A wording needs to be developed which could be proposed for inclusion into the FPR CMC14 and which would be implementable by CE-mark certification organisations (Notified Bodies).
Position paper “Sewage sludge as feedstock for pyrolysis and gasification materials (CMC14) EU Fertilising Products (EU) Regulation 2019/1009”, European Biochar Industry Consortium, April 2024 HERE.

3^rd PRO-FEM Conference, Catalunya: Bio-based Fertilisers and nutrient recovery

200 participants discussed nutrient recovery technologies, definitions of bio-based fertilisers, paths to market, underlining the need for a multi-actor approach covering all the value chain to find successful business cases.

The Catalan Government explained the potential for nutrient recovery in the Catalan region, in particular from animal manure, because Catalonia is a reference region in livestock production. The Catalan biogas plan includes a plan for digestate valorisation to produce bio-based fertilisers. Laura Van Schol, NMI explained the European regulatory framework for fertilisers. The Spanish National Entity of Accreditation (ENAC) talked about the procedures to be followed for certifying fertilising products in Spain. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge emphasised alignment of Spanish regulations with Europe.

Challenges for nutrient recovery were discussed and successful case studies presented, including digestate valorisation, compost production, insect-based organic amendments, bio-stimulants from slaughterhouse subproducts. Discussions noted the biorefinery process approach to reach zero-waste and the need to balance reducing operational costs with final quality of recovered products, noting that the market price of bio-based fertilisers is limited by the price of nutrients in mineral fertilisers.

Regulatory barriers were the main concern during the whole conference, especially the End-of-Waste status of input materials, and in particular sewage and agro-industrial sludges. The EU FPR excludes sewage sludge from use as an input material, except for precipitated phosphates and after incineration (sewage sludge ash derivates) and the new Spanish waste regulations align with this, so excluding from End-of-Waste status all sewage or agro-industry sludge derived materials. This impacts a number of fertilising product manufacturers in Catalonia who are today using sewage sludge or other sludges as input materials, in combination with other materials, to produce organic and organo-mineral fertilisers or commercial composts.

Examples of company success stories present at PRO-FEM

Fertiebro (Fertilizantes del Ebro) produces liquid fertilisers, deficiency correctors and solid fertiliser blends. The company operates one of the largest blending facilities in Spain, using raw materials of circular origin. Its R&D laboratory specialises in optimising industrial processes to manufacture from different raw materials, including secondary nutrient sources, and in analysis to offer tailor-made and a high-quality final products for customers. At PRO-FEM, Fertiebro discussed their experience and the importance of using secondary nutrient sources in their production.

Almenar Bioenergy (Bioenergia de Almenar) operates anaerobic digestion to convert organic matter (manure, waste from agrifood industry, agro-industrial sludges …) into green energy, with biogas that is valorised for different energy applications. The company produces from the digestate a solid fertiliser, clean water and a liquid concentrate with high nutrient content. At PRO-FEM, Bioenergia de Almenar shared their positive business model and the future challenges that they are facing concerning regulatory barriers affecting their activities.

At ESPC5, Ledia, 8-10 October 2024, site visits will enable you to meet Fertiebro and Almenar Bioenergy installations and visit their installations processing secondary nutrient streams into fertiliser products.

Next PRO-FEM conference edition will address soil health and will take place in Lleida (Spain) in 2025.
PRO-FEM Bio-based Fertilisers and nutrient recovery, 16-17 May 2024, Vic, Spain, Office of fertilisation and valorisation of livestock manure of the Catalan Department of Agriculture (Catalan Government), with the BETA Technological Center and the and the Horizon Europe projects Fertimanure and Novafert: website.

Microplastics

Microplastics and phosphorus in soils

High microplastic levels in soil, such as from plastic mulch films, can reduce phosphorus availability, likely due to adsorption onto the microplastic surfaces and possibly by increasing phosphorus mineralisation. However, this effect can be mitigated by phosphate fertiliser. Studies indicate that microplastics have more variable impacts on soil nitrogen availability.

Impacts are complex because they result not only from physico-chemical actions, but also from modifications to soil microbial communities and so to microbial activity (e.g. phosphatase enzymes). See for example, H. Ya et al. 2022 DOI who showed the formation of specific microbial communities on microplastics surfaces.

A recent paper suggesting that microplastics can release phosphorus into the soil from phosphorus flame retardants seems to be pure speculation*. J. Zhou et al. 2024 DOI, based on meta-analysis of 73 publications, suggest that microplastics in soil are correlated to increased soil phosphorus, soil available P and P leaching. They suggest that phosphorus flame retardants in microplastics might leach into the soil. To illustrate, consider a comparison: if churches and pubs appear together on a map, it might seem that most drinkers are churchgoers. However, both are simply located in village centres, not in open fields or lakes. The authors don't evaluate whether their suggestion is realistic. For soil phosphorus to increase by 5 ppm, assuming microplastics contain 5% phosphorus and release it over ten years, a 0.1% concentration of such microplastics in soil would be needed. This is a high level, considering most microplastics come from textiles, tyres, and non-flame-retardant plastics like mulch films. Therefore, it's unlikely that phosphorus in soil comes from flame-retardant plastics unless near a site processing waste electronics without dust filters. It's more probable that Zhou et al.'s correlation between microplastics and soil phosphorus is due to both being linked to agricultural activities, especially plastic mulch films. The two studies cited by Zhou et al. to support possible phosphorus input to soil from flame retardants seem irrelevant. They focus on the effects of non-flame-retardant microplastics on soil microbe phosphatase enzymes (ref. 70, S-S. Liu et al. DOI) or phthalates, not flame retardants (ref. 29, J. Wang et al. 2016 DOI). This aligns with the conclusions of F. Corradini et al. (2021) DOI in Chile, who found no evidence of microplastic pollution in natural grasslands and rangelands, but did find it in croplands and cultivated pastures. They noted that microplastic levels were not related to proximity to roads, mining, or urban areas. They concluded that microplastics are not ubiquitous in the environment and that their presence in soil is mainly related to agricultural activities, although the exact source was not identified.

R. Wang et al. (2024) DOI tested the effects of adding microplastics to soil on phosphorus availability in the lab. They used pure polymer microplastics (polyethylene PE, PVC, bio-based biodegradable PLA) without additives, at 5% dry weight and sizes ranging from 25 to 1080 µm. This high level of microplastics could occur exceptionally in fields with repeated use of mulch films. After applying phosphate fertiliser, they found that PE and PVC microplastics reduced Olsen-P by 10-40%, while PLA reduced it by 40-75%, compared to the control (no microplastics). Smaller microplastics caused greater decreases in Olsen-P. Adding fulvic acid reduced the microplastics' effect on Olsen-P. The authors concluded that microplastics reduce phosphorus availability by adsorbing it onto the polymers.

L. Wan et al. 2023 DOI meta-analysed 114 experimental studies, comparing microplastics addition to soil to control (not microplastics added), concluding that microplastic addition reduces total soil P, soil available P and total soil N.

F. Yu et al. 2023 DOI, using 0.5 – 1 µm polyethylene microplastics at 0.5 – 1% also showed that the microplastics led to considerable decreases in soil total and available phosphorus (reductions of up to -50%).

Q.L. Zhang et al. 2024 DOI tested, in pot experiments, the effects of adding 1% LDPE (low density polyethylene) microplastics to soil, showing that adding phosphate fertiliser mitigated impacts of the microplastics on bacterial communities (including impacts on microbes with phosphatase genes) on soil nitrate and on rice growth.

X. Li et al. (2022) DOI tested the addition of 1% polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics to soil in incubation tests, using pure polymers ground to 1-5 mm diameter. They tested these in the presence of organic or mineral fertilisers. The results showed that the microplastics consistently decreased soil available phosphorus, but had varied effects on soil nitrate and ammonia. The authors suggest that the varying results on soil nitrogen might be because these effects are more related to impacts on microbial communities (and thus nitrogen mineralisation) rather than physico-chemical impacts.

X. Wang et al. 2022 DOI provide a detailed review of effects of microplastics on elements cycling in the environment, with a concise chapter summarising knowledge on impacts on the phosphorus cycle. They note that “many studies” show that microplastics addition decreases soil total and available phosphorus, suggesting that this may be because microplastics lead to increased phosphatase activity, leading to P losses, or in fields because high use of plastic mulch films leads to reduced soil organic matter, again leading to P losses.

Z. Zhuang et al. 2023 DOI incubation tested addition of microplastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, butylene adipate terephthalate, ploy lactic acid = PLA) at 0.1 – 1% to paddy field soil. The microplastics (except for in some cases the biodegradable PLA) reduced soil P availability, inhibited soil alkaline phosphatase and reduced genes involved in organic P mineralisation and inorganic P solubilisation.

M. Yi et al. 2020 DOI also showed in soil incubation tests that microplastics of different forms (film, fibre, microsphere) of polyethylene and polypropylene impacted phosphatase and urease (P and N cycling enzymes) and soil bacteria communities.

M. Yin et al. 2023 DOI showed that PVC, polypropylene and poly lactic acid (PLA) microplastics significantly impacted microbial communities and N and P cycling in incubation tests with river sediments, suggesting that they could increase release of ammonia nitrogen and soluble phosphorus from sediments.

Full references of papers cited: click on the DOI link.
* Disclosure: the author of the above for ESPP also works for the Phosphorus, Inorganic & Nitrogen Flame Retardants association (pinfa).

Soil impacts of microplastics in sewage sludge and household organic waste composts

Studies suggest that microplastics in sewage sludge used in agriculture will not negatively impact soil ecosystems. J.Liengaard Johansen et al. (2024) reviewed available data on microplastics in sewage sludge and composted organic household waste. They concluded that, when applied within legal limits, these materials result in soil microplastic levels below those considered harmful to ecosystems. This is supported by the CRUCIAL field trials in Denmark, which show no negative effects and even increased abundance of earthworms and other soil organisms after 100 years of sewage sludge application (see SCOPE Newsletters 149 and 123).

Microplastic levels have been reported at 10⁵–10⁸ particles per kg of dry matter, with differences likely due to varying measurement methods and particle size limits. Microplastics smaller than 500 µm could make up around 0.7% of the dry matter in sewage sludge. These microplastics mainly come from abrasion of textile fibres during laundry, washing sponges, car tyres, and paints. Microplastics in household organic waste are generally larger (rarely below 1 mm) and might be lower in content than in sewage sludge. However, when both are applied according to crop phosphorus requirements, household waste could result in a higher soil plastic content by weight.

Based on 30 studies, the maximum levels of microplastics in agricultural soils are around 0.02% of dry matter. There is little evidence to suggest that microplastics impact soil organisms or plants at these concentrations. Studies showing impacts on microbial communities and nutrient cycling are usually at much higher concentrations (often around 1%).

The authors conclude that applying sewage sludge at agronomically appropriate or legal limits poses “limited risks” to agricultural ecosystems. However, they note a significant lack of data, particularly on comparable microplastic levels in sewage sludges, composts, and soils, the long-term fate of microplastics in soils, and ecosystem impacts considering various factors like microplastic type, soil type, climate, and other pollutants.
Reference: “Extent and effects of microplastic pollution in soil with focus on recycling of sewage sludge and composted household waste and experiences from the long-term field experiment CRUCIAL,” J. Liengaard Johansen et al., Trends in Analytical Chemistry 171 (2024) 117474 DOI.

Stay informed & ESPP members

ESPP member logos 15.05.24 page 0001

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews087
Download as PDF

ESPP actions

ESPC5 call for abstracts extended to 16^th June

15^th Sustainable Foods Summit, Amsterdam, 4-5 July 2024

ESPP list of consultants

SCOPE Newsletter – draft policy proposals –CRU Phosphates 2024 summary

Policy

Austria adopts Phosphorus recycling obligation

EU “greenwashing” Directive

Mandate to EFSA for Opinion on Category 1 Animal By-Product ash as fertiliser

EU Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Act published

EGTOP Opinion on calcium phosphate from sewage sludge incineration ash

DG GROW policy actions for Bio-Based Products

European Parliament study highlights EU food system dependencies

EFSA positive Opinion on alternative composting parameters

ESPP new members

SINFERT (soluble inorganic fertilisers), UCD, Ireland

EkoBalans

Nutrient recycling

Veas Norway CE-mark for recovered ammonium salt

Nordic BAT for nutrients in aquaculture

Stay informed & ESPP members

ESPP actions

ESPC5 call for abstracts extended to 16^th June

ESPC5, the 5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, 8-9 October, Lleida, Spain (site visits 10^th October to Fertilizantes del Ebro, biogas plant with digestate valorisation. ESPC5 follows on from ESPC4 Vienna, 2022 which, with 320 participants onsite and 80 online, was the biggest conference on phosphorus ever worldwide.

Abstracts are invited on:

Phosphorus management in agriculture: P losses in agriculture, P use efficiency.
Climate change impacts on P in the environment and on P management
Phosphorus sustainability in the Mediterranean region
Nutrient recovery technologies, recycled nutrient markets
Digestate processing and valorisation
Regional P sustainability policies
Other aspects of phosphorus management and nutrient recycling

15^th Sustainable Foods Summit, Amsterdam, 4-5 July 2024

ESPP (represented by Pär Larshans, EasyMining/RagnSells) will participate in a panel on Closing Material Loops. https://sustainablefoodssummit.com/europe/

ESPP list of consultants

We have published on our website (www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory) a list of consultants active in areas relevant to nutrient recycling and fertilisers, including technical, regulatory and market questions. The table provide contacts, indications of areas of competence and geographical coverage. This list is developed for information of companies and organisations looking for professional support, and is not in any way a recommendation or endorsement of the cited consultancies. This list is open: if other consultants send relevant information (see existing table) we will be happy to include.
“ESPP list of consultants active in areas relevant to phosphorus recovery and recycling, including technical, regulatory and market questions” www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

SCOPE Newsletter – draft policy proposals –CRU Phosphates 2024 summary

ESPP’s 151^st SCOPE Newsletter is published. This Newsletter includes draft policy proposals (one page each), based on discussions at ESPP’s two one-day workshops in March 2024, on

proposing policies to support market uptake of recycled nutrients (market pull policies)
possible phosphorus "reuse and recycling" rates for the revised EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD)

For each of these, ESPP will submit proposals to the European Commission based on the relevant “ESPP outline for proposals” sections in this Newsletter.

Comments and input on these outline proposals are welcome to ESPP.

This Newsletter also summarises the 16^th edition of the CRU "Phosphates" Conference, the annual industry meeting place which is also the world's biggest conference on phosphorus, at which ESPP organised a panel on sustainable fertilisers.

www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Scope151

Policy

Austria adopts Phosphorus recycling obligation

Austria is now the third European country, after Switzerland and Germany, to make P-recycling from sewage sludge legally obligatory (from sewage works ≥ 20 000 p.e., by 2033). Published as part of the Waste Incineration Ordinance (Abfallverbrennungsverordnung 2024 – AVV 2024), the new regulation requires that, from 1^st January 2033, all sewage works with design capacity works ≥ 20 000 p.e., must either incinerate their sewage sludge and recover phosphorus from the ash, or must otherwise recover 60% of the sewage works inflow phosphorus. Where phosphorus is recycled from sewage sludge after incineration either 80% of the P must be recovered from the ash, or the totality of the ash must be used to produce a fertiliser compliant with Austrian fertilisers regulations. Sewage sludge and/or sludge incinerator plant operators will have to report annually the P-content of ashes or P inflow to the sewage works, type of P-recovery, tonnage of P recovered annually, tonnage of sewage sludge (DM) annually.
Austria Abfallverbrennungsverordnung 2024 – AVV 2024, CELEX 32010L0075, published in the Austrian Official Journal, 13^th May 2024 (see section 4) https://www.bmk.gv.at/themen/klima_umwelt/abfall/recht/vo/abfallverbrennung.html

EU “greenwashing” Directive

Proposed EU Green Claims Directive is in the Parliament – Council decision process. It will require that all environmental claims be factually substantiated and verified, with potential penalties for unsubstantiated claims. The European Parliament position and amendments were voted on 12^th March and the draft Directive is now under discussion in Councill and the Directive will only be adopted under the new Parliament and Commission after the June European elections. The proposal concerns all “environmental claims” which were defined in Directive 2024/825 (February 2024), modifying 2005/29/EC, and covers “any message or representation which is not mandatory … in any form, including text, pictorial, graphic or symbolic representation, … which states or implies that a product, product category, brand or trader has a positive or zero impact on the environment or is less damaging to the environment … or has improved its impact over time”. The proposed Green Claims directive would require any such claim to be factually substantiated, subject to verification by Member States. Substantiation would have to be based on recognised scientific evidence, with a life-cycle perspective covering all significant environmental impacts, environmental performance would have to be shown to be better than legal requirements. The Directive does not define one single evaluation method and does not apply to labelling under EU regulations (EU Ecolabel, Organic Farming Regulation, EMAS, future EU carbon certification). Very small companies may be exempted.
European Parliamentary Research Service briefing document “'Green claims' directive. Protecting consumers from greenwashing” HERE
European Consultation proposal for a Directive “on substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims (Green Claims Directive)”, 23rd March 2023, COM(2023) 166 final.

Mandate to EFSA for Opinion on Category 1 Animal By-Product ash as fertiliser

The European Commission (DG SANTE) has requested from EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) an opinion on use of Cat. 1 ash in fertilisers, considering both prion risk (TSE/BSE) and other possible biological or chemical risks. The mandate concerns ash from “incineration, co-incineration and combustion” of Category 1 Animal By-Products (without specifying incineration conditions. It reminds that Cat. 1 material must currently be “disposed by waste as incineration”, suggesting that use of Cat. 1 ash as fertiliser has been banned by EU regulations since 2009 (a lawyer’s opinion commissioned by ESPP in 2022 concluded that this is not the case, see www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory, as demonstrated by authorisation of use of Cat. 1 ash as fertiliser by the UK for decades). The letter of mandate states that “the Commission is currently not aware of any new scientific data, evidence, publication, assessment or technological solution” that would justify revision of existing legislation but that following several requests “in particular from the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform … the Commission seeks for a review of the existing scientific literature in order to explore the possible presence of biological and chemical hazards in ash from Category 1 materials after incineration, co-incineration and combustion.” EFSA have accepted this mandate committing to deadlines to deliver opinions on the BSE/TSE risk by 30^th April 2025 and (if this first opinion is not negative) on other biological and chemical risks by April 2026. ESPP welcomes this DG SANTE mandate. We have already requested a risk analysis from SAFOSO to input to EFSA and will submit all other relevant information known to us.

If you are aware of data, publications or evidence of health or environmental safety of Cat. 1 ash, please indicate to ESPP so that we can forward to EFSA.
European Commission DG SANTE “Request for a scientific opinion on the presence of biological and chemical hazards in ash from Category 1 material after incineration, co-incineration, and combustion”, Ares(2024)2805627 - 17/04/2024, EFSA reference EFSA-Q-2024-00278, Mandate number M-2023-00166 https://open.efsa.europa.eu/question/EFSA-Q-2024-00278

EU Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Act published

The EU CRM act has now been published. “Phosphate rock” and “Phosphorus” (meaning P₄ ) are in the Critical Raw Materials List so are concerned by the policy measures below. They are not however in the “strategic raw materials” sub-list, so are not eligible for Strategic Projects, Joint Purchasing, recycling and supply targets.

ESPP considers that this Act should support phosphorus stewardship and recycling by requiring monitoring, inciting national circularity measures and facilitating permitting of recycling projects.

ESPP regrets that P₄ is not included in the “Strategic” sub-list despite being essential for the specified “strategic” industry sectors (renewable energy, e.g. solar panels; batteries; data and electronics fire safety) and despite the EU’s 100% dependency on supply from three countries (China, Vietnam, Kazakhstan) – see joint industry declaration.

ESPP notes Art. 4.1) which specifies that CRMs covers “raw materials, including in unprocessed form, at any stage of processing and when occurring as a by-product of other extraction, processing or recycling processes, … shall be considered critical raw materials”. The interpretation of this for “Phosphate rock” could be interesting (!).

The following articles of the Act concern all CRMs (not only Strategic Raw Materials), so concern “Phosphate Rock” and “Phosphorus” (P₄) :

5.2: “incentivise technological progress and resource efficiency” of CRMs,
9 and art. 2.14 (definitions): Member States must establish “Points of Single Contact” (can be more than one!) to facilitate and coordinate permitting of installations for “extraction, processing or recycling” of CRMs,
13, art. 18: certain CRM project planning simplifications,
19: national exploration programmes for CRM resources,
20: EU monitoring of CRM trade flows and obstacles to trade, demand, supply and supply concentration, production, bottlenecks, price volatility. This monitoring information (aggregated) will be made publicly available,
21: identification and monitoring of key CRM value chain operators,
26.1: (within 2 years) national programmes for circularity of CRMs, including incentivising resource and materials efficiency, “collection, sorting and processing of waste with high critical raw materials recovery potential …” and “increase the use of secondary critical raw materials including through measures such as taking recycled content into account in award criteria related to public procurement or financial incentives for the use of secondary critical raw materials”, “increase the technological maturity of recycling technologies”, “support the use of Union quality standards for recycling processes of waste streams containing critical raw materials”, workforce upskilling …
2.7: analysis of operating and closed sites to define CRM recovery potential from extractive waste (ESPP note: could concern phosphogypsum deposits),
26.7: The Commission will adopt (by May 2025) implementing acts defining a “list of products … and waste streams … considered as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery potential”,
30 and art. 31: possible sustainability certification and environmental footprint schemes for CRMs.
EU Regulation 2024/1252 (11^th April 2024) “establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials” https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/oj

EGTOP Opinion on calcium phosphate from sewage sludge incineration ash

The EU’s Expert Group on Organic Farming has published a positive Opinion recommending the authorisation of calcium phosphate from sewage sludge ash in EU Organic Farming, subject to respecting EU Fertilising Products criteria. This positive Opinion comes just 18 months after submission of this dossier. It is now up to the European Commission to prepare an amending regulation to include such recovered calcium phosphate into the list of authorised fertilisers in Annex II of the EU Organic Farming Regulatiion. The Opinion refers to the EGTOP positive Opinion on “calcined phosphates” from municipal sewage, 2016, stating that these are a “similar material” (this is questionable), but that this Opinion was subject to their inclusion into the EU fertilisers regulation (which is now done). “Struvite and other precipitated phosphates”, as defined in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) CMC12, were authorised in EU Organic Farming in January 2023 (see ESPP eNews n°73), but this does not cover phosphates from ashes (CMC13). This new Opinion is based on the EasyMining Ash2Phos process and mentions other processes, focussing only on calcium phosphate from sewage sludge incineration ash, noting its low water solubility as important. The Opinion indicates that recovery from other ashes (meat and bone meal, manure, plant residues, agricultural digestates) is considered not appropriate, because it is preferrable for Organic Farming to use these directly as fertilisers. The recommendation is to authorise, for Organic Farming: “Calcium phosphate recovered from ash – Only from sewage sludge ash origin – The relevant limits for contamination and organic pollutants set [in the EU FPR] apply”. This is different from the requirements for struvite and precipitated phosphates (as inscribed in the Organic Farming Regulation) which require to “meet the requirements laid down” in the EU FPR (interpreted by the European Commission to mean: must be CE-Mark Certified under the FPR). It remains to be seen which wording the Commission will use if and when they amend the Organic Farming Regulation.

ESPP regrets that this Opinion leaves “calcined phosphates” with a positive EGTOP Opinion from 2016 but not yet implemented into the Organic Farming Regulation. ESPP welcomes this new EGTOP positive Opinion but we regret that this is limited to “calcium phosphates”. If EGTOP considers each recycled material one-by-one, they will consume much energy and progress very slowly. ESPP suggests that EGTOP consider all ash-based phosphate and potassium fertilisers recovered from ash which meet the requirements of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (PFC1 = Fertilisers and CMC13 = Thermal Oxidation Materials and Derivates), subject to defining a limitation on solubility, as discussed in this Opinion. ESPP also regrets the limitation to sewage sludge ash. Some animal by-products cannot be spread directly on fields and must be incinerated, so that recycling of nutrients from ash is the best option, and incinerators may intake several different materials in order to optimise nutrient recycling and minimise environmental footprint.
EGTOP (EU Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production), Final report on Plant Protection (X) and Fertilisers (VII), adopted 6 - 8 March 2024 here.

DG GROW policy actions for Bio-Based Products

Nearly 200 people joined the third European Commission (DG GROW) workshop on developing the bio-based economy, 21^st May. The Commission summarised actions underway and planned to support policy development.

This follows the European Commission Communication on “Boosting biotechnology and biomanufacturing” (COM(2024)137, 20^th March 2024). This Communication outlines policy actions, including research and innovation support, stimulating market demand by improving carbon impact comparisons of fossil-based and bio-based materials and by including “bio-based content requirement” in public procurement for certain categories (it is not indicated which product categories are envisaged), streamlining regulation (accelerating market approval for “bio-based fertilisers” is cited), supporting investments especially in scale-up of innovation, developing standards for bio-based industries, strengthening skills, improving cooperation and use of AI. Examples cited in the Communication include fertilisers from marine biotech and from algae grown in wastewater.

At the May workshop, DG GROW indicated that a study will analyse how legislation for biotechnologies and bio-based production could be simplified (by Autumn 2025). A mapping of current industrial bio-based value chains aims, by end 2025, to identify challenges and opportunities and to identify relevant raw materials which are currently imported into the EU and which could be replaced by EU-origin bio-resources. A third study will assess feasibility of introducing bio-based content requirements for public procurement of certain products and a fourth study (tbd) will look at voluntary sustainability labelling of bio-based products. Also, DG ENVI has launched work on assessment of fossil versus bio-based products for Product Environment Footprints. Regarding standards, DG GROW reminded that the 2024 work programme for European Standardisation includes developing new and revising existing standards for bio-materials and bio-based products, including defining terminology, harmonising testing methods and setting performance criteria. This is taken forward with a request call to the European Standardisation Organisation for a mapping and feasibility study for standards on (inter alia) bio-based products. DG GROW also presented the Biotech Hub under development which aims to identify and support relevant cluster organisations (1500 identified worldwide) and technology centres (50 identified in Europe).
“‘Next steps in advancing bio-based products and materials”, DG GROW workshop, Brussels and online, 21^st May 2024
European Commission Communication “Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU”, COM(2024)137, 20^th March 2024

European Parliament study highlights EU food system dependencies

Phosphates and potash are two of three agricultural inputs flagged as having very high geographical import dependency (along with soya, which is also a major import route for nutrients). Cereal production is identified as particularly dependent on fertiliser imports. The EU is estimated to be 68% dependent on imports of phosphates (for fertilisers) and 31% for potash (page 21, European Commission data), or 46%, 58% and 45% for P, K and N (page 26, based on Fertilizers Europe data). ESPP suggests that these differences in numbers show an increasing need to update EU phosphorus flow studies (from Kimo Van Dijk’s 2013 study, see SCOPE Newsletter n°106). The overall value ratio (imported inputs)/(total output) is <10% for EU agriculture, fisheries & aquaculture, food & beverages. Policy tools identified as addressing agricultural input security include trade relations, the Green Deal sustainability objectives and the Farm-to-Fork nutrient loss reduction targets, the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy, inc. support for nutrient management) and Organic Farming. Proposed actions include reducing consumption of animal products.
“The dependency of the EU’s food system on inputs and their sources”, study for the European Parliament Agriculture and Rural Development PE 747.272 - March 2024 HERE.
“Fertilizer Industry Facts & Figures 2023”, Fertilizers Europe 2023, June HERE.

EFSA positive Opinion on alternative composting parameters

The Opinion concerns only catering waste and similar (Animal By-Products Cat.3). For such compost to be authorised in EU fertilisers, DG SANTE must now modify the ABP Regulation annexes to include the considered parameters. This would then automatically lead to authorisation in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation CMC4 This dossier, submitted by the European Compost Network (ECN) via Belgium national authorities, was first considered by EFSA in 2020, when EFSA requested further evidence on neutralisation of thermoresistant viruses. The dossier was resubmitted with additional data in mid-2023 and EFSA’s positive Opinion was adopted on 14^th March 2024. EFSA considers that the two proposed alternative composting parameter specifications both achieve reduction in pathogens and viruses equivalent to the composting parameters currently specified in the ABP Regulations. The current ABP Regulation parameters are: ≥70°C for ≥1 hour with particle size ≤12 mm. The new parameters, based on tunnel composting processes, are: ≥55°C for ≥72 hours with particle size ≤200 mm and ≥60°C for ≥48 hours with particle size ≤200 mm. The EFSA positive Opinion concerns only Cat.3 ABPs as specified (catering and cooking wastes from restaurants, canteens and households and similar discarded food processing wastes = in effect “biowaste”), including when mixed with non-ABP materials.
“Two alternative methods for treating animal by-product-derived materials in composting”, ECN, 27^th May 2024
“Evaluation of alternative methods of tunnel composting (submitted by the European Composting Network) II”, adopted 14^th March 2024, EFSA Journal 2024;22:e8745, DOI.

ESPP new members

SINFERT (soluble inorganic fertilisers), UCD, Ireland

Innovative new DOC (deoxychlorination) process extracts volatile phosphorus compounds from a variety of sources including bone meal ash or phosphate rock. This material can be directly converted into phosphoric acid for production of plant-available inorganic fertilisers or inorganic phosphate chemicals. The process uses as inputs a chlorine source (chlorine is cycled in the system) and water or alcohols (for esterification). In the latter case, the DOC process could potentially produce some industrial organophosphorus esters directly, bypassing P₄, but not all chemicals which currently depend on P₄. Applications of these organophosphorus esters include surfactants (e.g. PA100, PAE800), plasticisers (e.g. TPHP, IPP), fire resistant fluids (triaryl phosphate esters) and flame retardants (TEP, TNBP). Work is underway to extend the range of chemicals which currently depend on P₄ to be manufactured via DOC process. The key process runs at medium temperature (60-100°C) with possibility for heat recycling. The UCD (University College Dublin) research Team led by Dr K. Nikitin and Dr S. Hodge works in close collaboration with fertiliser and food industry experts.

The process has been successfully demonstrated to date on a small lab scale of input materials processed including manure ash, sewage sludge ash, struvite and vivianite. The project aims to further widen the range of materials, including low-grade phosphate rock, improve the extraction yield (objective 90-95%) and achieve pilot scale (batch mode 100-1000 g) and develop a continuous flow version. The plant availability of fertiliser produced via DOC has been fully confirmed by in-vivo plant trials.

Dr Kirill Nikitin Team leader at UCD says “Our process is entirely different from existing thermal and wet extraction technologies. We hope that ESPP membership will enable SINFERT innovation to dialogue with significant industry players to look for partners to develop to further stages of industrial uptake. We are looking to actively engage with interested stakeholders to blueprint this new process. We are looking to work with chemical manufacturing experts to quickly improve the DOC process in terms of efficiency, economic viability and commercialisation potential”.
The SINFERT project has been selected by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) ‘Future Food Systems Challenge” programme for a duration of up to 4-5 years subject to outputs https://www.sfi.ie/challenges/future-food-systems/SINFERT. For more information: presentation at ESPP’s NERM Conference April 2024 here. Contact

EkoBalans

EkoBalans develops integrated solutions for processing residual streams from biogas production, the food industry, and agriculture, into circular fertiliser products, including struvite and ammonium sulphate recovery. Today, EkoBalans delivers and operates such facilities and offers complete concepts from feasibility studies and pilot-scale facilities to refinement and product marketing. The aim is to combine technologies and other technical solutions in practical operation, to transform waste water treatment plants into recycling facilities, contributing to the circular economy and to addressing climate and environment challenges. EkoBalans’ nitrogen recovery technology, eco:N, combines ammonium stripping and absorption/crystallization to produce solid ammonium sulphate, using EkoBalans’ own specific system configuration, pre-treatment and ammonium sulphate harvesting process. Up to 95% of ammonium-N can be removed with eco:N. The eco:N process can be preceded by phosphorus extraction as fine particle struvite with EkoBalans' technology eco:P. The preferred business model is buy-back of the recovered ammonium sulphate and/or struvite for use with other secondary raw materials in the production of Ekobalans' organo-mineral fertilisers. EkoBalans is interested in cooperation for sales of the fertiliser product on local markets. We have a high interest in ESPP since we find the network vital to spread and share information about this important topic to many international stakeholders.
https://ekobalans.se/en/

Nutrient recycling

Veas Norway CE-mark for recovered ammonium salt

Veas, Norway’s largest municipal wastewater treatment plant, has obtained the CE-mark for its recovered ammonium sulphate solution, according to the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/1009 EU Part, in PFC 1 and CMC 15. Veas treats around 800 000 p.e. wastewater from Oslo. Ammonia is recovered from the digestate dewatering liquor, after anaerobic digestion of the sewage sludge. The digestate solids are used as an organic fertiliser in local agriculture. A substantial fraction of the total nitrogen load entering the Veas plant is recovered, resulting in a 37 - 40 % (c. 8% N) ammonium sulphate solution. In 2023, around 4 000 tonnes of solution were recovered (over 300 tN). The ammonium sulphate product is CE certified (FPR PFC 1 and CMC 15) by CerTrust (Notified Body). The company Acinor AS is distributing the product which has been sold to Denmark, Sweden and United Kingdom as well as domestically.
“VEAS in brief” HERE.

Nordic BAT for nutrients in aquaculture

Nordic Council of Ministers document describes BAT (Best Available Technologies for nutrient reduction and reuse in land-based aquaculture, underling the importance of fish sludge nutrient recycling for the circular economy. The report notes that the EU has no specific regulatory framework for aquaculture. It remains not covered by the updated Industrial Emissions Directive. Fish sludge, consisting of faeces and uneaten feed, contains significant phosphorus and nitrogen: 2-3% P/TS, 4-11% N/TS, Estevez et al. 2022). Fish sludge can be used as a fertiliser and/or for energy production, generally after processing, for example by thickening (sedimentation, filtration), drying, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, bio-oil or syngas, incineration. Use as fertiliser may be limited by transport/processing costs, zinc or possibly other heavy metal levels and salinity for marine fish. EU regulations are considered to pose important obstacles to fish sludge nutrient reuse and recycling, in particular the exclusion from EU fertilisers and animal by-products regulations. These effectively limit fertiliser use to within the country of production (if allowed there) and exclude trade of fertilisers produced from fish sludge.
“Best Available Techniques for Reduction and Reuse of Emissions in Nordic Land-based Aquaculture”, Nordic Council of Ministers, 2023, 154 pages HERE.

Stay informed & ESPP members

ESPP member logos 15.05.24 page 0001

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews086
Download as PDF

ESPP events

ESPC5 call for abstracts open to 30^th May

NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting, 16-17 April

EU consultations

EU public consultation on recycled nitrogen products under the Nitrates Directive

EU survey on Horizon Europe R&D Work Programme

Policy

CEN seeking expert on fertilisers testing

Summary of EU Fertilisers Expert Group 15-16 April 2024

Use of Category 1 Animal By-Product ash as fertiliser

European Commission update on Cat.1 ABP ash, algae grown in manure

EU regulation on animal by-products (ABPs) should be fundamentally reviewed

Differences between Netherlands and EU fertilisers regulations

ESPP is looking for advice / support on AI

Nutrient recycling

Benefits, perspectives and challenges of digestates

Ostara struvite approved for EU Certified Organic Farming

N2 Applied and Felleskjøpet Agri cooperative to implement N-recycling

Research and innovation

Struvite can be used in powder fire extinguishers

PFAS removal in pyrolysis

Stay informed & ESPP members

ESPP events

ESPC5 call for abstracts open to 30^th May.

ESPC5, the 5th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, 8-9 October, Lleida, Spain (site visits 10^th October) will focus on the climate and eutrophication challenges of phosphorus management in the Mediterranean and on synergies with anaerobic digestion of manure (Catalunya is a major livestock production region with proactive biogas development policies). Field visits: Fertilizantes del Ebro, biogas plant with digestate valorisation. ESPC5 will also celebrate the 10^th Birthday of ESPP, and look at progress and perspectives ten years on from the first ESPC Conference in 2013.

ESPC5 follows on from ESPC4 Vienna, 2022 which, with 320 participants onsite and 80 online, was the biggest conference on phosphorus ever worldwide.

- ESPC4 Vienna 2022: SCOPE Newsletter n°143

- ESPC3, Helsinki 2018: SCOPE Newsletter n°127

- ESPC2, Berlin 2015: SCOPE Newsletter n°111

- ESPC1, Brussels 2013: SCOPE Newsletter n°092

Abstracts for ESPC5 are invited by 30^th May 2024 on:

Phosphorus management in agriculture: P losses in agriculture, P use efficiency.
Climate change impacts on P in the environment and on P management
Phosphorus sustainability in the Mediterranean region
Nutrient recovery technologies, recycled nutrient markets
Digestate processing and valorisation
Regional P sustainability policies
Other aspects of phosphorus management and nutrient recycling

Abstracts for oral and posters: free format, must include: short title, names and emails of all authors, summary of maximum 500 words. ESPP members can take a short pitch, presenting company technologies or R&D perspectives. Send to by 30^th May 2024.
ESPC5 is organised by BETA technological Center (University of Vic), with support of ESPP and of the Catalunya Region. Lleida is one hour train from Barcelona. Full programme, conference fees, registration link (will open soon), travel information: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/espc5.

NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting, 16-17 April

ESPP’s NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting brought together nearly 200 participants in Brussels, online, for research PhD students’ pre-meetings, posters, parallel sessions and for a policy meeting with the European Commission. The conference was organised with the five Horizon2020 projects Fertimanure, Lex4Bio, Walnut, Sea2Land, Rustica. The conference showed that a wide range of research continues around nutrient recycling, in particular looking at new or improving known nutrient recovery technologies, further demonstration of agronomic performance of recycled nutrient products (noting the need for long-term field trials), environmental and LCA aspects. Conclusions noted the need for better information about nutrient recycling and organic fertiliser processing, products, markets; information of farmers; regulatory complexity and policies. The conference included a site visit to the BioSterco farm, treating over 5 000 t/y of manure (its own pig manure and from nearby farms) by nitrification/denitrification with Detricon nitrogen recovery from the manure (recovering ammonium salt solution) with production of a solid organic fertiliser and of purified water (reverse osmosis).
NERM, Brussels & online, 16-17 April, including site visits.
A full summary of the conference will be published as an ESPP SCOPE Newsletter soon.

EU consultations

EU public consultation on recycled nitrogen products under the Nitrates Directive

Public consultation to 17^th May on amendment of Annex III of the Nitrates Directive to allow certain recovered nutrient products to be exempted from the 170 kgN/ha spreading limit. This limit is applicable for “manure … even in a processed form” in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, whereas synthetic fertilisers generally have a higher spreading limit. The Commission’s proposed amendment partly takes the JRC “Renure” proposals, but allows only three eligible recovered products: ammonium salts from gas scrubbing, “mineral concentrates” from reverse osmosis, precipitated struvite. The proposed criteria also specify that the manure processing must have increased the mineral-N and that the resulting products must be of “consistent quality”.

This is presented as an “interim solution”. By limiting to these three specific recycled nutrient products, the proposal avoids the fact that the JRC Renure criteria (total N must be ≥ 90% mineral, or ratio organic carbon / total N < 3), without other criteria, would be difficult for Member States regulatory authorities to verify (would be passed by raw manure spiked with urea) and would allow scarcely processed manure and some raw manure fractions.

The proposal includes additional requirements: copper and zinc limits, pathogen limits, quality control, labelling requirements, and also requirements which would appear to require specific modifications of NVZ Action Plans wherever these recovered products are to be authorised > 170 kgN/ha: tightening land application limits for all fertilisers, prevention of air emissions, specific consideration of the authorised products in Action Plans, especially as regards Natura 2000 and drinking water abstraction. Also, authorisation of the recovered products requires that “Member States ensure that livestock numbers and manure production do not increase as a result”.
Commission Directive amending Annex III of the Nitrates Directive consultation to 17^th May. Input: 4000 characters plus optional document.

EU survey on Horizon Europe R&D Work Programme

European Commission DG Research is asking for feedback on expected impacts and outcomes for each of nearly 50 thematic and functional clusters etc. of the Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme. Deadline for input: 6^th May. The themes (called “Destinations”) relevant to nutrient management, in Cluster 6 (Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, environment): Destination 2 Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption, Destination 3 Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors, Destination 4 Clean environment and zero pollution. The Commission’s proposals include for Destination 2 “Farmers are enabled with tools, innovations and practices to sustainably manage natural resources (in soil, water, nutrients, biodiversity)” and for Destination 4 “Farmers are empowered to make informed management decisions on water, carbon, nutrients and greenhouse gas balances for environmental and economic sustainability, preventing and reducing pollution from agriculture” and “Advanced water-nutrient-soil management tools that integrate multidimensional data from sampling, remote sensing and other data sources to enable context-specific decision making at farm level”. For each Destination, there is a specific survey (you are invited to respond to more than one survey) with one or two tables to select priorities between proposed impacts and outcomes, plus possibility to submit short comments (300 – 1500 characters).
European Commission, Research and innovation, “Feedback opportunity for Horizon Europe work programme 2025”, surveys online HERE. Open to 6^th May 2024.

Policy

CEN seeking expert on fertilisers testing

CEN is looking for experts on analytical methods for fertilising products, for working groups developing standards to support the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR), in particular an expert on analysis of organic carbon content. The European Commission has mandated CEN (Comité Européen de Normalisation, the European Committee for Standardization) to develop a significant number of new EU analytical method standards for the testing of different parameters in CMCs and PFCs of the FPR. Industry and expert participants are welcome for the relevant working groups. CEN is specifically also looking for a project leader to develop the method and organise inter-laboratory study for the standard “Inorganic fertilizers - Determination of the organic carbon content organic carbon". The expert will be supported by the relevant Working Group in TC 260, and budget is available for the compensation of costs.
Contact CEN

Summary of EU Fertilisers Expert Group 15-16 April 2024

Animal by-products (ABPs) in EU fertilising products:

Discussion of a draft Commission “Frequently Asked Questions” answer on the status of inclusion of ABPS in CE-mark fertilisers (under the FPR) concluded that at present, to ESPP’s understanding:

Certain animal by-products can already be included today in EU fertilising products, but only as follows (as specified in 2023/1605):
- Most Cat2 and 3 ABPs (including raw manure, slurries, treated manures), can be used as inputs to composts or digestates (CMCs 3 and 5), as specified in these CMCs, but only if the composting / anaerobic digestion process achieves the ABP Regulation conditions (this does NOT include national ‘alternative’ temperature/time profiles). In effect, this is Cat2-3 materials, inc. manure, where the compost/digestion process achieves ‘sterilisation’ as required by the ABP Regulations.
- Raw manure/insect frass (but not other Cat2-3 materials) can be used as an input material for biochars/pyrolysis/gasification materials (CMC14) but only if the processing conditions for “processed manure” specified in the ABP Regulation 142/2011 (temperature/time, installation inspection …) are achieved in the pyrolysis/gasification process.
- “Processed manure” (as defined in the ABP Regulations), or ABP-criteria compost or digestate of other Cat2-3 materials, can be used as inputs to CMC3 compost, CMC5 digestate or CMC14 pyrolysis, even if the compost/digestate process does not achieve the ABP Regulation conditions. In effect, this is CMC3/5 compost/digestate where the input material has been ‘sterilised” (to ABP requirements) before sending to the composter/digester..
- Note: if ABPs (e.g. raw manure) are used as inputs for a compost/digestate process which achieves CMC3/5 criteria but does NOT achieve the ABP ‘sterilisation’ criteria (as specified in 2023/1605) then the output product (i.e. compost/digestate) cannot be ‘post-sterilised’ and then used in an EU fertilising product. This is because sterilisation is not a listed post-processing for compost/digestate under the FPR CMC3/5 (see consolidated version of the FPR)
- Most Cat 2 and 3 ABPs (inc manure etc. as above) can be used as input to combustion processes as specified in CMC13 (ashes and derivates thereof)
Will hopefully be included soon,
- “processed manure” in CMC10 (draft regulation here and annex here, adoption underway)
- a limited list of other Cat2/3 materials in CMC10 (list in 2023/1605, study underway with QLab, see below, before hopefully preparation of an amendment to include these into CMC10).

All stakeholders with information concerning the ABPs listed in 2023/1605 (current use as fertiliser, e.g. under national regulations, processing, markets and potential, nutrient content and agronomic benefits, contaminants and safety) are invited to submit these to the QLab study via the questionnaire here (if possible before end April).

ABPs are excluded from the NMI study underway into possible new materials/processes for FPR CMCs (see below) and DG GROW indicated that other ABPs could not be discussed in the EU Fertilisers Expert Group until DG SANTE has validated an ‘ABP End Point’ (DG SANTE delegated regulation amending the ABP Regulations). ESPP therefore proposed, with other organisations, to take this forward outside the official EU Expert Group.

Stakeholders with knowledge of other ABPs, or of other ABP processing methods, relevant to use in fertiliser and which are not in 2023/1605 are invited to send information to (nature of the material / process, uses in fertilising products).

NMI study on possible new input materials for EU fertilising products (possible new CMCs / new CMC processes).

This study (see ESPP eNews n°85) will take 1-2 years and could in some cases, lead to draft amendments to include new materials or CMC-processes into the FPR. However, the list of materials / processes to be studied will be defined in coming weeks. Input is invited from companies and stakeholders on secondary nutrient materials and processing methods not currently included in the EU FPR, as specified in the ‘questionnaire’ on page 28 of the NMI study inception report:

Detailed description and specifications for the secondary material and for its processing to a fertilising product
Legal status: is the material/process already applied for fertilisers in EU Member States or other countries ?
Market situation: current market size and key actors, EU market potential ?
Is the material or resulting fertilising product susceptible to cross-border trade (rather than domestic use) ?
Agronomic benefits
Health or safety data or studies.

Input can concern any material / process listed in the NMI study inception report chapters 3-4-5-6 (pages 8-11)

Animal by-products and “derived products” (ABPs) are not included in the NMI study, but ESPP is collecting information on ABPs and ABP processing methods (not currently covered in 2023/1605) to prepare a concerted request to the European Commission to address currently “missing” ABPs – so information to ESPP is welcome.

ESPP is inputting to the NMI study with a table of possible new CMC input materials / processing methods. Draft is on www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory (under EU Fertilising Products Regulation -> “ESPP list of possible new CMC materials & processes 21_4_24”). Any comments or additions to this table are welcome.

Please send comments and input to the NMI report and/or the ESPP table, by 13^th May 2024, to

CE certification process and conformity assessment

Giel Tettelaar, EFCI Register, presented proposals from the Notified Bodies Coordination Body, in particular to clarify and make more feasible certain requirements of the certification procedures, including distinguishing between periodicities for sampling and for audits, and not requiring certification visits to every site providing similar input materials (e.g. a number of sewage works providing recovered struvites from the same process). For reasons unclear, one Member State objected to the “assumption of conformity” currently applied by NOBOs, that is if there is no reason why a specific contaminant should be present in a material (not in inputs, not generated in processing), then it should not be necessary to test for it, as currently specified in the Commission’s FPR Frequently Asked Questions document (Q 10.6). ESPP considers this as important to avoid unnecessary testing costs and as justified and pragmatic.

Clarifications via the Commission FAQ document

A number of new Q&As were validated for inclusion into the Commission’s “Frequently Asked Questions” document, which effectively provides guidance on interpretation of the FPR. It is clarified that plant materials under CMC2 can be “waste” or “by-product”. Clarification of the definition of “biowaste” (in CMCs 3 and 5) was agreed, noting the “comparable” waste streams are also included, such as food waste flows from factories for example producing sandwiches or ready-to-cook meals (e.g. offcuts, discarded food materials because of deterioration) but not sludges or specific processing flows from factories processing e.g. vegetables, dairy products, pet foods, biofuels …

“Evaluation” of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation

The evaluation of the FPR will be launched by the European Commission in coming months, as required in art. 49 of the Regulation, with the aim of identifying if certain aspects of the Regulatory text should be modified (see ESPP eNews n°84). Art. 49 already indicates certain points which must be evaluated (contaminants including cadmium and uranium, functioning of the internal market, conformity assessment, market surveillance, optional harmonisation). The Commission is currently defining the terms of reference to commission a study to support this evaluation.
EU Fertilisers Expert Group documents (CIRCABC public) HERE.

Use of Category 1 Animal By-Product ash as fertiliser

ESPP has commissioned a risk analysis of use as fertiliser of combustion ash from “disposal” of Cat.1 ABPs. The European Commission DG SANTE has requested an Opinion on safety of such ash from EFSA (European Food Safety Agency). The analysis has been commissioned by ESPP to SAFOSO Switzerland, animal health expert consultants. Because there is to our understanding no proof that incineration eliminates prion infectivity (TSE / BSE “mad cow disease”), see ESPP eNews n°73, the SAFOSO risk analysis will be based on: number of BSE cows in Europe (very low), dilution of material in processing, risk reduction in processing, risk reduction in ash use as fertiliser. This will be supported by evidence that Cat.1 ash has been for decades and continues to be widely used as fertiliser in the UK (and elsewhere?) with no identified infection of animals or humans, and similarly for Cat.1 ash handling in landfills etc... We thank EFPRA for providing helpful input to this study.
If you have any information which could support this study (scientific report references, examples or data of Cat.1 ash use as fertiliser in other countries in the world, information on Cat.1 ash handling and storage in landfills, please contact )

European Commission update on Cat.1 ABP ash, algae grown in manure

In reply to a letter from ESPP, DG SANTE confirms that an Opinion on Cat.1 ABP ash is requested from EFSA (to be completed by 2025) and indicates position on nutrients from ABP ash to animal feed, algae grown in manure. ESPP has launched a study to input to the EFSA Opinion on Cat.1 ash (see above). On possible use of nutrients recovered from ash in animal feed, DG SANTE considers that this should be considered after the EFSA opinion on Cat.1 ash use as fertiliser. On algae grown in manure, DG SANTE considers that there is no possibility for use of the algae nor of materials extracted from them in animal feed nor in fertilisers, but that algae grown in “processed manure” can be used in fertilisers (grown in manure which has been ‘sterilised’ as defined in the ABP regulations).
Letter from ESPP to DG SANTE 29^th January 2024 and reply of 3^rd April 2024 HERE.

EU regulation on animal by-products (ABPs) should be fundamentally reviewed

Sixteen organisations, including ESPP, have sent an open letter to the European Commission calling for a comprehensive review of EU regulation of ABPs to enable circularity whilst continuing to ensure safety. We underline our complete commitment to ensuring safety, and perception of safety by consumers and stakeholders, but suggest that current ABP regulation is fragmented and incoherent, with different value chains treated differently and incoherent vocabulary, leading to regulatory obstacles, excessive demands on administrative resources and consequent failure to address these. The letter calls on the Commission to include a review of ABP regulations in the next 2024-2029 work programme. A number of examples provided by stakeholders are presented in annex, including difficulty to use in animal feed amino acids which are recognised human food ingredients, failure to recognise in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation ‘alternative’ temperature-time profiles for composting and anaerobic digestion despite these being safely used in Member States, failure to recognise complete transformation of ABPs which eliminate risks (e.g. recovery of nutrients from ashes), absence of pathways to coherently assess new processing pathways or materials (e.g. algae grown in manure).
Open letter to the European Commission, 3^rd April 2024.

Differences between Netherlands and EU fertilisers regulations

Report by Wageningen UR identifies over 60 secondary nutrient materials which are authorised for use in fertilisers in The Netherlands but not in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR). This includes:

11 wastes and by-products, such as food industry by-products not listed in FPR CMC6, by-products from biofuels production, paper industry by-products, pharmaceuticals by-products, demolition gypsum waste, ammonium phosphate from fire extinguisher refurbishment,
31 vegetable residues not included in FPR anaerobic digestion inputs, including vegetable oil and fat residues, food industry sludges and various food industry by-products which are not “bio-waste”, biofuel and glycerine production residues,
24 animal by-products not included in FPR anaerobic digestion inputs.

The WUR report recommends to :

Better define “bio-waste” and to define additional groups of food-industry, biofuel, dairy and animal feed industry by-products for inclusion as inputs to FPR digestates (CMC5),
Define additional groups of food industry by-products for inclusion in CMC6 (use as such in fertilising products),
Consider other temperature-time profiles for sanitisation of animal by-products in anaerobic digesters (CMC5)

‘Kunnen de afval- en reststoffen uit de Uitvoeringsregeling Meststoffenwet beantwoorden aan de Europese Meststoffenverordening?” (Can the waste and residues from the Netherlands Fertilisers Act Implementation Regulations comply with the European Fertilizers Regulation?), in Dutch, 58 pages, 2-page summary in English, I. Regelink et al., Wageningen Environmental Research, report n°3317, ISSN 1566-7197, Jan. 2024 DOI.

ESPP is looking for advice / support on AI

ESPP is seeking help to use Artificial Intelligence (AI). We wish to contract advice and support to set up AI that can help us find new and important updates about phosphorus sustainability and nutrient recycling. Our goal is to use AI to better share information with our network. We might need help setting this up, training AI, or guiding a programmer to create an AI tool. Right now, we are overwhelmed with many alerts from the internet and scientific sources every week, even though we try to target our alert filters. We hope AI could read these alerts and other documents and pick out those which are most likely to be important to us, such as new ideas, big changes in technology or markets, new full-scale nutrient recycling plants or updates in regulations. We also want it to work in different languages, not just English. The main problem is to figure out what news is truly new and exciting, rather than just getting summaries of many research papers on topics we already know about. It’s not certain if AI can really do this, but we might find out by trying.
If you would be interested in taking forward an initial feasibility analysis of AI for ESPP, contact

Nutrient recycling

Benefits, perspectives and challenges of digestates

Comprehensive report by European Biogas Association (EBA) explains digestate production, properties and processing, benefits for climate and for soil health and details the regulatory framework at the EU and Member State levels. EBA estimates that by 2050 digestates in Europe will contain 9.7 Mt of nitrogen, 1.7 Mt of phosphorus and 0.8 Mt of potassium, that is around 90%, 60% and 25% respectively of nutrients currently in mineral fertilisers. Nutrient content and availability in digestates are explained, both rapidly available and long-term nutrients, depending on different input materials and digestate processing. Benefits for climate and soil health are discussed, including reductions in emissions from raw organic wastes, soil carbon sequestration, impacts on soil microbial activity, soil structure, water retention, nutrient retention, pH buffering. The EU regulatory framework is outlined, including waste, fertiliser, animal by-product regulations and the Nitrates Directive. National regulatory frameworks are specified for Member States, including waste status, fertiliser regulations, quality schemes and specific national regulations. The report concludes that the complexity of regulatory frameworks is an obstacle to digestate valorisation, in particular where digestate does not have fertiliser status under national fertiliser regulations. The Nitrates Directive restriction on application of digestates from manure is considered a key obstacle. Better information on the value of digestates as an organic fertiliser and soil improver is needed.
“Exploring digestate’s contribution to healthy soils”, European Biogas Association, March 2024, 40 pages LINK

Ostara struvite approved for EU Certified Organic Farming

Ostara’s recovered struvite, from municipal wastewater, has been validated for EU Certified Organic Agriculture under the EU regulation 2021/1165 (ESPP eNews n°73). This follows the successful EU Fertilising Products Regulation of Ostara’s Crystal Green Pearl® recovered struvite (CE-mark, see ESPP eNews n°82), which is a prerequisite requirement for EU Organic Farming certification. The FiBL / SKAL validation obtained by Ostara also confirms that the Ostara recovered struvite complies with the criteria of The Netherlands Organic Farming input list. Ostara states: “Crystal Green Pearl is a granular fertilizer with an analysis of 5% Nitrogen (N), 28% Phosphorus Pentoxide (P₂O₅), and 16% Magnesium Oxide (MgO). This one-of-a-kind fertilizer source is produced with Ostara’s nutrient recovery solutions that recover nutrients from wastewater and prevent excess, water soluble nutrients from entering global water systems. Crystal Green Pearl is minimally water-soluble, although it’s 100% soluble in weak organic acids naturally exuded from plants. This maximizes nutrient availability … highly efficient phosphate fertilizers to release nutrients in response to crop demand. Crystal Green fertilizers are proven to maximize yield, enhance soil health and significantly reduce phosphate tie-up, runoff and leaching, thereby improving food security while protecting the environment.”
“Ostara Secures Certified Organic Registration of Recovered Nutrients for Crop Production”, Ostara, 17^th April 2024, HERE.
FiBL organic validation for Ostara recovered struvite Crystal Green HERE.

N2 Applied and Felleskjøpet Agri cooperative to implement N-recycling

Plasma N-enrichment and N-recycling technology of N2 Applied (ESPP member) will be rolled out by one of Norway’s main agricultural cooperatives, Felleskjøpet Agri. N2 Applied is also talking to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. N2 Applied’s plasma technology both fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and stabilises nitrogen already present in manures or digestates, so enabling storage and efficient recycling to crops, whilst also reducing ammonia and methane emissions (see ESPP eNews n°84). Felleskjøpet Agri has over 50 000 cooperative members and an annual turnover of c. 15 billion €. A two-year letter of intent will roll out the plasma N2 Applied’s technology to farmers as part of the cooperative’s advice and services to farmers towards sustainability and balanced fertilisation and cost benefits, enabling them to better use their own manure as crop fertiliser with reduced environmental impacts.
“Felleskjøpet Agri and N2 Applied enters agreement”, 19^th March 2024, HERE.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and International Fertilizer Association (IFA), Marrakech, Morocco, March 2024 HERE
Bill Gates video “Why I love fertilizer”, 2018, HERE.

Research and innovation

Struvite can be used in powder fire extinguishers

Powder fire extinguishers widely use mono ammonium phosphate (MAP). Lab tests showed that milled struvite, coated with DOPO-VTS, performs better to extinguish fires than MAP or neat struvite and can be stored at up to 100°C. It is not specified whether the struvite used was recovered or synthetic. The struvite was ball-milled first with ethanol, then with hydrophobic fumed silica, to fine particle size (90% < 20 µm diameter). It was then coated with 3% w/w DOPO-VTS, a derivative of the commercial phosphorus flame retardant DOPO (9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide) reacted 1:1 with vinyltrimethoxysilane. Fire extinguishing performance was tested using burning heptane basin tests. Heat absorption and fire temperature decrease were better with the coated ultrafine struvite, fire extinguishing time was shorter and powder consumption was lower, compared to than with MAP (similarly ground), and also compared to uncoated struvite. Also, the coated struvite maintained its fire extinguishing properties when heated to 100°C, so could be stored in varying temperatures.
“Preparation and fire extinguishing mechanism of novel fire extinguishing powder based on recyclable struvite”, Z. Liang et al., Materials Today Communications 34 (2023) 105410, DOI.

PFAS removal in pyrolysis

Lab tests using PFAS-loaded sand show 97% removal from the sand at 400°C or higher but significant transfer of organofluoride compounds to the offgas. The tests used purified sea sand mixed with 24 different PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) at total 2000 ng PFAS/g sand (0.0002% DM), in a 25mm diameter 40 cm high lab pyrolyser with residence time 2 hours (significantly higher than industrial pyrolysis units). Because PFAS may be broken down to non-analysed shorter-chain PFAS, both PFAS (27 PFAS chemicals) and total organofluorides were analysed in both the pyrolysed material and in the laboratory pyrolyser offgas (using an acetone trap). In the PFAS-sand, organic fluorine removal was only c. 40% at 300°C, rising to 97% at 400°C or higher. Removal of PFAS from the sand was 99% at 400°C and the 27 analysed PFAS were non-detectable at 500°C or higher. The analysed PFAS were detected in the offgas up to 500°C pyrolysis temperature (not at 600°C). However, around 50% of the total initial PFAS fluorine was found as organofluorides in the offgas at 400°, 500°C, 600°C and 700°C. Similar tests were carried out using dried granulated sewage sludge from Bohuslavice‑Trutnov municipal sewage works, Czech Republic, again showing >96% removal of organofluorides at 400°C with significant detection in the offgas. Sludge biochar from a commercial sludge pyrolysis unit operating at this sewage works was tested and the analysed PFAS chemicals were not detectable. This unit operates at 600°C with a residence time of 10 minutes.
“Removal of per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances and organic fluorine from sewage sludge and sea sand by pyrolysis”, M. Husek et al., Biochar (2024) 6:31 DOI.

Stay informed & ESPP members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews085
Download as PDF

Events

NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting, 16-17 April

5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference ESPC5, 8-10 October, Lleida, Spain

ESPP looking for service

To develop a listing of organic & organo-mineral fertiliser producers

Policy

European greenhouse gas import taxes enter inter force

EU Chemical Agency (ECHA) announces next steps towards PFAS restrictions

European water industry calls for universal PFAS restriction

Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) revision

ESPP and EU policy consultations (NERC, Nitrates)

Fertilisers & EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Survey on animal by-products (ABPs) in EU fertilising products

Tenders for laboratories and coordination for Organic and Organo-Mineral Fertilisers

EU consultation on fertiliser polymer biodegradability, microplastics, and other

Preliminary draft on possible new materials/processes as CE-fertiliser inputs (CMCs)

SOFIE summary in Fertilizer Focus

Mediterranean

Mediterranean coastal lagoon eutrophication correlated to business failure

Harmful Algal Blooms in the Mediterranean

UNEP event summaries

Management of phosphate fertilisers for sustainable food systems

Launch of UNEP global phosphorus project “uPcycle”

Research and innovation

Brabantse Delta Water Board launches ViviMag® LIFE project

P-fertilised grassland, Ireland, may release higher CO₂ but lower N₂O

PFAS could be cause of 0.5 – 4.5% of wastewater treatment GHG emissions

Stay informed & ESPP members

Events

NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting, 16-17 April

NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting (6^th Phosphorus in Europe Research Meeting). Nearly 200 registrants to date for the conference and its pre-meetings. Speakers include the European Commission (DG AGRI, DG TRD), EIP-AGRI Support Facility/EU Cap Network, EU-FarmBook, NUTRI-KNOW Thematic Network. Parallel sessions on nutrient recovery technologies, bio-based fertilisers. Organised with Fertimanure, Lex4Bio, Walnut, Sea2Land, Rustica.
NERM, Brussels & online, 16-17 April, including site visits: programme & registration

5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference ESPC5, 8-10 October, Lleida, Spain

ESPP looking for service

To develop a listing of organic and organo-mineral fertiliser producers

We are looking for someone to put together a listing of emails of companies selling, producing or processing, in Europe, organic or organo-mineral fertilisers. This will enable ESPP to communicate on SOFIE2025 and nutrient recycling. Listing could also cover companies providing processing technologies: such as granulation, drying, packaging … Candidates can be individuals, companies or research institutes, subject to being able to emit an invoice or payable note for fees. Work to be done before end summer 2024. Objective: collate list of companies, contact email(s), general types of organic fertiliser sold/processed, website, covering all EU countries plus UK, Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, North Africa.
Send short description of experience and competence, plus estimated price to by 15^th May 2024

Policy

European greenhouse gas import taxes enter inter force

The EU CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) has entered into force taxing imports of five industrial products, including nitrogen fertilisers, as a function of greenhouse emissions. The CBAM Regulation 2023/956 and Implementing Regulation 2023/1773, which entered into force on 1^st October 2023, covers imports of “nitrogen-containing fertilisers”*, iron and steel, cement, aluminium, and electricity. CBAM aims to tax the greenhouse emissions embedded in imported fertilisers (scope 1 and 2: direct emissions in production, emissions related to electricity use in production) and covers CO₂ and NO_xemissions. The objective is to compensate costs for EU manufacturers who have to pay ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme) tariffs for their climate emissions. The EU CBAM Regulations define the methodology for calculating the embedded emissions for the concerned products, based either on real emissions, or in the absence of data, on values for the relevant industry sector in the specific exporting country, or if this is also not available, then based on the average emission intensity of the worst performing EU installations. Fertilizers Europe has welcomed the EU CBAM, subject to appropriate conditions as ensuring fair competition for EU producers against fertiliser imports. However, Fertilizers Europe expresses concern that CBAM cannot provide a mechanism to address exports of fertilisers from Europe, which risk being replaced by fertilisers with a higher carbon footprint in user countries outside Europe.
EU CBAM Regulation 2023/956 “establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism” and Implementing Regulation 2023/1773,
* Regulation 2023/956 – Annex I , Ch. 3105 and Ch. 3102, Implementing Regulation 2023/1773, Annex II – 3.10. Mixed fertilisers – in effect covers all N, NP, NK and NPK fertilisers.

EU Chemical Agency (ECHA) announces next steps towards PFAS restrictions

After over 5 000 comments were received to the public consultation on PFAS restriction in 2023, ECHA has announced that the EU’s scientific committees will evaluate restriction for uses in different sectors over the coming six months. Uses which will be considered are: consumer products, cosmetics, ski wax, metal plating and processing, upholstery - leather – carpets – clothing, food contact materials and packaging, oil and mining industries. Other sectors, such as machinery and medical, are not yet on the calendar. Following the opinions of the two scientific committees (Risk Assessment RAC and Socio-Economic Analysis SEAC), ECHA will finalise restriction proposal reports, and then the European Commission with the Member States will take decisions.

In the US, legal actions against companies is accelerating, based often on accusations of PFAS contamination of groundwater and drinking water. Litigation is targeting the chemical companies manufacturing PFAS, but also companies using it. Litigation in some cases is being brought by cities operating water systems. Litigation also concerns PFAS in sludges, both from industry (e.g. paper industry). In a case reported recently in Europe by The Guardian, UK, farmers in Texas and an environmental NGO are suing the US Environmental Protection Agency for not adequately regulating PFAS and a company which processes sewage sludge to organic fertilisers. Following litigation, the US courts approved in February a settlement requiring DuPont to pay nearly 1.2 billion US§ to public water systems across the US covering payments to water authorities who have already detected PFAS and costs of testing and then compensation to those which have not yet tested.
European Chemical Agency (ECHA) “Next steps for PFAS restriction proposal” 13^th March 2024.
The Guardian “Legal action could end use of toxic sewage sludge on US crops as fertilizer” 12^th March 2024.

European water industry calls for universal PFAS restriction

The water industry (EurEau) is calling that “all uses of PFAS should be phased out rapidly” because PFAS cannot be effectively removed in sewage treatment, so accumulate in water, soil and foods. EurEau represents European drinking water and wastewater operators serving 500 million Europeans. The federation has sent an open letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, calling for universal restriction of PFAS. The federation underlines that PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are today found in water, food, air, household products, are remanent and pose health risks. Removal of PFAS from drinking water is technically challenging, expensive, energy and resource consuming, and relies on activated carbon imported from China. PFAS in sewage hinders recovery and recycling of nutrients. EurEau consequently calls for a universal PFAS restriction, in line with the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the Green Deal.

The European Environment Agency has published a communication stating that nearly 15% of teenagers in Europe show exposure to PFAS above EFSA Health-Based Guidance Values (HBGV).

EurEau position on PFAS: https://www.eureau.org/priorites/pfas
EurEau briefing paper “Sludge and the circular economy - the impact of PFAS”, July 2022
EurEau input to EU consultation on PFAS restriction, 18^th September 2023 “Universal PFAS restriction - Consultation on Annex XV report”
EurEau open letter to the European Commission “No Green Deal with PFAS: Call to support the Universal PFAS Restriction proposal”, 4^th March 2024.
European Environment Agency “Risks of PFAS for human health in Europe (Signal)”, 15^th March 2024.

Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) revision

The IED revision, agreed by Parliament & Council, making strictest achievable pollution emissions limits mandatory, will improve industry material efficiency requirements, will cover more intensive pig & poultry farms, but not cattle farms. The Directive revision amendments have been provisionally agreed by Parliament, Council and the Commission (trilogue 29/11/2023), validated by Parliament (12/3/2024) and are pending Council final validation, before legal publication. The IED fixes mandatory pollution emission limits applicable to all covered factories and installations, currently around 50 000 across Europe. The revision extends coverage to include more intensive pig and poultry farms, down to 280 – 380 LSU “livestock units” (implemented progressively starting in 2030). The Commission estimates that this will increase the % of total EU pigs and poultry in covered farms from around 35% under the current IED, to around 70 – 80%. Cattle farms are however still not covered by the IED Directive: this will be reviewed by end 2026. Will also be reviewed the possibility to ensure that overseas producers of meat imported into the EU respect the same criteria. The revised Directive will require waste, resource efficiency, energy efficiency and raw material use targets for covered industries. The Directive is also extended to include certain metal mining / extraction activities (phosphate rock not included) and battery manufacture.

European Commission IED Review – Livestock farm data update 2016-2020 HERE.
Trilogue agreed Directive revision text: HERE.
European Parliament press release 12^th March 2024.

ESPP and EU policy consultations (NERC, Nitrates)

EU input on revision of the NERC Directive asking that this integrate nutrient recycling and not only emissions limitation.

ESPP did not input to the EU consultation on evaluation of the Nitrates Directive, as members had differing positions.

ESPP input to the EU consultation on the NERC Directive (National Emissions Reduction Commitments), 14^th March 2024, supporting the value of this Directive in limiting transboundary emissions of air pollutants across Europe (the Directive currently limits emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx but not N2O), ammonia, non-methane volatile organics, fine particles PM_2.5), noting that limiting these N emissions is coherent with the EU Farm-to-Fork Strategy, EU Biodiversity Strategy and COP15 Convention on Biological Biodiversity objective to reduce nutrient losses by 50% by 2030 and suggesting that it should integrate recovery and recycling of nitrogen and sulphur from these emissions.

Concerning the Nitrates Directive, ESPP members did not agree on whether the Directive has been effective (since is adoption in 1991), whether to oppose re-opening of this Directive (which could lead to regression in protection of surface and groundwaters from nitrates) or to consider this necessary to address the obstacle posed to manure nutrient recycling (by the 170 kgN/ha limit for manure and “processed” manure), what forms of manure-recycled nutrient might be exempted from this limit (Renure criteria too lax and non-verifiable, but < 1% organic carbon not practically relevant …). Members also disagreed on whether or not to propose that the Directive should be widened to specifically address phosphorus as well as nitrogen.
ESPP input to NERC Directive (National Emissions Reduction Commitments) www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory
Summary of discussions on Nitrates Directive at ESPP webinar 22^nd February 2024 in ESPP eNews n°84.
EU public consultations on the Nitrates Directive (both closed 8^th March 2024). Call for evidence: 248 contributions received (and published) and public consultation (1071 contributions received and validated, not yet published, pending analysis by the European Commission).
Feedback to the call for evidence from ESPP members: EurEau, N2-Applied, Ragn-Sells, SUEZ, TIMAC AGRO, Other ESPP members submitted to the public consultation, including to our knowledge: Fertilizers Europe, Nutribudget, submitted by Proman.

Fertilisers & EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR)

Survey on animal by-products (ABPs) in EU fertilising products

Request for information, for specific ABPs, on applicable national fertiliser legislation, agronomic effects, nutrient content, processing, heavy metals or other residues, health or environmental risks. The Cat2 and Cat3 ABPs concerned are insect frass, biofuel glycerine, meat and bone meal and derived DCP/TCP, blood products, hydrolysed protein, horn- skin and feather materials (as specified). The survey, open to all companies and stakeholders, is carried out by QLab, under contract from the European Commission, to support preparation of possible criteria or conditions for proposed inclusion of these materials as inputs to CE-Mark fertilising products (FPR CMC 10). This is because art. 42 of the FPR indicates that the Commission can modify the FPR CMCs only if proposed additional materials have the potential to be significantly traded within Europe and if there is evidence of their agronomic efficiency and of safety for health and for the environment.
“Survey to include new materials in CMC 10 to the Fertilising Products Regulation”, QLab for the European Commission SURVEY HERE.

Tenders for laboratories and coordination for Organic and Organo-Mineral Fertilisers

Two CEN tenders open to 15^th April to (1) prepare – coordinate, and (2) participate in laboratory ring tests for proposed new European Standards relating to organic and organo-mineral fertilisers for the Fertilising Products Regulation. The testing will concern the various different standards currently being developed by CEN (European Committee for Standardization) CEN/TC260/WG8 to support implementation of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation, that is verification of the different criteria and limits specified for Organic and for Organo-Mineral Fertilisers in this regulation (as per the mandate from the European Commission, a list of around 20 proposed test standards is included in the tender documents and draft EU standards (prEN) can be downloaded on the CEN tender web pages)
“Open calls for tender related to the Interlaboratory studies on Organic and organo-mineral fertilizers”, CEN, published 12/3/2024, submission deadline = 15/4/2024 HERE.

EU consultation on fertiliser polymer biodegradability, microplastics, and other

Open to 5^th April: consultation on five draft Delegated Acts amending the Fertilising Products Regulation concerning biodegradability of fertiliser and mulch film polymers, microplastic polymers (in CMCs 1 and 11), Enterococcus testing. The five draft amending regulations are included in one single public consultation, open to 5^th April 2024. The biodegradation criteria proposed for polymers are based on 90% ultimate degradation / mineralisation measures as evolved CO₂, in soil and in water, after 2 years for mulch films and after four years for polymers used as fertiliser coatings or for water retention.
“EU fertilising products – Aligning biodegradability criteria for polymers to the REACH restriction on microplastics”. NOTE: the consultation web page title is unclear, this page in fact covers all five proposed Delegated Acts. Public consultation open to the public and all stakeholders. Deadline for response 5^th April 2024. Response is free text of up to 4000 characters plus possibility to submit a pdf document. HERE.

Preliminary draft on possible new materials/processes as CE-fertiliser inputs (CMCs)

The draft proposed list of new CMC materials and processes to be studied for possible inclusion into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (Annex II) is circulated for comment and will be discussed at the Fertilisers Expert Group 15^th April (input via members of this Group, inc. ESPP). The study, commissioned by the European Commission (DG GROW) to NMI Netherlands, will run for two years, and will assess which materials/process modifications could be justified to add into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (based on the art. 42.1 criteria: significant potential for trade on the EU market, agronomic value, environmental and health safety). The study will consider all proposals submitted under the European Commission’s June 2022 stakeholder survey (ESPP eNews n°69). 207 stakeholders submitted to this survey, with 26 proposals considered out of scope (concerning other FPR annexes not CMCs) but some submissions including more than one relevant proposal. In this first draft report, NMI have regrouped the into proposals for:

14 for new CMCs, including separated human urine/faeces, N and K recovered from wastewater liquors, Mn and Zn recovered from battery recycling, ammonium salts recovered from end-of-life fire extinguisher powder, pulp & paper sludge, vivianite, algae grown on wastewaters, industry limes
14 for admitting new input materials to existing CMCs, including potassium from municipal waste incineration ash, sewage sludge as input to biochars / pyrolysis / gasification, food & feed industry sludges as input to composts & digestates
11 for new materials within existing CMCs
6 for new CMC processing methods, including plasma treatment of digestate, tree bark humous

(examples cited were included in ESPP proposals).

ESPP proposals which seem to be not included in this draft report (to be clarified) include: fish sludge (stated to be an animal by-product, whereas fish excreta seem to be excluded from the ABP Regulation 1069/2009 art. 2.2(k)), natural biomass collected as waste, digestate from biorefineries wastes, P leached from biochars, pre-processing of inputs to CMCs 13 and 14.

Following input at the 15^th – 16^th April EU Fertilisers Expert Group (input via FEG members only, e.g. ESPP), NMI indicate that they will launch a stakeholder consultation on the different regrouped materials / proposals to collect information on current legal status, current use as fertiliser (under national fertiliser regulations or otherwise), producers, potential market. This will enable assessment of the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) art. 42.1 criteria that the FPR can be amended if there is “potential to be the subject of significant trade on the internal market”.

For materials/processes where such potential is identified, NMI will further search literature and consult stakeholders on environmental and health safety and risks, and on agronomic effectiveness (an indicator for this being current use today), as also required in FPR art. 42.1

A final selection of relevant materials/processes, respecting art. 42.1, will then be made, and for these NMI will propose to the European Commission draft amendment texts to the FPR Annex II (CMCs) – planned timeline = before end 2025.
“Technical study to support the inclusion of new materials and processes under the Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR); Lot 2: Material and processes under the FPR. Inception report; Screening of proposals, workplan”, L. van Schöll, W.H. Riechelman, NMI (study performed for the Commission DG GROW F2 under GROW/2022/OP/0046), version March 2024 HERE.
Comments via members of the EU Fertilisers Expert Group (includes ESPP) – send comments ASAP to

SOFIE summary in Fertilizer Focus

A 2-page summary of ESPP’s SOFIE3 conference (3^rd Summit of Organic & Organo-Mineral Fertiliser Industries in Europe) is published in Argus Media’s March/April 2024 Fertilizer Focus (11 000 readership). A full summary will be published soon in ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter. Questions addressed include distribution costs, industry trend towards combining organic (recycled) nutrients with mineral fertilisers, potential for development of nutrient recycling from digestate and the corresponding need for roll-out of digestate processing (digestate production will increase with EU bio-methane policies), contribution of organic fertilisers to reducing nutrient losses and to soil health, potential for market growth or organic and organo-mineral fertilisers.

Fertilizer Focus, March/April 2024 (Argus Media) HERE.

Mediterranean

Mediterranean coastal lagoon eutrophication correlated to business failure

A statistical study of business failures around Mar Menor, Murcia, South-East Spain, shows correlation of lagoon eutrophication to business failure of companies in some economic sectors. Mar Menor is a shallow saltwater lagoon of 135 km², separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow strip of land. It is a Red Natura and a Ramsar site, with strong tourism and agriculture activities. The lagoon suffered a major algal bloom and anoxia event in 2019. This study compared distance to eutrophied lagoon water (maximum water chlorophyll concentration within a certain radius of the company), distance to coast (of lagoon or of Mediterranean Sea) and rate of business failure (failure at some time in the four year period 2017-2020) for over 3200 businesses in ??? how many ??? municipalities < ??? km from the Mar Menor lagoon (how were these companies and municipalities chosen and why ?). All businesses were < 30 km ??? from the sea or from the lagoon. Overall business failure in this sample of companies was 11.6% (over the four years) compared to 10.6% average across Spain. Business failure was lower for companies situated near the sea or near the lagoon, but higher for companies near lagoon waters with high chlorophyll (algae). Despite the seeming probabilistic benefit of proximity to the coast/lagoon, a 1 gm higher Chl_-a concentration within 600m of a company was correlated to +8.4% increase in probability of business failure for accommodation services, +11% for financial and real estate services, +14.4% for industrial and building activities and +9.5% for minor trade. Probability of business failure did not increase with eutrophication for agriculture and transport services. The author concludes that the results show that effective environmental protection to reduce eutrophication would bring benefits for businesses. They also note that agricultural businesses, being not apparently negatively impacted by eutrophication, have no incentive to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen losses.
“The impact of marine pollution on the probability of business failure: A case study of the Mar Menor lagoon”, M. Maté-Sanchez-Val & G. Aparicio-Serrano, J. Env. Management 332 (2023) 117381, DOI.

Harmful Algal Blooms in the Mediterranean

Review of data suggests that toxic algae events are not frequent in the Mediterranean Sea whereas algal blooms risk impacting tourism, including with mucilage, water discoloration and anoxia events. Of 140 potentially toxic algae species identified worldwide (UNESCO Moestrup 2009), 84 have been found in the Mediterranean (2 400 records since 1860). Increasing reports of toxic species and harmful algal blooms (HAB) over time are likely related to increasing awareness and monitoring. No trends are shown for increases in toxic algae. Impacts on human health are extremely rare, and on shellfish (toxin accumulation can lead to bans on harvesting) are uncommon except in some local coastal regions of Spain and France. Non-toxic problematic algae blooms, causing mucilage, water discoloration, anoxia (loss of water oxygen, killing fish and other organisms) or other aesthetic deteriorations detrimental to tourism also show no temporal trends for frequency or for bloom algal abundance. Blooms show unpredictable annual changes.

A summary of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Adriatic and Ionian regions of the Italian Mediterranean coast, 2012-2019, showed an increasing number of blooms over this period, but with variations. Blooms particularly occurred in coastal zones with multiple human pressures (physical modification of the coast, urban runoff, agricultural runoff)with the strongest link showing to coast modification. No toxic algae events were recorded in this study. See also studies on Adriatic eutrophication in ESPP eNews n°84.
“Toxic marine microalgae and noxious blooms in the Mediterranean Sea: A contribution to the Global HAB Status Report”, A. Zingone et al., Harmful Algae 102 (2021) 101843, DOI.
“Harmful algae and pressure-impact relationship: Noxious blooms and toxic microalgae occurrence from coastal waters of the Apulia region (Adriatic and Ionian Seas, Mediterranean)”, L. Roselli et al., Marine Environmental Research 183 (2023) 105791, DOI.

UNEP event summaries

Management of phosphate fertilisers for sustainable food systems

Webinar jointly organised by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Fertilizer Association (IFA), February 2024, with over 260 people attending.

James Lomax, UNEP, opened the webinar underlining the pivotal role of soil heath as an ecological foundation of sustainable food systems. Soils are today facing an unprecedent crisis, with over 40% of Earth’s surface degraded, and topsoil being lost at a very fast annual rate. Healthy soils can reduce the need for fertiliser, regulate water and nutrient cycles, support plants and soil organisms, and filter, break down and immobilise potential pollutants. Prioritising soil health politically can help bridge ideological divides and galvanise joined up actions to achieve environmental agreements and SDGs. On this, UNEP is committed to create changes at the Country level, to interact with decisionmakers in the field of fertilisers to support the transformation of agribusiness, and to encourage farmer led innovations to tailor practices and incentives to meet needs and to scale and accelerate impact on the ground.

Achim Dobermann, IFA, presented global trends in phosphorus use efficiency, based on FAOSTAT Global Reference Database for cropland nutrient balances, a database of country-level budget estimates for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on cropland, covering 205 countries and territories, for the period from 1961 to 2020. Nutrient use efficiency is calculated as the ratio of outputs (nutrient removed by crops) divided by inputs (phosphorus in seed, fertilisers and manure). On a global perspective, both P inputs to cropland and P removal by crop have increased over the last 60 years (see picture). The average PUE is about 70%, (will probably reach 80% by 2040), and there is still a surplus of about 8 Mt P/y (of which 6 Mt P/y in Asia) ending up in soil, fresh water and marine ecosystems. On the regional level, P balances vary widely. China has made great progress in reducing its P surplus (ca 20 kg/ha in 2020, over 35 kg/ha in 2010) and increasing its PUE (around 60%) thanks to changes in policy, but Brazil and India are not. In Brazil, a period of intensification of agriculture resulted in a large and rising P surplus (ca 20 kg/ha in 2020), with a moderate/low PUE (ca 50%), and similarly in India the PUE has not changed over the last 20 years and has remained low (ca 50%), and the surplus is rising (ca 10 kg/ha in 2020). Soil P mining continues in much of sub-Saharan Africa, where P balance has been negative due to soil mining and soil health degenerating for most part of its modern history, requiring large increases in P inputs (fertilisers and recycled P) for greater food security and improving soil health. In the European Union (EU-27), P surpluses declined over the last 40 years benefitting from soil legacy-P and PUE has increased to an average 70%, with room to improve, although the situation is very different among countries and cropping systems. Finally, in the United States, P surpluses have declined over the last 40 years, reaching today a neutral-negative P range (although some local hotspots are present), and P use efficiency is now hovering about 100%.

Veronica Santoro, ESPP, and Ludwig Herman, ESPP and Proman, presented successful cases of P recycling technologies in Europe, including biosolids (treated sewage sludge) reuse in agriculture, use of P in wastewater to grow biomass (algae, duckweed), P-recovery from liquor streams (struvite precipitation), pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation, P recovery from incineration ashes (to produce calcium phosphates, phosphoric acid, ...), and other technologies under development (vivianite precipitation, ion exchange, adsorption, ...). Theoretical P recycling potential is however very different from the actual recycling capacity. A study by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission identified a potential recovery of about 0.3 Mt P/y to mineral fertilisers, and about 0.3 Mt P/y to organic fertilising products, out of the 1.1 billion t of P consumed in Europe. The currently operating struvite plants in Europe are recovering about 3000 t of P, while the global capacity is about 5000 tons of P. The recovery potential from ash is instead about 50000 t of P with the projects that are currently underway in Europe, while the current recovery is of about 16000 t P. These technologies are still in the beginning of their development, making P recycling only regionally competitive and – apart from ash-derived products - hampered by the current low recovery rates and the fluctuating quality of products, but further development will lead to higher efficiencies and lower costs for implementation.

Vinisa Saynes Santillán, FAO, highlighted that nutrient imbalance is one of the major threats to soil health according to the “Status of the World’s Soil Resources” report by FAO (2015). More than 50% of the global P loss in agriculture is attributable to soil erosion, and the P exported in harvest is not replenished by organic or inorganic fertilisers leading to soil fertility loss. General recommendations to ameliorate nutrient deficiencies in soils and in crops include increasing soil organic matter, promoting crop diversification, use fertilisers in a balanced way, choose sustainable soil management practices according to the national and cultural reality. On the other hand, nutrient overuse and misuse also lead to negative effects, including greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient leaching, toxicity for plants and animals and impacts on soil biodiversity. Planetary boundaries research has shown that both global and regional boundaries for safe operating space of P are exceeded: a paradigm shift is therefore needed to move from current to sustainable agrifood systems, aiming at long-term productivity and minimal environment impact.

A final panel, moderated by Kim Haekoo, FAO, underlined the need of getting the political focus onto the importance of maintaining soil health and incentivise good practices, taking into account local differences and conditions. Many initiatives are now converging to this goal, but more needs to be done to implement the measures and develop capacity at local farm scale to increase nutrient use efficiency and soil health. Regarding the economic feasibility of P recycling, in the case of municipal wastes, implementing P recovery in a wastewater treatment plant has a cost but this is minimum in comparison to the whole wastewater treatment cost. In the case of agricultural residues, the integration of P recycling may result in more expensive food prices, and only technical advancements will allow to recycle nutrients at a lower cost.

The meeting was concluded by Ramesh Ramachandran, GPNM, who stressed the critical role of P management in enhancing soil health, optimising food production and mitigating nutrient losses, and by Patrick Heffer, IFA, who referred to the updated assessment of world phosphate rock reserves and resources, published by IFA in 2023. The study estimated global phosphate rock resources at over 300 billion t (expected to last at least 300 more years), but geologic depletion should not be the only focus: more work must be done on reducing losses during mining and processing of phosphate rock, but increasing recovery and recycling from waste streams and improving P use efficiency at the farm level are pivotal to increase the lifespan and our reliance on these reserves and resources.
“Management of phosphate fertilisers for feeding the world sustainably”, joint UNEP/FAO/IFA webinar 14^th February 2024. Recording and materials are available here.

Launch of UNEP global phosphorus project “uPcycle”

2 million US$ UNEP/GEF* funding for project to bring together global data on phosphorus losses to water and share knowledge on phosphorus (P) management and recycling, with a demonstration study focussed on Lake Villarrica (Mallalafquén), Araucanía Region, Chile. The project is implemented by the United Nations Environment Programmes and executed by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the Chilean Ministry of the Environment.

The uPcycle launch webinar, 27^th March 2024, introduced by Will Brownlie and Issy Lewis, UK CEH, and by Natalie Alem Zabalaga, UNEP, with over 60 participants, aimed to present the 2-year project to the global community of phosphorus scientists and stakeholders and to invite them to participate in bringing together databases and information sources on phosphorus and to establish a network for cooperation and exchange. This follows on from the “Our Phosphorus Future” report (coordinated by UK CEH, funded by the UK Research Council NERC and UNEP) and the Helsinki Declaration calling worldwide policymakers for more sustainable phosphorus management (launched at the 3^rd European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, 500 signatures).

The webinar was opened by Maisa Rojas, Chile’s Minister for the Environment, who announced the aim to go beyond the Biodiversity COP15 global objective to reduce nutrient losses by 50% by 2030 (ESPP eNews n°74) and work towards “net zero phosphorus” **,
Isabelle Vanderbeck and Ning Liu, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and Mark Sutton, UK CEH, collectively highlighted the need for action on global sustainable nutrient management. They presented the UNEP’s Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM) and its Global Wastewater Init iative (GWWI). GPNM provides technical support to the UNEP Working Group on Nitrogen, and promotes knowledge sharing and capacity building on phosphorus and other nutrients. She noted that GPNM is considering re-launching a Phosphorus Work Group (previously launched in 2015, see ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°115, but disappeared).
Sergio Sairafi Bazán, Chile Ministry for the Environment, summarised eutrophication challenges in Lake Villarica (these are widely documented, see e.g. NASA 2023). The lake is one of the largest in Chile (over 70 km²) and is nearly 170m deep. Its hydrographic basin covers nearly 3 000 km². The lake has important tourism and fishing activities, which are impacted by algal blooms and risk of toxic algae. Water quality standards were fixed in 2013: P_-total 10 µg/l, N_-total200 µg/l, chlorophyll_-a 3 µg/l, but phosphorus levels can be 10 – 50x higher than this (Rodríguez-López et al. 2023, DOI). Nearly half of P reaching the lake is considered today to be from natural runoff, c. 10% from agriculture, c. 5% from sewage, and 40% from aquaculture. The aim of reducing P inputs to the lake by 1/3, considered necessary to achieve water quality standards, will only be possible by reducing and capturing aquaculture P losses.
Stuart Warner, UNEP, summarised the results of the SDG indicator 6.3.2 2023 data drive. This indicator is calculated by national agencies and includes basic physico-chemical quality data (phosphorus, nitrogen, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH). Information on over 90,000 water bodies was reported in 2023 (including 14 000 lakes). The indicator shows a lack of monitoring in low-income countries. See UNEP’s SDG Water Quality Hub.
Ken Irvine, IHE Delft (Institute for Water Education, UNSECO), presented the UNEP World Water Quality Alliance White Paper Embedding Lakes into the Global Sustainability Agenda (2023 https://wwqa.info/ -> Ecosystems workstream) and the proposal to develop a global coalition for lakes. He noted that a survey shows that stakeholders consider nutrients/eutrophication the first priority for lake ecosystems restoration. Lakes provide worldwide an estimated 3 trillion US$/year ecosystem services, and 20% of this is expected to be lost under a Business As Usual nutrient and pollution scenario.
Dana Cordell, University of Technology Sydney: underlined the inefficiency of the current global phosphorus use chain: P in the food we eat represents only around one fifth of the P in phosphate rock mined (see papers cited ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°128, 2018)
Genevieve Metson, Western University, Ontario, talked about “towards net zero phosphorus” for cities, with aims to reduce P use (in particular by dietary change), reduce P losses, increase P recycling (back to agricultural lands) and to ensure synergy with climate net zero policies (see Metson et al. 2022, DOI)
Linda May, Issy Lewis, Anna Doeser, Philip Taylor, Helen Coskeran and Bryan Spears, CEH, presented the four components of the uPcycle project: assembling global data on phosphorus losses and impacts on surface water, bringing together existing data sources into a permanent dashboard demonstrating sustainable phosphorus management for Lake Villarrica and Chile, establishing a global community on lake phosphorus management and raising global awareness.

* ENEP/GEF United Nations Environment Programme / Global Environment Facility https://www.unep.org/gef/
** ESPP questioned whether “net zero phosphorus” is meaningful: net zero climate emissions is (theoretically achievable) by compensating inevitable emissions by carbon sinks (CO₂ reaction into minerals or burial, trees, soil carbon storage …). But how can inevitable phosphorus losses be compensated ?
uPcycle project website: https://www.upcyclelakes.org/
“Our Phosphorus Future” report 2022 https://www.opfglobal.com/

Research and innovation

Brabantse Delta Water Board launches ViviMag® LIFE project

Phos4EU LIFE project will test vivianite separation using Kemira’s proprietary technology ViviMag® from sewage sludge at demonstration scale (9 m³/h, treating 50% of the wwtp's 400 000 p.e. capacity) at Nieuwveer wwtp, The Netherlands, In addition, replication projects will take place in Hoensbroek, The Netherlands and Burgos, Spain wwtps operated by Limburg Water Board, and Acciona respectively.. This follows trials with 1 m³/h pilots at Nieuwveer, at Schönebeck Germany (Veolia) and VCS Søndersø Denmark), see ESPP eNews n°82. The LIFE Phos4EU project (4.1 million € EU funding, 6/2023-5/2028), will further test the magnetic vivianite separation technology at near full scale in Nieuwveer and aims to recover up to 60% of total phosphorus in sewage sludge (with enhanced iron dosing). Aquaminerals and STOWA are also partners of the LIFE project and will look at possibilities to valorise the vivianite. The project is supported by Kemira, the owner of the ViviMag® technology as well as Royal HaskoningDHV, the development partner of ViviMag® in The Netherlands.

Brabantse Dela Water Board announcement on LinkedIn 12^th March 2024.
LIFE Phos4EU link.

P-fertilised grassland, Ireland, may release higher CO₂ but lower N₂O

Atmospheric emissions were measured following two applications of N and organic carbon in two temperate grassland long-term field trial areas, after 23 years of zero / low / high phosphate fertilisation. The experiment was conducted on a long term phosphorus field trial site, at Johnstown Castle, Wexford, Ireland, on two contrasting soils both managed as permanent cut grassland. The site plots had received phosphorus rates of 0, 15, 45 kgP/ha/y since 1995. Grass was harvested monthly seven times per year. In Spring 2019, an experiment was conducted to look at the effect of varying phosphorus rates on N₂O emissions under contrasting soil conditions. Plots were fertilised with nitrogen fertiliser (CAN = calcium ammonium nitrate) 40 kgN/ha/application and organic carbon at a rate of 6.3 kg C/day. The organic carbon (glucose, sodium acetate and methanol) was applied to simulate labile carbon in animal excreta. Cumulative carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emission, soil properties, soil microbial biomass and glomalin related soil protein (GRSP) and plant biomass were measured over three months following the first N and C_-org application. Cumulative soil N₂O emissions were significantly higher in the zero-P plot (P application of previous two decades) compared to low or high-P in both soils (zero-P = 1.1 vs high P = 0.6 gN₂O/m²) and were higher in the less well drained soil. CO₂ emissions were in some cases higher with higher P-fertilisation, but not systematically. Based on GRSP, the authors suggest that the higher N₂O emissions could result from increased AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) development on roots in soils with low P, as these fungi help plants acquire carbon in P-limited soils (GRSP are related to AMF). This research is being expanded in the EJP Soil Iconica project to investigate the effect of phosphorus on carbon and nitrogen cycling in a number of long term trials across the world.
“Effect of contrasting phosphorus levels on nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from temperate grassland soils”, A. Gebremichael et al., Nature Scientific Reports, 2022, 12:2602, DOI.
See also: “The effect of carbon availability on N2O emissions is moderated by soil phosphorus”, R. O’Neill et al., Soil Biology and Biochemistry 142 (2020) 107726 DOI, summarised in ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°137 special issue: Climate Change, Nutrients and Catchment Management.

PFAS could be cause of 0.5 – 4.5% of wastewater treatment GHG emissions

Study of two sewage sludge incinerators reported no targeted PFAS in chimney gas discharged from a fluidised bed furnace, as widely used in Europe, but detectable short-chain fluorine compounds which are greenhouse gases (e.g. CF₄, C₂F₆, C₃F₈). It is assumed that these carbon-fluoride compounds come from decomposition of PFAS* in combustion and not from combination of organic carbon with fluorine present in mineral forms in sewage sludge. The other sludge incinerator, a multiple hearth furnace, showed some chimney gas PFAS emissions (12 µmol). Both incinerators were equipped with wet gas scrubbing, and significant PFAS went to the scrubber water (320 – 340 µmol). No PFAS was reported in bottom ash in the fluidised bed incinerator (the ash in the other incinerator went to the scrubber water). Levels of targeted PFAS in input dewatered sewage sludge were 250 – 1 300 µmol (around 10 -50 ng/gDM), mostly PFOS*, with around half of the 20+ PFAS substances analysed being quantifiably detected. The authors noted that more recent incinerators should have additional flue gas treatment, including activated carbon (to abate mercury emissions), which could reduce PFAS and fluorinated substances in chimney offgas. The authors estimated greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂ equivalent) of the carbon-fluorine compounds in the incinerators’ chimney gases at 0.5 – 2.8 % (fluidised bed furnace) or 0.5% - 4.5% (multiple hearth furnace), expressed as a total of GHG emissions from wastewater treatment for the population generating the input sewage sludge (based on the US EPA greenhouse gas inventory 2023).
* PFAS = perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a wide family of several thousand different chemical substances. PFOS = perfluorooctane sulfonate is one chemical from this family (eight carbon chain = C₈HF₁₅O₂).
“Fate of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through two full-scale wastewater sludge incinerators”, L. Winchell et al., Water Environ Res. 2024;96:e11009 DOI.

Stay informed & ESPP members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews084
Download as PDF

ESPP dates 2024

ESPP workshops
Join us: Market policy tools to support pull for recycled nutrients – 13^th March
Join us: Defining targets for nutrient reuse and recycling from waste water – 14^th March
Summary of ESPP workshop on Nitrates Directive and Safemanure / Renure

ESPP members
ESPP new member: TTBS Belgium
SNB announces P-recovery from ash project with SusPhos
ICL commercialises first CE-mark recycled sewage sludge ash fertiliser
Study concludes negligible pathogen risk in ash-recycled calcium phosphate
N2-Applied plasma N-enrichment prevent methane formation in manure

EU consultations and calls
EU public consultation on National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive (NERCD)
EU public consultation on the Nitrates Directive
DG Agriculture call to sign “Soil Manifesto”

Policy
EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) evaluation and interpretation
Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive revision final text published
Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Act adopted by European Parliament
UK water industry Resource Recovery Working Group
German Phosphorus Platform (DPP) regulatory proposals
Federal Environment Agency joins German “Clean Phosphorus 2029” initiative
ESPP founding participant of circular feed platform
BlueBio Policy Brief: waste to resource

Event summaries
Regulatory barriers to aquaculture and marine Circular Economy
Fertilizers Europe Forum on Plant Nutrition

Research and innovation
Phosphorus and nitrogen losses, climate change, impacts on Adriatic eutrophication
Climate change will deteriorate eutrophication of Mediterranean river Júcar, Spain
P fertilisation improves water use efficiency (WUE) in Mediterranean tree-grass system

Stay informed

ESPP members

ESPP dates 2024

13-14 March 2024: Brussels & online ESPP workshops on Nutrient recycling policy
- 13^th March: market policy tools to support pull for recycled nutrients (optional networking dinner)
- 14^th March: targets for nutrient recovery under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive revision
16-17 April 2024: Brussels & online NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting
(with Fertimanure, Lex4Bio, Walnut, Sea2Land, Rustica)
8-10 October 2024: Lleida, Spain ESPC5 (5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference)

ESPP workshops

Join us: Market policy tools to support pull for recycled nutrients – 13^th March

Identifying policy tools to support market pull for recycled nutrients, which could achieve consensus across industry and users. Speakers from waste and water industries, fertiliser industries, circular economy policy experts. Proposals to be discussed will include targets, quotas, border tariffs, recycling credits, fiscal incentives, public purchasing, labelling … Industry and user positions can differ: The meeting aims to identify policies which could achieve consensus across recycled product producers (waste companies, recycling technology suppliers), industry and users (fertilisers industries, distributers, farmers), and to discuss ESPP proposals to submit to policy makers.
13^th March Brussels & online. Registration is open www.phosphorusplatform.eu/nutrientevents2024

Join us: Defining targets for nutrient reuse and recycling from waste water – 14^th March

The proposed UWWTD revision text (art. 20) states: “The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts … setting out the minimum reuse and recycling rates for phosphorus and nitrogen”, see eNews n°80. This workshop will define ESPP proposals for these targets: How to define “reuse” and “recycling” ? What % rate? What criteria for products ? What rates for different sizes waste water treatment works or type of sewage treatment ? …
14^th March: Brussels & online. Registration is open www.phosphorusplatform.eu/nutrientevents2024
To present your ideas in Brussels, 14^th March, contact .

Summary of ESPP workshop on Nitrates Directive and Safemanure / Renure

Over 100 online participants discussed evaluation of the Nitrates Directive and proposals for facilitating recycling of manure nutrients in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. The aim was to develop ESPP input to the currently open EU public consultation to 8^th March on the evaluation of the Nitrates Directive. The discussion showed a range of differing opinions of participants concerning the objectives of the Nitrates Directive, its implementation, changes needed, and concerning limits to use of manure-recovered nutrients:

What is the objective of the Nitrates Directive? To reduce eutrophication of surface water ? To limit nitrates in groundwater for health reasons ? To limit concentration of livestock production and regional nutrient excesses ?
Should the Nitrates Directive also address phosphorus ? This would add complexity and duplicate the obligation to engage actions to achieve water Quality Status under the Water Framework Directive. On the other hand, it would be coherent with addressing eutrophication, with the Green Deal / COP15 target to reduce nutrient losses by 50%, and phosphorus is already included in some Nitrates Directive national/regional Action Plans for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs).
How to better take into account nitrogen use efficiency in limiting manure and fertiliser application under the Directive, whilst ensuring clear and enforceable requirements ? The Directive already includes mandatory implementation of a Code of Good Agricultural Practice including farm fertiliser plans (art. 5.4, art. 4 and Annex II, in NVZs).
Is the limit to 170 kgN/ha/year for use of manure in NVZs justified - including manure in a “processed form” ? This limit represents a significant obstacle to nutrient circularity, creating an unlevel playing field compared to synthetic fertilisers, and market obstacles. There is no agronomic justification for treating digestate / compost from manure differently than from that from e.g. food-waste. How to take into account the importance of returning organic carbon to soil ? Is this limit needed given that Annex III (3) of the Directive also specifies that NVZ Action Plans must limit application of all fertilisers, based on balancing crop needs and nitrogen supply ? Or is this limit somehow an ‘indirect’ way of limiting livestock density ?
Under what conditions should manure-recovered nitrogen (recycled nutrient products) be exempted from this 170 kgN/ha/y limit ? The JRC Renure report 2020, based on an agronomic science assessment, has not received unanimous support, and has not progressed towards implementation to date. This JRC report suggests as criteria: TOC:TN ratio ≤ 3 or a mineral N:TN ratio ≥ 90%, with such materials remaining subject to specific management and use constraints to be fixed for each NVZ. ESPP notes that these criteria penalise organic carbon input to soil, do not take account of the stability in soil of the TOC (total organic carbon), and would cover materials such as 90% raw manure spiked with 10% urea (impossible to detect by administrative control testing), some raw manures and also most liquid fractions of manures.

Given the widely ranging opinions expressed, ESPP will:

In the EU public consultation, underline that this is a consultation on the questions to be considered in an evaluation of the Nitrates Directive, not on how to modify the Directive. ESPP will suggest that evaluation questions include:
- Should phosphorus be included into the Directive, given the impacts of agricultural phosphorus losses on eutrophication, and if so how ? Or is this unnecessary given limits to phosphorus losses implied by Water Framework Directive quality status obligations ?
- Should the Directive be widened to cover atmospheric emissions of N pollutants N₂O, NO_x, ammonia (currently art. 1 limits to water pollution) ?
- How should soil organic carbon be taken into account ?
- Should the Directive specifically address livestock concentration and resulting regional nutrient misbalances ?
- Need to update knowledge on eutrophication and health impacts of nitrates ?
- How to better take into account Nitrogen Use Efficiency and organic nitrogen storage in soil ?
- How to prevent the 170 kgN/ha/y limit from inhibiting nutrient recycling, but ensure environmental protection ?
- The JRC Renure report proposals are scientifically justified, but are they consistent with the Nitrates Directive objectives, the need to reduce regional nutrient misbalances, the Green Deal / COP15 target to reduce nutrient loses by 50% ?
- How to better harmonise implementation, monitoring, definitions across Member States, in order to facilitate European transfer of knowledge and technologies ?
Propose that manure-recovered nutrient products which are “Mineral Fertilisers” should be not considered manure “in a processed form” : Mineral Fertiliser: as defined in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation Annex III part II, that is < 1% organic carbon. ESPP will request a lawyer’s opinion on whether the current Nitrates Directive text could be interpreted to enable this without modification of the Directive text.

Public consultation on evaluation of the EU Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC). Open to 8^th March 2024. HERE
ESPP proposed consultation input, proposals on manure-recycled nutrient: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

ESPP members

ESPP new member: TTBS Belgium

TTBS

TTBS is a Belgian company focused on phosphate technology and located in Wavre (Belgium), founded by Mohamed Takhim who has over 25 years’ experience as a phosphate industry process developer and industrial project manager. The objective of TTBS is to supply the phosphate market with efficient technical and business solutions. TTBS has developed a new patented process RubiPhos® for phosphate recovery, currently being pilot tested (12.5 kg/h input) with sewage sludge incineration ash, using digestion by hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. The company indicates that the technology can also be applied to other P-sources (vivianite, struvite, meal bones ashes, …). Together with its partners, TTBS can supply a complete plug-and-play production unit for phosphoric acid and/or its salt derivatives. TTBS can install its mobile P-recovery pilot onsite, to generate data for the design and supply of an industrial full-scale P-recovery unit.
TTBS - Takhim for Technology and Business Services - https://ttbs.be - Photo TTBS 2-container mobile pilot P-recovery unit.

SNB announces P-recovery from ash project with SusPhos

SNB

Slibverwerking Noord-Brabant (SNB, an ESPP member) has announced a contract with startup SusPhos to design and plan phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge incineration ash at Moerdijk, The Netherlands. SNB is Europe’s largest sewage sludge mono-incinerator, burning 410 000 - 430 000 t/y of dewatered sewage sludge (> 90 000 t/y DM).The contract with SusPhos, following a European tender, aims to design a full-scale P-recovery from ash plant, establish the business plan and define cooperation with SusPhos within one year, allowing a decision on investment in a full-scale plant to then be taken. The objective is for the full-scale plant to be operational by 2027. SusPhos is presented as a robust process: sulphuric acid is reacted with the ash (similar to existing industry Single Super Phosphate type processes) then a proprietary solvent is used to extract ESPP eNews n°84 March 2024 Published by the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP) www.phosphorusplatform.eu Page 4 phosphoric acid. Purified phosphoric acid can then be stripped out of the solvent, or reacted to phosphate chemicals which can be separated from the solvent. The solvent is then recycled back to the process. The SusPhos solvent extraction leaves a residual mineral stream, containing gypsum (calcium sulphate from the sulphuric acid reaction), sand from silicates in ash, aluminium and iron. Heavy metals in the sewage sludge (copper, lead …) are 95% removed from the phosphoric acid and immobilised in the residual mineral stream. Susphos intends that this mineral stream can be valorised in e.g. building materials. This SusPhos technology has to date been tested at pilot scale: a 25 kg/day pilot plant has been operated for over 2 years using various ashes and other phosphate rich waste streams. SNB Managing Director, Silvester Bombeeck, says “'This all fits with our circular vision and mission to recover raw materials from sewage sludge”.
“SNB and SusPhos join forces to recover phosphate in a circular way”, 27^th February 2024, HERE.

ICL commercialises first CE-mark recycled sewage sludge ash fertiliser

ICL Fertilizers (ESPP member), has launched the first fertiliser recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash to have obtained the CE-mark (EU Fertilising Products Regulation FPR certified). REACH declaration (EU chemicals regulation) and FPR Conformity Assessment (Module D1) were successfully completed in 2023. A first batch of over a thousand tonnes has been produced and commercialised at ICL’s existing phosphate rock processing plant in Amsterdam, using ash supplied by Netherlands sewage sludge incinerators, with further production planned. The product is based on acidulation then granulation of ash, with or without other nutrients.. ICL’s German production site in Ludwigshafen will also start this new process in coming months. ICL notes that the recycled fertiliser has specific characteristics different from synthetic mineral fertilisers, achieves EU FPR phosphorus crop availability criteria (>80% NAC solubility of P) and has shown good results in agronomic trials. The sewage sludge ash offers advantages over phosphate rock (no cadmium, no fluorine, no odour) but requires specific adaptations to the industrial chemistry, processes and handling, necessitating significant R&D and specific installations. Recycling is a strategic objective for ICL Fertilizers and the company now aims to progressively increase production.
https://www.icl-group.com/

Study concludes negligible pathogen risk in ash-recycled calcium phosphate

Assessment by the Swedish National Veterinary Authority (SVA) concludes that pathogen risk is negligible in calcium phosphates recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash by the EasyMining Ash2Phos process (ESPP member). The study assessed the risk of pathogens (probability of presence of infectious pathogens) in the recycled phosphate product, based on risk in sewage sludge and reduction of pathogen infectivity in the different processing stages: sewage treatment, sludge incineration, Ash2Phos processing (which uses sequential precipitation: acid, alkali, filtration, lime). The SVA study concludes “There is a clear scientific basis to support that no bacteria, viruses or parasites can survive the incineration step, making sewage sludge ash a safe substrate in terms of these pathogens”. The study further concludes “The overall probability that phosphorus recovered from sewage sludge using the Ash2Phos process contains infectious prions was also assessed to be negligible”. This results from the negligible/very low prevalence of TSE (transmissible spongiform encephalitis) in Europe and evidence that both incineration and the Ash2Phos process steps can significantly reduce prion infectivity. Knowledge gaps are noted concerning prions in sewage/sludge, inactivation of prions in incineration and effects on prions of sequential acid/alkali. The study concludes overall that, assuming operating procedures are appropriately respected, that “the probability that phosphorus recovered from sewage sludge ashes using the Ash2Phos process contains infectious animal pathogens is assessed to be negligible”. Trials with chickens and pigs have shown that the Ash2Phos recovered phosphate is digestible, safe and performs as well as commercial animal feed phosphates (see ESPP eNews n°82).
“Negligible risk of pathogens in our recycled phosphate”, EasyMining 10^th January 2024 here and SVA Risk Assessment Report “Assessment of the risk for pathogens in phosphorus recovered from sewage sludge ash”, Sweden National Veterinary Institute, SVA report 92:2023, ISSN 1654-7098 here.

N2-Applied plasma N-enrichment prevent methane formation in manure

A three-year trial at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) shows that the N2-Applied process prevents methane formation without accentuating NO_xor ammonia emissions. The study compared methane production in four closed 2 m³ tanks of manure over 70-80 days in three summers. Two tanks contained raw cattle manure (after screw press filtration) and two contained N2-Applied plasma treated manure (nitrogen enriched, NEO). The untreated manure generated 60 – 1500 gCH₄/m³ (cumulative after 70 days), whereas the NEO treated manure showed slight net methane uptake (0 – 0.3 gCH₄/m³). Laboratory studies of methane production from manure showed that neither the pH decrease, nor the increase in nitrate or nitrite, nor combination of these, could explain the complete inhibition of methane production achieved by the N2-Applied process, suggesting that it is the elimination of methanogenic bacteria by the plasma treatment which is the key factor.
“Complete elimination of methane formation in stored livestock manure using plasma technology”, M. Nyvold, P. Dörsch, 2023, DOI.

EU consultations and calls

EU public consultation on National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive (NERCD)

Consultation on EU Directive limiting emissions of ammonia, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, particulates and (non methane) volatile organic carbons (VOC). Open to 14^th March. Organisations and individuals are invited to submit evidence and comments.

ESPP will underline that announced evaluation of this Directive should address recovery/recycling of nitrogen and sulphur (coherence with EU Circular Economy policy). ESPP suggests that this Directive is important in limiting emissions of the five targeted pollutant gases across Europe, and is necessary to achieve EU reduction targets, to avoid transboundary pollution and to ensure a level playing field across Europe for concerned activities. ESPP suggests that NERCD should, for coherence, also cover the climate gases N₂O and methane, for which emissions can be related to NO_x and NH₃ emissions (e.g. livestock, digestates). Coherence should be ensured with revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive, which increases emphasis on material efficiency and reuse. NERCD emissions limits should ensure protection from eutrophication of sensitive terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive, Nitrates Directive) and also impacts on soil (proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience) and should be supported by EU agriculture policy (CAP farm funding and CAP National Action Plans) and Nitrates Directive NVZ Action Programmes.
EU public consultation “National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive – evaluation”, open to 14^th March 2024, input 4000 characters plain text plus possibility to submit pdf documents here.

EU public consultation on the Nitrates Directive

Consultation for evaluation of the Nitrates Directive. Open to 8^th March. See ESPP eNews n°81 and also above.
“The protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources – Evaluation”, public consultation preparatory to evaluation of the EU Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) and Call for Evidence. Input requested from the public, farmers, stakeholders. Open to 8^th March 2024. In all EU languages. HERE

DG Agriculture call to sign “Soil Manifesto”

European Commission call for signatures for a “Soil Manifesto”, recognising the need to protect and restore soils, current soil degradation, support the Soil R&D Mission objectives and commit to soil protection and awareness actions. The Soil Manifesto was launched by the European Commission and the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN) in April 2023, has today over 2 600 signatures, and remains open for signatures. Signatories recognise the importance of soil for food and for environmental and social functions as “the basis of our well-being”, recognise that more than 60% of EU soils are in an unhealthy state and that pressure will increase with climate change, call to embed soil protection and restoration in all human activities, support the Soil R&D Mission goal to establish 100 test-demonstration sites (“living labs”, “lighthouses”) and commit to contribute to the protection and restoration of soil, to raise awareness and to enlarge the active community.
“The EU Mission Soil launches its Manifesto”, April 2023, link. “Update on the Mission Soil Manifesto” European Commission, 28 February 2024, here. Sign the Manifesto here.

Policy

EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) evaluation and interpretation

The next EU Fertilisers Expert Group is fixed 15-16 April. ESPP will participate. So if you have points you consider should be taken into account in the FAQ regulation guidance or aspects to consider in the upcoming regulation evaluation: please email us ASAP (before end March latest). The existing FAQ is HERE (Frequently Asked Questions = in effect, FPR guidance). Please indicate interpretation or implementation questions which are NOT already addressed or are not resolved in this existing FAQ, if possible with real case examples. The evaluation of the FPR will be launched by the European Commission in coming months, as required in art. 49 of the Regulation, with the aim of identifying if certain aspects of the Regulatory text should be modified. Please indicate aspects of the Regulation which you suggest should be evaluated, other than points already specified in art. 49 (contaminants including cadmium and uranium, functioning of the internal market, conformity assessment, market surveillance, optional harmonisation) and other than specifications and materials in CMCs and biostimulants (studies already underway, see ESPP eNews n°81).
EU Fertilisers Expert Group documents (CIRCABC public) HERE.

Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive revision final text published

Final text validated by Council specifies that EU “combined reuse and recycling rates” for P from sewage and sludge will be fixed within 3 years, and a feasibility study on N reuse and recovery will be engaged. The P reuse & recycling rates requirements are detailed in art. 20: these rates should take into account technical and economic viability, P content of sludge, other organic P sources on national markets, impacts on health and the environment. The N reuse & recycling study is specified in art. 30.This final text now goes to the European Parliament for endorsement and then legal verification before publication. The revised Directive also tightens sewage works discharge limits for P and N, requires that urban wastewater systems achieve “energy neutrality” (without increasing methane or nitrous oxide emissions, preamble 16), quaternary treatment (end-of-pipe removal of organic contaminants), extended producer responsibility to cover costs of this 4^ry treatment (for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics only, extension to industrial chemicals to be studied), promotes water use, microplastic measurement methodology, “integrated urban wastewater management plans”, and specifies new definitions (e.g. of “sludge”). For details, see summary of the Commission’s initial proposal in ESPP eNews n°74. ESPP will provide a full summary of the final text when it is promulgated in the EU Official Journal.

ESPP will start work defining consensus proposals for defining these new “combined reuse and recycling rates” for phosphorus (from sewage and sewage sludge) at our meeting of 14^th March (Brussels & online – register now): what % rates from different sewage works (size, configuration), definitions of “reuse” and “recycling”, requirements for recovered materials (quality, safety, plant P availability …).
Final validated compromise text for revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 1st March 2024 HERE.
Working meeting, defining “combined reuse and recycling rates” for phosphorus from municipal waste water, 14^th March (Brussels & online) http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/nutrientevents2024

Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Act adopted by European Parliament

European Parliament plenary has validated the CRM final text, following ‘trilogue’ finalisation, and pending final formal validation by Council. “Phosphate rock” and “Phosphorus” (meaning P₄ ) are in the Critical Raw Materials List, but not in the “Strategic” sub-list.

ESPP considers that this Act should support phosphorus stewardship and recycling by requiring monitoring, inciting national circularity measures and facilitating permitting of recycling projects. ESPP regrets that P₄ is not included in the “Strategic” sub-list despite being essential for the specified “strategic” industry sectors (renewable energy, e.g. solar panels; batteries; data and electronics fire safety) and despite the EU’s 100% dependency on supply from three countries (China, Vietnam, Kazakhstan) – see joint industry declaration.

The finalised text adjusts the initial Commission proposal (see ESPP eNews n°74) by underlining materials efficiency and recycling of CRMs in art.1. The original text is also modified (art. 4.1) to specify that a CRM “at any stage of processing and when occurring as a by-product of other extraction, processing or recycling processes, be considered critical raw materials”. The interpretation of this for “Phosphate rock” could be interesting (!).

Many points of the Act address “Strategic” raw materials only (not all CRMs) – in particular definition of recycling objectives, possibilities for “Strategic Projects”. However, the following concern all CRMs:

Art. 5.2: “incentivise technological progress and resource efficiency” of CRMs,
Art. 9 and art. 2.16, 2.20 (definitions): Member States must establish “Points of Single Contact” (can be more than one!) to facilitate and coordinate permitting of installations for extraction, processing or recycling of CRMs,
Art. 13, art. 18: certain CRM project planning simplifications,
Art. 19: national exploration programmes for CRM resources,
Art. 20: EU monitoring of CRM supply risks and stress testing,
Art. 21: identification and monitoring of key CRM value chain operators,
Art. 26.1: national programmes for circularity of CRMs, including incentivising resource and materials efficiency, “collection, sorting and processing of waste with high critical raw materials recovery potential …” and “increase the use of secondary critical raw materials including through measures such as taking recycled content into account in award criteria related to public procurement or financial incentives for the use of secondary critical raw materials”, “increase the technological maturity of recycling technologies”, “support the use of Union quality standards for recycling processes of waste streams containing critical raw materials”, workforce upskilling …
Art. 26.7: The Commission will define a “list of products … and waste streams … considered as having a relevant critical raw materials recovery potential”,
Art. 30 and art. 31: possible sustainability certification and environmental footprint schemes for CRMs.

The above are ESPP’s understanding of the amended text published by the European Parliament and remain to be confirmed when the final Act is published.
European Parliament “Consolidated legislative document” EP-PE_TC1-COD(2023)0079 12^th December 2023

UK water industry Resource Recovery Working Group

The third meeting (12^th January 2024) of this informal UK group, led by Thames Water, discussed actions needed to develop markets for resources recovered from wastewater, with six UK water companies, waste/water engineering companies, the fertilisers industry, researchers and regulators.

User drivers for resource recovery were discussed. Leading food companies and fertiliser producers are looking to reduce carbon footprint, and recycling nutrients may contribute to this. Industry will drive interest in recovered resources as companies seek sustainable feedstocks to reduce supply chain greenhouse gas emissions, rather than agriculture itself. Discussions suggested that market forces alone are unlikely to deliver sufficiently rapid change: intervention and collaboration across the value chain are needed.

Joe Gilbertson, UK Agricultural Industries Confederation, explained that the UK is updating its (1991) fertilisers regulations, probably towards a matrix aligned with the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. Fertiliser blenders and companies manufacturing compound and liquid fertilisers in the UK can integrate recycled nutrient materials into their products. Recycled phosphates with low cadmium would be welcome. Sulphur is today needed in fertilisers, because no longer provided by atmospheric sulphur dioxide pollution (‘acid rain’). A challenge to uptake of recycled nutrient materials is perception of possible risks in wastes, with possible unknown contaminants and fear of contamination the food chain. Price is also important. She underlined that food processors, retailers and the public will determine demand for recycled nutrients, irrespective of fertiliser industry or government wishes.

Discussion underlined the need for dialogue between the fertiliser industry - distributors and waste - wastewater companies, on how to deliver nutrients in a form useful to industry, and on quality and safety. A key challenge is scale and logistics. Recycled nutrients are available in small, diffuse quantities. In the short term, an answer is to target recycled products to niche markets, but the longer aim should be to generalise nutrient recycling to deliver a significant proportion of fertiliser nutrient needs.

Nutrient platforms can enable dialogue, between waste and user industries, and with researchers. An important role of platforms is on policy and regulation. Other tools are needed to directly develop markets, ranging from industry joint ventures to take recycled materials to market (e.g. AquaMinerals Netherlands) to market matchmaking apps and websites.

The UK water industry Resource Recovery
Working Group is open to participation of all concerned companies and competent persons. Contact: Robert Naylor

German Phosphorus Platform (DPP) regulatory proposals

DPP’s January 2024 ‘Political Memorandum’ calls for changes to German national fertiliser regulations, to ensure coherence and facilitate phosphorus recycling from sewage. This 2024 DPP Memorandum follows from, and updates, the DPP’s 2020 Memorandum (see ESPP eNews n°49). DPP reminds that Europe is largely dependent on imports for phosphorus, which is essential for food production, and increasingly for batteries and electromobility and calls for a national phosphorus circular economy strategy. German legislation (Sewage Sludge Ordinance 2017 AbfKlärV, see ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°129) requires phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge from 2029 (except for small sewage works < 50 000 p.e. where sludge may be used in agriculture, and with a transitional delay to 2032 for sewage works < 100 000 p.e.). DPP requests adjustments of German regulations to enable implementation of this:

The current German fertiliser regulation (DüMV) currently specifies that only sewage sludge compatible with national criteria for agricultural valorisation (AbfKlärV) can be used as an input material for production of recovered phosphate fertilisers. This should not apply, for organic contaminants, in P-recycling processes which ensure elimination of these (e.g. incineration) subject to respecting fertiliser regulation heavy contaminant limits in the final product. The DüMV fertiliser regulation also specifies that only sewage sludge / ash respecting the DüMV fertiliser contaminant limits can be used as input material: this excludes P-recycling routes which simply dilute contaminants by combining with other materials, but it also excludes processes which remove or eliminate contaminants in order to achieve fertiliser contaminant limits.
AbfKlärV (see ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°129) currently requires phosphorus recovery ensuring reduction of sludge P-content by at least 50%, or reduction of sludge P content to < 2 %P/DM, or recovery of at least 80% of P from sewage sludge incineration ash. DPP requests clarification of how these requirements should be verified (e.g. P-flow balances: P-input, P-output, P in recovered product).
Phosphate solubility requirements in recovered fertilisers: DüMV requires at least 2.5% solubility in water of P_total, 5% in NAC (neutral ammonium citrate-soluble) and 2% in mineral acid-soluble phosphate (it is unclear how these three different criteria fit together). DPP propose to modify this to 60% solubility (of P_total) in NAC or 60% solubility in 2% citric acid. This differs from the EU Fertilising Product Regulation (FPR) which requires 40% solubility in water or 75% in NAC.
End-of-waste status. Unlike under the EU FPR, the German national fertiliser regulation DüMV does not automatically confer end-of-waste status to fertilisers recovered from sewage. DPP requests clarification of this.
DPP underlines the need for stable and appropriate support for phosphorus recovery, without which the German regulatory AbfKlärV 2029 deadline will not be met. Current municipal sewage management tenders often cover periods too short for investment in recovery installations. Currently not all federal states have the option of including P recovery in the wastewater fee before 2029. DPP requests application, as of today, of the “polluter pays” principle to ensure adequate funding of phosphorus recovery, with a national cost approach (most sewage phosphorus comes from human excreta).
DPP proposes a review of policies to pull market uptake of recycled phosphates:
- a quota for recycled phosphates in fertilisers (related to distributor sales),
- pricing of environmental costs (externalities),
- taxation, e.g. of resource consumption,
- support for early starter municipalities, for example through an incentive system,
- financial benefit / penalty for municipalities implementing / not implementing phosphorus recovery.

“Politikmemorandum zur Phosphorrückgewinnung 2023/2024 der Deutschen phosphor-Plattform DPP”, 31^st January 2024 HERE.

Federal Environment Agency joins German “Clean Phosphorus 2029” initiative

This initiative, launched June 2022, aims to achieve the German regulatory P-recovery obligations with processes which explicitly remove contaminants and produce clean, marketable phosphorus products. The initiative currently brings together Gelsenwasser (waste and water utility employing 6 400 people - group), Ragn-Sells EasyMining (ESPP member), Remondis, MSE Mobile, Parforce, and several other sewage services, recycling and lime companies. The initiative promotes seven points for phosphorus recovery processes: achieve the P-recovery requirements of the German Sewage Sludge Ordinance AbfKlärV (see ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°129), not accumulate pollutants to agriculture, remove pollutants present in input materials, produce clean and marketable phosphorus products of quality irrespective of composition and pollutant load of input material, separate and recover other materials where possible and not only phosphorus. The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is also a member of the German Phosphorus Platform (DPP), as is the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) and several German Land (regional) authorities.
“Umweltbundesamt schließt sich der Initiative Sauberer Phosphor 2029 an” (the Federal Environment Agency joins the Clean Phosphorus 2029 Initiative)., Gelsenwasser, 1^st March 2024, HERE and “Sauberer Phosphor”, seven point outline for P-recovery processes, EasyMining, 2 June 2022 HERE.

ESPP founding participant of circular feed platform

New initiative, led by FEFAC (animal feed industry federation), will bring industry organisations together to develop circularity in animal feed. Discussions are underway with industry federations in chemicals, animal by products and several food and bio-based materials processing sectors. Aims could include a mapping to identify and quantify secondary materials with potential as animal feed inputs (which are not currently being used), analysis of these resources (safety questions, nutrient digestibility, transport distances and logistics, food versus feed status, waste hierarchy, land use), supporting different sectoral organisations’ proposals for feed circularity within an overall strategy, possible definition of principles for feed circularity, analysis of regulatory and other obstacles, proposals to EU decision makers.
Industry federations and sectoral organisations wishing to engage with the proposed feed circularity platform should contact ESPP .

BlueBio Policy Brief: waste to resource

Policy Brief identifies three areas of regulatory barriers to circularity in the blue economy, including barriers to nutrient recycling from aquaculture sludge and by use of algae to treat wastewaters. The Policy Brief, from the Blue Bio Cofund (an initiative of the R&D platform JPI Oceans and the EU-funded R&D network Horizon2020 ERA-NET Cofund) accompanying the European Parliament event summarised below identifies:

Regulatory complexity for use of algae in human food, animal feed and health products:
Cost and time needed for authorisations under the Novel Food 2015/2283, Animal Nutrition 1831/2003 and Animal Feed Hygiene 183/2005 Regulations
Varying heavy metal limits between different EU Member States for food / food ingredient uses
Process for validating nutrition and health claims under 1924/2006, 432/201
Lack of European legislation concerning algae cultivation, leading to delays and uncertainties in production site licensing.
Moving from “waste to resource” for fisheries and aquaculture:
Need to revisit the outdated Animal By-Product Regulations, in particular to resolve the current exclusion of fish excrement (and so fish aquaculture slurry) from the definition of manure
Clarify the exclusions of wastewaters and manures from animal feeds (767/2009), irrespective of processing, subject to fully ensuring food chain safety
Assess food chain safety risks for the use of aquaculture sludge as input for production of insects or aquatic invertebrates for use as animal feed (request an EFSA Opinion)

BlueBio “Policy Brief On identified regulatory barriers to more circularity in the blue bioeconomy”, 5 pages, January 2024, https://bluebioeconomy.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BlueBio-policy-brief-Jan-2024.pdf

Event summaries

Regulatory barriers to aquaculture and marine Circular Economy

European Parliament meeting underlines the need to better identify and address obstacles to nutrient recycling from fish slurry, aquaculture and in algae production. The meeting had 43 participants in Brussels and 75 online and was organised by BlueBio Era-Net, with Clara Aguilera and Catherine Chabaud, MEPs.

Alex Obach, European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform and FEFAC (animal feed industry federation), underlined that EU aquaculture is one of the most sustainable in the world. 40% of today’s fish meal used in aquaculture feed comes from marine food production co-products and over half of the ingredients used are co-products of marine, vegetable and animal origin (e.g. from maize or soja processing). However, 70% of aquaculture food products consumed in the EU are imported, resulting in a 25 billion € trade deficit. Regulation needs to ensure both safety and flexibility to allow innovation in the EU to support a sustainable and ambitious growth of the industry. Market policies and promotions campaigns of aquatic products are also essential. Furthermore, it should be stressed that the EU leads globally in terms of the development of aquaculture technology and innovation across the value chain, putting the EU at a competitive advantage in terms of RTDI transfer.

Anne Mette Baek, EFFOP (European Fishmeal and Oil Producers Federation), noted regulatory obstacles to producing food-grade products and processing animal by-products on the same site, which is however important for industry efficiency and integration. The 2009 Animal By-Product Regulation needs to be revisited to address the circular economy and food sustainability, whilst continuing to ensure safety, in today’s context.

Ingeborg Korme, BlueBio Era-Net, underlined that EU-funded R&D projects on aquaculture conclude that regulatory obstacles are important and are limiting innovation, investment and development of aquaculture in Europe, both concerning input of aquaculture products into applications such as animal feed, and concerning recycling of nutrients.

Ann-Cecilie Hansen, Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Norway uses around 2 million tonnes/year of fish feed for salmon aquaculture. The government has launched a mission into sustainable fish feed. Fish slurry from aquaculture, which contains mainly fish excrement and unconsumed feed, is authorised for use in fertilisers in Norway under national regulations, but is currently excluded from the EU Fertilising Products Regulation – but this is currently being studied. Challenges for recycling of fish sludge to agriculture include food-chain and environmental safety: heavy metals (zinc, copper, cadmium), organic contaminants (such as plant protection chemicals and pharmaceuticals), pathogens. Processing can ensure hygienisation and drying, which is important for transport from coastal to arable regions. Another possible route for valorisation is as food for insect farming, possibly for feed production, but this poses the risk of recirculating pathogens and contaminants. This route is currently excluded by feed regulations and requires more research into safety.

Oana Parvulescu, NUST Polytechnic Bucharest, summarised work on aquaculture and marine harvesting circularity. Fish processing wastes (heads, bones …) and aquaculture sludge (fish slurry) are both rich in nutrients and offer valuable potential as inputs to agriculture, as fertilisers and biostimulants. However, their use is currently blocked by EU regulations as fish excreta are not animal by-products under the Animal By-Product Regulation (2009/1069, art. 3.20), so are not considered in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. There are also obstacles in the EU Organic Farming regulations.

Panagiotis Kougias, Hellenic Agriculture Organisation, noted the challenges facing use of food processing wastewaters to produce (micro)algae for applications such as cosmetics or human foods. Data is needed to prove safety. Barriers include the absence of regulatory standards, leading to lack of clarity and predictability for investment.

Kerstin Kuchta, Hamburg University of Technology, also indicated the complexity of the regulatory context. For example, if mixed algal biomass is cultivated, authorisation is difficult in product regulations which are based on individual algae species.

Efthalia Arvaniti, SUBMARINER Network, showed some Seamark project results concluding that the costs of obtaining approval for health and nutrition claims are an obstacle to marketing new algae-based products, highlighting that while the commercial communication of non-authorised health claims is not possible in the EU, this is allowed in US and Japan, where qualified health claims supported by a less demanding level of scientific evidence, are allowed to be communicated to the consumers. Furthermore, Seamark concluded that the EU has more demanding harmful contaminant limits than in equivalents in US or Japan. The Seamark report “Assessment of EU regulatory landscape in a global context” will be published in April at the Seamark project website here: https://seamark.eu

Lorella De La Cruz Iglesias, European Commission DG MARE (Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries) explained that the Commission is working with stakeholders and industry to identify regulatory obstacles and bring the Circular Economy into MARE strategies. The Strategic Guidelines for EU Aquaculture adopted in 2021 and the EU Algae Initiative adopted in 2022 look into circularity approaches and cover many of the issues presented by participants in the event. She noted the importance to keep a connection/dialogue between researchers and innovators (especially those part of EU-funded projects) and policy makers in order to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that EU policy and regulation is adaptable to future societal and technological developments, whilst continuing to ensure high levels of safety and consumer confidence. This is the approach followed in the implementation of both the EU Aquaculture Strategic Guidelines and the EU Algae Initiative.

Paolo Caricato, European Commission DG SANTE, also underlined the importance of cooperation and communication with stakeholders. The Commission fully understands that current EU regulations may pose barriers, but at present no Member States are pressing for changes. The political input of Member States is fundamental at this regard.

Round table conclusions noted that the EU is a world leader in research and innovation, and in aquaculture sustainability. There is need to improve coordination between researchers, industry and regulators, to promote implementation. R&D projects are today asked to deliver policy recommendations. A key question is to define policies to support market pull for the circular blue economy.

Catherine Chabaud, MEP, underlined the need for a Blue Deal within the Green Deal, and that algae are a key link between the marine economy and Green Deal (circular economy).

Clara Aguilera, MEP, indicated that implementation of the Green Deal is not yet today finished, and hopes that Green Deal objectives, including for marine and algae, will be taken forward under the new European Parliament and Commission after the June 2024 European elections.
JPI Oceans – Blue Bio event at the European Parliament and online, 30^th January 2024 “Connecting the dots for a Circular Blue Bioeconomy: From Science to Policy and Regulatory solutions” https://www.jpi-oceans.eu/en/connecting-dots-circular-blue-bioeconomy-science-policy-and-regulatory-solutions and meeting report.

Fertilizers Europe Forum on Plant Nutrition

The forum underscores the central roles of nutrient use efficiency, decarbonisation of the fertilisers industry, and recycling of nutrients in Europe's path towards sustainable agriculture. The Forum on Plant Nutrition "Sustainable food production: From nutrient management to decarbonization” was hosted by MEP Peter Jahr and organised by Fertilizers Europe, and brought together policy makers, professionals and stakeholders in the food production value chain to discuss challenges of the agricultural and environmental sectors, with the ambition of guaranteeing food security, moving from current practices to a sustainable and decarbonised food production system.

Professor Wim de Vries, Wageningen University, shared main results from the study “Assessment of spatially explicit actual, required and critical nitrogen inputs in EU-27 agriculture”, funded by Fertilizers Europe, the International Fertilizer Association and the European Environmental Agency. The study arose from the interest in an accurate calculation of N boundaries, accounting for the spatial variation in the sensitivity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and in climate, land use and soil properties at the EU level. Downscaling of planetary boundaries to regions, as often applied, in fact neglects this variation and flat rate reductions in N losses and inputs as in the ‘From Farm to Fork’ strategy appear inappropriate, since N concentrations in air and water vary depending on application rate, climate, crop and soil type. The study quantified and compared current inputs and losses of N with required N inputs for crop production and N inputs/losses in view of adverse environmental effects, with a focus on ammonia emissions to air and nitrate leaching and runoff to groundwater and surface water. The required Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) at which the current or target crop yield can be reached by improved management was also quantified. Required overall reductions in ammonia emissions and N runoff at EU level to protect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were calculated as 38% and 50%, respectively, the latter value being equal to the mentioned reduction in nutrient losses by the Green Deal’s Farm to Fork strategy. At current NUE, the required reduction in N inputs to protect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, is 31% and 43%, respectively. Critical N inputs are most strongly exceeded in regions with high livestock density, such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Brittany in France and the Po valley in Italy. At increased NUE, a given crop yield can be obtained with less N input, while the critical N input increases since a lower fraction of N is lost to the environment. The NUE increase that is required to attain actual or target crop yields at acceptable N losses varies strongly, but a mean +22% of variation was calculated. Prof. de Vries then highlighted the need to develop region-specific mitigation policies based on regional information on critical N inputs and their exceedances with related environmental and health impacts, and wrapped up by linking sustainable food production to enhanced waste and nutrient recycling, decreased food waste and the adoption of efficient practices to fertilization and farm management, notably the 4R principle: right product, rate, time, and place.

A panel discussed the link between sustainable nutrient management and food security. Mónica Andrés Enríquez, Yara International, highlighted how the fertiliser industry is committed to transform the food value chain, through increased nutrient use efficiency, decarbonisation of fertilisers production and recycling of nutrients (as a solution to food waste as well). This is possible only through a collective effort, including fertilisers producers, food companies, regulators, consumers and farmers. In fact, to shift from “grey” (obtained from fossil fuels) to “green” fertilisers (obtained with renewable energy) and to reduce the carbon footprint of fertilisers of between 80 and 90%. The whole value chain needs to be involved, as this shift will be costly, requiring huge investments. Farmers are pivotal in this change, but they must be supported with digital tools to control nutrients and convinced by business cases for green fertiliser.

Max Schulman, Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), highlighted the important role of advisors, including farmers’ associations, local cooperatives, fertilisers manufacturers, in helping farmers selecting the right type of fertiliser and use management according to soil type, crop variety and required quality of the product. He agreed that communication within the value chain is pivotal, as well as giving farmers the proper time to put in place the required changes but at the same time provide long term certainty that the targets will remain consistent and will not change in the short term.

Fabien Santini, European Commission, DG Agriculture, specified that the EU Fertilising Products Regulation introduced the possibility to create a single market for organic fertilisers, to increase the possibility of recycling nutrients from manure and waste streams and to facilitate the movement and reuse of organic fertilisers in excess in one region. He announced that a report on the implementation of the CAP strategic plans is soon to be published, reporting Member States’ interventions related to nutrient management. He reiterated that communication and clarity are crucial for innovation and for implementation of change.

Peter Jahr, MEP, concluded the meeting remarking that a combination of policy and technology solutions are needed to guarantee availability of fertilisers in Europe, and highlighted how farmers are the most important part of the solution, as long as they are advised in the correct way.
“Assessment of spatially explicit actual, required and critical nitrogen inputs in EU-27 agriculture” de Wries et al. (2022) DOI
“Forum on plant nutrition: from food security to carbon farming”, online, hosted by Peter Jahr, Member of the European Parliament, 9^th February 2024, HERE.

Research and innovation

Phosphorus and nitrogen losses, climate change, impacts on Adriatic eutrophication

Review summarises changes in P and N discharges and concentrations in the Po river and the Adriatic coastal Mediterranean Sea, showing reduced algal blooms with lower P inputs, higher N/P ratios and impacts on fisheries. The Adriatic coastal Mediterranean is shallow with limited water exchange and high nutrient-rich river input. The Adriatic receives one third of freshwater flowing into the Mediterranean, of which over 50% from the Po river, which has a population of 16 million (including Milan, Turin) and is agriculturally intensive. These nutrient inputs make the Northern Adriatic one of the most productive fisheries of the Mediterranean, but also susceptible to eutrophication. Phosphorus inputs to the Adriatic were reduced from 1985 with the Italy ban on detergent phosphates (1988). Phosphorus inputs continued to reduce through to the 2020’s (ESPP comment: probably because of improved sewage treatment: over 70% of phosphorus and 60% of nitrogen are removed from Lombardy’s sewage SCOPE Newsletter 124) but this trend was not observed for nitrogen. Over past decades, climate change has also led to reductions in nutrient levels in the Adriatic, with lower rainfall resulting in lower land nutrient runoff, and lower river inflow to the coastal Mediterranean resulting in more mixing with low-nutrient waters from the central Adriatic. Algal growth fell, as shown by chlorophyll-a data 1978-2020. This led to lower fish populations and consequent overfishing. The authors note that questions are raised by the continuing high N levels in river input (largely from agriculture), leading to increased N/P ratios in the Adriatic, and that there is a need to further reduce nutrient losses to the Adriatic, to monitor impacts of climate change and to move towards more sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

Cozzi et al. (2020), studying the Gulf of Trieste, Italian Mediterranean coast, showed similar results, with decreasing phosphorus inputs resulting in decreasing algal development through to around 2010, but then recurrence of algal blooms and changes in seasonal algal growth patterns as a result of climatic changes modifying water temperature, winds (water mixing).

Rubini et al. (2021), analysed occurrences of toxic microalgae in the Adriatic, releasing yessotoxins which can accumulate in shellfish, leading to stoppage of harvesting to avoid human health risks. These releases are considered to be linked to climate change (increasing water temperatures, changes in river freshwater discharge or in marine water mixing).

Soana et al. (2024) recently analysed the long-term trends (1992–2020) of N and P export from the Po river basin to the Adriatic sea, investigating annual and seasonal patterns and their relationship with water temperature and precipitation patterns. Diffuse plus point sources in the basin did not significantly decrease over this period, yet a marked decrease (-20%) in N_-total export, mostly as nitrate, was recorded in the last decade compared to the 1990s. This is likely related to the water temperature warming, especially during summer (+0.13°C/year) and autumn (+0.16°C/year)), to the increased number of warm days (+70%–80%), and to the persistence of low flow periods, that may enhance the rates of microbial processes and sustain favourable conditions for the denitrification and nitrate removal. On the other hand, despite a significant reduction in both agricultural diffuse P sources in the basin (manure, synthetic fertiliser) and point P sources (sewage works, but these are c. 20x lower than agriculture), the annual export of P_-total in the river displayed a high inter-annual variability, and no significant downward trend. In large turbid rivers, such as the Po, P cycling is less sensitive to temperature warming. The only negative relationship found between water temperature and soluble P loads in the river final section was observed in summer and attributed to increased P uptake by phytoplankton.
“The Role of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Eutrophication of the Northern Adriatic Sea: History and Future Scenarios”, M. Marini & F. Grilli, Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 9267, DOI.
“Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on Environmental Conditions and Phytoplankton Community in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea)”, S. Cozzi et al., Water 2020, 12, 2652, DOI.
“New Trends in the Occurrence of Yessotoxins in the Northwestern Adriatic Sea”, S. Rubini et al., Toxins 2021, 13, 634. DOI.
“Climate change impacts on eutrophication in the Po River (Italy): temperature-mediated reduction in nitrogen export but no effect on phosphorus”, E. Soana et al., J. Environ. Sci. 2024, 143, DOI.

Climate change will deteriorate eutrophication of Mediterranean river Júcar, Spain

Modelling suggests that climate change will multiply water in the Júcar basin with poor quality status by x4, requiring a 50% reduction in P losses. The Júcar basin, 43 km², drains into the Mediterranean and includes the cities of Valencia, Albacete and Ribera Alta. Two models (PATRICAL, RREA) were applied with climate scenario RCP8.5 for period to 2100. Surface water area impacted by nitrates is estimated to increase by x1.3 as a result of climate change by 2100. Other Mediterranean studies have estimated decreases in nitrate loadings with climate change (Serpa et al., 2017; Buonocore et al., 2021). Nitrates runoff from agriculture will be reduced with lower precipitation and run off and with increased denitrification. Water area impacted by ammonia is estimated to increase by x1.9 and that by BOD (biological oxygen demand) and by phosphorus by x4. Median ammonium and phosphorus concentrations in the river and tributaries may double in low flow periods, because lower precipitation leads to reduced dilution of point sources and agricultural runoff. To maintain current water quality status, reductions of -25% for nitrates and -50% for ammonia, BOD and phosphorus will be required.
“Effect of climate change on the water quality of Mediterranean rivers and alternatives to improve its status”, D. Doradao-Guerra et al., J. Environmental Management 348 (2023) 119069 DOI.

P fertilisation improves water use efficiency (WUE) in Mediterranean tree-grass system

6-year field trial in central Spain extensive ‘dehesa’ agri-ecosystem shows that N or P+N fertilisation improves WUE and prevents carbon loss, with P+N showing the best WUE and lowest evaporation. The site studied, at Madajas de Tiétar, has 20-25 trees/ha, grass and extensive grazing (<0.3 cattle/ha). Annual rainfall was 440 – 970 mm/y (85% October – April). Three c. 20 ha plots received N fertiliser (100 kgN/ha/y) in 2015 and 2016, P+N fertiliser (50 kgP/ha/y) or no fertiliser (control), and were then monitored for further four years. Data was collected from three eddy covariance towers (one in each plot), CO₂ emissions, airborne spectral measurements, meteorological and Landsat data, vegetation sampling. The two plots receiving N fertilisation showed 40% increased leaf area index (LAI) in spring, resulting in reduced evaporation. Evapotranspiration increased in the N-only fertilised plot, but was similar to the control in the P+N plot. The higher leaf water loss with N-only fertilisation may be due to increased root development or root activity required for uptake of limited P. In both fertilised plots (N, P+N), annual net ecosystem CO₂ loss was reduced to net zero (from c. 75 gC/m²/y in control). The best water use efficiency was achieved in the P+N fertilised plot.
“How Nitrogen and Phosphorus Availability Change Water Use Efficiency in a Mediterranean Savanna Ecosystem”, T. El-Madany et al., J. Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, 126, 2021, e2020JG006005, DOI.

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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews083
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ESPP dates 2024

ESPP workshops on Nutrient recycling policy
Market policy tools to support pull for recycled nutrients
Defining targets for nutrient reuse and recycling from waste water

ESPP new member
Toopi Organics

Policy
Political agreement on EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD)
Digital labelling of fertilising products is a missed opportunity according to industry
BAT for slaughterhouses published: includes struvite recovery

Research and innovation
Benefits of organo-mineral fertilisers
Testing thermal plasma treatment of dried sewage sludge
Long-term phosphate fertiliser application and heavy metals in soils
Second JRC study again suggests that UE+UK soils are accumulating phosphorus
Iron phosphate precipitation from electronics industry wastewater
To where does nitrogen in sewage go?
P-recovery potential from biofuels production
Bacterial biorecovery of ammonium sulphate from digestate

Stay informed

ESPP members

ESPP dates 2024

22 February, 14h-15h30: webinar on EU Nitrates Directive evaluation (consultation here)
and Renure (criteria for “processed manure” recycled nutrients)
27-28 Feb. 2024: Warsaw CRU Phosphates 2024 ESPP panel on sustainable fertilisers
13-14 March 2024: Brussels & online ESPP workshops on Nutrient recycling policy
- 13^th March: market policy tools to support pull for recycled nutrients (optional networking dinner)
- 14^th March: targets for nutrient recovery under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive revision
16-17 April 2024: Brussels & online NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting
(with Fertimanure, Lex4Bio, Walnut, Sea2Land, Rustica)
8-10 October 2024: Lleida, Spain ESPC5 (5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference)

ESPP workshops on Nutrient recycling policy

Market policy tools to support pull for recycled nutrients

13^th March Brussels & online. Registration is open www.phosphorusplatform.eu/nutrientevents2024

Defining targets for nutrient reuse and recycling from waste water

14^th March: Brussels & online. Registration is open www.phosphorusplatform.eu/nutrientevents2024
Your input and proposals are welcome: present your ideas on these questions (and why) in Brussels, 14^th March. We still have a few slots available. Please send short outlines of proposals for pitches to as soon as possible to .

ESPP new member

Toopi Organics

Toopi Organics is a french start-up, incorporated in 2019, processing separately collected human urine and valorising it in agriculture. Toopi Organics aims to save water and nutrient resources while offering green alternative solutions for farmers. Toopi collects urine at source from waterless urinals and uses it as a growing medium to perform submerged liquid fermentation, producing organic urine-based microbial biostimulants to increase nutrient use efficiency and reduce mineral fertilisers for crops. More information in ESPP eNews n°82.

https://toopi-organics.com/

Policy

Political agreement on EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD)

European Parliament and Council have announced agreement on the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) revision, probably enabling adoption before the June 2024 European elections. The agreement now must go to Parliament and Council environment committees for endorsement, then formal plenary vote by both institutions. The coregulators underline that the 1991 UWWTD has been highly effective in reducing water pollution because of the simplicity of its requirements. Announced points of the political agreement include obligations of secondary wastewater treatment for all agglomerations > 1 000 p.e. by 2039 and of tertiary (N and P removal) and quaternary treatment (organic micropollutants) for all large agglomerations and, in areas with identified risk, down to 10 000 p.e. by 2045. Energy neutrality targets for waste water treatment plants will be required by 2045. Other measures agreed in principle include monitoring of microplastics, antibacterial resistance, Covid virus tracers and PFAS, polluter pays (for quaternary treatment, applicable to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries), promoting treated sewage water reuse. The communications do not specify what agreement is reached on nutrient recycling. The European Commission proposal (art. 20) indicated that the Commission should be empowered to set “minimum reuse and recycling rates for phosphorus and nitrogen” see eNews n°80. Both Parliament and Council proposed amendments to conditions for this, but both retained the principle of phosphorus reuse and recycling targets, whereas Council proposed to delete nitrogen from this article. The full text of the agreement is not yet published.

29^th January 2024.
European Commission communication: More thorough and cost-effective urban wastewater management (europa.eu)
Council: Urban wastewater: Council and Parliament reach a deal on new rules for more efficient treatment and monitoring
European Parliament: Deal on more efficient treatment and reuse of urban wastewater

Digital labelling of fertilising products is a missed opportunity according to industry

Council and Parliament have reached agreement, but Fertilizers Europe considers that the proposal will not significantly reduce complexity of on-package labels and of packaging wastage required every time a label needs to be modified. Digital labelling enables to include additional information on product use and characteristics, which is not possible or not legible on a physical label. It also allows different types of user (blender, distributor, farmer, public consumer …) to access different information according to their requirements. The agreed rules (not yet published) will not allow digital-only labelling for any packaging other than bulk, with key information continuing to be required on physical labelling on packaged products. Fertilizers Europe suggests that digital-only labelling should also be an option for professional and industrial end-users. The industry federation indicates that nearly 2 million fertiliser packages (only taking into account packages above 500kg) have to be discarded every year in Europe because of physical labelling modifications.

“Commission welcomes the political agreement on the voluntary digital labelling of EU fertilising products”, European Commission 23 January 2024 here.

BAT for slaughterhouses published: includes struvite recovery

The European Commission has published the updated BAT for “for slaughterhouses, animal by-products and/or edible co-products industries”, including struvite recovery as a possible BAT (Best Available Technology, under the EU Industrial Emissions Directive), replacing the previous 2015 BAT BREF. Relevant to nutrients, the adopted BAT includes measurement of wastewater phosphorus and nitrogen, including mass flows (but not calculation of mass flows in incoming animals and output food products or animal by-products), P and N removal from wastewater, and now includes struvite precipitation from waste waters with > 50 mgP/l (indicative concentration):

BAT 2 and BAT 7: Environmental management system including measurement in waste waters of average concentration and mass flows of phosphorus, nitrogen species and organic carbon.
BAT 14: Waste water treatment including where appropriate: N removal (down to 2 -25 mgN_total/l) , P removal (down to 0.25 - 2 mgP_total/l) by precipitation, enhanced biological P removal (EBPR) and/or struvite recovery.
BAT 12: Resource efficiency: “Phosphorus recovery as struvite” (e.g. waste water with P > 50 mg/l) and/or anaerobic digestion.

European Commission decision 2023/2749 “establishing the best available techniques (BAT) conclusions, under Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions, for slaughterhouses, animal by-products and/or edible co-products industries” (32 pages), 18/12/2023 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL_202302749

Research and innovation

Benefits of organo-mineral fertilisers

Yara summarise the sustainability benefits and challenges of combining mineral fertilisers with organic materials for optimal agronomic and environmental benefits and developments engaged by the company. 65-year field trials at Yara’s Hanninghof research centre, Dülmen, Germany, show that combining organic fertiliser (farmyard manure) and mineral fertiliser (potato/cereal rotation) resulted in increased soil organic carbon, increased water use efficiency (3x improvement) and highest yield and profitability. Yara is developing organo-mineral fertilisers (OMFs) in order to deliver such benefits to farmers, and to enable optimal recycling of local organic nutrient resources. Yara has carried out greenhouse tests and is now doing field trials, looking both at efficiency for crops, impacts on soil and risks of nitrogen losses (possible ammonia or N₂O emissions to air). OMFs are delivered as pellets to farmers, to facilitate handling and enable spreading (which is important for yield). Local transformation routes are needed as organic secondary resources are scattered locally and transport would be inefficient and expensive. Nitrogen uptake alone does not explain increased yields from OMFs, so these are considered to result from other benefits such as soil organic carbon (40 – 80 % of organic carbon applied is shown to be stored in soil in the rhizosphere) and soil microorganism activation. Application timing must however be adjusted to adapt nutrient release to crop needs and so minimise nutrient losses.

“Optimising crop production by combining organic-based and mineral fertilizer sources: Agronomic performance, soil and environmental considerations”, A. Becerra, Yara, at the IFS (International Fertiliser Society) annual conference, Cambridge, UK, 6-7 December 2023. IFS events here.
The 2024 IFS annual conference will take place 11-13 December 2024, Cambridge, UK.
“65 years-long research concludes: Mineral fertilizer supports sustainable agriculture”, Yara press release, 5^th September 2023.and book chapter “Effect of Balanced and Integrated Crop Nutrition on Sustainable Crop Production in a Classical Long-Term Trial”, M. Jate, J. Lammel, in “Sustainable Crop Production - Recent Advances” 2022 here.

Testing thermal plasma treatment of dried sewage sludge

Study presents tests to convert sewage sludge and recovered carbon dioxide (CCUS) to ash and syngas, with a 2-hour test run of a 220 litre interior volume, 15 kg/h, 1200°C thermal plasma reactor. The reactor used an argon-water stabilised DC plasma torch (max 150 kWe) with rotating copper disc anode. The torch generated a plasma at around 18 000 °C at its outlet, resulting in temperature of c. 1200°C measured on the reactor walls. The feedstock for this reactor was dried anaerobically digested sludge (c. 6% water) from a Czech municipal sewage treatment plant (15 kg/h), as was CO2 (c. 1200 l/h): the objective was to capture industrial carbon dioxide and convert it to syngas by reacting with sewage sludge (CCUS = carbon capture utilisation stockage). The cold gas efficiency (energy recovered in syngas / electric energy consumed by plasma torch plus energy potential in sewage sludge) was c. 35% (the authors suggest this could be increased to nearly 50% by thermal insulation of the reactor / heat recycling). This does not take into account energy used upstream for drying of the sewage sludge. Very low char production meant that carbon conversion (carbon to syngas) was over 95%. The authors suggest that an advantage of this route for sewage sludge treatment is that phosphorus in the reactor will be volatilised to elemental phosphorus (high temperature, reducing conditions, silicates in sewage sludge). In these trials, the phosphorus was found in the offgas filter (particles) and retained in the reactor.

“Integration of thermal plasma with CCUS to valorize sewage sludge”, V. Sikarwar et al., Energy 288 (2024) 129896, DOI.

Long-term phosphate fertiliser application and heavy metals in soils

Field trials show increased soil P, but also increased soil cadmium, uranium, chromium, vanadium and arsenic, in topsoil, after 45 years of repeated fertilizer application. Results are based on soil samples from five plots with different levels of P fertiliser application from 1966 to 2022 (zero control up to 72 kgP/ha, that is up to 3 – 4 x crop requirements) at Tidewater Research Station, North Carolina, USA. P content of topsoil was strongly correlated to soil concentrations of Cd, U, Cr, V and As, all of which were present in the applied fertilisers at levels above soil background concentrations (23 mgCd/kg, 163 mgU/kg, 179 mgV/kg, 132mgCr/kg). The correlations shown include the plots with repeated high excess fertiliser application, it is unclear to what extent the results are significant for plots with fertiliser applied according to agronomic recommendations. The paper does not show data for the relation fertiliser application – soil meta(loids), but shows correlations soil P – soil metl(loids). Potassium fertiliser, which was also applied, had low levels of these metals. The metal(loid) increases were mostly found only in topsoil, not in deeper soils. The authors note that the increase in plant available P (Mehlich-III) may cause mobilisation of metals already present in soil, but conclude that the data indicate that the rate of P-fertiliser application is correlated to occurrence of the metal(loid)s in topsoil. The possible significance of the changes in heavy metal levels was not analysed and possible increased uptake of the metal(loid)s by crops was not assessed.

“Evidence for the accumulation of toxic metal(loid)s in agricultural soils impacted from long-term application of phosphate fertilizer”, J. Hu et al., Sci. Total Environment 907 (2024) 167863 DOI.

Second JRC study again suggests that UE+UK soils are accumulating phosphorus

Modelling suggests average soil P accumulation of 0.11 kgP/ha/y in arable soil (total 190 ktP/y),2010-2019, somewhat higher than 130 ktP/y in a previous JRC study (Panagos et al. 2023, see ESPP eNews n°73), with high regional variations. This represents c.8% of applied phosphorus (6.5 kgP/y from manure and 6.4 kgP/ha/y from mineral fertilisers, other organic P inputs not considered). Net P losses by soil erosion (minus deposition) are estimated as 0.25 kgP/ha/y, that is more than twice soil P accumulation. The study uses the DayCent model to estimate daily dynamics of C, N, P and S between plants, soil and air, at a 1 km²-grid level, considering six different soil P pools: P_Org) and five mineral P pools: P_labile, P_sorbed, P_{strongly sorbed}, P_parent, and P_occluded. Model inputs included LUCAS soil and water data, CLC land-use, meteorological data, CORDEX climate project data, Eurostat (crops, irrigation, mineral fertiliser inputs), FAO livestock distribution, SAGE agronomy parameters and literature numbers for P excretion, soil P partition, etc. The authors model consequences of management scenarios to 2050, concluding that increased use of N-fixing cover crops can reduce the P-surplus by increasing crop productivity (N availability, whilst also reducing erosion losses. The authors note that results for national P budgets from this modelling study correspond for some countries to those from the empirical Panagos 2023 study or to national statistics, but diverge for other countries.

“Assessing the phosphorus cycle in European agricultural soils: Looking beyond current national phosphorus budgets”, A. Muntwyler et al., Sci. Total Environment 906 (2024) 167143 DOI.

Iron phosphate precipitation from electronics industry wastewater

Lab tests looked at use of ferrous sulphate to precipitate soluble phosphorus from mobile phone metal shell polishing wastewater, achieving over 95% P-precipitation and a precipitate with c. 25% vivianite, 75 % iron phosphate colloid. The industrial process water contains over 200 mgP/l and had pH <3. Optimal conditions for P-precipitation showed to be c. 1.5:1 molar ratio Fe:P and pH around 7. At these conditions, the iron phosphate precipitated contained <25% vivianite, and was mostly colloidal iron phosphate, that is lower vivianite content than expected from literature and modelling. Given the low proportion of vivianite in the precipitate and that no evidence is provided to suggest that the precipitated phosphate material could be recycled, the title of the paper seems to misleading.

“Efficient removal and recovery of phosphorus from industrial wastewater in the form of vivianite”, Y. Zhang et al., Environmental Research 228 (2023) 115848 DOI.

To where does nitrogen in sewage go?

Analysis of data for France suggests that only c. 10% of N from human excreta is recycled (despite 3/4 of sewage going to agriculture), half is lost to the atmosphere and 40% goes to surface and ground water. The study analyses data from all of France’s sewage treatment plants (over a decade), autonomous sewage treatment, population, diet, nitrogen in human faeces and urine. Nitrogen removal in sewage works varied from around 60 to 85%, with higher removal rates in Nitrates Directive “Nitrate Vulnerable Zones” and in larger sewage works. No data is available for nitrogen losses to air in sewage works, but nitrification – denitrification converts much of inflow N to N₂ lost to air. The authors estimate around 10% N losses to water upstream of sewage works. Of the N arriving at sewage works, around 50% is lost to air in sewage works, 40% to surface waters and only around 10% recycled to land. In autonomous sewage treatment systems, losses to underground water are estimated to be around 3/4. N in urine represents c. 15% of French mineral N fertiliser consumption (0.3 vs 2 MtN/y) and the authors estimate that recycling N from human sewage, via separate collection of urine, could cover around 10% of France’s protein production with current diets, or up to around 30% if diets moved away from meat to plant-based.

“Fate of nitrogen in French human excreta: current waste and agronomic opportunities for the future, T. Starck et al., 2024, Nitrogen in agro-food systems and the environment, 912, pp.168978, DOI.

P-recovery potential from biofuels production

US Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance webinar with R. Cusick (University of Illinois) shows the significant potential and environmental benefits of for phosphorus recovery from maize processing to biofuels. The US harvests nearly 1.5 Mt/y of maize for biofuel (bioethanol) production, that is around 1/3 of US maize production. The maize contains phosphorus which is not wanted in the biofuel (in combustion it would generate corrosive phosphoric acid) and ends up in distillers’ grains which mostly go to animal feed. High P in feed is transferred to manure, and can contribute to eutrophication of water bodies. Maize processing (CBs = corn biorefineries) generate liquor streams with higher P concentrations than in wastewater or manure, they are large installations, mainly clustered in US Mid-West States, where there is high demand for fertilisers. Most of the phosphorus in the input maize is in phytate, but the processing partly breaks this down and mineralises or solubilises the phosphorus, making it available for P-recovery processes. Total P in distillers’ grains in the US is estimated to be around 230,000 t/y, that is around 13% of P mineral fertiliser consumption in the US. In bioethanol producing states such as Iowa, that percentage can be as high as 37% mineral P fertilizer consuption. Total P-recovery potential from maize biofuel production (corn biorefineries) in the US is estimated to be around twice that from municipal wastewater (as struvite), with the median recovery potential for corn biorefineries estimated to be three orders of magnitude greater than a wastewater treatment plants (1,000 vs 0.5 t/facility).

“Mapping the National Phosphorus Recovery Potential from Centralized Wastewater and Corn Ethanol Infrastructure”, K. Ruffatto et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 12, 8691–8701 DOI.
“Modeling National Embedded Phosphorus Flows of Corn Ethanol Distillers’ Grains to Elucidate Nutrient Reduction Opportunities”, K. Ruffatto et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 57, 38, 14429–14441 DOI.
“Big Opportunity for Phosphorus Recovery from Bioethanol Processes”, Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance “Science Now” webinar, 21 minutes, date November 8, 2023, available online here.

Bacterial biorecovery of ammonium sulphate from digestate

Lab trials (100 ml, 15 days) showed production of ammonium sulphate by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans from liquid fraction of dairy manure digestate, generating a material showed 90% ammonium sulphate content after drying @ 60°C. The manure digestate was lab centrifuged, resulting in zero measured solids, 100 mM ammonia, 0.1 mMP and 10 mM K. Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans was stepwise acclimatised to ammonia at 400 mM-N, then incubated with the digestate liquor and with elemental sulphur. The bacteria reduced the digestate pH from c. 9 to 2 over 15 days. This produced c. 6g of ammonium sulphate (after drying), so in 100 ml of digestate/inoculum that is 6% ammonium sulphate solution (1.2 %N) with 10 % impurities.

“Biorecovery of ammonium from manure digestate by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans”, B. Jalili et al., Chem Eng J Chemical Engineering Journal 466 (2023) 143094 DOI.

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Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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ESPP dates for 2024
SOFIE3
Standards & definitions for “Bio-Based” nutrients
Targets for nutrient recovery under the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive revision

Policy
German Environment Ministers’ conference calls for implementation of P-recovery
EU-funded R&D into Circular Economy outcomes are mainly publications
Proposed dental amalgam ban will reduce mercury levels in sewage and water bodies
EU JRC Seville recruitment offers – Sustainable Industry

Phosphorus Recycling
Ostara’s Crystal Green: first recovered struvite to obtain EU FPR CE-mark
Further pilot trial announced for ViviMag® iron phosphate recovery
EU funding for roll out of agronomic biostimulant recycled from human urine
Safe use of recycled phosphates in animal feed

Aquaculture, algae, fisheries
Legal status for nutrient recycling from fish manure, algae, seafood, aquaculture
Review: nutrient recycling from fisheries and aquaculture

Research
Sewage sludge treatment in Czech Republic and in Japan
Netherlands wastewater nutrient recycling project KNAP

Stay informed

ESPP members

ESPP dates for 2024

16-17 Jan. 2024: Brussels & online SOFIE3 (Organic and Organo-Mineral Fertilisers)
(with Eurofema, Fertilizers Europe, International Fertiliser Society and SILC Fertilizzanti)
18 Jan. 2024: Brussels & online “Bio-Based” nutrients - standards & definitions
26-28 Feb. 2024: Warsaw CRU Phosphates 2024 ESPP panel on sustainable fertilisers
13-14 March 2024: Brussels & online ESPP workshops on Nutrient recycling policy
- 13^th March: policy tools to support market pull for recycled nutrients
- 14^th March: targets for nutrient recovery under the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive revision
16-17 April 2024: Brussels & online NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting
(with Fertimanure, Lex4Bio, Walnut, Sea2Land, Rustica)
8-10 October 2024: Lleida, Spain ESPC5 (5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference)

SOFIE3

3^rd Summit of Organic and organo-mineral Fertiliser Industries in Europe.
16-17 January 2024, Brussels & hybrid. SOFIE is the only industry meeting place for organic-carbon-based fertiliser producers, distributors, advisory, technology suppliers. SOFIE1 (2019) attracted 125 participants, with 230 for SOFIE2 (2023).
SOFIE3 has an exceptional lineup of speakers, featuring key insights from esteemed organizations and industry leaders. Join us to hear from the European Commission (DG AGRI and DG GROW), Notified Bodies like CerTrust and EFCI Register, alongside renowned companies such as Yara, ICL, and Fertilisers Europe. We'll also have insightful contributions from Eurofema, EBA, S&P/Fertecon, ADAS, Nutriënten Management Instituut, and IPS Konzalting.
The conference will be enriched by the participation of leading companies in the field, including Yara, K+S, Sede Environment, Culterra, Terramarine, Tessenderlo Group, Unimer, Den Ouden, Fertinagro, Ductor, DCM, Compo, Stiesdal, Biota Nutri, Darling Ingredients, Omya, Honkajoki, Labin, Ormin, Sappi, Agrana Starch, Green Circle, Centeon, AgriBioSource Europe, Alan SRL, The Waste Transformers, Steel Belt Systems, Sedron Technologies, and Sanitation360. This event promises to be a melting pot of ideas and innovations, shaping the future of our industry. Connect, collaborate, and be part of this transformative journey.

Programme and registration www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE.

Standards & definitions for “Bio-Based” nutrients

Brussels & hybrid, 18^th January 2024 Defining “Bio-Based Fertilisers” and FPR “solely biological origin”.

enews80 2 The term “Bio-Based Fertilisers” is today being widely used. For market transparency and policy making, it is important to have a clear and agreed definition of what is a “Bio-Based Fertiliser” and how to define the “Bio-Based” nutrient content of fertilising products. Also, the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/2009 uses the term “of solely biological origin” for nutrients in criteria of several PFCs and there is today no clarity on how this should be interpreted. CEN and ISO methodologies for “Bio-based products: vocabulary” and for defining bio-based content are based on carbon radio-dating, and are not applicable to nutrients.
The meeting will take as starting point the working proposal HERE. Programme: http://phosphorusplatform.eu/BBF2024 Registration Eventbrite

Targets for nutrient recovery under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive revision

ESPP policy workshop to define proposals for possible regulatory targets for phosphorus and nitrogen reuse-recycling from sewage, Thursday 14^th March 2024, Brussels & online.
The proposed UWWTD revision draft text (art. 20) states*: “The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts … setting out the minimum reuse and recycling rates for phosphorus and nitrogen …”.
This meeting aims to develop consensus proposals for such “reuse and recycling rates”, covering for example:

what are feasible “rates” for P and for N recovery?
how should these “rates” be defined? … as % of wwtp inflow? … as % in sludge? … as % in ash? …
as recovery of P or N down to a certain residual level (per p.e.)? … other …?
should the “rates” be different for wwtps of different size? different configuration? Before or after sludge energy valorisation / combustion ?
definition of “reuse and recycling”? … Should this include treated sludge use in agriculture (biosolids to land). If so, under what conditions, e.g. quality / contaminants? plant nutrient availability? spreading according to crop nutrient requirements? CE or National fertiliser certification ?
should “reuse” and “recycling” be addressed differently depending on context: size of wastewater treatment works, regional context …
should quality/functional requirements be specified for recovered nutrient products?
other questions proposed by meeting participants.

* The UWWTD Directive revision is currently under discussion by the European Parliament and Council European Parliament. European Parliament and Council. Both have finalised their positions on this Directive revision, see eNews n°80. Both maintain the principle of targets for phosphorus reuse and recycling, but Council proposed to delete nitrogen from this art. 20. It is expected that the finalised UWWTD Directive will be formally adopted early 2024.
13^th March 2024: policy tools to support market pull for recycled nutrients
14^th March: proposing UWWT Directive targets for P and N recovery, ESPP policy workshop
Both: Brussels & online. Registration is open www.phosphorusplatform.eu/nutrientevents2024

If you wish to present proposals, positions or evidence at the 14^th March meeting: please send a brief outline of your proposed input by 21^st January 2024 to

Policy

German Environment Ministers’ conference calls for implementation of P-recovery

Conference of German States (Land) of Environment Ministers reaffirms the importance of phosphorus recovery and expresses concern that little progress has been made towards the 2029 deadline fixed by German legislation. The Umweltministerkonferenz resolution 1^st December 2023 underlines the importance of sustainable management of phosphorus and estimates that P in sewage could potentially substitute nearly half of Germany’s P fertiliser consumption. However, six years after the entry into force of the German sewage sludge ordinance (AbfKlärV, 27^th September 2017, see SCOPE Newsletter n°129) requiring phosphorus recovery from sewage, few P-recovery plants are identified and the 2029 implementation deadline may be widely not achieved. The resolution notes that obstacles include insufficient maturity of P-recovery technologies and lack of State regulations enabling passing of P-recovery costs on to wastewater fees. The Ministers call for an operator and stakeholder dialogue in 2024, with the German Phosphorus Platform, to identify obstacles to implementation and solutions, for modifications of regulations to allow passing on of costs and for State support for infrastructure. The Ministers also consider that the German Fertilisers Ordinance should be modified to facilitate the use of sewage-sludge derived phosphorus products in fertilisers when pollutants have been reduced.

Umweltministerkonferenz, 1 December 2023, Münster, agenda points TPO 20 and TOP 21 “Phosphor-Rückgewinnung aus Klärschlamm” https://www.umwelt.nrw.de/presse/detail/ergebnisse-der-101-umweltministerkonferenz-1701431976

EU-funded R&D into Circular Economy outcomes are mainly publications

Analysis of EU-funded Circular Economy R&D projects shows science publications are the main short-term outcome. Analysed projects completed more than one year earlier produced no direct methodologies and no market products. The study notes that Circular Economy R&D is funded under a wide range on EU programmes (Research Framework Programmes, Bio-based Industries Consortium, Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking, LIFE, BlueInvest – maritime & aquaculture, Structural and Investment Funds, Recovery Plan for Europe, …). The study identifies 38 projects funded under the EU R&D Framework Programmes FP7 or Horizon Europe, of which 12 had been completed more than one year earlier (6 responded to a questionnaire). The study conclusions state that EU R&D Framework projects are fulfilling their purpose because they are “increasingly societal challenges-driven and market oriented” but this is supported by conjecture or inference rather than evidence. Project participants are c. 44% companies (220) and c.38% research / universities with the remainder being public bodies (the distribution of subsidy funds between participants is not indicated and may be different): companies presumably expected to obtain some benefit from participation, be it subsidies, skills transfer, know-how or technology. The analysed studies completed more than a year ago resulted in no “direct methodologies and/or products for the market”.

“On the societal impact of publicly funded Circular Bioeconomy research in Europe”, A.S. Brandao et al., Research Evaluation, 2023, 00, 1–17 DOI.

Proposed dental amalgam ban will reduce mercury levels in sewage and water bodies

The European Commission has proposed to further restrict uses of mercury, with a complete ban of dental amalgam (use, manufacture) and further restrictions on certain types of lamps. Dental amalgam (containing mercury) was already banned for certain populations (children, pregnant and breast-feeding women) in 2017 (art. 10, Mercury Regulation 2017/852, see ESPP eNews n°6). The Commission now proposes (2023/0272 (COD)) to ban all use and manufacture of dental amalgam in Europe from 1^st January 2025. Mercury free alternatives exist. Eureau, the EU water industry federation, welcomes the Commission proposal as contributing to reduce water pollution and facilitate the Circular Economy, indicating that over 40% of water bodies in Europe are not achieving Water Framework Directive “good status” because of mercury contamination. In Sweden, Norway and Denmark, where dental amalgam was banned two decades ago, mercury levels in sewage have fallen by 60%. The amalgam ban will also progressively reduce atmospheric mercury emissions from crematoria.

European Commission proposal for a Regulation “amending Regulation (EU) 2017/852 … on mercury as regards dental amalgam and other mercury-added products subject to manufacturing, import and export restrictions”, 14^th July 2023, COM(2023) 395 final - 2023/0272 (COD). This proposal is currently with the European Parliament and Council for co-decision. Procedure file here.

EU JRC Seville recruitment offers – Sustainable Industry

The European Commission has opened recruitment for six project officers to work at JRC Seville on Industrial Emissions Directive BAT BREFs and in the new INCITE (EU Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation & Emissions), 3 – 6 year contracts in the EIPPCB (European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau). IED BAT BREFs cited include mining, livestock rearing, landfills, battery manufacture, iron-steel, cement, chemicals, paper, glass.

EU JRC recruitment open to 31^st January 2024 http://recruitment.jrc.ec.europa.eu/?site=SVQ

Phosphorus Recycling

Ostara’s Crystal Green: first recovered struvite to obtain EU FPR CE-mark

Ostara has completed EU Fertilising Product Regulation (FPR) conformity assessment for its 100% recycled phosphate struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) recovered from municipal sewage in Madrid and in The Netherlands. This is the first time a recovered phosphate salt (CMC12) has obtained the EU FPR CE-mark. Ostara’s struvite, marketed as Crystal Green, is pure struvite 5-28-0-16MgO fertiliser, which is considered to release nutrients according to crop requirements, independent of rainfall or irrigation, unlike conventional fertilisers. The FPR conformity assessment was undertaken for Ostara by Certrust (notified body). Ostara indicate that the EU FPR CE-mark now opens the way for Organic Farming certification. The EU Organic Farming Regulation (2023/121, January 2023, see ESPP eNews n°73) authorises use of recovered struvite and precipitated phosphate salts as fertilisers in Organic Farming, only if they “meet the requirements laid down in” the EU FPR.

“Ostara is proud to be the first company in the European Community to successfully pass the conformity assessment procedure of the EU fertilizing Product regulation for a 100% fully recovered struvite fertilizer”, 6 December 2023.

Further pilot trial announced for ViviMag® iron phosphate recovery

Kemira and Royal Haskoning DHV have announced further trials of vivianite (iron(II) phosphate) magnetic recovery from municipal sewage sludge at Hoensbroek municipal sewage works (Waterschapsbedrijf Limburg WBL The Netherlands). The ViviMag process was initially developed by WETSUS and TU Delft and is today a Kemira patented technology. Anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge tends to reduce iron(III) phosphate to vivianite, which can be magnetically separated from sludge and recovered. A first manual 1 m³/h ViviMag pilot for magnetic separation of vivianite was operated at Nieuwveer; The Netherlands in 2019, then a 1 m³/h fully automated continuous pilot was built by Kemira. It was first operated by Veolia at Schönebeck, Germany (2022) with a digested sludge and a second trial then took place at VCS Søndersø, Denmark on a non-digested sludge in first half of 2023. This pilot installation has today been operated for a total of around 6 months with continuous operation for up to 7 days. The objective of the Kemira – Royal Haskoning DHV collaboration is to further test and assess the ViviMag technology at another WWTP in the Netherlands. This new trial has just started and will last at least 6 months. The vivianite may find a market as a niche fertiliser product in regions where soils suffer from iron deficiency, or research is underway to possibly develop a process to separate phosphorus in vivianite from iron, so enabling phosphorus recycling into mainstream phosphate fertilisers, and recycling of the iron for reuse in sewage phosphorus removal - Another option being explored is use of vivianite as a raw material to product lithium iron phosphate for use in batteries, if it can be shown that this is chemically efficient and that impurity levels are compatible with battery electronics specifications.

“Kemira and Royal HaskoningDHV to collaborate in award-winning phosphorus recovery technology”, 12th December 2023.
“Wastewater: recover vivianite mineral, from lab to pilot scale - with Wetsus partner”, 5^th December 2023

EU funding for roll out of agronomic biostimulant recycled from human urine

Toopi Organics, a French startup, will receive 8.4 M€ EU funding to develop their Lactopi Start microbial biostimulant, produced by cultivating specific bacteria using separately collected human urine as substrate. In 2023, Toopi Organics collected and processed around 500 000 litres of urine from sites including motorway service stations, tourist attraction sites, city public toilets and music festivals and events. The funding is EU Horizon (European Innovation Council EIC Accelerator) with 2.4 M€ subsidy and 6 M capital. Over 100 field trials of the product will be carried out across six EU member states and Toopi Organics intends to open a full-scale production site near Bordeaux, France in 2025 (objective one million litres/year litres of product per year, sufficient for application to e.g. 40 000 ha @ 25l/ha) followed by further sites in France and/or Belgium. The urine is filtered to remove pathogens and most organic contaminants. The processed urine is used as fermentation substrate to grow specific lactobacillus microorganisms and lactic acid, both of which act as biostimulants, enhancing crop nutrient uptake by solubilising phosphorus present in soil and improving and stimulating the plant root system. The resulting product does contain some nutrients, but does not claim fertilisation (nutrient supply) as a mode of action. The company indicates that the product meets the EU FPR (Fertilising Products Regulation) PFC 6(A) “Microbial plant biostimulant” criteria (stimulation effect on plant nutrition independent of product nutrient content, contaminant and pathogen limits) but cannot today be registered as an FPR CE-mark product because the cultivated lactic acid bacteria is not listed in CMC7. The product is authorised under national regulations in France, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

“Toopi Organics décroche un financement de 8,4M€ pour développer la valorisation agricole de l’urine humaine en Europe”, 14^th November 2023 here.

Safe use of recycled phosphates in animal feed

EasyMining webinar with veterinary and agricultural experts suggests that calcium phosphates recovered from sewage sludge incineration ashes could be safely and effectively used in animal feed, if regulatory obstacles were lifted.
Beth Young, Epidemiologist, Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA), presented a risk assessment for pathogens for calcium phosphates recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash by EasyMining’s Ash2Phos process. This recovered phosphorus has been shown to perform just as well as commercial phosphate feed additives, providing digestible phosphorus in trials with pigs and chickens (see SLU animal feed trials study results). The risk assessment considered probability of transmission of ‘worst case’ pathogens (prions for BSE – scrapie) in the stages: presence in sewage sludge, incineration of sludge, Ash2Phos ash processing. No data was found on prions in sewage sludge, two studies suggest that spiked prions survive in sludge, but low levels of prion infections in livestock and actions to reduce risks mean that the probability of prion presence in sewage is negligible. Probability that prions survive sewage sludge incineration is very low. The probability that prions survive the Ash2Phos process (acid, alkali, filtration, lime) is considered negligible. Overall the probability that bacteria, viruses or prions could be transmitted by the recovered phosphate is negligible, although there are knowledge gaps for prions.

Kerstin Sigfridson, Product Developer, Lantmännen, Swedish farmers’ cooperative, with 18 000 farmers, providing 1 Mt/y of animal feed, that is around 50% of Swedish livestock. Lantmännen has ambitious sustainability and innovation objectives, including active work on livestock diets. Lantmännen considers that the use of recycled phosphates offers sustainability benefits and that the Ash2Phos recovered phosphate has shown the same digestibility as commercial phosphate feed additives (DCP) and is safe to use.

Sara Stiernstörm. Product Manager, EasyMining, explained that the Ash2Phos recovered phosphate (RevoCaP precipitated calcium phosphate) offers CO₂ benefits and low contaminants compared to commercial feed phosphates and is fully soluble in citric acid (digestible). It contains around 35% Ca and 17% P. Ash2Phos can recover >90% of the phosphorus in ash, as well as recycling iron, aluminium and sand. Two full scale plants are today planned, both 30 000 t-ash/y, in Schkopau, Germany (with Gelsenwasser), commissioning planned 2027 and Helsingborg Sweden, planned 2028. However, there is today a major regulatory obstacle: the animal feed Regulation 767/2009 prohibits use of products from sewage sludge. This needs to be changed. EasyMining wishes to see: P-recycling from sewage to be made obligatory, sewage sludge incineration ash should be considered a safe starting point, product legislation should be based on quality not on input material origin, and incentives should support the use of clean and safe recycled materials.

Webinar “Safe use of recycled phosphate”, 14^th December 2023, organised by EasyMining (Ragn-Sells Group). Watch here.
Webinar “Improving sustainability of livestock production”, 3^rd February 2022, watch here.

Aquaculture, algae, fisheries

Legal status for nutrient recycling from fish manure, algae, seafood, aquaculture

ESPP will meet the European Commission to discuss nutrient recycling from marine and aquaculture in week 3 of January 2024. We have prepared a draft table to summarise legal status and questions and welcome your input. This draft table covers different marine / aquaculture / algae materials under EU legislations: waste, fertilisers, animal by-products, Organic Farming, animal feed. Please send any input, comments or additions concerning nutrient and organics recycling from fish and marine product processing, aquaculture wastes and fish sludge, algae production, in particular where regulations are today unclear or are posing obstacles to the Circular Economy.

ESPP draft table on legal status of nutrient recycling from aquaculture and fisheries wastes and by-products, for comments. www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Review: nutrient recycling from fisheries and aquaculture

Overview shows significant, increasing nutrient recycling potential from fish processing wastes and from aquaculture, but need to address regulatory obstacles and absences and to develop technologies adapted for different waste flows. Aquaculture production increased from 20 to 90 Mt/y worldwide over three decades to 2020, and today represents around half of world seafood and fish production. Processing waste can be 55 - 75 % of fish weight. Fish sludge, made up of water, fish feed, fish faeces and biomass from dead fish or other organisms, can represent c. 1.5 t sludge /t fish produced. Nutrient content of fish sludge varies widely, depending particularly on feed supply. Around 2/3 of P in fish feed is left in fish sludge not recovered in the fish. Solid fraction of fish sludge can contain e.g. 0.0015 – 0.03 % of P and N, so that nutrient recycling generally requires concentration. A number of studies are identified as showing effectiveness of fishery wastes or fertilising materials processed from them. Processed discussed for fishery processing wastes or fish sludge include anaerobic digestion, fermentation, composting, struvite recovery, thermal treatment and pyrolysis, emulsion (oil extraction and caking), drying, hydrolysis. Fish protein hydrolysates and chitin/chitosan from crustaceans are considered to be plant biostimulants as well as providing plant nutrients. Recycling is impacted by a range of EU regulations including Industrial Emissions Directive, waste regulations, Animal By-Products, food hygiene and health, fertilisers and Organic Farming. However, products derived from fishery wastes, by-products or aquaculture sludge are not yet included as a CMC category in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/1009. Attention should be paid to salinity.

“Nutrient recovery and recycling from fishery waste and by-products”, EU Horizon 2020 Sea2Land project, J. Zhang et al., J. Environmental Management Volume 348, 15 December 2023, 119266 DOI.

Research

Sewage sludge treatment in Czech Republic and in Japan

Paper analyses sewage sludge valorisation routes and fate of sewage phosphorus in Czech Republic and in Japan. More than three quarters of Czech sewage sludge is applied to soil (use in agriculture, compost), 12% is co-incinerated and 7% still goes to landfill. In Japan only around 11% of sewage sludge is applied to soil, with most going to combustion (71% incineration, but also use as fuel in cement production and other thermal processing), with <1% going to landfill. Phosphorus content of sewage sludge in both countries (from literature) was 2.4 – 3.4 %P/DM, with higher P contents in digested sludge (this can be expected, because organic carbon is reduced in the digestion process). The paper estimates that in both countries, phosphorus in sewage could replace around 13 – 16 % of mineral phosphate fertiliser use, but does not take into consideration the fact that three quarters of Czech sewage sludge phosphorus is today input to soils with land application, mostly after anaerobic digestion or composting. The paper suggests that sewage sludge does not provide the same phosphorus effectiveness in crops as commercial fertilisers: two papers are cited to support this: Christiansen 2020 and Lemming 2017).

“P‑recovery versus current sewage sludge treatment policy in the Czech Republic and Japan”, M. Husek et al., 2023, Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy DOI.

Netherlands wastewater nutrient recycling project KNAP

New national project led by Wageningen University and Research will look at recycling of nutrients from sewage, separative sanitation, and agri-food wastewaters including dairy, brewery, sugar and potato industries. Focus is on producing recycled fertilisers for use in arable farming, feed crops cultivation, (circular) horticulture and organic farming. The 2023-2026 project involves Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR), KWR, LeAF, the Netherlands Nutrient Platform, as well as waste & water companies, agriculture and horticulture organisations, fertiliser industry, (recycling) technology suppliers and local and regional authorities. Objectives include implementation of nutrient recycling and valorisation cases, development of a quality system for recycled nutrient products from wastewaters, data on nutrient flows and losses, assessment of the agronomic value of recovered nutrient products and analysis of regulatory barriers.

Public-Private Collaboration (PPS) project “Closing the cycle of nutrients from wastewater and process water (KNAP)” website.

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ESPP members

ESPP member logos 10.10.23 page 0001

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews081
Download as PDF

Dates 2023

ESPP dates for 2024
SOFIE3
Standards & definitions for “Bio-Based” nutrients

Policy
EU support study for Sewage Sludge Directive published
EU evaluation of the Nitrates Directive
EU Critical Raw Materials Act trilogue compromise
Call for input for evaluation of EU Fertilising Products Regulation
Finland publishes new national fertilisers regulation
EU Fertilisers Expert Group
EU fertilisers market data portal

ESPP Member news
N2 Applied – GEA Manure Enricher roll out
Ragn-Sells “10 Billion Challenge”
Fertilizers Europe launches Roadmap for climate neutral fertilisers by 2050
German Phosphorus Platform GA, annual Forum and research sponsorship

Events
Role of plant biostimulants in farmers adaptation to climate change

Research into new routes to P₄
Carbothermal reduction of phosphoric acid
Attempts to recover P from iron industry wastes
Electrolysis of phosphate rock in molten calcium chloride
Electrolysis of molten condensed phosphate salts
Tutorial review on organo-phosphorus chemistry and applications

Stay informed

ESPP members

Dates 2023

6-8 Dec 2023: Cambridge UK – International Fertilisers Society IFS conference, crop nutrition and fertiliser production
11 Dec. 2023: 14h-17h CET, Brussels & online – European Commission workshop - How to boost consumer demand of bio-based materials and products
14 Dec. 2023: 14h30-16h30 CET ESPP General Assembly (online) – ESPP members/partners have received link – if not contact
14 Dec 2024: 13h-14h30 CET - EasyMining webinar on recycled phosphates for animal feed

ESPP dates for 2024

16-17 Jan. 2024: Brussels & online SOFIE3 (Organic and Organo-Mineral Fertilisers)
(with Eurofema, Fertilizers Europe, International Fertiliser Society and SILC Fertilizzanti)
18 Jan. 2024: Brussels & online “Bio-Based” nutrients - standards & definitions
26-28 Feb. 2024: Warsaw CRU Phosphates 2024 ESPP panel on sustainable fertilisers
12-14 March 2024: Brussels & online ESPP workshops on Nutrient recycling policy
- targets for nutrient recovery under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive revision
- policy tools to support market pull for recycled nutrients
16-17 April 2024: Brussels & online NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting
(with Fertimanure, Lex4Bio, Walnut, Sea2Land, Rustica) – call for abstracts extended to 10^th December 2023
8-10 October 2024: Lleida, Spain ESPC5 (5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference)

SOFIE3

Programme www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE. Registration Eventbrite

Standards & definitions for “Bio-Based” nutrients

Brussels & hybrid, 18^th January 2024 Defining “Bio-Based Fertilisers” and FPR “solely biological origin”

enews80 2 The term “Bio-Based Fertilisers” is today being widely used. For market transparency and policy making. It is important to have a clear and agreed definition of what is a “Bio-Based Fertiliser” and how to define the “Bio-Based” nutrient content of fertilising products. Also, the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/2009 uses the term “of solely biological origin” for nutrients in criteria of several PFCs and there is today no clarity on how this should be interpreted. CEN and ISO methodologies for “Bio-based products: vocabulary” and for defining bio-based content are based on carbon radio-dating, and are not applicable to nutrients.

The meeting will take as starting point the working proposal HERE. Programme: http://phosphorusplatform.eu/BBF2024 Registration Eventbrite

Policy

EU support study for Sewage Sludge Directive published

European Commission “feasibility study” considers two sewage sludge management options: 1 = ongoing land use of treated sludge with tighter monitoring and contaminant limits; 2 =mandatory sludge incineration with P-recovery. The study rejects options for ongoing sewage sludge land use without EU regulatory contaminant limits. The study does not select a preferred option of the two considered because of uncertainties about levels of contaminants and related risk, and with the aim of enabling further stakeholder input. The scenario (1) proposes that sewage sludge from larger sewage works applied in agriculture must qualify under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation and that other quality requirements would be applicable to sludge from smaller sewage works used in agriculture or forestry etc. (p31), and also that all sludge used on land should be applied according to crop phosphorus needs and with good management practice requirements (p34).

The study indicates that the EU generates just over 8 Mt/y dry matter (DM) of sewage sludge of which c. 32% is incinerated (based on Eurostat 2021). 10% of EU sewage sludge still goes to landfill, resulting in significant methane emissions.

Table 1 (p8) shows that heavy metal limits are generally lower in current Member State national legislation than in the EU Sewage Sludge Directive (which dates from 1986 and has not been updated), and also that the lowest national heavy metal limits for sewage sludge are in all cases lower than EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) limits (for Organic Fertiliser / Organic Soil Improvers). The average observed heavy metal levels in sewage sludge are also lower than the EU FPR limits for all eight metal contaminants considered. However, JRC note concerns about other chemicals potentially found in sewage sludge, including industrial chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care chemicals, PFAS, microplastics, and consider (p26) that risk assessments of these chemicals in sludge are inadequate, in particular because they do not take into account local context and combination effects of chemicals in sludge.

The study suggests (p 19-20) that benefits to society are highest for mono-incineration of sewage sludge with phosphorus recovery (option 1). Use of composted or digested sewage sludge in agriculture has net positive benefits (assuming tight contaminant limits and application of nutrients according to crop requirements and not in excess) but significantly lower than for option 1, whereas co-incineration (phosphorus not recovered) has negative net societal impacts and landfilling has strongly negative societal impacts. On the other hand the cost of mono-incineration (option 2) is estimated to be 2-3 x higher than agriculture application (option 1).

Organic carbon returned to soil by use of treated sewage sludge is not considered significant (fig. 5 p 11, p 35) compared to manure and bio-waste.

Short-term agronomic P-efficiency is considered to be higher in mineral P-fertiliser products recovered from sewage sludge incineration ash than in agricultural application of sewage sludge, so leading to lower expected nutrient losses in scenario 2 (p 43-44).

Option 2 (mono-incineration and P-recovery from sewage sludge incineration ash) is estimated to result in additional annualised total EU costs (Capex plus Opex, compared to agricultural sludge application) of 138 – 569 million € per year, depending on the size of sewage works above which this is mandated (138 M€ if sewage works > 500 000 p.e. – 569 M€ if > 20 000 p.e.). If mandated for sewage works > 50 000 p.e. estimated additional cost is 1.4 – 3.3 €/person/year, that is 1-3% of wastewater treatment costs. Correspondingly, option 2 ( > 50 000 p.e.) would generate 3 000 – 4 200 full time job equivalents across Europe.

The study underlines that cost to operators of societally positive sludge management options are higher than for options with negative societal impacts, so that policy action is therefore necessary.

ESPP will make comments to JRC on the content, methodology and conclusions of this study, probably in early 2024. Any input to these comments is welcome, to ESPP by end 2023.

“Feasibility study in support of future policy developments of the Sewage Sludge Directive (86/278/EEC)”, European Commission, JRC Science for Policy Report, L. Egle et al., 2023 https://dx.doi.org/10.2760/305263

EU evaluation of the Nitrates Directive

European Commission opens public consultation for evaluation of the Nitrates Directive, citing climate, food security, sustainability, nutrient recycling and the commitment to reduce nutrient losses by 50% by 2030. The evaluation will assess if the Directive remains “fit for purpose”, if it is coherent with EU environmental objectives, whether cost and administration burdens can be reduced. The consultation (in 27 languages) is 16 questions plus possibilities for comments or to submit documents. The accompanying “Call for Evidence” specifically notes the question of whether the Directive is sufficiently promoting the recycling of nutrients, including from processed manure, and the EU commitment at COP15 (Convention on Biological Biodiversity) to reduce nutrient losses by 50% by 2030. Phosphates (which are not mentioned in the current Nitrates Directive text) are mentioned in the online introduction to the questionnaire, but not in the questionnaire, not in the Call for Evidence. Recycling of nutrients is cited in Q2.7. Measures to limit inappropriate manure spreading and the 170 kgN/ha manure nitrogen limit are cited in Qs 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.9. Addressing intensive livestock production is cited in Qs 3.1, 3.9. Questions address which Nitrates Directive measures are effective (Nitrate vulnerable Zones, Action Programmes, manure storage, manure spreading limit … Q3.2) and relevance to Water Framework Directive Good Ecological Status and to the 50% nutrient loss reduction objective (both Q3.12).

“The protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources – Evaluation”, public consultation preparatory to evaluation of the EU Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) and Call for Evidence. Input requested from the public, farmers, stakeholders. Open to 8^th March 2024. In all EU languages. HERE.

EU Critical Raw Materials Act trilogue compromise

Political agreement between Council and Parliament adds only aluminium to the “Strategic” materials list. Phosphorus is not added to the ‘Strategic’ materials list but remains on the ‘Critical’ raw materials list. The ‘Strategic’ list is 16 raw materials identified as supply-critical for ‘strategic technologies’ defined as “green and digital transitions … defence and space applications”. Both phosphate rock and “phosphorus” (meaning P₄ = white phosphorus) remain on the EU list of “Critical” raw materials (34 materials). Graphite, already on the “Strategic” list, is extended to both synthetic and natural graphite. The trilogue agreement is not public. It will lead to detailed compromise amendments which then go back to European Parliament and Council for validation votes. To ESPP’s understanding, only “Strategic” materials are concerned by the main tools of the CRM Act (EU sourcing, processing and recycling targets; Strategic Projects) but all “Critical” raw materials will benefit from monitoring of supply and uses, programmes to develop recovery and recycling, and stress tests every three years.

European Commission: “Commission welcomes political agreement on the Critical Raw Materials Act”, 13^th November 2023.
Council: “Council and Parliament strike provisional deal to reinforce the supply of critical raw materials”, 13^th November 2023.

Call for input for evaluation of EU Fertilising Products Regulation

DG GROW asks for input on which issues to consider in preparing the upcoming evaluation of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. The Commission notes that the evaluation must be completed by July 2026 and expects to assess impacts on markets, trade and companies, health and environment (levels of cadmium and of other contaminants) and at the wider context as to whether the Regulation brings added value compared to national fertiliser regulations. Comments are invited in particular as to what aspects should be assessed concerning markets and definitions of PFCs, coherence of the FPR, interactions with REACH, Animal By-Produces Regulations, Nitrates Directive, Farm-to-Fork Strategy, conformity assessment procedures, contaminants, effectiveness of the FPR and interactions with national regulations, or to indicate other questions which should be considered in the evaluation. Comments can be submitted only via members of the EU Fertilisers Expert Group (inc. ESPP).

Deadline for comments is 31^st December, so please send any comments you wish ESPP to submit to ESPP before mid December.

Finland publishes new national fertilisers regulation

Finland’s new national fertiliser regulation defines criteria for different fertiliser types and inputs, covering composts, digestates, biochars and ashes. Sewage and industrial sludges are authorised for use in agriculture and in biochars, subject to specified conditions. This Finland national regulation enables fertilisers to be sold in Finland, not on the EU market. The overall structure and product and input families show similarities to the EU Fertilising Products Regulation, with product categories and component materials, but criteria are in some cases stricter or different, and are less comprehensive. Sewage sludge can be included in biochars subject to minimum 500°C x 5 minutes pyrolysis, and subject to the criteria defined for all biochars. Sewage sludge after certain other specified treatments (e.g; specified composted, digested, limed, aged) can be used in agriculture with limitations of quantities (per five years) and subject to analysis of metals in soil. Combustion ashes are authorised under conditions, with specific conditions for forest ash (minimum K and P contents). Cadmium limits at 22 mgCd/kgP₂O₅ (= 50 mgCd/kgP) are the same as those in the existing 2006 EU derogation for Finland (see ESPP eNews n°59): this derogation allows Finland to limit cadmium not only in national fertilisers but also in EU fertilisers sold in Finland. It is ESPP’s understanding that authorisation of a material under this national regulation authorises use in agriculture but does not give End-of-Waste status.

Finland national fertilisers regulation 964/2023, 6^th October 2023 (Maa- ja metsätalousministeriön asetus)

EU Fertilisers Expert Group

Meeting updated on: EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) evaluation, product Conformity Assessment, standards development, FAQ guidance document, animal by-products (“Processed Manure”), CMCs, biodegradability criteria …

ESPP participated in the European Commission official fertilisers working group meeting 28-29 November. The summary below is not officially validated and is provided for information only, and may contain inaccuracies.

Giel Tettelaer (ECFI), chair of the Notified Bodies coordination group, explained work underway on CE-product certification (Conformity Assessment) processes, including challenges of how to rationalise audit of multiple decentralised sites supplying recycled materials and how to apply “batch” audit requirements to liquid flows.

An updated list of standards under development to support the FPR was circulated here. New standards needed for animal by-products and “Processed Manure” in CE-fertilisers are not yet mandated because CEN does not have sufficient human resources to take these on.

A number of additional question-answers were validated for the living Commission FAQ guidance document (here). Questions concerning the use of plants as inputs to “production processes“ in CMC15, the definition of “nutrients … of solely biological origin”, animal by-products, sewage sludge were not resolved pending further discussion.

Biodegradability criteria for fertiliser polymers, mulches, etc. are pending finalisation (following the AIMPLAS report here) and should be published for public consultation in January 2024.

The Delegated Act amending the FPR to enable used of “Processed Manure” (as defined in the Animal By-Products Regulation) is finalised here and is expected to be published in coming months. ESPP requested clarification in the FAQ guidance document concerning application for manures used as inputs for composts, digestates, ashes and pyrolysis materials (biochars) when the ABP process criteria can be achieved simultaneous with the FPR CMC process criteria. An external consultant (QLab, Greece) has been commissioned by the Commission to carry out studies on other Cat 2-3 animal by-products cited in the DG SANTE ABP Regulation amendment 2023/1605 prior to integrating these into the FPR CMC10.

NMI, The Netherlands, has been contracted by the Commission to study possible new CMC materials or changes to CMC processing and other criteria. This study will centre on the materials and requests submitted to the survey (ESPP eNews n°69) A second study is being contracted to assess additional biostimulant microorganisms.

NMI presented work underway (interim report for comment and input) to develop guidance on Technical Documentation to support Conformity Assessment, including an IT support tool.

Input was requested by the Commission to identify questions for evaluation of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (see above).

The 3^rd SOFIE (Summit of the Organic Fertilisers Industry in Europe), 16-17 January, Brussels and online, will offer opportunities to discuss these different points, for organic-carbon based fertilisers: SOFIE.
EU Fertilisers Expert Group documents (CIRCABC public) HERE.

EU fertilisers market data portal

European Commission launches fertilisers pages on the EU Agri-food Data Portal. Industry and stakeholder comments are welcome. This follows the commitment, in the Commission Communication on fertiliser supply and price (November 2022, see ESPP eNews n°72), to improve data access. The newly launched fertiliser sector pages on the EU Agri-food Data Portal present data and visualisations on fertiliser price trends (by month, average prices aggregated by nutrient N, P and K), fertiliser production in Europe (by fertiliser type and raw material, by Member State, per year) and fertiliser trade (import export, by Member State and trade partners, by fertiliser type and raw material, per month). Statistics on fertiliser production and trade are also available for a selected number of products. The data shown suggests that phosphorus fertiliser prices increased by nearly 4x from 2020 to early 2022, before falling back, with today’s prices still nearly 2x the 2020 level. Phosphate fertiliser production in the EU is indicated to be 500 000 – 700 000 t-fertiliser/year since around 2011, with main producers since 2016 being Poland, Italy and France. However, if “mixed” fertilisers are also included, the production is much higher (c. 12 000 t-fertiliser/year) with main producing countries Finland, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Italy, Greece, France.

European Commission Agri-food date portal: Fertiliser https://agridata.ec.europa.eu/extensions/DataPortal/fertiliser.html
See also: Fertilisers (europa.eu) and European Commission call for experts for EU Fertilisers Market Observatory in ESPP eNews n°74.

ESPP Member news

N2 Applied – GEA Manure Enricher roll out

Plasma nitrogen fixing and stabilisation technology from N2 Applied, rolled out with GEA, is nominated for the Boerenbusiness Agribusiness Awards 2023 and is now rolled out into Germany in addition to installations in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, UK. The first installation in Germany, rolled by GEA, is treating dairy manure digestate on a farm in Meschede, Northern Germany.

Boerenbusiness Agribusiness award: https://www.boerenbusiness.nl/award/genomineerden
N2 Applied news: https://n2applied.com/latestnews/

Ragn-Sells “10 Billion Challenge”

How will we feed ten billion people in the world ? Ragn-Sells calls for action on nutrient recycling. Food waste could feed 1 ¼ billion. Recycling of sewage nutrients is essential to sustain food production and reduce environmental impacts. Ragn-Sells state that without phosphorus and nitrogen inputs, agricultural crop production would be cut by half. The company is developing nutrient recycling with EasyMining technology for phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium recovery from sewage, aquaculture wastes and municipal waste incineration ash. “We want to accelerate change, scale circular models and create synergies that reward innovative companies.”

Ragn-Sells 10 Billion Challenge “Changing food together” https://www.10billionchallenge.org/

Fertilizers Europe launches Roadmap for climate neutral fertilisers by 2050

The European fertilisers industry fixes ambitions to reduce GHG emissions 70% by 2040 and to net-zero by 2050 through decarbonising existing fertiliser technologies and green hydrogen for ammonia. Decarbonising strategies include electrolysis, carbon capture and storage and biomethane. Green ammonia is produced with hydrogen from electrolysis using renewable energy. Estimated costs include 17 billion € for electrolysers, 3 billion € for hydrogen pipelines and 64 billion € to supply green electricity from offshore wind. The roadmap underlines the need for varied approaches adapted to specific local contexts (logistics, infrastructure, raw materials, energy …). Five prerequisites are identified as access to competitive green energy, boosting market demand for climate-neutral fertilisers (through a labelling system accompanied by a mandatory purchasing target for all EU nitrogen fertiliser purchasers), de-risk support for early investments, protection against unfair competition from imported fertilisers (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) and a legal and funding framework. The roadmap documents point to the need for “availability of nutrients for recycling” and for an industry strategy combining organic and mineral nutrients, nutrient recycling, improved nutrient efficiency fertilisers, soil organic matter and carbon farming. The roadmap was launched by Fertilizers Europe at an event in Brussels, 14th November 2023, with 100+ participants, including a panel discussion with representatives from the European Parliament, European Commission, the fertilizers and agriculture businesses.

“Decarbonising Fertilizers by 2050 - Fertilizers Europe”, 14^th November 2023 https://www.fertilizerseurope.com/decarbonising-fertilizers-by-2050/ and “Roadmap for the European Fertilizer Industry” (Guidehouse for Fertilizers Europe), 22^nd September 2023.

German Phosphorus Platform GA, annual Forum and research sponsorship

The annual forum of DPP, the German Phosphorus Platform, gathered nearly 100 participants in Frankfurt and online, discussed P-recycling implementation, and awarded a new 1 000 € research prize. The day before, the DPP's general meeting took place and members elected a new board for the next two years: Simone Apitz, Hessian Ministry for the Environment, remains DPP Chair, and the Board includes members from Dechema, SWW Wundsiedel, Veolia, EasyMining, MSE and Justus Liebig University Giessen. At the DPP Forum, projects on recycled nutrients in Organic Farming (nureg4org: final report here) and on sewage sludge incineration and P-recovery capacity (Refoplan) were presented. The new DPP research prize of 1 000 € for a thesis addressing phosphorus recycling, sponsored this year by Remondis (member of DPP), was awarded to Jannik Mühlbauer (TU Dresden) for his thesis “Laboratory studies on thermochemical sewage sludge (Contact). At the end of the event, participants answered the key question "P-Recycling - stagnation or progress?" with a show of hands. The majority voted "progress". Simone Apitz appealed to all stakeholders to act now and discuss the topic across networks so that the implementation of a sustainable phosphorus economy can succeed.

DPP Forum 16^th October 2023 https://www.deutsche-phosphor-plattform.de/aktuelles-forum/

Events

Role of plant biostimulants in farmers adaptation to climate change

Webinar, organised by the European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC), discusses how biostimulants can support farmers in adapting to changing environmental conditions and extreme weather events. The meeting, 8^th November 2023, gathered more than 500 participants in presence and online, and was moderated by Kevin Bosc, EBIC, who introduced the challenges faced by farmers and food production companies in adapting to climate change and highlighted the importance of building resilient and sustainable food systems, presenting biostimulants as part of the solution.

Jens Boyen, Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union, highlighted how extreme events disrupt the food system and the food supply chain, impairing farmers’ possibility to plan their harvests, causing the spread of pests and diseases, reducing biodiversity and soil health. Many technologies are trying to face these problems, including genomic techniques to develop adapted crop varieties, biocontrol as an alternative to chemical pesticides, biostimulants to strengthen plants’ adaptation to abiotic stressors, and new types of irrigation systems. Policy actions are essential for these new tools to reach the farmers, as well as financial support, funds to research and innovation, and proper tools for risk management for farmers like insurance policies.

Felipe Cortines, a farmer from Andalucía, emphasised that the main problems faced by farmers are extreme and random climatic events and market disruptions increasing costs and threatening farmers’ profitability. In his opinion, biostimulants are a useful tool, as they are tailor-made for specific functions, although their cost is high and they are not easy to use: more knowledge and training on how to use these products are needed to make the best use of them.

Lisa Boulton, Purina PetCare (Nestlé), introduced the company’s Regenerative Agriculture initiative and work with seaweed-based biostimulants. Field trails started in the UK in 2022 to test the improvement in plant performance, including nutritional content of the grains and resistance to abiotic stress, the possibility to reduce the use of traditional fertilisers while maintaining or increasing the yield, and the impact on biodiversity and on the carbon stored in the soil. More trials planned in France, Italy and Hungary. For these solutions to be taken up, a systemic approach is needed, including incentives for farmers, regulatory frameworks, farmers’ education and relevant stakeholders’ engagement. She also presented a project where seaweed amendments and biostimulants are produced from seaweed grown on nutrients absorbed from coastal waters where excess N and P deriving from land may threaten ecosystem health.

Carlos Rodriguez-Villa Förster, EBIC, pointed out that many biostimulant products are currently not covered by the FPR, and regulatory barriers remain for some of these products to gain access to market. Policy and regulatory coherence, as well as education, training and incentivisation for farmers are required. He remarked that biostimulants are not a standalone solution but part of a broader toolbox that farmers can use, and concluded the meeting by highlighting the need to continue engaging with agri-food chain, policymakers, academia and other stakeholders to raise awareness on biostimulants and on how they can support common objectives.

"Farmers and food chain actors debate the role of plant biostimulants in helping farmers adapt to climate change": EBIC summary here.
"A seaweed aquaculture imperative to meet global sustainability targets" Duarte et al. (2022) Nature Sustainability DOI

Research into new routes to P₄

We here summarise a number of recent scientific studies proposing possible future routes to produce elemental phosphorus (P₄),. Elemental phosphorus is on the EU Critical Raw Materials List, because there is today no production in Europe and the EU is dependent on imports from only 3-4 countries.

P₄ is today produced by carbothermal reduction, using coke in furnaces operating at c. 1400°C, with high electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Other proposed routes to P₄ are presented in

ESPP eNews n°64: ‘Spodophos’ process using aluminium scrap to provide energy rather than coke and operating at around 600°C.
ESPP eNews n°57: FlashPhos project to produce P₄ from sewage sludge and other wastes by thermo-chemical reduction (University of Stuttgart, Italmatch)
ESPP eNews n°45: ”Replacing P₄ is still in its infancy”, review of possible future processes to produce P₄ (Geeson & Cummins, 2020 and 2018)

Carbothermal reduction of phosphoric acid

Study suggests that P₄ could be produced at c. 1000°C by reducing phosphoric acid with activated carbon, instead of c. 1400°C using phosphate rock and coke. Lab-scale experiments by Yoshida, Yu et al. (reactor tube 1200 cm x diameter 32 cm) containing a layer of activated carbon and a layer of activated carbon soaked in phosphoric acid (85% acid / 15% water). With the activated carbon at c. 1000°C and the P-acid soaked carbon at c. 700°C, under argon gas, yellow phosphorus (white phosphorus = elemental P₄ with some impurities) was recovered by bubbling the offgas through hot water. The authors state that the phosphoric acid is first vaporised as P₄O₁₀ then reduced to gaseous P₄. In this lab experiment, after heating the reactor for several hours, around 50% of the phosphorus in the input phosphoric acid was recovered as P₄.

“Yellow Phosphorus Production from Phosphoric Acid by Carbothermic Reduction”, H. Yu et al., REWAS 2022: Developing Tomorrow’s Technical Cycles (Volume I), The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92563-5_31

See also “Carbothermic Reduction of Phosphoric Acid Extracted from Dephosphorization Slags to Produce Yellow Phosphorus”, Int. J. Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Vol:13, No:11, 2019, summarised in ESPP eNews n°39.

This is not a new approach and was presented for example in the 2010 US patent WO 2010 / 029570 for production of elemental phosphorus (P₄) from phosphoric acid and carbon. This patent notes that obstacles to achieving this are the release of water from phosphoric acid, which requires excess carbon to react with this water, and the sublimation of phosphoric acid to gaseous metaphosphates without reacting with carbon. The latter obstacle is addressed in the patent by selective different heating in different parts of the reactor.

In a more recent patent from Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique, Morocco, EP 3891099 2023, production of elemental phosphorus from phosphoric acid is proposed using different (hydrophilic) carbon sources: biomass, sewage sludge organic polymers, kerogen (geological carbon deposits). The phosphoric acid is first reacted with the carbon source (at 80 – 150°C) then carbothermal reduced at 550 – 950 °C to produce elemental phosphorus (P₄).

ESPP comment: these processes may enable P₄ production at a lower temperature than the existing industrial furnace route (1000°C vs. 1400°C) and possibly with lower energy consumption (no silicate slag production), but total energy consumption needs to be calculated taking into account the production and concentration of the phosphoric acid, activation of carbon, P-recovery rates, furnace design and elimination of impurities from the carbon source and from the phosphoric acid (or purification of the phosphoric acid).

Attempts to recover P from iron industry wastes

Matsubae-Yokoyama et al. have estimated that 4% of global phosphorus flows are in steel industry wastes (SCOPE Newsletter n°122). However, to date, despite a number of research publications (as ESPP sees things) there seems to be no suggestion of an effective process to recover the phosphorus in such slag, in which iron is present from which the phosphorus must be separated to so recover it in a useful form, and in which the phosphorus is at very low levels (1 – 1.5% P). Phosphorus is deliberately left in slag from existing phosphorus furnaces at concentrations of a few % in steel slag in order to avoid unwanted reactions in the furnace (silicon reduction).

Lab tests (Liu et al. 2023) seem to show failure to recover phosphorus from calcium phosphate doped iron slag: less P was recovered than was added. The “industrial converter slag” used initially contained 1% P and 25% iron. Calcium phosphate (Ca₃(PO₄)₂) and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) were added to up to 1.7, 2.6 and 3.4 %P. This was heated to 1450°C then carbon was added (to 1.5x theoretical reduction requirement) and temperature maintained for 60 minutes. At the higher calcium phosphate doping rates, the level of P in the slag remained considerably higher than in the initial (non P-doped) slag, and at the lower P addition rate, the final P concentration in the slag after one hour of reaction time was still >90% that of the initial slag P level suggesting none or nearly none of the initial slag P level was potentially recoverable (only the added calcium phosphate P was being released from the slag).

Lab tests (Tong et al. 2023) of carbothermal P-removal from converter slag show that although phosphorus is partly released as P₂ gas, most of the phosphorus ends up as ferrophosphorus (P_xFe_y). The authors indicate that China’s iron and steel industries produce around one billion t/y of converter slag, much of which ends up stockpiled as waste because it cannot be recycled back into the iron furnaces because of its chemical characteristics. Lab-scale tests (100 g batch) used converter slag with c. 1.3% P, heated at c 1500°C with coke for one hour. Nearly 30% of P was removed from the slag.

Lab tests (Wang et al. 2022) heating converter slag with coke at 1600°C with different contents of iron oxide (FeO) show that FeO up to c. 30% increases P gasification, but above this may decrease P gasification. The converter slag contained 1.3 %P. Around one third of the P in the slag was removed by gasification after one hour at 1600°C with coke with 15% FeO increasing to nearly three quarters with 30% FeO.

Lab tests (Nakase et al., 2017) possibly showed up to 50% extraction of P from steel slag by thermochemical reduction with coke at 1400°C. The trials used 100g of different steelmaking slags with graphite as reducing agent in a lab-scale induction furnace (30 minutes), with fifteen different tests (temperature 1200°C – 1400°C, initial iron content 1.7% - 16%). Phosphorus not found in different forms in the slag is assumed to have been removed as vaporised P offgas (this is not confirmed). In nearly all tests, most or all P stayed in the slag, either chemically remaining in the slag or as phosphorus droplets not separated from the slag. In one case only was a significant part of the P (1400°C, low initial iron content of <2%).

Already fifteen years ago (Yokoyama et al. 2007, Kubo, Matsubae-Yokoyama & Nagasaka 2010) published results of lab scale (1g) tests of magnetic separation of simulated steel slag (mixtures of iron, calcium, silicon, aluminium and manganese chemicals). This showed improvement of the P:Fe ratio from c.0.2 (initial mixed chemicals) to c. 0.8 (after magnetic separation). However, the magnetically separated material still contained more iron than phosphorus.

“Study on the recovery of phosphorus and iron from molten modified high-phosphorus industrial slag by carbothermal reduction”, Y-Q. Liu et al., Metall. Res. Technol. 120, 307 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1051/metal/2023035

“Behavior of Carbothermal Dephosphorization of Phosphorus-Containing Converter Slag and Its Resource Utilization”, S. Tong et al. Processes 2023, 11, 1943. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11071943

“Effect of iron oxide content on dephosphorization behavior of slag gasification”, S. Wang et al., Metalurgia 61 (2022) 3-4, 595-598, ISSN 0543-5846 https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/396846

“Effect of Slag Composition on Phosphorus Separation from Steelmaking Slag by Reduction”, K. Nakase et al., ISIJ International, Vol. 57 (2017), No. 7 http://dx.doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2017-071

“Magnetic Separation of Phosphorus Enriched Phase from Multiphase Dephosphorization Slag”, H. Kubo et al., Tetsu-to-Hagané, Vol. 95 (2009), No. 3, pp. 300–305) - ISIJ International, Vol. 50 (2010), No. 1

“Separation and Recovery of Phosphorus from Steelmaking Slags with the Aid of a Strong Magnetic Field”, K. Yokoyama et al., to-Hagané, Vol. 92, 2006, No.11, pp. 683–689) ISIJ International, Vol. 47 (2007), No. 10

ESPP comment: these lab studies confirms what is already known from the P₄ industry, that P is difficult to separate from iron by carbothermal reduction. For industry, the remaining ferrophosphorus is a low or zero value by-product, decreases yield and increases energy consumption.

Electrolysis of phosphate rock in molten calcium chloride

P₄ production by electrolysis, without carbon reduction, by dissolving phosphate rock in liquid calcium chloride (molten at 850°C) was demonstrated at lab-scale (electrolysis cell with 300g of liquid CaCl₂. The calcium chloride was heat dried under vacuum, then heated to 850°C to melt, under argon, in an aluminium oxide crucible within a silicon oxide vessel. 2% mass of calcium phosphate Ca(PO₄)₂ was dissolved in the molten CaCl₂. Silver cathode and graphite anode electrodes were used for electrolysis, causing phosphate to dissociate to P (moving to the cathode) and oxygen. Phosphorus was shown to have accumulated on the cathode (by dismantling at the end of the experiment) and on the surface of the silicon oxide vessel above the melt bath: the boiling point of P₄ is around 280°C, significantly lower than the 850°C electrolysis temperature, so these deposits may be allotropes of phosphorus other than P₄. Erosion of the graphite anode suggested that oxygen generated by electrolysis had combined with graphite to CO or CO₂. The authors note that the rate limiting factor would be diffusion of the P and O ions in molten CaCl₂, that other liquids could be used on condition that they dissolve calcium phosphate.

Patents by Gruber 1957-1960 and Caton 1963 showed successful production of P₄ by electrolysis of molten metaphosphates, pyrophosphates or polyphosphates, or lithium and sodium phosphates, possibly with borates.

“A New Concept for Producing White Phosphorus: Electrolysis of Dissolved Phosphate in Molten Chloride”, X. Yang & T. Nohira, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2020, 8, 13784−13792, https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04796

“Method for the Preparation of Pure Elemental Phosphorus”, B. Gruber, (Monsanto), U.S. Patent 2955552, 1960, https://patents.google.com/patent/US2965552A/en

“Polarography in Fused Alkali Metaphosphates”, R. Caton et al., Anal. Chem. 1963, 35 (13), 2103−2108, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac60206a035

Electrolysis of molten condensed phosphate salts

P₄ production by electrolysis of molten sodium tri metaphosphate melting point 628°C) was demonstrated at lab scale suggesting potential to achieve 95% Faradaic efficiency and to develop direct electrolysis to P₄ from phosphoric acid. The tests used alumina reactor tubes of c. 460 mm x 13 mm diameter (then replaced by quartz for better oxidation resistance), under nitrogen flow, with glossy carbon and graphite electrodes. The sacrificial graphite anode was oxidised in electrolysis mainly to CO₂. Elemental phosphorus (P₄) was collected in a cold water bath through which offgas flow was bubbled. The authors indicate that the electrolysis breaks down the sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) as follows: 6 (NaPO₃)_n -> P₄ + 2 Na₃PO₄ + 5 O₂ and that if phosphoric acid is added it is reacted and dehydrated 2 Na₃PO₄ + 4 H₃PO₄ – 6 H₂O -> 6 (NaPO₃)_n so potentially enabling continuous electrolysis of phosphoric acid to P₄. The authors note that this process benefits from the high ionic strength of the molten condensed phosphates which ensures high electrical conductivity, but the low proton content which avoids risk of hydrogen (H₂) generation. The electrochemical cell ensures separation of the P₄ generated at the cathode from O₂ generated at the anode. The high phosphate content of condensed phosphates ensures high diffusion-limited current densities and their phosphoryl anhydride linkages are hypothesised to facilitate breakage of the strong P-O bonds (Lux acid effect, analogous to that of SiO₂ in carbothermal P furnaces). The authors conclude that electrolysis in molten condensed phosphates can potentially produce P₄ from phosphoric acid with high Faradaic efficiency and low overpotential.

“Towards Sustainable Electrosynthesis of Industrially Valuable Small Molecules”, J. Melville, PhD thesis Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Une 2021 https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/139141

“Electrolytic Synthesis of White Phosphorus Is Promoted in Oxide-Deficient Molten Salts”, J. Melville, A. Licini, Y. Surendranath, ACS Cent. Sci. 2023, 9, 373−380, https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.2c01336 and MIT News 21st February 2023 https://news.mit.edu/2023/more-sustainable-way-generate-phosphorus-0221

First reactions short summary: “Electrochemistry Cracks the P−O Bond: Sustainable Reduction of Phosphates to Phosphorus”, E. Nichols, ACS Cent. Sci. 2023, 9, 343−345 https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.3c00056

See also J. Melville et al., 2021, summarised in ESPP eNews n°62.

ESPP comment: as a route to produce P₄, electrolysis (even in hot molten salts) could potentially be more energy efficient and have lower GHG emissions than carbothermal reduction as currently used in P₄ furnaces (using electrical energy and coke at c. 1400°C). Energy used to melt the electrolyte bed would not be lost in a continuous operation, and heat losses would be low in an insulated industrial-scale installation. There are however major challenges to scale-up to industrial implementation, including high temperature operation and durability (including avoiding oxidation), maintenance of electrodes and recovery of P₄ (ensuring that P₄ evolves as a gas and does not coalesce on the cathode or in the reaction chamber) in a continuous system without cooling the molten electrolyte. The possible effects of water if phosphoric acid is added (risk of H₂ production) need to be assessed. The overall energy balance must take into account energy needed to produce phosphoric acid and to synthesise the salts used as electrolytes.

Tutorial review on organo-phosphorus chemistry and applications

Ung & Li (2023) 27-page detailed overview of organophosphorus (OP) chemistry, applications and synthesis routes, including information on different OP chemical families by oxidation state and valency (P_III – P_V). Summary of uses of OPs as drugs (osteoporosis, cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, hypertension …), both existing today (fire safety & flame retardants, plasticisers, catalysts – e.g. for uranium extraction) and under development (compact and flexible organic electronics, improved energy-efficiency phosphorated LEDs …). Two possible routes to OP chemicals from phosphoric acid (not via P₄) are mentioned: esterification of phosphoric acid or polyphosphoric acid (this is a route to some OP chemicals only, not all); use of trichlorosilane to reduce trimetaphosphates (see Cummins et al. see ESPP eNews n°45).

Tutorial review “From rocks to bioactive compounds: a journey through the global P_(V) organophosphorus industry and its sustainability”, S. Ung, C-J. Li, RSC Sustainability, 2023, 1, 11–37 https://doi.org/10.1039/D2SU00015F

ESPP note: trichlorosilane is currently produced from silicon, itself from a reducing furnace, so with similar energy costs to P₄ and poses operational and chemical efficiency challenges.

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ESPP member logos 10.10.23 page 0001

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews080
Download as PDF

ESPP dates for 2024

Workshops and meetings
SOFIE3 – registration now open!
Standards & definitions for “Bio-Based” nutrients – registration now open!

Call for contributions to ESPP eNews

Research funding calls
Open Horizon Europe calls related to nutrients

Policy
Council and Parliament positions on Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD)
European Commission 2024 Work Programme
ESPP input on proposed Soil Health Directive
ESPP FPR summary table
EU Detergents Regulation revision
OCP West Africa partnership with World Bank and ECOWAS
Wageningen UR launches magnetite P-removal & recovery project

ESPP new member
K+S

Nutrient recycling
Remondis TetraPhos P-recovery operational in Hamburg
More publications but fewer patents on sustainable & recycled fertilisers
UK water industry Resource Recovery Working Group
Electroanalytical determination of paracetamol in organic fertilisers

Stay informed

ESPP members

ESPP dates for 2024

14 Dec. 2023: 14h30-16h30 CET ESPP General Assembly (online) – ESPP members/partners have received link – if not contact – and EasyMining webinar 13h-14h30 CET on recycled phosphates for animal feed
16-17 Jan. 2024: Brussels & online SOFIE3 (Organic and Organo-Mineral Fertilisers)
(with Eurofema, Fertilizers Europe, International Fertiliser Society and SILC)
18 Jan. 2024: Brussels & online “Bio-Based” nutrients - standards & definitions
26-28 Feb. 2024: Warsaw CRU Phosphates 2024 ESPP panel on sustainable fertilisers
12-13 March 2024: Brussels & online Nutrient recycling policy
- targets for nutrient recovery under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive revision
- policy tools to support market pull for recycled nutrients
16-17 April 2024: Brussels & online NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting - call for abstract extended to 10^th December 2023
(with Fertimanure, Lex4Bio, Walnut, Sea2Land, Rustica)
8-10 October 2024: Lleida, Spain ESPC5 (5^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference)

Workshops and meetings

SOFIE3 – registration now open!

3^rd Summit of Organic and organo-mineral Fertiliser Industries in Europe. 16-17 January 2024, Brussels Plaza & hybrid

SOFIE is the only industry meeting place for organic-carbon-based fertiliser producers, distributors, advisory, technology suppliers. The first SOFIE (2019) attracted 125 participants, with 230 for SOFIE2 (January 2023).

Programme now online. Organic fertiliser company showcase pitches welcome.

Programme and conference website www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE

Registration now open SOFIE3 Conference + Defining “Bio-Based Fertilisers” Meeting on Eventbrite

Standards & definitions for “Bio-Based” nutrients – registration now open!

Brussels & hybrid, 18^th January 2024 Defining “Bio-Based Fertilisers” and FPR “solely biological origin”

The term “Bio-Based Fertilisers” is today being widely used. For market transparency and policy making. It is important to have a clear and agreed definition of what is a “Bio-Based Fertiliser” and how to define the “Bio-Based” nutrient content of fertilising products. Also, the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/2009 uses the term “of solely biological origin” for nutrients in criteria of several PFCs and there is today no clarity on how this should be interpreted.

CEN and ISO methodologies for “Bio-based products: vocabulary” and for defining bio-based content are based on carbon radiodating, and are not applicable to nutrients.

This meeting will discuss

relevance of bio-based definitions for markets and policy making
existing official bio-based vocabulary (CEN, ISO, plastics sector, industry labels)
what comparable methodologies could be applied to recycled nutrients in fertilisers and in other applications?
possible coherence with FPR terminology “of solely biological origin”
wording of a joint industry / R&D position on proposed definitions ( this will take as a starting point the ESPP proposed working document HERE)
proposed next steps, possible input to policy makers, to CEN …

Programme: http://phosphorusplatform.eu/BBF2024

Registration now open SOFIE3 Conference + Defining “Bio-Based Fertilisers” Meeting on Eventbrite

Call for contributions to ESPP eNews

ESPP members and our other readers (you are more than 105 000!) are invited to get involved in ESPP eNews by submitting relevant news, articles, or information about your actions. Contributions are invited from researchers, companies, and stakeholders, and can include recent updates, accomplishments within your organisation, insights, industry expertise, press releases or research articles and perspectives, presenting your own organisation’s actions, or other news which you think is of interest. You can send us a proposed short text ready for publication, or simply forward to us a link or document which you suggest we should cover. ESPP eNews are circulated to over 120 000 recipient including companies, stakeholders, regulators and media interested in nutrient management, worldwide, and are also published on the ESPP website www.phosphorusplatform.eu. Your participation will enrich our newsletter and provide a platform for you to showcase your expertise and achievements.

To share your news, research articles, or press releases to be included in the next eNews issues, email them to

Research funding calls

Open Horizon Europe calls related to nutrients

Three Horizon Europe calls relative to “Clean environment and zero pollution” opened in October 2023 with deadline February 2024 (total budget 38 M€) and concern nutrient management and recycling and food systems. Projects funded under “Clean environment and zero pollution” aim at halting and preventing pollution by focusing on removing pollution from waters, soils, air, including nitrogen and phosphorus emissions, substituting harmful chemicals, improving the environmental sustainability and circularity of bio-based systems, and reducing environmental impacts of and pollution in food systems.

Demonstrating how regions can operate within safe ecological and regional nitrogen and phosphorus boundaries (Innovation action, 27 M€, 3 projects expected to be funded) aims at showing how N/P-relevant sectors (including agriculture, food/drink sector, water/waste management, bioenergy … ) in a given region can limit N/P emissions to air, water and soil from their activities by respecting pre-established regional N/P budgets and applying N/P balancing practices. These comprise activities that enhance the sustainability and circularity of N/P relevant resources and services between urban/industrial and rural/coastal environments and apply respective governance measures. Funded projects are expected to test innovative practices and technologies to make use of secondary raw materials and produce N and P-based fertilisers recovered from organic waste, wastewater, biological residues or by-products and promote local and regional value chains (achieving a TRL 8 by the end of the project) and to develop comprehensive guidelines to disseminate best practices and techniques to all involved actors.

Best available techniques to recover or recycle fertilising products from secondary raw materials (Coordination and Support Actions, 4 M€, 2 projects to be funded) covers technical, environmental and economic analysis of best available technologies for recovering/recycling fertilising products from secondary raw materials in Europe while limiting N and P pollution in soil, water and air and any other form of pollution from the use of such fertilising products and from the replacement of N- and P-based fertilisers produced from conventional processes. Examples of fertilising products are: recycled nutrients from urban and industrial waste water and sewage sludge, organic fertilising products from bio-waste, digestate and treated manure as well as other fertilising products from biological resources.

Environmental impacts of food systems (Research and Innovation Actions, 7M€) aims to fill the relevant knowledge and data gaps regarding the environmental impacts of food processing, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, trade, consumption, food waste and end of life practices. Proposals are expected to identify and map opportunities and innovative solutions, including existing good practices that address the identified impacts and promote the uptake of sustainable food production and/or food supply practices, including consumption practices, with minimum impact.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 22^nd February 2024, 17:00 Brussels time.

Horizon Europe Working Programme 2023-2024 pdf (details of described calls at p. 364 and successive)
ESPP is interested to support networking, dissemination, and communication activities. Please contact Veronica Santoro for more information and possibilities (). ESPP research activities and ESPP nutrient related R&D project list www.phosphorusplatform.eu/R&D

Policy

Council and Parliament positions on Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD)

European Parliament and Council (Member States) positions on UWWTD revision both maintain defining minimum reuse & recycling rates for phosphorus (art. 20), but Council proposes to delete reuse & recycling of nitrogen. Both support amendments to widen reuse & recycling to include from wastewater and not only from sludge (amendment proposed by ESPP). Positions differ on the timeline for defining reuse & recycling targets, with Parliament wishing to accelerate this. Parliament proposes to support development of a functional market for recovered nutrients but this is not proposed by Council. Both propose to include N₂O in greenhouse emissions reductions, which is important as this is one of the most important climate impacts from wastewater treatment. Positions differ on extent of tightening of P and N emissions limits and removal obligations from sewage, and on proposed implementation deadlines for these, with Parliament’s position in many cases even more demanding than the initial Commission proposed revision text, and Council less demanding. Discussions to finalise the UWWTD revision now go to “trilogue” (negotiation between the European Parliament and Council representatives, with participation of the European Commission) with the aim to agree a compromise text to be adopted by both Parliament and Council before next year’s European Parliament elections (6-9 June 2024, followed by the designation of a new European Commission). ESPP has written to Member States and European Parliament rapporteurs suggesting that nitrogen reuse & recycling should not be abandoned in the current nitrogen fertiliser supply and price crisis context (related to gas supplies and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine). ESPP proposes as a compromise to specify assessment by the Commission of feasibility and cost/benefits for nitrogen recovery.

European Commission initial proposed text for the UWWTD revision: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposal-revised-urban-wastewater-treatment-directive_en

Parliament voted position: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0355_EN.pdf

Council position: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CONSIL:ST_14271_2023_INIT

ESPP letter to Parliament and Council for trilogue: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

European Commission 2024 Work Programme

2024 Work Programme shows limited Green Deal ambition. Emphasis is on resilience, economic security, digital, and reduced regulatory burdens. The Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan, announced for 2023, is not mentioned (it was already not mentioned in previous Work Programmes, presumably because it was announced as a non-regulatory initiative). Pending initiatives listed include the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive revision, the proposed Soil Health Act, Critical Raw Materials Act, Waste Framework Directive revision, Ecodesign Regulation recast, Nature Restoration Regulation. Three new initiatives are planned for 2024 under the Green Deal: wind power, 2040 climate targets, water resilience. An evaluation in 2024 of the Nitrates Directive will assess whether it is fit for purpose, including whether it sufficiently promotes the recycling of nutrients from various sources, including processed manure. A fitness check of “Polluter Pays” implementation is also announced. The revision of the EU chemicals regulation REACH, included in the 2023 Work Programme, has disappeared. A “strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in the EU” is announced, targeting a “transition to sustainable food systems”. Food security and resilience of food systems are emphasised but nutrients are not mentioned.

European Commission Work Programme 2024 (17^th October 2023).

ESPP input on proposed Soil Health Directive

Draft EU legislative text now with European Parliament and Council fixes “objectives” of healthy soils across the EU by 2050, including phosphorus and nitrogen criteria. Further details are in ESPP eNews n°77. ESPP’s input to the public consultation welcomes the proposed maximum phosphorus level for all European soils (maximum between 30 and 50 mgP_Olsen/kg_soil) to be defined locally and maximum nitrogen levels (if critical ecosystem services are compromised). This reflects the EU Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity Strategy target to “reduce nutrient losses by at least -50% without deteriorating soil fertility”. ESPP welcomes the recognition of appropriate fertilisation, nutrient recycling and organic fertilisers in Sustainable Soil Management Principles (in Annex III(e)). ESPP suggests that healthy soil criteria should also include, for crop and grazing land, MINIMUM plant-available phosphorus levels, defined by region / soil / crop types and taking into account biodiversity and water quality objectives. Without adequate phosphorus supply, plant health and crop productivity are compromised.

Proposed EU Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law), European Commission proposed legislative text 5^th July 2023, COM(2023) 416 final Eur-LEX.

ESPP FPR summary table

ESPP has produced a table summarising EU Fertilising Products Regulation amendments, regulatory documents, links and other relevant EU documents available. The document can be consulted here and comments are welcome ().

Input welcome: “ESPP FPR summary table”, v15/11/2023 here

EU Detergents Regulation revision

European Commission proposal maintains status quo of phosphates limits in consumer laundry and dishwasher detergents, but not in industrial detergents. The proposal’s main objectives are to update and simplify the 2019 Regulation and to address innovations: microbes included in detergents, consumer refill packs. The current Regulation limits phosphorus in detergents for consumer laundry (0.5gP/wash) and consumer automatic dishwasher (0.3 gP/wash). This effectively prevents the use of “phosphates” as detergent builders (sodium tripolyphosphate STPP or similar) but allows small quantities of components such as phosphonates. The draft European Parliament position, proposed by the Rapporteur Manuela Ripa proposes to reduce these limits and complexify them (distinguish “phosphate” content from “phosphorus”, fix limits per kg of laundry) and to also limit phosphorus in hand dishwash liquids, surface cleaners and in industrial laundry and industrial dishwasher detergents. The European Commission proposal states that phosphorus in industrial detergents is considered to be not environmentally significant and the suitable alternatives are not available. It is ESPP’s understanding that phosphates are generally not used in hand dishwash and surface cleaners (and not in shampoos), so that phosphorus limits in such products are not appropriate.

“COM(2023)217 - Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on detergents and surfactants, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 648/2004” 28^th April 2023.

European Parliament draft report, Manuela Ripa, 2023/0124(COD), 2^nd October 2023.

OCP West Africa partnership with World Bank and ECOWAS

Partnership aims to improve customised fertiliser access and sustainable fertiliser use for farmers in Benin, Guinea, Mali and Togo, covering 10 million hectares. OCP, a member of ESPP, operates phosphate rock mines in Morocco and is a world leader in phosphate fertiliser and plant nutrition solutions. The partnership signed with the World Bank will reinforce the ECOWAS fertiliser and soil health Roadmap (Economic Community of West African States), develop digital soil analysis and mapping enabling adapted customised fertilisation, establish agricultural technology, service and training centres, and support the launch of a West Africa Regional Center for Soil Health and Fertility by IITA (International Institute for Tropical Agriculture). OCP says the partnership will enable West Africa to “contribute to global food security with a just and sustainable agricultural transition, contributing to African development and prosperity”

“OCP Group and World Bank Join Forces to Boost Food Security and Agricultural Development in West Africa”, World Bank, 11^th October 2023

“Phosphate marocain : clé de la sécurité alimentaire Mondiale”, EcoNostrum, 26^th October 2023.

Wageningen UR launches magnetite P-removal & recovery project

MAD project (Magnetic Adsorption – Desorption) will test selective removal of soluble phosphate from wastewater by adsorption to magnetite, magnetic separation, then desorption to release a phosphate solution for recovery. Because it can readily be separated by electromagnetic field, magnetite (Fe₃O₄) is today used to improve flocculation, improving particulate settling and tertiary P-removal from wastewater in the CoMag process, with a number of units operating commercially worldwide (see SCOPE Newsletter n°141), and has been tested in various other processes (e.g. Marmara University, LKAB, Xiao et al., see SCOPE Newsletter n°138). Challenges for the Wageningen project will be to achieve selective adsorption of phosphate, without other ions, and without coagulation of organic particulates, and reversing the adsorption to generate a sufficiently concentrated and clean orthophosphate solution. Wageningen’s partners in the MAD project include Agristo (potato products), Royal Swinkels brewery, Bakker Magnetics, Sidra Wasserchemie, BiotaNutri and Suez.

Recovery and Valorisation of Phosphorus compounds from Waste Water Streams using Magnetic Adsorption-Desorption (MAD), website

ESPP new member

K+S

International raw materials company, K+S has over 11 000 staff worldwide, specialised in potassium salts and other minerals for use in fertilisers, animal feed, food, pharmaceutical, water treatment, de-icing and industrial applications. The roots of the K+S Group date back to the middle of the 19th century, mining the world's first potash deposits in Germany for fertiliser production. Today, K+S operates potassium and sodium mineral mines in Europe and North America and produces balanced mineral products according to customer needs. K+S is strongly focussed on agriculture and fertilisers, and makes an important contribution to society by enabling farmers to secure the world's food supply. As a raw materials company with limited resources, K+S strives to make efficient use of its own natural raw materials to counteract global scarcity, whilst ensuring responsibility towards society and the environment in operating regions. The claim is to enrich life for generations and to be a pioneer for environmentally friendly and sustainable mining. Because the extraction of valuable materials from waste streams will play an ever more important role in creating a more sustainable future, K+S has set the mission of developing new, circular business areas as part of its strategy. For this purpose, K+S wants to actively participate in ESPP and establish partnerships to advance the circular economy. In the past, K+S successfully marketed “Thomaskali”, a secondary phosphorus product from steel industry slag. K+S will contribute to the ESPP network its many years of expertise in fertiliser production through to the targeted application of products

www.kpluss.com & Image Films

Nutrient recycling

Remondis TetraPhos P-recovery operational in Hamburg

Full-scale phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge incineration ash today operating 1/3 capacity, treating c. 7000 t/y of ash. The technical grade phosphoric acid produced has iron/aluminium content which limits sale to certain applications. ESPP joined a visit of the Remondis TetraPhos P-recovery installation, Hamburg, with some 25 participants, organised by DPP (German Phosphorus Platform), 25^th October 2023. TetraPhos is now operational, processing sewage sludge ash from Hamburg Wasser where the whole sewage sludge of the city of Hamburg (75%) and sewage sludge from surrounding municipalities (25%) is combusted. 1.5 million m³ wet sludge, = 125 000 t/y dewatered sludge, produce about 20,000 t/y of ash. Hamburg Wasser operates a dryer upstream of the incinerator that dries all locally produced sludge to 85% dry matter. After mixing this sludge with dewatered (25% DM) sludge from external customers, the sludge has about 45% DM and is conveyed to the incinerator where it is combusted without additional fuels. Heat for drying is supplied from the same sludge processed in anaerobic digesters. The P-recovery plant capacity is 7 000 t technical (75%) phosphoric acid from 20,000 t ash. The acid is not fully compliant with technical grade acid specifications because of high iron and aluminium concentrations. The concept is to sell it to customers who do not have an issue with Fe / Al content, for a slightly lower price than technical grade acid. Currently the plant is operating only one shift processing around 1/3 of the full capacity. The operating company Phosphorrecycling Hamburg http://www.phosphorrecycling-hh.de/unternehmen/unternehmen.html is a private public partnership between Hamburg Wasser and Remondis. The process (see summary in ESPP Technology Catalogue) is based on acid leaching with internally recycled phosphoric acid. Leaching is relatively mild, so most heavy metals remain in the filter cake (solid / liquid separation by a vacuum belt filter). The filter cake is landfilled (same category as ash). The liquid is reacted with sulphuric acid, gypsum precipitated and separated by another vacuum belt filter. Then the liquid is purified by ion exchange columns. On the photo, the phosphate recycling building is on the right side in the back, with the acid tanks in front.

More publications but fewer patents on sustainable & recycled fertilisers

Bibliometric analysis of nearly 250 000 published papers and patents shows an increasing number of both from 2001 to 2017, but after that date a doubling of publications but a halving of patents. Searches combined the terms sustainable, recycled or recovered with either fertiliser or nutrient (or similar words) from 2001 to 2021. The number of publications on nutrient recovery from wastewater increased from 2001 to 2012 but has not increased since then. Publications on green ammonia synthesis have increased rapidly since around 2017. In total, 120 000 patents were identified and 125 000 journal publications. Nearly all the patents were from China, as well as around half of the journal articles, with India and the USA also generating high numbers of publications. Most patents addressed agricultural wastes or wastewater & sludge. Publications on green ammonia synthesis have increased. This analysis fails to consider that these trends should be considered in the context of the overall inflation in scientific publications (doubling in 17 years Bornmann et al. 2021) and the similar global increase in patent applications (see here).

“Sustainable Fertilizers: Publication Landscape on Wastes as Nutrient Sources, Wastewater Treatment Processes for Nutrient Recovery, Biorefineries, and Green Ammonia Synthesis”, L. Babcock-Jackson et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 2023, 71, 8265−8296, DOI.

UK water industry Resource Recovery Working Group

Second online meeting analysed potential resource recovery streams and discussed three wastewater resource recovery case studies (Ostara struvite, AquaMinerals biopolymers, Cranfield University N-recovery as ammonia gas). Participants included five UK water companies, regulators, technology suppliers and experts. Analysis of over forty resource recovery technologies for UKWIR (UK Water Industry joint Research) and for Thames Water suggests that only biogas/biomethane and biosolids (sewage sludge to land) are widely viable at present, while heat recovery, ferric sludge, CO₂, cellulose, hydrogen and nitrogen recovery are potentially promising in the medium term, based on economic and sustainability criteria. Key challenges are identified for all wastewater treatment resource recovery routes as the regulatory validation of the recovered product and responding to downstream user requirements (quality, supply logistics and scale …). The UK water industry Resource Recovery Working Group is open to participation of all concerned companies and competent persons.

Contact: Robert Naylor

Electroanalytical determination of paracetamol in organic fertilisers

Study presents an electroanalytical procedure employing a portable, sensitive, relatively low-cost system for the determination of paracetamol in human urine and in recovered struvite.

Paracetamol, one of the most consumed drugs in the world, was determined in samples of urine, struvite, and pharmaceutical tablet with screen-printed carbon electrodes in conjunction with optimized square-wave voltammetry. Urine samples consisted in human urine from a single donor (an adult male who had not used any medication in the previous 3 months), human urine used in the production of struvite from multiple donors, and synthetic urine. The proposed procedure, utilising 0.1 mol/l HCl as a supporting electrolyte and an Ag/AgCl electrode as reference, presented a limit of detection of 0.06 μmol paracetamol/l and a linear concentration range between 0.19 to 100.0 μmol/l. The method demonstrated a good sensitivity without using any preconcentration technique or modification of the electrode surface, and a good selectivity for determining paracetamol compared to the other substances studied as possible interferences, including ascorbic acid, uric acid, cephalexin, dopamine, diclofenac, ethinylestradiol, norfloxacin, prednisone, potassium, calcium, ammonia, and urea (in the proportion of 1:100 paracetamol:interferent). Good reproducibility was obtained for analyses performed on the same electrode, between electrodes and days, and recovery tests underlined no significant matrix interference. Among the method limitations is the possibility of some compounds to interfere with the detected analyte, which may require the sensor modification with specific materials (inorganic, organic, or biological).

“A portable electroanalytical procedure to determine paracetamol in organic fertilizers” L. R. G. Silva, Ionics (2022) DOI

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ESPP members

ESPP member logos 10.10.23 page 0001

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Please subscribe www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Subscribe
Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews079
Download as PDF

Workshops and meetings
SOFIE3: call for presentations – open to 15^th October
NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting - call for abstracts to 15^th November

Policy
EU Soil Health Directive proposal
EU proposed food waste reduction targets and actions
What is the nutrient recycling potential of food waste?
Proposed criteria for “Processed Manure” in EU fertilising products
EU workshop on standards and NACE codes for bio-based materials
NGOs and water industry call for publication of EU nutrient action plan
Phasing out synthetic fertilisers?
EU report on phosphorus and nitrogen R&D projects

Nutrient recycling
Unilever adopts N2 Applied’s nitrogen valorisation technology
UK water companies’ recycling working group
Seminar on circularity in the water sector

Research
US STEPS 25-in-25 Phosphorus Sustainability Roadmap
Long-term P fertilisation reduces carbon sink function of a peatland
LCA impacts of wastewater-derived P products

Stay informed

ESPP members

Workshops and meetings

SOFIE3: call for presentations – open to 15^th October

3^rd Summit of Organic and organo-mineral Fertiliser Industries in Europe. 16-17 January 2024, Brussels Plaza & hybrid

sofie 3 news 79

SOFIE3 will cover:

policy and market
agronomic benefits, in particular field trials and case studies
processing from divers input materials to consistent products for farmers
application best practices, e.g. co-application with mineral fertilisers, biostimulants
environment, carbon benefits, LCA, Circular Economy
business models and product success stories

Short proposals for presentations, company showcases or posters by 15^th October to : see details HERE.

SOFIE3 is co-organised by ESPP, Eurofema and Fertilizers Europe, with support of the International Fertiliser Society

www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE2024

NERM Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting - call for abstracts to 15^th November

6^th PERM becomes NERM – 16-17 April 2024 – Brussels & online – plus research students meeting & site visits.

NERM (Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting) is organised by ESPP, FERTIMANURE, LEX4BIO, RUSTICA, SEA2LAND, WALNUT and Biorefine Cluster Europe.

Towards closing nutrient cycles for a sustainable future, from R&D to implementation.
- key outcomes of recent nutrient recycling R&D projects
- roadmap for future nutrient recycling R&D needs
- nutrient recovery technologies and recycled fertiliser production
- quality, application and use, stakeholder acceptance of secondary fertilisers
- from nutrient recovery to market

Plus PhD / research students event 15^th April and site visits (on-farm and sewage treatment nutrient recovery sites).

Call for abstracts, open to 15th November 2023, and outline programme are published https://phosphorusplatform.eu/nerm

Policy

EU Soil Health Directive proposal

Public consultation open to 3^rd November 2023. Possibility to input plain text comments (max. 4 000 characters) plus document. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13350-Soil-health-protecting-sustainably-managing-and-restoring-EU-soils_en

EU proposed food waste reduction targets and actions

Amendments to the EU Waste Framework Directive, as proposed by the European Commission, would fix targets to reduce food waste by 2030: -10% for food manufacture and processing, -30% for households. Member States must define Food Waste reduction programmes, including the following actions: behavioural change campaigns, actions to address supply chain inefficiencies, food donation systems, skills training, funding for SMEs and social economy actors. The proposed amendments to the Directive are currently open to public consultation and will go to European Parliament and Council for decision.

“Revision of EU Waste Framework”, public consultation open to 22^nd November 2023. Possibility to input plain text comments (max. 4 000 characters) plus document. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13225-Environmental-impact-of-waste-management-revision-of-EU-waste-framework_en

What is the nutrient recycling potential of food waste?

Phosphorus and nitrogen in food waste could supply around 10% of nutrients needed for crop production. Analysis for Seattle, USA, suggests that if all food waste were collected and nutrients recycled (compared to only 10% - 50% current collection rates) this would supply 0.6 kgN and 0.1 kgP (per person, per year). The estimates are based on Zhang 2007, who analysed food waste in San Francisco, finding average contents (% dry matter) of 3% N, 0.5% P and 0.9% K. These estimates of nutrients in food waste compare to an estimated 6.6 kgN and 1.1 kgP considered necessary input to grow non animal feed crops. ESPP notes that average dietary intake of phosphorus is around 0.5 kgP/person/year (c. 1.3 gP/person/day, see SCOPE Newsletter n°103). Estimates of food waste production and collection vary considerably: US EPA 2009 = 109 kg/person/year, Seattle 123 kg in 2009 reduced to 65 kg in 2021 in single-family homes, but only 56 kg down to 30 kg in multi-family homes (apartments). The conclusions are that nutrient recycling potential from food waste is limited (compared to municipal wastewater and manure) but is nonetheless significant, and that the priority must be to reduce food waste.

“Connections: How Much N And P Are In Urban Residuals?”, S. Brown, BioCycle, 7^th August 2023.

Proposed criteria for “Processed Manure” in EU fertilising products

Public consultation is open to 30^th October on proposals a Delegated Regulation to include “Processed Manure” (as defined in the Animal By-Products Regulations) in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation FPR (CMC10). ESPP’s proposed input is HERE for comment. The proposed criteria are based on a draft JRC report circulated for comment to the Fertilisers Expert Group late September. The proposed Delegated Regulation would add processed manure to CMC10 to the EU Fertilising Products Regulation, under certain specified conditions. This concerns only “Processed Manure” which has reached an End Point as defined in EU Animal By-Products (ABP) Regulation 1069/2009, that is fulfilling the criteria specified in the ABP daughter Regulation 142/2011 – Annex XI – Chapter I – Section 2, which specifies (inter alia) heat treatment of at least 70°C for 1 hour in a registered ABP processing plant

It is noted that manure which has undergone composting or anaerobic digestion according to both the criteria in the ABP Regulations and the criteria in CMCs 3 or 5 of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) are already authorised under the FPR* (It is ESPP’s understanding that this also applies to combustion ashes and pyrolysis materials / biochars subject to the criteria of CMCs 13 and 14*).

The proposed criteria for “Processed Manure” in CMC10 specify that the material shall have a limited oxygen uptake (intended to ensure stability), sets limits for PAH (poly aromatic carbons) and indirectly for certain herbicide residues, and specifies that the material can be post-processed by a specified and limited list of processes including solid-liquid separation, drying, pH adjustment, P or N recovery and that additives necessary for such processes can be used (with limits and conditions). The proposed criteria also require storage to be protected from sunlight and precipitation, intended to avoid ammonia losses to air, odours or leaching. ESPP suggests that such loss mitigation should also cover transport, that it be clarified whether this refers to before ABPR processing, between ABPR processing and FPR certification or after FPR certification (placing on the market). ESPP also suggests that this criterion should be made clearer by specifically referring to limiting air pollution, leaching and accidental spillages,. ESPP notes, and welcomes, that limiting ammonia losses during use should is addressed in labelling (Annex II of the FPR).

ESPP thanks the European Commission for the rapid production of these proposed criteria and draft Delegated Regulation for “Processed Manure” in CMC10, and notes that these take into account comments input by stakeholders, in particular concerning post-processing.

European Commission public consultation “EU fertilising products – Processed manure as a component material in EU fertilising products”, open to 30^th October 2023 (4 000 characters plus possibility to upload a document) HERE

ESPP’s proposed input is HERE for comment.

European Commission JRC DRAFT circulated for comment (not yet adopted or endorsed by the European Commission) “Technical proposals for processed manure as a component material for EU Fertilising Products” LINK.

* These points remain to be clarified.

EU workshop on standards and NACE codes for bio-based materials

100+ participants in Brussels and online discussed standards needs to support the bio-economy concluding that clear definitions are needed to support Public Procurement policies and for transparency for companies in the market at a workshop organised by the European Commission on 29^th September 2023. Presentations included DG GROW, CEN/TC 411 / WG 4 ‘Sustainability criteria, life cycle analysis and related issues’, ISO/TC 276 ‘Biotechnology’ and Eurostat. The workshop emphasised that standards are considered important by companies to enable market access, improve quality and reduce risks. One study suggests that standardisation contributes 30 – 40% of GDP growth and of labour productivity (Menon, Nordic Economies, 2018). Participants noted that the US is actively developing bio-based standards to promote national production in line with the Inflation Reduction Act objectives. Much work is ongoing on standards for forestry and paper products, and on aspects such as Life Cycle Assessment or general circularity approaches (e.g. ISO/TC 323 - Circular economy). There is wide demand from many different industry sectors for standard development for various bio-based products and processes.

NACE codes were discussed. These are important because used in EU statistics and often also in policy criteria. However, NACE codes are based on companies’ economic activity (often reflecting the production process and output products) and are not adapted to identifying inputs or processes used (a company’s NACE code will say it produces textiles, not whether or not it uses IA to control its machines). Participants noted that use of NACE codes in e.g. the EU “Taxonomy” criteria is ineffective in identifying bio-based inputs.

ESPP indicated that there is a need for a standard for defining “bio-based” nutrient content of fertilisers (or of e.g. phosphorus in technical chemicals) in that the CEN methodology for quantifying bio-based content of products (CEN/TR 16721) uses radio-dating which is not applicable to P, K or N (see ESPP eNews n°73). This is also relevant for interpretation of the wording “nutrients of solely biological origin” in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (PFC definitions of Organic Fertiliser, Organo-Mineral Fertiliser, Organic Soil Improver). ESPP’s draft position Paper on the definitions of “Bio-Based Fertiliser” or “Bio-Based Nutrient” is available here and is open for comment. ESPP notes that development of many standards is underway to support implementation of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation and STRUBIAS.

The European Commission concluded that the workshop demonstrated the importance of standards to industry, and confirmed the need to further work on standards relevant to bio-based materials, and also to look at how standards and NACE codes are used in EU policy criteria.

DG GROW is also working on market tools to promote uptake of bio-based products, and announced a second workshop on this theme 11^th December 2023. See ESPP’s input to the first such workshop (10^th May 2023) here.

Written input to DG GROW is open to 15^th October

European Commission DG GROW Bio-Based Products page.

NGOs and water industry call for publication of EU nutrient action plan

Fourteen organisations have signed a joint letter to the European Commission asking for rapid publication and high ambitious of the EU’s INMAP (Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan), announced in 2020 in the Green Deal. They underline that INMAP is urgent and necessary to achieve the Farm-to-Fork, Biodiversity and Zero Pollution Action Plan targets to reduce nutrient losses by 50% by 2030. The letter states that “bold action and clear directions are needed” and urges the European Commission “to hold to its promise to deliver the INMAP and to listen to scientific expertise for setting the path until 2030 and beyond … the EU could achieve genuine strategic autonomy in nutrients management and ultimately food production”.

Open letter to the: European Commission “Completing the European Green Deal: The Commission’s initiative for an Integrated Nutrients Management Action Plan”, European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Eureau, AquaPublica and others, 13^th September 2023 on EEB website.

Phasing out synthetic fertilisers ?

ESPP questions the statement in the letter cited above that “phasing out synthetic fertilisers use in the EU is realistic as part of a transition to agroecological farming, accompanied by a cut in food waste and a shift to sustainable diets”. It is not ESPP’s competence to discuss this statement for nitrogen. For phosphorus, we note that both of the two studies referenced (Poux IDDRI 2018, Billen 2021) explicitly state that they do not address phosphorus. ESPP also notes that phosphorus inputs are considered to have been a determinant allowing global population expansion beyond one billion after the 19^th century (Smit et al. 2009). Phosphorus cannot be biologically fixed from air. Medieval agriculture was phosphorus efficient so phasing out inputs from mined phosphate rock might mean returning to both a medieval population level and a medieval average diet. However, dietary shifts have less impact on net P use than they do on N or CO₂, because P is conservative: what goes into one end of the cow comes out the other end (some is lost in growing fodder to feed animals). ESPP has often presented slides in conferences (publicly available here) indicating that “Without mineral phosphate fertilisers we could feed maybe 1/5^th of the current world population (adapted from Dawson et al., Food Policy 2011)”. ESPP does not suggest that this is accurate but to date nobody has indicated to us that it is completely wrong, and (as we have done when presenting these slides) we call on scientists to carry out such an assessment for phosphorus.

Any comments on this discussion are welcome and may be published in our next eNews. Send to

EU report on phosphorus and nitrogen R&D projects

75-page DG Research summary of 72 Horizon 2020 projects on nutrients (total 370 M€ EU funding) proposed as a contribution to INMAP (the announced EU Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan). The report, prepared by the European Commission DG Research and Innovation, analyses 72 Horizon 2020 research projects, completed or underway and with project budgets > 1 M€, addressing phosphorus and/or nitrogen cycles, nutrient pollution reduction techniques, fertiliser production, nutrient use in agriculture or governance. The projects are considered to have policy impact if e.g. policy recommendations were elaborated within the project, and to have technological impact if e.g. a pilot plant was built. It is not however analysed whether policy recommendations made by the project have been considered by policy makers or implemented into regulation, nor whether the pilot plant led to industrial scale up and uptake to market. The projects led to a total of forty-two pilot plants, four patents and nearly 100 scientific publications or conference proceedings. Policy outcomes cited include that the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive should be revised (underway), that the Sewage Sludge Directive should be revised (expected) and the establishment of EU End-of-Waste criteria for products recovered from wastewaters (rejected for the moment, European Commission 5^th April 2022, see ESPP eNews n°65) and financial incentives for circular water technologies (not yet anticipated). Conclusions include the need to enable permanent access to project outcomes after projects end (project websites tend to disappear when project funding terminates), centring dissemination efforts at the end of the project (when there are results and outcomes to present, rather than presenting what the project hopes to do) and including policy recommendations relevant to EU legislation in technical projects.

“Systematic approach preventing pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus. A contribution to the Integrated Nutrients Management Plan from the Research & Innovation perspective”, European Commission DG Research & Innovation, August 2023 DOI.

Nutrient recycling

Unilever adopts N2 Applied’s nitrogen valorisation technology

Four N2 Applied plasma slurry nitrogen upgrade installations, supplied in partnership with food industry technology leader GEA, will be installed at dairy farms in the Netherlands to improve supply chain sustainability for Unilever. The N2 Applied system increases nitrogen fertiliser value of slurry and stabilises nitrogen present in the slurry, so reducing losses to water and losses of methane, ammonia and greenhouse gases to air. The N2 Applied technology is provided by GEA as a “manure enricher solution” as part of the GEA “Next Generation Farming” approach. The four installations in the Netherlands will provide data for a year to enable Unilever to assess benefits for milk supply chain sustainability and potential for scale-up. GEA state that the system can reduce dairy farms’ total carbon footprint by up to 30%, and that reducing nitrogen losses allows more efficient nutrient use and so economic benefits for the farmer.

“N2 Applied's technology will be used by food industry giant”, N2 Applied News, September 2023.

“GEA partners with Unilever to improve sustainability on dairy farms”, 31^st August 2023.

UK water companies’ recycling working group

Led by Thames Water, UK “Resource Recovery Technical Working Group” aims to bring together stakeholders and collate information on technologies and regulation. Members to date include several English water companies, Scottish Water, Irish Water, consultancy experts, researchers and government representatives. A first online meeting, with around forty participants, 28^th September, discussed developments in EU and UK regulations (EU Waste Water Treatment Directive revision, EU Fertilising Products Regulation and UK fertilisers regulations, REACH and UK REACH, End-of-Waste) and how to develop an economic market for recycled nutrients and other recovered materials (e.g. polymers). Future meetings will look at resource recovery and nutrient recycling technologies, end-use needs, building markets for recovered materials, operating parameters and scalability, economics and technology evaluation, contaminants and safety.

UK “Resource Recovery Technical Working Group”. This working group is open.
To participate contact: Robert Naylor
ESPP slides from RAMIRAN September 2023, update on EU policy and regulations for organics recycling HERE.

Seminar on circularity in the water sector

The Aqua Publica Europea event, in Verona and online 29^th June, saw 120 participants discuss the legislative framework, sludge management approaches, and measures to increase the circularity of the wastewater sector.

Milo Fiasconaro, Aqua Publica Europea, Bernard Van Nuffel, Vivaqua, and Roberto Mantovanelli, Viveracqua, welcomed participants and introduced the main objectives of the seminar: to explore the approaches to circularity in the water sector across Europe and to promote a dialogue with experts and institutions about how to address common challenges in the context of the ongoing revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and the publication of the evaluation of the Sewage Sludge Directive by the European Commission.

Nele-Frederike Rosenstock, European Commission, DG ENV, summarised the main novelties of the revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD, see also ESPP’s summary), now under co-decision in the Parliament and Council, and its relevance to sludge management. Articles 14 and 20 are especially important for circularity and sludge, as they address the tracking of non-domestic pollution and its reduction at source (art. 14), which should result in cleaner sludges, and the use of sludge according to the waste hierarchy (art. 20), as well as the introduction of recycling rates for P and N. She also reported on the recently published evaluation of the Sewage Sludge Directive, which finds that the Directive is effective and relevant and supported by stakeholders, although more can be done to adapt it to Green Deal targets and currently available technologies. At the moment, it is yet to be decided politically whether or not the text will be revised, but this would seem appropriate as it dates from 1986.

Jon Rathjen, Scottish Government: Scottish Water’s has moved from dumping sludge into the ocean as a waste until 2000, into making it a resource, with the Scotland’s wastewater sector now producing 3% of the nation’s energy needs as biogas from sludge digestion, with the sludge digestate mostly valorised in agriculture, and other sources as wind and solar.

Gudrun Winkler, Hamburg Wasser: the public operator manages Germany’s biggest wastewater treatment plant (150 million m³/y) operating sludge digestion and incineration. The plant is energy neutral since 2011, thanks to the VERA incineration plant processing 100 000 m³ of dried sludge/y, producing 89 GWh/y of electricity and 80 GWh/y of heat (before accounting the energy used to dry the sludge). Around 1 700 tP/y of phosphorus will be recovered as phosphoric acid from the sewage sludge incineration ash by the Remondis TetraPhos (now in production). The TetraPhos process also recovers iron/aluminium salts for recycling of phosphate precipitants to wastewater treatment.

Paolo Giandon, Veneto Region: Veneto has seen a reduction in the direct use of sewage sludge in agriculture observed since 2017 due to regulatory uncertainties and farmers’ mistrust. A waste management plan was therefore proposed by the Veneto region in 2022 to prioritise the reuse in agriculture, describing different sludge disposal routes (direct reuse in agriculture, composting, energy production) depending on sludge quality. Mr Giandon also mentioned challenges posed by the recast of the UWWTD, related to high cost and time needed for implementing the required measures.

Bertrand Vallet, European Commission, DG RTD, outlined the Commission’s research agenda on circularity. Circular economy was a key topic for the Horizon 2020 funding framework and was mainly focussed on resource recovery from wastewater and prevention of pollution. The current funding programme, Horizon Europe, is providing 655.5 million € for water in the 2021-2024 period, and is particularly focussed on harnessing the innovation potential and market uptake of successful circular economy examples, and on the implementation of large-scale circular systems for the reuse of water and sludge.

Two projects currently ongoing by APE members were then presented. The first one, presented by Enrico Pezzoli, Como Acqua, intends to build an anaerobic digestion plant in the Como area, co-financed under the Recovery Fund, treating sewage sludge, agri-food wastes, green wastes and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. The Fanghi Project, presented by Marco Blazina, Metropolitana Milanese, and concluded in 2022, built a HTC pilot plant and a mono-incineration plant for sludge thermal valorisation and phosphorus recovery.

The seminar concluded with a panel discussion addressing the framework conditions to step up circularity. Veronica Santoro, ESPP, emphasised that a plurality of effective approaches to circularity already exist and presented concrete examples of phosphorus recovery in the wastewater sector. She also stressed the importance of communication and stakeholder engagement to ensure adequate societal support to circularity. David Bolzonella, University of Verona, agreed that there is a plurality of approaches available, and there is no silver bullet to solve the issue of sludge management. He also argued that society is moving away from an ‘end-of-pipe’ approach to wastewater and that treatment plants are being transformed into ‘bio-refineries’ capable of recovering precious substances. Despite this, end markets for these substances are not yet stable. In this regards, Bertrand Vallet highlighted the lack of a ‘critical mass’ or critical quantity of recovered materials that can underpin investments in supply chains. All panellists agreed that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to circularity, approaches can be combined according to contextual conditions, and political choices on the appropriate mix must be made at national and local level to bolster circularity.

“Circular ways: promoting circular approaches in wastewater treatment”, organised by Aqua Publica Europea with Viveracqua and Acque Veronesi, 29^th June 2023

Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive Recast (26/10/2022); Sewage Sludge Directive evaluation (22/05/2023)

Research

US STEPS 25-in-25 Phosphorus Sustainability Roadmap

US Academy of Science funded (since 2021) phosphorus sustainability Center STEPS has published a 70-page Roadmap proposing a 25% reduction in dependence on mined phosphate and a 25% reduction in P losses within 25 years. The Roadmap outlines the phosphorus Problem, a Vision for phosphorus Sustainability and nine Opportunities for action. It underlines the challenges of rising global food demand, phosphate rock as a finite resource, inefficient phosphorus processing and use, legacy P trapped in soils and eutrophication leading to algal blooms. Action on phosphorus is situated in the global agendas of innovation and sustainability, emphasising the need to improve P monitoring, process animal and farm wastes, improve agricultural P efficiency, reduce phosphate rock mining waste and develop valuable products from P-recycling. The nine proposed actions are: improving agricultural P-use efficiency, processing farm wastes and particularly manure to fertilisers, recovering P to valuable products, reducing and recovering phosphate mining wastes, reducing food supply chain and food wastes, improving P-monitoring, developing markets for P-management solutions, engaging stakeholders to accelerate technology adoption, increasing public awareness. These nine actions are each detailed into short-term, medium and long-term sub-actions, The 33 sub-actions are organised by “stakeholder”: advocacy, academia and NGO, farmers, finance, food chain industry, regulators, waste & water industries, mining, media. An Appendix identifies over 90 “aggregated impact opportunities” proposed in other reports including Our Phosphorus Future (see ESPP eNews n°67), RePhoKUS, OCP Sustainability Report 2021, Water Research Foundation Holistic Approach to Nutrient Management 2022 …

STEPS “25-in-25: A Roadmap Toward U.S.Phosphorus Sustainability” Roadmap, May 2023 DOI.

Long-term P fertilisation reduces carbon sink function of a peatland

The C sink function weakened after P fertilisation due to increased ecosystem respiration, resulting from changes in vegetation composition and litter quality, increased enzyme activity, microbe metabolism and peat decomposition. The study was conducted in a peatland in northeastern China, where a 12-year experiment (2007-2019) mimicked environmental changes by adding different levels of P (5 and 10 kg ha^-1 y^-1) to the soil, to assess the impact of P fertilisation on CO₂ emissions. The following were monitored for five months (May to September 2019) after the 12 years of P fertilisation: CO₂ fluxes, soil total C, N and P, vegetation and plant cover, dissolved organic C in peat pore water, and activity potential of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. Long-term P addition altered vegetation structure by inhibiting the growth of Sphagnum mosses and facilitating that of vascular plants, without significantly changing gross primary production relative to the controls. The shift in vegetation led to more high-quality litter and easily accessible C sources for microbes. This increased ecosystem respiration and boosted phenol oxidase enzyme activity, likely due to higher phenolic content in the plant litter. Consequently, the concentration of dissolved organic C in pore water increased, accelerating peat decomposition. Nitrogen metabolism enzyme activity increased, whereas phosphorus and carbon metabolism enzymes were unchanged. Additionally, fungal abundance increased in P-fertilised plots, potentially accelerating the breakdown of soil organic C and increasing CO₂ emissions. As a result of these processes, the peatland's capacity to absorb CO₂ was significantly reduced with P fertilisation. The average net CO₂ uptake during the growing season was in fact only 0.002 at high level of P, compared to 0.063 mg/m²/s in the control plots.

“Long-Term Phosphorus Addition Strongly Weakens the Carbon Sink Function of a Temperate Peatland” F. Lu et al., Ecosystems (2022) DOI.

LCA impacts of wastewater-derived P products

Life Cycle Analysis suggests that partial substitution of rock-based P fertilisers with wastewater-derived P products reduces global warming, eutrophication, ecotoxicity, and acidification potential of crop production. The study assessed the life cycle environmental impacts, for a functional unit of producing 1 kg of crop, of replacing half of the conventional rock-based P fertilisers in maize, rice, and wheat production with P products derived from wastewaters from six different recovery routes. The considered wastewater treatment plant included activated sludge treatment and anaerobic sludge. The P recovery routes considered were: precipitation from digester supernatant (struvite or tricalcium phosphate) and P-recovery from sewage sludge mono-incineration ash (Rhenania phosphate or single superphosphate). The pathways and scenarios were evaluated based on literature data and inventories, databases, and modelling of P recovery integration into a wastewater treatment plant. Results indicate that wastewater-derived struvite, tricalcium phosphate, and Rhenania phosphate-like product can reduce environmental impacts in most scenarios, with the extent of change varying by crop. Eutrophication potential decreased in nearly all pathways and scenarios, because the LCA calculation assumed reduced P content in the wastewater treatment plant effluents. Conversely, processes involving thermo-chemical treatment and chemical extraction increased global warming potential and ecotoxicity in all scenarios, outweighing the benefits of avoiding conventional fertilisers due to additional chemical inputs and heating energy.

“Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Wastewater-Derived Phosphorus Products: An Agricultural End-User Perspective” K. A. Lam et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. (2022) DOI.

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Workshops and meetings
SOFIE3: call for presentations – open to 15^th October
Recycled nutrients for Organic Farming
RAMIRAN – the manure and organic residues recycling conference
6^th PERM becomes NERM (Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting)

Consultants – tenders
Consultant for EFSA dossier on Animal By-Products
EU tender: Animal By-Product (ABP) fertilisers

Policy
EU Soil Health Directive proposal
Regulation published: Animal By-Products (ABPs) in EU fertilising products
UK may change “Nutrient Neutrality” rules

Research
UKWIR report. Biosolids to land: carbon emissions and storage
Desired properties for end-users of recycled fertilisers
Terrestrial nutrient limitation significantly reduces global greenhouse carbon budget
New modelling questions benefits of ocean iron fertilisation
Effects of phosphorus addition on soil nitrogen dynamics
Sweden watershed: nutrient loss reduction targets require wetland restoration

Stay informed

ESPP members

Workshops and meetings

SOFIE3: call for presentations – open to 15^th October

3^rd Summit of Organic and organo-mineral Fertiliser Industries in Europe. 16-17 January 2024, Brussels Plaza & hybrid

enews 78 1

SOFIE3 will cover:

policy and market
agronomic benefits, in particular field trials and case studies
processing from divers input materials to consistent products for farmers
application best practices, e.g. co-application with mineral fertilisers, biostimulants
environment, carbon benefits, LCA, Circular Economy
business models and product success stories

Short proposals for presentations, company showcases or posters should be sent by 15^th October to : see details HERE.

www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE2024

SOFIE3 is co-organised by ESPP, Eurofema and Fertilizers Europe, with support of the International Fertiliser Society.

Recycled nutrients for Organic Farming

Monday 18^th September 2023, 14h – 17h, online

Co-organised by IFOAM Europe and ESPP.

Registration is free and is open to representatives of Organic Farming organisations from across Europe.

Full meeting agenda HERE. Registration: Eventbrite.

RAMIRAN – the manure and organic residues recycling conference

12-14 September 2023, Cambridge, UK

The “Recycling of Agricultural, Municipal and Industrial Residues in Agriculture Network” (RAMIRAN) expertise and research network, established 25 years ago, expects over 200 delegates at its 18^th international conference. Themes addressed include policy and regulation (including ESPP update on EU policies and regulations), recycled and organic nutrient crop utilisation, soil quality, air and water nutrient losses, treatment and processing technologies and best practices. Speakers include the UK ministry DEFRA, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ADAS, TEAGASC, Wageningen WUR, University of Minnesota, OCAPI Paris, ESPP. The conference will lead to a Frontiers special issue in Sustainable Food Systems – Waste Management in Agroecosystems. (abstract submission: 30^th September 2023)

RAMIRAN 2023, 12-14 September, Cambridge UK https://ramiran2023.org/

6^th PERM becomes NERM (Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting)

Save the date. NERM – 16-17 April 2024 – Brussels & online – plus research students meeting & site visits.

NERM (Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting) is organised by ESPP, FERTIMANURE, LEX4BIO, RUSTICA, SEA2LAND, WALNUT and Biorefine Cluster Europe. Towards closing nutrient cycles for a sustainable future, from R&D to implementation.
- key outcomes of recent nutrient recycling R&D under Horizon 2020, LIFE, Interreg and other programmes
- roadmap for future nutrient recycling R&D needs
- nutrient recovery technologies and recycled fertiliser production
- quality, application and use, stakeholder acceptance of secondary fertilisers
- from nutrient recovery to market

Plus PhD / research students event April 15^th2024 and site visits (on-farm and sewage treatment nutrient recovery sites).

Call for abstracts and outline programme will be published in September 2023.
NERM, 16-17 April 2024, Brussels https://phosphorusplatform.eu/nerm

Consultants – tenders

Consultant for EFSA dossier on Animal By-Products

ESPP is looking for a regulatory consultant to prepare a dossier on Cat1 ABP ashes for input to EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) on possible use of Cat1 ashes and derivates in fertilisers, in particular prion safety.

See relevant background documents at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Full details of services requested HERE. To express interest, please contact ESPP before 15^th September 2023.

EU tender: Animal By-Product (ABP) fertilisers

European Commission (DG GROW) tender to assess agronomic efficiency and safety for use of certain ABPs in fertilising products, as per art. 51-1(b) of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/2009. Budget 120 000 €. Submission deadline 18^th September 2023. The study does NOT concern health safety aspects which are assessed by EFSA (European Food Safety Agency, see ESPP eNews n°61). It does concern environmental safety and worker safety, for use as or in fertilising products, and “agronomic efficiency” either in itself in a fertilising product or to facilitate production of effective fertilising products. The study covers (i) materials listed in the DG SANTE Delegated Act (not yet published, see C(2023) 3366 here) and (ii) twelve other ABP materials specified in the tender documents. The study does NOT cover “Processed Manure” (as defined in the EU Animal By-Product Regulations) because this is being assessed separately by JRC. Also, the study does NOT cover ABPs in composts, digestates, Cat. 2-3 ashes which are included in the Delegated Act (art. 3 a, b, c) because (to ESPP’s understanding) these are covered by CMCs 3, 5, 13 and so will not be added to CMC10 (the tender specifies that it concerns ABPs to “include in CMC 10”).

EU tender “Technical study to include new materials in CMC 10 to the Fertilising Products Regulation”, GROW/2023/OP/0027. Submission deadline 18^th September 2023 HERE.

Policy

EU Soil Health Directive proposal

Public consultation open to 26^th October 2023. Possibility to input plain text comments (max. 4 000 characters) plus document. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13350-Soil-health-protecting-sustainably-managing-and-restoring-EU-soils_en

Regulation published: Animal By-Products (ABPs) in EU fertilising products

The EU Regulation amending the Animal By-Products Regulations to allow use of certain ABPs in CE-Mark fertilising products is now published. This establishes ‘End Points’ under the Animal By-Products Regulations for a number of ABP materials for use in fertilising products without traceability (the EU Fertilising Products Regulations FPR provide CE-Mark fertilisers with ‘End-of-Waste’ and product status), whereas currently these materials can be authorised for use under national fertilisers regulations but only subject to traceability.

The published amending Regulation is essentially as proposed to public consultation in October 2022 (see ESPP eNews n°70) and covers, under specified conditions:

Cat2 and Cat3 ABP ashes
Composts
Biogas digestates
“Processed” manure and insect frass (“processed” as defined in the ABP Regulations)
Certain (as specified) Cat3 materials, glycerine, processed animal protein, meat and bone meal, blood, hoof, horn products

It is ESPP’s understanding that:

the inclusion of these materials into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation CMC10 requires also modification by a Commission Delegated Regulation of the EU FPR and this is delayed to at least end 2023 for “Processed Manure” and at least end 2024 for the other ABPs cited, because environmental safety assessments are legally required. These are being launched (see EU tender above)
nonetheless, manure (and other specified Cat. 2 and 3 ABPs) are now already today authorised as input materials to EU fertilising product composts, digestates, precipitated phosphates, ash-based materials and pyrolysis materials (CMCs 3, 5, 12, 13, 14), following publication of the ABP amending Regulation on 8^th August and subject to the processing criteria specified in this Regulation. ESPP will ask that this be clarified in the EU Commission’s FPR Frequently Asked Questions document.

European Commission Delegated Regulation 2023/1065 of 22 May 2023 published in the EU Official Journal 8^th August 2023 “supplementing Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the determination of end points in the manufacturing chain of certain organic fertilisers and soil improvers” https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2023.198.01.0001.01.ENG

UK may change “Nutrient Neutrality” rules

The UK Government has announced its intention to relax requirements that building of new houses in catchments of protected natural areas must be “Nutrient Neutral”. Current requirements are derived from EU case law concerning protection of Natural (Habitats Directive) areas from eutrophication (detail in ESPP eNews n°59 and n°35). The EU case law effectively requires that any action in the catchment (from building houses to grazing cattle) must only be authorised if it is demonstrated “there is no reasonable scientific doubt as to the lack of adverse effects” on the Natura site. Currently the UK regulator prevents any new house build in catchments of Natura areas impacted by eutrophication unless compensatory measures are engaged, such as creating wetlands as nutrient buffers, or reducing nutrient emissions from farms or sewage works. The UK Home Builders Federation (HBF) claims (30^th June 2023) “145,000 homes currently blocked. Rivers increasingly polluted. SME builders threatened despite no link between house building and river pollution. Builders forced to fallow farmland and trout farms to comply with rules, threatening food security”. The UK Wildlife Trusts say (24^th July 2023) that the proposed UK “Environment Act” would fix the target to reduce P, N and sediment losses by 40% by 2038, with upgrades to wastewater treatment works and review and expansion of environmental permits controlling pollution from farming, so creating “the necessary headroom that will mean that housing development will no longer have to worry about nutrients”.

“Pollution rules could change to ease housebuilding”, BBC 29^th August 2023.

“Policy paper. Nutrient pollution: reducing the impact on protected sites”, UK Government, 28^th June 2023.

Research

UKWIR report. Biosolids to land: carbon emissions and storage

Literature and expert assessment concludes that treated sewage sludge (biosolids) use can reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture, improve soil quality and reduce mineral fertiliser use, but underlines lack of long-term data. The 117-page report considers different sewage sludge treatment processes (drying/liming, composting, digestion, pyrolysis = biochar) and analyses carbon loss and soil carbon storage, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse emissions in land application, fertiliser replacement. Part of the organic carbon in sewage sludge is lost or transformed in sewage treatment (e.g. conversion to biogas in anaerobic digestion). Around 25% of carbon in sludge is estimated to be retained in soil after 11 – 34 years, resulting in an average increase in SOC (soil organic carbon) of c. 14% after repeated biosolids application. The report reminds that the SOC capacity of soils is limited, so that long-term repeated applications will eventually not further increase SOC. No studies were identified as providing evidence of impacts of sewage sludge biochars on soil carbon storage. Nitrous oxide emissions from land application of digested sludge are estimated at 0.6% of applied N_-total – somewhat lower than the 1% factor currently used in the UK GHG Inventory (emissions are much lower after composting or pyrolysis). Nearly 90% of UK sewage sludge is currently applied to agricultural land after treatment (3 – 4 Mt biosolids/y), supplying c. 5 600 tN/y, 37 500 tP/y, 2 400 tK/y and 28 000 tS/y, representing a saving of c. 33 000 t/y carbon emissions. The report concludes that available evidence supports that appropriate agricultural use of treated sewage sludge (biosolids) is environmentally beneficial, but that there is a lack of data from long-term field studies, and in particular inadequate data on nitrous oxide emissions, ammonia emissions and nitrate leaching from biosolids land use, soil organic carbon retention, use of sewage sludge biochar.

“Biosolids to land: carbon emissions and carbon capture”, report no. 23/CL/01/38, UKWIR (UK Water Industry Research), 2023. UKWIR research reports online https://ukwir.org/water-industry-research-reports

Desired properties for end-users of recycled fertilisers

Survey in seven European countries suggests that reliably known nutrient levels, organic matter content, cost, and ease of application of are the most desirable properties.

The survey was conducted among stakeholders (farmers and advisors) in seven North-West European countries to understand which qualities they consider important in recycled-derived fertilisers and would encourage them to use these to substitute mineral fertilisers. The survey indicated that recycled-derived fertiliser means processed organic wastes or products from these, including from manures, food waste, green waste or sewage sludge. This will mean that the results are biased because mainly persons already informed or motivated will have responded. The authors fail to mention this inherent bias anywhere in the paper. Most of the 1225 participants responded from France, Belgium and Ireland, and over 80% were farmers (mostly conventional farming) with the remaining 20% from horticulture, agricultural companies and research. In the farmers’ view, the most important parameter for the selection of a fertiliser was good quality at good price, whereas other stakeholders were more interested in the nutrient content, composition and availability. Nutrient ratio corresponding to crop nutrient demand was the most noted quality for users, followed by a high organic matter content, whereas non-users preferred qualities were price per unit nutrient, ease of use and environmental security. 46% of participants also indicated that a known NPK concentration was the most important reason why they would substitute mineral fertilisers, highlighting that high variability in nutrient composition of recycled fertilising materials is often the reason behind farmers' choice of synthetic mineral fertilisers. Over 80% of respondents indicated that if recycled fertilisers had the desired important qualities, they were willing to substitute mineral fertilisers if the recycled fertilisers were subsidised and free of charge or cheaper than mineral fertilisers, whereas less than 20% were willing to substitute if they were slightly more expensive than mineral fertilisers.

“What are the desired properties of recycling-derived fertilisers from an end-user perspective?”, A. Egan et al., Cleaner and Responisble Consumption 5, 100057 (2022), DOI

Terrestrial nutrient limitation significantly reduces global greenhouse carbon budget

Modelled climate scenarios were compared without terrestrial nutrient limitation in the model (C), with nitrogen (N) limitation and with nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) limitation. The University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model was used and carbon emission budgets to limit global warming to +1.5°C or +2°C were modelled. Results suggest that the carbon budget would be c. 20% lower in both cases for N limitation, and c. 25% lower for NP limitation. Phosphorus is considered less limiting in tropical regions. These results are coherent with Peng et al. 2022 (see ESPP eNews n°77) who concluded that P limitation could reduce global carbon CO₂ uptake by 7.5%.

“Effect of terrestrial nutrient limitation on the estimation of the remaining carbon budget”, M. De Sisto & A. MacDougall, Biogesciences Discussions 2023, DOI.

New modelling questions benefits of ocean iron fertilisation

Iron dosing to open oceans has been proposed as a route to stimulate algae growth, and so carbon sequestration. New study suggests that global consequences may be negative, because resulting uptake of major nutrients reduces supplies in coastal waters and reducing carbon uptake there as well as possibly impacting ecosystems and fisheries. Phytoplankton growth in open ocean surface waters is often limited by iron, especially in zones of nutrient upwelling, so iron dosing can increase primary production, so absorbing atmospheric CO₂ which may then be sequestered as part of the biomass sinks to deeper waters. This study models impacts of global ocean iron fertilisation, in the context of climate change, using the PISCESv2 (within NEMO) and APECOSM oceanographic and IPSL CMSA climate models, under the CMIP5 RCP8.5 high emissions scenario. This shows that iron fertilisation is likely to exacerbate a key impact of climate change which is to deplete upper ocean waters of nutrients because of stratification (heating of the upper layer reduces vertical mixing). The modelling concludes that global ocean iron fertilisation would result in reductions in upper ocean water animal biomass, in particular in tropical regions, including in coastal ecosystems, with possible negative impacts on fisheries, and possibly overall limited or net negative global impact on primary production and carbon sequestration. These effects occur only after a delay of maybe two decades with ocean currents so that short-term or local monitoring of ocean iron fertilisation may not provide transposable results.

“Ocean iron fertilization may amplify climate change pressures on marine animal biomass for limited climate benefit”, A. Tagliabue et al., Glob Change Biol. 2023;29:5250–5260, DOI

Effects of phosphorus addition on soil nitrogen dynamics

A global meta-analysis suggests that P fertilisation increases the soil total N pool, enhances biological nutrient immobilisation, reduces N losses, accelerates soil N cycling and could enhance soil C sequestration.

Over 1700 observations from 116 peer-reviewed publications were analysed to assess the effects of P addition on soil N pools and cycling processes and how these vary among ecosystem types and P fertiliser management schemes. Data were limited to studies reporting clear information on P addition rate and duration and including both a control and a P-addition treatment, and covered mainly field tests. Data was from across the world, but with most coming from Asia and North America. The factors considered were related to soil N pools (soil total N, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺, dissolved inorganic and organic N, microbial biomass N), N cycling (mineralisation, nitrification, denitrification, ammonification, N₂O emission, NO₃^- leaching), and P and C soil pools. The analysis underlined the role of P fertilisation in increasing the soil total N pool in field experiments, particularly after long term P addition (≥5 yr). This was potentially the result of increased plant N uptake (as evidenced by the increase in plant productivity and decrease in available soil N pools), enhanced biological N fixation and reduced N losses (NO₃^- leaching). The accumulation of soil total N was coupled with an increase in the soil C pool size, suggesting a role of P in promoting soil C sequestration. Phosphorus addition also accelerated some of the soil N cycling processes, including N mineralisation (especially in grasslands), nitrification, and denitrification (in forests and wetlands) with the effect sizes varying among ecosystem types and increasing with P fertilisation rates. No impacts on N₂O emissions were observed.

“Phosphorus supply increases nitrogen transformation rates and retention in soil: A global meta-analysis” R. Wang et al., Earth's Future, 10, e2021EF002479, 2022 DOI

Sweden watershed: nutrient loss reduction targets require wetland restoration

Modelling of nutrient losses with climate change in two small Swedish catchments suggests that Green Deal -50% nutrient loss reduction targets will require conversion of c. 1% of cropland to wetland / nutrient buffers. Hestadbäcken catchment (8 km²), centre-east Sweden, and Tullstorpsån (62 km²), south Sweden, both mainly agricultural, were modelled for nutrient losses, including under climate change scenarios. Modelling considered a 20% reduction in fertiliser application, cover crops and “stream mitigation” consisting of reconversion of agricultural land to wetland or buffer zones along streams. Conclusions are, in both cases, that around 1% of catchment cropland area must be converted to stream mitigation to achieve the Green Deal nutrient loss reduction target, other measures being insufficient. Modelling suggests that climate change could lead to a slight increase in P loss to the streams, related to increased precipitation, and either an increase or decrease in inorganic N loss depending on the balance between increased runoff, evapotranspiration and increased N mineralisation. In particular, high rainfall events are likely to increase, and measures are needed to prevent these leading to nutrient losses to the stream, such as a low threshold barrier to prevent wetland floodwaters entering the stream.

“How to Achieve a 50% Reduction in Nutrient Loads from Agricultural Catchments under Different Climate Trajectories?”, M. Wynants et al., Authorea. 2023, DOI.

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SOFIE3: call for presentations & company showcases
3^rd Summit of Organic and organo-mineral Fertiliser Industries in Europe

Which recycled nutrients for Organic Farming? And why?
Monday 18^th September 2023, 14h–17h, online

Looking for consultant for EFSA dossier
ESPP is looking for a regulatory consultant to prepare a dossier on Cat1 ABP ashes

Research prizes and partner searches
1^st German Phosphorus Platform DPP P-recycling thesis prize
IFS 9^th Brian Chambers crop nutrition research prize
Partners wanted for consortium for EU Horizon Europe proposal

Policy
EU Soil Health Directive proposal
Evaluation of EU Sewage Sludge Directive published
EU proposed food waste reduction targets and actions
International Chamber of Commerce flags need to address obstacles to circularity
Draft of Guidance Document for EU FPR Technical Documentation

Research
Phosphorus limitation could limit CO₂ uptake by 7.5% globally
Filter media for phosphorus capture from domestic wastewaters
Recirculating struvite for nitrogen removal

Nitrogen recycling
ESPP summary of nitrogen recovery perspectives in Fertilizer Focus

Sewage sludge biochars as fertilisers
ESPP – EBI workshop at the Biochar Summit Helsingborg

Stay informed

ESPP members

SOFIE3: call for presentations & company showcases

3^rd Summit of Organic and organo-mineral Fertiliser Industries in Europe

16-17 January 2024, Brussels Plaza & hybrid

sofie3 stanza logo sofie

SOFIE3 will cover:

policy and market
agronomic benefits, in particular field trials and case studies
processing from divers input materials to consistent products for farmers
application best practices, e.g. co-application with mineral fertilisers, biostimulants
environment, carbon benefits, LCA, Circular Economy
business models and product success stories

Short proposals for presentations, company showcases or posters should be sent by 15^th October to : see details HERE.

www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE2024

SOFIE3 is co-organised by ESPP, Eurofema and Fertilizers Europe, with support of the International Fertiliser Society.

Which recycled nutrients for Organic Farming? And why?

Monday 18^thSeptember 2023, 14h - 17h, online

Co-organised by IFOAM Europe and ESPP.

ifoam

Participants: representatives of Organic Farming organisations from across Europe.

Recycled struvite and precipitated phosphates have been added into the list of authorised inputs as fertilisers in certified EU Organic Farming (ESPP eNews n°73). Certain other recycled nutrients are already authorised with conditions.

This meeting will discuss which further recycled nutrient products might be appropriate for certified Organic Farming, based on practical examples, and under what conditions they might be considered. Questions considered: solubility and plant availability of nutrients, origin of raw materials, chemicals used in recovery process and LCA, contaminants and safety. Examples will be: calcined phosphates, biochars, phosphate fertilisers from ashes, recovered ammonium sulphate, recovered nutrients from aquaculture and other marine wastes.

Full meeting agenda HERE. Registration: Eventbrite.

Looking for consultant for EFSA dossier

ESPP is looking for a regulatory consultant to prepare a dossier on Cat1 ABP ashes

The European Commission (DG SANTE) has indicated that it will request from EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) an Opinion on the safety of possible use of Cat1 ashes and derivates in fertilisers. EFSA are susceptible to consider that the Brown et al. studies (2000, 2004, see ESPP eNews n°73) suggest possible prion infectivity after combustion, even in the absence of residual organic carbon or protein. ESPP organised an online meeting of companies and experts on Cat1 ash safety (22^nd May 2023), including two co-authors of these studies. This meeting concluded that there are today no practicable methods to reliably test ash samples to show absence of prion infectivity and no experimental evidence of elimination of infectivity by combustion under EU Industrial Emission Directive conditions. The meeting therefore proposed to develop a dossier of evidence to input to EFSA based on input material risk and on epidemiological data. ESPP is looking for a service provider to collect data and prepare a dossier to submit to EFSA, and also to support coordination with concerned companies and organisations.

See relevant background documents at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Full details of services requested HERE. To express interest, please contact ESPP before 15^th September 2023.

Research prizes and partner searches

1^st German Phosphorus Platform DPP P-recycling thesis prize

1000 € prize for an undergraduate or master thesis, obtained in Germany, on phosphorus recovery.

Submission deadline 1^st September 2023. “Förderpreis der Deutschen Phosphor-Plattform DPP” here.

IFS 9^th Brian Chambers crop nutrition research prize

Submission deadline: 30^th September 2023. IFS Brian Chambers International Award for Early Career Researchers in Crop Nutrition. HERE.

Partners wanted for consortium for EU Horizon Europe proposal

German research institutes FBN and AWI are searching for European partners for a consortium for the Horizon Europe Call “Demonstrating how regions can operate within safe ecological and regional nitrogen and phosphorus boundaries” (HORIZON-CL6-2024-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-1), planned call opening date 17 October 2023. The project will explore material flow scenarios and management of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and develop measures to avoid unwanted losses, including recycling N and P from wastes and sewage sludge, improving N-binding in soils and plants. The consortium is looking for expertise in resource governance, circular economy, crop production, soil science, waste and environmental management, ecosystem modelling, and companies who have expertise in sewage sludge treatment and in recycled fertilisers or animal feed.

Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) and Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI). Contacts: Michael Oster and Cédric Meunier

Policy

EU Soil Health Directive proposal

Proposed Directive will specify descriptors for monitoring and assessing soil health (including soil P and N) to be implemented / defined nationally by “soil district”, within a non-regulatory objective of achieving healthy soils by 2050 (as announced in the Commission document “EU Soil Strategy for 2030” 17/11/2021). The Directive is currently open for public consultation to 18^th September and will go to European Parliament and Council (Member States) for decision.

The proposed Directive will install an EU-wide monitoring of soil health, and of soil artificialisation (“land take”). Outline parameters are specified, but thresholds will be defined (if not indicated) or can be adapted by Member States (MS), according to “soil districts”, which MS must also define. This looks superficially similar to the functioning of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), but in fact is very different in that the WFD fixes legal obligations and deadlines for MS to achieve Good Quality Status / Potential for water bodies, whereas this proposed Directive only refers to the 2050 objective in the recitals. Also the WFD quality criteria, for different ecoregions / water body types, are fixed at the EU level, not by MS. Unlike the WFD, there is no provision for local governance to involve civil society and stakeholders in “soil districts”. The proposed Directive also defines sustainable soil management principles, opens possibilities for certification schemes for healthy soils, and defines obligations concerning contaminated sites.

ESPP’s input to the preparatory consultations underlined that soil health is key to protecting water quality by limiting nutrient loss, that climate change will accentuate nutrient pressures on soil health (accelerated nutrient mineralisation, increased soil erosion, both leading to nutrient losses) and that nutrient recycling can support soil health by return of organic carbon (organic fertilisers, composts, digestates, biosolids) subject to ensuring contaminant safety.

The proposal refers to the EU Green Deal (Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity Strategies) aim to reduce nutrient losses by 50% without deterioration of soil fertility. Nutrients cycling is identified as a key aspect of healthy soils (Recitals 2). In the parameter thresholds in Annex I (Soil Descriptors for Health Soil Condition …), soil phosphorus and soil nitrogen are specified as two of the eleven criteria. Excess phosphorus must, for the whole EU (Annex I part A), have a maximum value set by the MS, such that this maximum is between 30 and 50 mg/kg (Annex II specifies measurement as extractable phosphorus by ISO 11263:1994 = Olsen-P). Excess nitrogen levels may also be defined by MS if causing “critical loss of ecosystem services” (art. 9.3, Annex I part C: total soil N, measurement by ISO 11261:1995 Kjeldahl N).

Public consultation open to 18^th September 2023. Possibility to input plain text comments (max. 4 000 characters) plus document. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13350-Soil-health-protecting-sustainably-managing-and-restoring-EU-soils_en

Evaluation of EU Sewage Sludge Directive published

European Commission evaluation of 1986 Sewage Sludge Directive concludes that it should be maintained but should be updated to cover organic contaminants, microplastics, AMR and to better ensure application according to crop needs. The formal “Evaluation” is the first step towards a possible proposal to revise or recast the Directive. The evaluation is based on analysis of literature, Member States reporting, a public consultation, surveys, a stakeholder workshop and interviews (including with ESPP). The evaluation notes that of 7-8 Mt/y sewage sludge (dry matter) produced in the EU today*, c. 40% is valorised in agriculture plus 10% “composted” (ESPP comment: probably also then used in agriculture or for other soil improvement applications). Incineration of this sludge would cost an additional 390 – 490 M€/y (from Egle unpublished). Use of sewage sludge to substitute fertiliser nutrients can save farmers maybe 96 plus 44 €/tDS sludge (for N and P respectively). The evaluation notes that current Member States reporting does not enable to verify that crop nutrient needs are taken into account in sewage sludge application, whereas this is necessary to avoid risks of nutrient pollution. The evaluation concludes that the Directive aims to encourage the use of sewage sludge in agriculture whilst preventing negative environmental or health impacts, that it continues to have EU added value and to be relevant and supported by stakeholders, but that it should be reviewed to consider regulating organic contaminants (in particular PFAS, PAH), pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pharmaceuticals and microplastics. It is underlined that sludge management choices relate to local situations, and that maintaining the flexibility of choice for sludge management is important.

SWD(2023)158, 22^nd May 2023, Evaluation of Council Directive 86/278/EEC on sewage sludge used in agriculture. HERE. * correct numbers are page 53, wrongly stated as 2-3 Mt/y in the Executive summary page 1.

EU proposed food waste reduction targets and actions

Amendments to the EU Waste Framework Directive, as proposed by the European Commission, would fix targets to reduce food waste by 2030: -10% for food manufacture and processing, -30% for households. Member States must define Food Waste reduction programmes, including the following actions: behavioural change campaigns, actions to address supply chain inefficiencies, food donation systems, skills training, funding for SMEs and social economy actors. The proposed amendments to the Directive are currently open to public consultation to 4^th September and will go to European Parliament and Council for decision.

“Revision of EU Waste Framework”, public consultation open to 4^th September 2023. Possibility to input plain text comments (max. 4 000 characters) plus document. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13225-Environmental-impact-of-waste-management-revision-of-EU-waste-framework_en

International Chamber of Commerce flags need to address obstacles to circularity

ICC position says international waste transport regulations need modification to enable movement of secondary resources for recycling pilots and that quality of products should determine regulation, not origin of input materials. EasyMining (Ragn-Sells) Ash2Phos (recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge ash) is one of four case studies: it took eight months to obtain permits from Denmark and Sweden to transport just one tonne of ash across the border for pilot trials. The Basel convention limits transboundary transport of waste for research to only 25 kg, inadequate to develop industrial pilot processes. ICC calls for consultation of business in improving waste international regulations, regulatory facilitation of storage of wastes containing resources to be recovered later when technologies have progressed, removal of barriers and creation of incentives for circularity and prioritisation of quality over origin (product quality should determine regulation of use, trade and transport, rather than origin). A presentation by Shunta Yamaguchi, OECD, at WCEF2023 identified as ways forward: clarification of definitions and classification of wastes and secondary raw materials, harmonisation and mutual acceptance of circular economy related standards, cross-border reverse supply chains, removing trade restrictions on waste trade whilst tackling illegal waste trade.

OECD publications on Trade, Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy.
World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), 1^st June 2023 How to remove hurdles on research waste shipments
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), 2023 Circular material flows for research and innovation

Draft of Guidance Document for EU FPR Technical Documentation

NMI has published a 69-page first draft of the future Guidance Document for elaboration of Technical Documentation for the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. The document includes an inventory of relevant documents (guidance documents for other EU regulations, documents of industry associations) and outlines the documents and information which are necessary for Conformity Assessment of EU fertilising products (CE-mark) as a function of different PFCs, CMCs, Conformity Assessment modules. A stakeholder workshop to discuss this Guidance is planned for 17^th October 2023 for information: contact.

“Technical study on the elaboration of the technical documentation for the FPR” Inception report, NMI Netherlands, 17^th May 2023, 1935.N.22a HERE. This Guidance Document is commissioned by the European Commission (see tender announced in ESPP eNews n°66) but this is not indicated in this draft.

Research

Phosphorus limitation could limit CO₂ uptake by 7.5% globally

Climate models predict an increase in net CO₂ fixing with increasing atmospheric CO₂ and increasing biological activity linked to temperature, but this could be reduced by phosphorus limitation, not considered in current models. This study used the CABLE (Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange model) including the global biogeochemical model (CASA-CNP) and meteorological inputs from GCP-TRENDY to estimate net CO₂ fixing with consideration of only C and N cycles, or also with P, under the climate “business as usual” scenario RCP8.5. This scenario implies a global temperature rise of 5.7°C and an increase in atmospheric CO₂ of +250% from today’s levels. Phosphorus limitation is estimated to reduce net ecosystem biomass production (net carbon fixing) by 15% per year in China by 2060 (with a reduction in cumulated fixed carbon over the coming four decades of >11% for China), and by over 7.5% per year worldwide (cumulated >5%).

“Phosphorus Limitation on Carbon Sequestration in China under RCP8.5”, J. Peng et al., Advances in Atmospheric Sciences 2023 DOI.

Filter media for phosphorus capture from domestic wastewaters

Filtration columns filled with different configurations of Rockfos® and Leca® material were tested on real domestic wastewater to assess phosphate capture during a two-year experiment. Biologically treated wastewater (~7 mg P/l, pH ~7) was filtered with mixtures of Rockfos® (a CaO and SiO₂-rich material produced from carbonate-siliceous rock) and Leca® (a light expanded clay aggregate material), with a total of 20 litres of filter material. Applied flow rates were 20 and 40 l/day, with a retention time of 12 and 6h, respectively. The combination of 90% Rockfos® with 10% Leca® was identified as optimal among the tested options, and high phosphate (PO₄) removal efficiency (~94%) was obtained for all columns tested at 20 l/day flow rate and 12 h retention time, reducing phosphorus to 0.4 mg P-PO₄/l in the effluent. Lower removal (~80%, ~1.70 mg P-PO₄/l) was obtained at 40 l/day inflow rate, due to reduced contact time. For these reasons, authors suggest to use 1 m³ of these filter materials for 1 m³/day of wastewater throughflow when designing P-removal systems. The filtration columns performed better during the first 250 days of testing, due to the high availability of reactive Ca²⁺on grain surfaces. In the later stages of the test, removal efficiency decreased and was particularly low at inflowing temperature below 10°C, because of the slower chemical processes of phosphate precipitation in the filters. The alkaline characteristic of the filter material resulted in treated wastewater outflow initially at pH12 and still at pH9 after 300 days, which could be incompatible with discharge constraints. As indicated in Scope Newsletter n°138, challenges in implementation are the pH of the treated water, and selecting materials which can be recycled as a fertilising material after phosphorus uptake (plant availability of the phosphorus, low levels of contaminants).

“Long-term operating conditions for different sorption materials to capture phosphate from domestic wastewater” A. Jucherski et al., Sustainable Materials and Technologies 31, e00385 (2022), DOI. See also Gubernat et al. in Scope Newsletter n°138

Recirculating struvite for nitrogen removal

Lab and pilot tests of struvite redissolution using calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)₂ then sulphuric acid aim to enable application of struvite precipitation to remove ammonia from coal coking water with posssible ammonia recovery. Coking water contains organic compounds and ammonia nitrogen (TAN), and biological treatment often fails to achieve TAN discharge limits. Struvite precipitation is a robust route for TAN removal, but consumption of phosphorus and magnesium are cost prohibitive. Here a process to recycle the struvite back to soluble P and Mg compounds using low-cost chemicals (calcium hydroxide, sulphuric acid) was tested at the lab scale (30 g of struvite produced by precipitation from coking water) and then continuous pilot using coking water. The ammonia driven off could potentially be recovered. The struvite was first dissolved using calcium hydroxide solution, with aeration to drive off released ammonia. Increasing temperature, molar ratio (calcium hydroxide:ammonia) and aeration rate increased ammonia release efficiency, achieving 85% - 90% release at molar ratio 2:1, 35°C and gas-liquid ratio of 3500 (reaction time not specified). 9M sulphuric acid was then used to “activate” the struvite dissolution products by reducing pH to 2.5 - 3, resulting in soluble magnesium phosphate and precipitation of gypsum (calcium sulphate) – this is a comparable reaction to acid attack of phosphate rock. A pilot struvite reactor (20l hydraulic residence time 1 hour plus 40l settling zone 2 hours) was built and tested for continuous N removal from coking water and the precipitated struvite was dissolved – recirculated six times (seven uses). Results showed initial TAN removal from the coking water of nearly 90%, falling only slightly to around 85% by the 6^th recycle. Removal efficiency of 90% could be maintained by adding phosphate.

“Ammonia nitrogen removal from coking wastewater and high quality gypsum recovery by struvite recycling by using calcium hydroxide as decomposer”, H. Huang et al. J. Environmental Management 292 (2021) 112712, DOI.

Nitrogen recycling

ESPP summary of nitrogen recovery perspectives in Fertilizer Focus

Leading fertiliser industry magazine publishes ESPP summary of work on N-recovery. ESPP notes that the few N-recycling installations operational today produce (dilute) aqueous ammonia salt solutions. These can be valorised regionally to farmers, but are not compatible with transport and reprocessing in the fertiliser industry (except in specific local circumstances). ESPP suggests to investigate feasibility of processes to recover ammonia as a compressed gas (e.g. via zeolites, geopolymers, ionic liquids), new routes to recover solid ammonium compounds and new processes to capture nitrogen from NO_x stripping (in combustion, industry). ESPP is looking for companies to co-fund a joint “blue sky” industrial feasibility study of such new N-recovery routes.

Fertilizer Focus (Argus Media), July/August 2023, free online https://www.argusmedia.com/en/fertilizer/fertilizer-focus

See also SCOPE Newsletter n° 145 (summary of ESPP’s first N-recovery workshop) and n° 147 (summary of N-recovery science publications). Summary of WARM (White Ammonia Research Meeting) is underway.

Sewage sludge biochars as fertilisers

ESPP – EBI workshop at the Biochar Summit Helsingborg

Process to reconsider the exclusion of sewage sludge from EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) “pyrolysis and gasification products” could start in 2023. EBI will coordinate data input on contaminant safety and agronomic value.

The Biochar Summit brought together several hundred industry and science participants. In this context, the ESPP-EBI joint workshop, with around fifty participants, welcomed European Commission and expert presentations on removal of organic contaminants in sewage sludge biochar processes, analysis methods and data availability and water industry interest for development of pyrolysis as a route for sewage sludge nutrient and carbon valorisation.

Christian Wieth, Aquagreen (Chair of EBI working group on sewage sludge carbonisation), opened the workshop, explaining the shared objective to collate evidence showing the contaminant safety, nutrient value to crops and carbon sequestration contribution of sewage sludge biochar, to support future acceptance of sewage sludge as an input to CE-Mark fertilisers (EU FPR CMC14, from which it is currently excluded).

Ana-Lucia Crisan, European Commission (DG GROW – Fertilisers), confirmed that at present sewage sludge is excluded as an input for European Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) CMC14 “Pyrolysis and gasification materials”, but that sewage sludge biochars can be used in agriculture in some Member States under national fertilisers regulations and/or under waste valorisation plans. CMC14 was adopted in 2021, as part of the “STRUBIAS” criteria, in parallel to the EU FPR. It is now integrated into the consolidated version of the FPR published here. These criteria were based on the JRC STRUBIAS report 2019, which concluded (page 136 onds.) that there was not sufficient evidence to prove the safety of organic contaminants in sewage sludge biochars, that is evidence of their elimination in the pyrolysis/gasification process. This report stated: “the current proposal to exclude sewage sludge from the eligible input material list for CMC pyrolysis & gasification materials could possibly be revised once robust and extensive techno-scientific evidence underpins the safe use of (specific) pyrolysis & gasification materials derived from sewage sludge”. The current CMC14 criteria specify minimum processing conditions defined for input materials with low levels of contaminants (180°C for at least 2 seconds) and more demanding conditions would need to be specified where sewage sludge would be an input. Following the stakeholder consultation organised by DG GROW last year, sewage sludge as an input for CMC14 is included in the materials to be assessed for the European Commission (tender closed July 2023 HERE). This is expected to be a two-year study starting before end 2023. Stakeholders will be invited to input information on the safety, agronomic effectiveness, legal status, production and processing and potential for significant trade of sewage sludge pyrolysis / gasification materials. In particular, information on safety of organic contaminants in these materials should be more recent than, or otherwise not considered in, the 2019 JRC STRUBIAS report (see refence list of this report). If this study concludes that evidence now shows safety, agronomic value and trade potential as fertilising products of sewage sludge pyrolysis and gasification materials, with appropriate processing criteria, then CMC14 could be modified by Commission Delegated Act, after the relevant consultation procedures (maybe around one year additional time).

Christian Wieth, AquaGreen, noted that sewage sludge biochars are today used in agriculture under national fertilisers regulations in Sweden and under waste regulations in Denmark. They provide nutrients, improve soil water holding capacity and fix carbon. Sewage sludge biochar data from Pyreg, NGE and AquaGreen show that sewage sludge biochar typically meets the PFC contaminant criteria of the EU FPR, except possibly for zinc. Scientific literature indicates that dioxins, pharmaceuticals and pathogens are eliminated by pyrolysis at 500°C for 3 minutes, but there is not sufficient data concerning PFAS at 500°C. This could be addressed by requiring PFAS analysis and then exempting from further testing if no PFAS is found after three months. Furthermore, both Pyreg and AquaGreen have shown that PFAS is not detectable in the flue gas from their pyrolysis systems.

Helmut Gerber, Pyreg, summarised US EPA data showing that pharmaceuticals, PAH and dioxins are not found in sewage sludge biochars with pyrolysis at 500°C or higher, and PFAS is not found from around 600°C. A challenge however is that higher pyrolysis temperatures result in lower plant availability of the phosphorus in the biochar. Pyreg’s sewage sludge biochar (pyrolysis @ 600°C) showed crop growth of around 90% compared to mineral phosphate fertiliser in field trials in Hessen, Germany (biochar from sewage works using iron/aluminium for P-removal, see SCOPE Newsletter n°144). The NAC solubility of the phosphorus in this biochar (78,7%) was very slightly below the 80% threshold specified for declaring phosphorus as a nutrient under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (Annex III – PFC 1, 4b).

Gerard Cornelissen and Katinka Krahn, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, summarised extensive laboratory studies into organic contaminants in biochars. Test methods generally used do not extract, or underestimate, organic contaminants in biochars because they are strongly bound into the biochar. This also means that the organic contaminants are not bioavailable in soil. Pyrolysis at c. >500°C generally ensures >99.9% removal of PCBs, PAHs, dioxins (load in input feed material / load in biochar). For dioxins, over 70% is usually eliminated, with the remainder mostly transferred to pyrolysis oils and very little to flue gases. However, in some cases, in particular at high temperatures (c. >800°C), dioxin toxicity may be increased by changes in congeners or modification to furans.

David Gustavsson, VA SYD and Sweden Water Research, presented the Swedish REVAQ sewage sludge quality certification scheme, which jointly engages the water industry, farmers, supermarkets, consumer associations and the Sweden EPA. A key benefit of REVAQ is that it has pushed reduction of contaminant inputs to sewage, from industry or household toxic chemicals. Around 50% of Sweden’s sewage sludge is today REVAQ certified and is valorised in agriculture. However, there are concerns about organic contaminants and the water industry is looking at pyrolysis as a route to remove organic contaminants and reduce cadmium. Pyrolysis can be operated in smaller units than sewage sludge incineration, so reducing sludge transport and enabling flexibility, and offers benefits as a carbon sink with a potentially positive energy balance. VA SYD will soon be operating an AquaGreen pilot sewage sludge biochar plant (see SCOPE Newsletter n°144) to test pyrolysis of sewage sludges from different sewage works and to carry out field trials of sewage sludge biochars, in particular to assess phosphorus crop availability.

Richard Lancaster, Atkins Global Bioresources Director, emphasised that sewage sludge management is not a choice but a necessity, with significant growth in production worldwide as populations grow, standards of living increase and environmental standards tighten. If poorly managed, sewage sludge can cause pollution, odours, increase emissions and have significant carbon impacts, whilst missing opportunities to valorise resource value, for example nutrients. The water industry faces challenges to biosolids valorisation in agriculture, due to growing concerns with regard to micropollutant contamination, for example organic contaminants and microplastics. The water industry wants to keep open a range of possible sewage sludge management routes / pathways which enable adaptation to future policy and environments, resource recovery and advanced thermal conversion, using technologies such as pyrolysis, whereas incineration for example closes other options. To enable alternative strategies there is a need to enhance understanding of deployment, explore output markets, refine regulations and gain a greater understanding on operating models / experience to support investment choices. Upstream reduction of contaminants at source is, however, the first priority.

Robert van Spingelen, ESPP President, closed the workshop, concluding that it is now necessary to collect data on elimination of organic contaminants (in particular PFAS, pharmaceuticals, microplastics) in sewage sludge pyrolysis and gasification processes, on analysis methods, and on levels of these contaminants in the resulting biochars, as well as data on phosphorus crop availability in sewage sludge biochars and on other agronomic benefits, including long-term carbon storage in soil. He underlined that the biochar industry also needs to propose consensus processing conditions and other criteria for possible inclusion of sewage sludge pyrolysis and gasification materials into CMC14 of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. The European Biochar Industry Consortium indicated that they will centralise this data collection and make proposals.

ESPP – EBI workshop at the Biochar Summit, 14^th June 2023 www.biochar-summit.eu

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Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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ESPP new members
PYREG
NOAH AS

Consultations, calls & tenders
EU public consultation on Critical Raw Materials to 30^th June
EU Polluter Pays Policy consultation to 4^th Aug. 2023
EU tender on new input materials and biostimulant micro-organisms for FPR
EU tender for study on Animal By-Products (ABPs) in fertilising products

Nutrient Platforms
Italian Phosphorus Platform restarts its activities

Critical and Strategic Raw Materials
Joint Declaration supporting phosphorus to be a Strategic Raw Material
EuChemS webinar discusses why phosphorus (P) is essential to humanity

EU knowledge report on nutrient management
JRC study to support INMAP

UK water industry collaborative research reports
Contaminants and biosolids
Review of sewage sludge biochar processes

Research and development
1^st White Ammonia Research Meeting (WARM, Brussels & hybrid, 7^th June 2023)
Energy and phosphorus recovery from fish farm discharge
27-year field trial of organic wastes as fertilisers
Cerium for P-removal and hypothetical recovery
Iron-loaded plastic fibre lab tested for P removal – recovery by adsorption
Pharmaceuticals and heavy metals release from sewage sludge biochar

Stay informed

ESPP members

ESPP new members

PYREG

PYREG is the global lead manufacturer of pyrolysis installations, with over 50 biochar plants operating worldwide, stabilising carbon into biochar and producing renewable energy. PYREG was set up in 2009 as a spin-off from TH Bingen, University of Applied Sciences. Today, PYREG’s installed biochar plants stabilise over 30 000 t/y of CO₂ from biomass or from wastes such as sewage sludge, food waste and biomass residues, binding the carbon long-term into biochar. The CO₂ bound into biochar can be certified and traded. The biochar can be used in technical applications or applied to soil. When phosphorus-containing substrates are pyrolysed (e.g. sewage sludge, food waste, food industry by-products), the phosphorus is retained in the biochar and can be returned to soil as a slowly plant-available nutrient. Six PYREG pyrolysis plants are today operating with dried sewage sludge as input, treating 1 300 – 3 900 t/y, and several others with various dry biomass residues as input, treating up to 3.300 t/y. The sewage sludge biochar contains 15 - 35% organic carbon, 6 - 7% P, around 1% N and more than 10% K (all as % of dry solids). PYREG sewage sludge biochar is registered as a fertiliser in Sweden (PYREGphos). By becoming a member of ESPP, PYREG will communicate with regulators, research, potential customers and companies offering technologies with potential synergies, and will promote pyrolysis as a route to fixing carbon in sewage sludge and to recycling phosphorus to agriculture.

https://www.pyreg.de/

NOAH AS

A waste management and recycling company, in minerals, stone and contaminated soils, as well as hazardous wastes and batteries, NOAH’s aims are circularity and a non-toxic material cycle, including nutrient recovery from fly ash. NOAH, part of Gjelsten Holdning group, has today around 135 staff and 25 years proven expertise in safe chemical-technical treatment solutions to manage wastes safely for people and the environment. Examples are zinc, mercury, arsenic, lead, hydroxides, and reactive metals. At Langøya (photo), NOAH processes the wastes into a gypsum matrix that binds and stabilises pollutants, treating around 500 kt/y of hazardous waste and relandscaping an old lime quarry. NOAH is developing recovery of mineral salts using a purification system to remove remaining impurities (sulphates, heavy metals, other metals) then a concentration process where sodium and potassium chlorides precipitate from the calcium chloride rich mother brine. Sodium and potassium salts are separated, crystallised and dried. NOAH is also testing phosphorus recycling from calcium phosphate slag, using the nitro phosphate process to produce pure gypsum and phosphoric acid. NOAH believes policies should move away from landfilling to circularity. EU regulations need to be optimised to make the transition to the Circular Economy. NOAH is joining ESPP to work together for these transitions

https://en.noah.no

Consultations, calls & tenders

EU public consultation on Critical Raw Materials to 30^th June

Consultation extended to 30^h June 2023 on draft EU Critical Raw Materials Regulation, before discussion in EU Parliament and Council, covering Critical and Strategic Raw Materials Lists, with update of the EU Critical Raw Materials List. Elemental phosphorus (P₄) and phosphate rock are NOT included in the proposed list of “Strategic” Raw Materials (see ESPP eNews n°74).

ESPP has input to provide reasons why Elemental Phosphorus (P₄ and derivates) and Purified Phosphoric Acid (PPA) should both be included in the “Strategic Raw Materials” List.

ESPP also suggests that materials critical for EU food security should be assessed and defined Strategic.

ESPP’s input to the public consultation is on the EU website here and the full document submitted is at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory (see under “EU Critical Raw Materials”)

Individuals, companies and organisations can input to the EU public consultation until 30^th June here (4000 characters free text plus optional document).

EU Polluter Pays Policy consultation to 4^th Aug. 2023

Consultation asks questions about Polluter Pays Policy implementation. At the same time, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive recast proposes PPP for costs of removing pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in sewage works. The public consultation on PPP open to 4^th August asks about pollutant costs, which pollutants should be targeted, how PPP should be implemented including how the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) should be integrated into prices of products and what impacts this could have. This consultation is open to input from the general public, companies and organisations. At the same time, the recast of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, currently in discussion in European Parliament and Council, raises the question of PPP. The Commission’s proposed text would introduce PPP (here called “Extended Producer Responsibility”) for costs of removing pharmaceutical and cosmetics residues in sewage works (Recital 13, arts. 9, 10, 30 and Annex 3) and will evaluate for 2030 whether this should be enlarged to other chemicals found in wastewater.

Legislative dossier underway Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive recast https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2022/0345(COD)&l=en

“Polluter Pays Principle – fitness check of its application to the environment”, EU public consultation open to 4^th August 2023 HERE

EU tender on new input materials and biostimulant micro-organisms for FPR

The European Commission has opened a tender for studies on microorganisms for inclusion as biostimulants and on possible other new materials as inputs for the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR). The tender includes two lots. The first will develop methodology for assessing microorganism which are candidates for inclusion in EU FPR “biostimulants” (addition into CMC7), including their safety, agronomic effectiveness, legal status, production and processing, potential for significant trade, etc. The study will then use the methodology to assess a number of microorganisms proposed under the EU survey held in 2022 (see ESPP eNews n°69). The second study lot will assess candidate new input materials and treatments for possible inclusion into CMCs of the EU FPR, starting by screening submissions made under this 2022 survey. “Indicative examples” cited include materials from: human excreta; algae grown on waste waters; nutrients from battery recycling; from feed industry; sewage sludge; sludge from fish farming; seafood processing residues; and additional processing methods or input materials for a number of CMCs. This study will then assess potential for significant trade, environmental and health safety, agronomic efficiency, and will then make technical proposals for FPR Annex II amendments for materials identified as relevant. Estimated total tender value is 275 K€ (125 K€ for microorganisms, 150 K€ for new CMC materials).

DG GROW tender (TED), open to 17^th July @ 9h00 GROW/2022/OP/0046 “Technical Studies to Support the Inclusion of New Materials and Microorganisms under the Fertilising Products Regulation” HERE

EU tender for study on Animal By-Products (ABPs) in fertilising products

The European Commission has pre-announced an upcoming tender for a study on agronomic value and environmental safety of certain Animal By-Products in fertilising products (CMC10). As indicated in ESPP eNews n°75, the authorisation of certain ABPs in CE-mark fertilising products (under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation FPR – CMC10) is very, very slowly progressing. It is our understanding that the DG SANTE Delegated Act amending the Animal By-Product Regulations to define “end points” allowing use of certain ABPs in EU fertilising products (that is, without traceability) is now finalised and will hopefully be published in the Official Journal within a few months (link below). However, these ABPs can only be added to the EU FPR (CMC10) after assessment by the European Commission (DG GROW) of their agronomic value and environmental safety. For “processed manure”, this will be done by the Commission itself (JRC), see ESPP’s input HERE. For ABPs other than “processed manure” cited in the SG SANTE Delegated Act, and possibly for other ABPs which could be considered for future integration into the FPR, the study of agronomic value and environmental safety will be contracted, and for this DG GROW has published a tender pre-announcement.

DG GROW CMC10 ABP agronomic and environmental safety study pre-announcement 5/6/2023: HERE

DG SANTE Delegated Act for “end points” for certain ABPs for use in fertilisers: HERE

Nutrient Platforms

Italian Phosphorus Platform restarts its activities

A new two-year collaboration agreement has been signed between the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and ENEA for the resumption of the activities of the “Italian Phosphorus Platform”. A webinar on the 15^th March launched this second ENEA contract which covers two years. The meeting was opened by Carlo Zaghi (MASE), who emphasised the challenges and opportunities of circularity. Maria Grazia Verdura (MASE Technical Secretariat) introduced the Italian National Table on Critical Raw Material, which aims to enhance national coordination and generate proposals to establish regulatory, economic, and market conditions that promote a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, including phosphorus. Claudia Brunori (ENEA) introduced the Italian Phosphorus Platform objectives of closing the loop in the phosphorus cycle to achieve long-term Italian self-sufficiency in phosphorus supply. Representatives from ENEA presented results achieved by the four thematic groups during the first two-year Platform programme (2018-2019, six published reports, in Italian, here) and planned activities for the 2023-2024 period. Alessandro Spagni (ENEA) presented the reports prepared in 2019 on phosphorus recovery technologies. At that time, only one full-scale P-recovery plant was operating in Italy (Colsen struvite recovery in Emilia-Romagna), but there was significant research interest and company pilot tests. The report emphasised that Italian phosphorus fluxes are primarily linked to agriculture and that there is a strong focus on recovery from liquid and solid organic fractions from wastewater treatment. The future activities include updating the “technology catalogue” (13 technology summaries) and assessing potential replicability of international technologies in Italy. Over 30 people, primarily from industries and sector associations, participated in the report on legislation (coordinated by Sergio Cappucci, ENEA), which analysed more than 90 legislations related to phosphorus at the European, Italian and regional levels. This report will now be updated. Francesca Ceruti (ENEA) presented a comparative study of other Member States' policies related to phosphorus and a market analysis on the phosphorus cycle in terms of supply and demand. The main critical issues in the sector, hindering the closure of the phosphorus cycle and market development, were identified as the lack of specific regulation on end-of-waste and recovery, as well as a lack of public awareness. The two reports will also be updated over the next two years, and a feasibility study will be conducted to establish a national database on phosphorus. This database will track the main users and sellers of phosphorus on the basis of stakeholder inputs, including those who recover it from secondary sources.

The first meeting of the four thematic groups took place online on May 30^th 2023, 9h-16h, with around 2 hours per thematic group. To participate in future meetings contact:

Italian Phosphorus Platform website: https://www.piattaformaitalianafosforo.it/en

Critical and Strategic Raw Materials

Joint Declaration supporting phosphorus to be a Strategic Raw Material

ESPP is coordinating a joint declaration, for signature by concerned companies and other organisations, calling for Elemental Phosphorus (P₄ and derivates) and Purified Phosphoric Acid (PPA) to be included in the “Strategic Raw Materials” List. The Declaration explains that phosphorus is necessary for the “Strategic” industry sectors defined in the draft Critical Raw Materials Act (batteries, renewable energies, electronics and data, aerospace) because it is needed for battery electrolytes and cathodes, photovoltaic panels, fuel cells, semiconductors, hydraulic fluids and for fire safety in all of these sectors. The objective is to input to the discussion of the draft Act in the European Parliament and Council. If you wish to include your company or organisation signature, please contact ESPP.

You can input to the EU public consultation to 30^th June here

ESPP’s input to the public consultation here

Joint Declaration calling for phosphorus to be included in the EU Strategic Raw Materials List www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

EuChemS webinar discusses why phosphorus (P) is essential to humanity

Nearly 200 participants at the EuChemS webinar organised from the European Parliament, discussing phosphorus uses, stewardship and recycling, and concluding that the element P should be identified as critical.

The webinar was opened by Maria Spyraki, Member of the European Parliament, and Christos Vasilakos, Senior Policy Advisor to Ms. Spyraki, who highlighted the essential role of the European Chemical Society and underlined that phosphorus is essential for both biological life and the human body, and for industry, but that build ups in water and soils are problematic. P-recycling is necessary both to reduce losses and for the Circular Economy.

Evamarie Hey-Hawkins, Leipzig University and Floris Rutjes, Radboud University and EuChemsS President, underlined that P is essential for food production. Mineral nitrogen fertilisers ensure food for around half the world’s population. For phosphorus, ESPP estimates that mineral P fertilisers currently feed 4/5 of the world’s population, but this is an estimate, and better data from science would be welcome.

Nicola Armaroli, CNR Italy (National Research Council) explained that EuChemS has developed a Periodic Table based on the abundance of elements on Earth and identifying by colours which elements are critical for humanity and subject to resource scarcity or conflicts (latest version here): P is currently indicated as yellow (limited availability, future risk to supply). Participants at the webinar suggested that P should also be indicated as deep red (problems due to losses and over-use) and that specific forms of P should be included in the EU “Strategic” Raw Materials list, currently open to public consultation and to debate in the European Parliament and Council (see under public consultations, above).

Alessandra Quadrelli, CNRS France (National Research Council) outlined work on Planetary Boundaries and discussed challenges of resource sustainability, indicating that P use and losses show exceedance by a factor of more than 4x and that this prejudices food security. Dana Cordell, University of Technology Sydney, underlined the nature of phosphorus vulnerability, including geopolitical risks, short-term supply-chain disruptions that led to last year’s 400% phosphate price spike, in addition to P losses, and that only around 20% of mined P applied to crops ends up consumed in food, as P is bound to soil and lost to water, causing eutrophication. She spoke of overcoming market barriers to scaling up circular phosphorus value chains and the need to improve P governance so that all farmers worldwide have access to sufficient phosphorus to ensure soil fertility and food security whilst avoiding eutrophication. Chris Slootweg, University of Amsterdam, underlined the need for systems thinking to develop phosphorus circularity and address losses and eutrophication. Jan Weigand, Dresden Technical University, summarised work underway to find routes to organophosphorus chemicals needed by industry without using the chlorinated vector chemical PCl₃.

Andreas Rak, Remondis, presented the company’s TetraPhos process to recover phosphoric acid (brand name: REPACID) from sewage sludge incineration ash. A first full scale installation (20 000 t ash / year) is currently underway starting operation in Hamburg. The plant is owned and operated by HPHOR (Hamburger Phosphorrecyclinggesellschaft mbH), a public private partnership between REMONDIS and HAMBURG WASSER.

Chris Lawson, CRU, summarised trends in P use. Today around 200 million tonnes/year of phosphate rock is mined, of which around 95% is sedimentary and nearly 5% igneous. Prices spiked following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but have since come down and are currently around twice their 2000 level, with considerable differences between different grades of rock. Only around 2/3 of world mine capacity is currently utilised, so that there is little incentive to invest to increase production. Morocco and Saudi Arabia have significantly increased rock extraction over recent years. World trade in phosphate rock fell from 2000 to 2015 (more or less stable since) as mining countries tend to move to process rock to phosphoric acid, fertilisers or other products, trading these not rock. This means that the world’s biggest exporter of phosphate rock is today Jordan. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries are expected to develop considerably in coming years, in particular for grid energy storage, and may require 9-10 million tonne/year of phosphate rock by 2035, but this remains small compared to total world phosphate rock production.

Robert van Spingelen, ESPP President, explained why two specific forms of P, elemental phosphorus (P₄) and Purified Phosphoric Acid (PPA) are both essential for the “Strategic” industry sectors targeted by the proposed EU Critical Raw Materials Act (batteries, renewable energies, electronics and data, aerospace). ESPP therefore considers that these two materials should be added to the EU “Strategic Raw Materials” list. The EU public consultation is open to 30^th June (see above). ESPP also suggests that food security is “Strategic” for Europe and that raw materials essential for food security should be assessed for a second “Strategic” list.

EuChemS Science-Policy Phosphorus Workshop “The role of chemicals in our daily life: the phosphorus element, feeding the world and beyond”, online from the European Parliament, 25^th May 2023 here.

EuChems periodic table “The 90 natural elements that make up everything. How much is there? Is that enough? Is it sustainable?”, 3^rd version 2023 https://www.euchems.eu/euchems-periodic-table/

EU knowledge report on nutrient management

JRC study to support INMAP

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has published a study to support the upcoming Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan (INMAP) and Biodiversity Strategy and Farm-to-Fork target of reducing nutrient losses by 50% by 2030.

ESPP comment: this is a knowledge review and does not make regulatory/political proposals: these should be in the European Commission’s INMAP proposal which is forthcoming. The report does however assess whether current policies can be expected to achieve this 2030 target.

The study reviews available literature and data to assess nutrient flows, divergences from environmental targets and measures to reduce nutrient losses, including spatial maps and summaries by EU country. The current relevant regulatory context applicable to waste management is summarised.

Annual input of P in the EU is estimated at 1 MtP/y and reactive nitrogen 8 MtN/y to air and 5 MtN/y to water. Planetary boundaries for the EU are estimated at c. 0.4 MtP/y and 4.4 MtN/y, so in both cases considerably lower than 50% of current inputs. Around 40% of P and 50% of N entering agricultural production is estimated to end up in waste.

Nutrient recycling is addressed in particular as a route to reduce losses, including assessing nutrient recycling potential, possible contribution to reducing nutrient losses, costs and economic benefits. A range of nutrient recycling routes and technologies are discussed in detail (pages (pages 49-62). Four nutrient recycling routes are considered in detail: mineral P and N fertilisers recovered from digestates by precipitation and scrubbing, P-recovery from ashes, mineral N recovery from offgases (from stables, manure storage, composting), use of digestate or compost in organic fertilisers (organic carbon containing fertilisers). The report notes that nitrogen recovery from combustion flue gases is not today operation, and that flue gas treatment often uses catalysis with ammonia or urea injection to convert N₂O/NO_x to N₂, so effectively consuming reactive nitrogen not recovering. JRC estimates that a maximum of 0.3 MtP/y and 1 MtN/y could be recovered to mineral fertilisers from waste or losses plus 0.3 MtP/y and 0.7 MtN/y by using wastes in organic fertilising products.

ESPP comment: these JRC estimates do not necessarily mean replacing fertilisers, as the waste may currently be reused as an organic fertilising material, e.g. manure slurry / digestate or sewage biosolids. For P, this JRC compares to 0.3 – 0.4 MtP/y estimated without including manure by Van Dijk et al. 2015, see SCOPE Newsletter n°117).

JRC suggests (p. 128-129) that recovery of nutrients to concentrated nutrient products could substitute a maximum of 25% and 10% of EU P and N mineral fertiliser consumption. This is estimated to have a cost of c. 6 billion €/y (additional cost compared to virgin mineral fertilisers) compared to environmental benefits to society of > 7 bn€/y.

Impacts of possible measures are analysed for atmospheric nitrogen losses and nutrient deposition to land, balanced mineral N fertilisation, reduction measures on P and N losses to freshwater and the sea and for different scenarios for the EU agro-food system. Actions currently announced or planned for wastewater treatment (revision underway), under CAP or for atmospheric nitrogen emissions (e.g climate actions FitFor55) are estimated to reduce nutrient losses (reaching the sea) by around 17% for P and 32% for N. ESPP comment: this is significantly less than the Biodiversity Strategy and Farm-to-Fork 50% reduction target. The report suggests that achieving food and feed self-sufficiency in Europe within nutrient environmental constraints will require structural changes to agri-food production and to dietary patterns. Regional variations could enable specific opportunities for nutrient loss reduction.

The report concludes that the results are preliminary and not exhaustive with uncertainties in modelling and data.

ESPP recommends to consult the full report, in particular key findings and conclusions (pages 124-131).

European Commission JRC, Grizzetti et al., “Knowledge for Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan (INMAP)”, 184 pages, 200 references, ISBN 978-92-68-02654-0 DOI.

UK water industry collaborative research reports

Contaminants and biosolids

UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) has published a number of reports into practical investigation of removal of contaminants in wastewater treatment and levels in treated sewage sludge (biosolids), including microplastics and antimicrobial resistance. See also summary of UKWIR report on sewage sludge biochar below and summaries of UKWIR phosphorus removal technology trials in ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°129.

The UK National Chemicals water industry’s Investigation Programme (CIP) is the UK water industry’s response to current and emerging concerns about trace chemical substances in the water environment. It brings together the 10 water and wastewater companies in England and Wales, with their environmental regulators, to investigate a range of chemical substances often present in domestic products that find their way into wastewater and biosolids and ultimately rivers and streams.

One of the investigations analysed 173 chemical contaminants in biosolids from eleven UK sewage sludge treatment centres (waste water treatment plants (wwtps) treating their own and other sewage sludge), finding 128 of these chemicals (above detection limits in at least half of samples) at one or more works, with wide variations both within and between centres (“Biosolids Products Data Report”). Some chemicals showed consistent patterns in sludge across the different centres, whereas others varied widely. Chemicals tested include pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, flame retardants (halogenated, non-halogenated), AMPA (metabolite of particularly glyphosate), PCBs, cosmetics, detergent chemicals, heavy metals, PFAS chemicals, as well as ions such as calcium, chloride, phosphorus, iron …

This data feeds into the “Biosolids Report” which aims to assess how wastewater and sludge treatment processes influence the fate of these contaminants in biosolids. This report concludes that the data enables to identify which chemicals are likely to be introduced into the environment by use of sewage biosolids in agriculture, but does not enable risk assessment. The studies did not analyse directly how levels of chemicals were impacted by wastewater treatment and sludge processes but it is concluded that fate of PFAS (removal, partitioning) is particularly uncertain and that some pharmaceuticals may be broken down in wastewater treatment but further data is needed. Most of the organic contaminants considered are removed from effluent discharge in wastewater treatment works by sorption to sewage sludge, not by breakdown (table 3.6, pages 45-46).

Microplastics were specifically studied at ten wwtps operating different treatment systems (trickling filters, activated sludge, fixed film activated sludge, biobead biological aerated fixed film). Microplastic removal (from discharge water) was very high (>99% by mass and by number of microparticles). Mostly acrylate, polyethylene and polypropylene polymers found, with no significant fibre forms. Microplastics are transferred to sewage sludge, not broken down, resulting in around one million microplastic particles per kg sewage biosolids (dry weight), so a total over 8 000 t/y of microplastics going to land in the UK. (although potential weaknesses in the mass prediction method mean that these values should only be seen as a starting point and not definitive). Managing the microplastic load to wwtps would therefore seem to be a suitable candidate for source control.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was also specifically studied concluding that wastewater treatment eliminates over 97% of ARG (antibacterial resistance genes). The treatment can however select for certain ARGs, this being related to metal concentrations not antibiotic pharmaceutical concentrations. Also, ammonia levels correlated to AMR in final effluent, suggesting that treatment conditions not favouring nitrification were related to lower ARG removal. No clear conclusions could be drawn concerning which wastewater treatments were more effective in reducing AMR, but anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge did reduce AMR. It is noted that further investigation is needed into AMR in sewage sludge and its fate in soils after land application of biosolids.

UKWIR National Chemical Investigations Programme 2020-2022:

“Biosolids Products Data Report”, vol. 6, ref. No. 22/EQ/01/27 (60 pages)

“Biosolids Report”, vol. 12, ref. No. 22/EQ/01/2339 (33 pages)

“Fate and behaviour of microplastics within wastewater treatment”, vol. 2, ref. No. 22/EQ/01/23 (117 pages)

“Changes to antimicrobial resistance through wastewater and sludge treatment processes”, vol. 1, ref. No. 22/EQ/01/22 (182 pages)

UKWIR research reports online https://ukwir.org/water-industry-research-reports

Review of sewage sludge biochar processes

UKWIR analysis suggests that pyrolysis can offer benefits for sewage sludge valorisation but raises questions on technology demonstration, fertiliser properties of sewage sludge biochars, regulatory and market aspects. The feasibility and options review of pyrolysis, gasification and HTC (hydro thermal carbonisation) is based on a literature search, contacts with technology suppliers (Green Waste Energy, Pyreg, Aqualia, Kobelco, Amey), technology scenarios and analysis by water industry operators. The report underlines that no one technology fits all, and that conclusions and implementation scenarios must be adapted to each water company’s context. Potential benefits of sewage sludge pyrolysis are identified as reduction of quantities (reducing transport), energy recovery (heat, biofuels), potential reduced carbon footprint and long-term carbon sequestration, reduction in emerging contaminants, elimination of pathogens. Uncertainties identified concern the wide range of technologies and different implementation scenarios, resulting in limited references relevant to sewage sludge and lack of data concerning energy consumption, sludge drying, operating challenges, robustness, cost; lack of evidence on long-term stability of carbon and of pollutants in sewage sludge biochars; legal uncertainties regarding output products and questions on whether carbon accounting will credit sequestration in biochar. The report recommends installing a demonstration plant in a UK sewage works as a water industry collaborative trial, undertaking long-term trials on the agronomic benefits and impacts of sewage sludge biochar applied to land, testing of uses of sewage sludge biochars for example as adsorbents in sewage works as well as further research into energy balances, carbon benefits, integration into sewage sludge processing (e.g. solid-liquid separation) and costs.

UKWIR 2023 “Converting sewage sludge to biochar – a review of options & feasibility”, ref. No. 23/SL/07/2 (254 pages).

UKWIR research reports online https://ukwir.org/water-industry-research-reports

Research and development

1^st White Ammonia Research Meeting (WARM, Brussels & hybrid, 7^th June 2023)

This first workshop on nitrogen recovery research attracted 70 participants in Brussels and 50 online. A wide range of routes for reusing N in organic waste streams were presented. A SCOPE Newsletter summary will be published soon. Different N recovery routes discussed included using waste streams to feed biomass production (algae, duckweed, microbial protein), N-recovery from separately collected urine, manure N stabilisation or local processing to organic fertilisers, recovery of ammonium sulphate solution, or production of ammonia gas for industry use (e.g. by adsorption from waste liquors or offgas followed by desorption as ammonia gas). Discussion suggested that ammonia sulphate solution is mainly adapted for local distribution to farmers (not economic to transport, even if concentrated, unless in specific use chains). Industry participants suggested that further R&D is needed on possible new technologies (adsorption/desorption by ionic liquids, geopolymers, recovery logistics for ammonia gas, recovery from NO_x/N₂O stripping) whereas researchers proposed more modelling studies.

https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/nrecovery

Energy and phosphorus recovery from fish farm discharge

PwC says that the 1 Mt/y of sludge from Norway fish farms which will be produced by 2050 could provide energy for 600 000 households and over 33 000 t/y of phosphorus. A full scale pilot is planned in Norway. Currently the sludge of fish excrements and food remnants goes into fjords and the sea, with discharge today of some 16 000 t/y of phosphorus to the sea, expected to triple as aquaculture increases by 2050. A full scale solution developed by Framo LiftUP, AquaProp and Ragn-Sells Havbruk is underway at Eide Fjordbruk Hardangerfjorden, and will collect some 18 000 t/year wet weight of sludge and dead fish instead of their sinking to the seabed (= c. 1 800 t/year dry weight, containing 3 - 3.5 % phosphorus). The sludge is taken to anaerobic digestion, where energy is recovered as methane. Phosphorus can then be recycled as a fertilising material in the processed digestate and studies are underway into nitrogen recovery in the digestate processing. A report by PwC for Vestland County Norway and the business network ARAL estimates that implementation of this technology can recover around 70% of sludge from fish farms, so reducing environmental footprint and enabling increased production (+600 t fish/y for an average size fish farm), offering the potential to produce 350 – 950 billion m³/y of biogas and recycle 33 500 t/y of phosphorus by 2050.

“Norwegian fish poo can power 600,000 households and supply entire countries with phosphorus”, Ragn-Sells 27/2/2023 LINK

“Circular solution for sludge recycling in Norwegian fish farming”, Ragn-Sells 31/8/2022 HERE.

27-year field trial of organic wastes as fertilisers

Long-term trial with sewage sludge and manures confirms the need to balance nutrients to crop needs not simply to nitrogen application rates. The 27-year trial at Cervený Újezd, Czech Republic, with maize each year, compared control (no added nutrients), mineral N-fertiliser (with or without also straw), sewage sludge and two manures, all at 120 kgN/ha/year. This resulted in c. 80 kgP/ha/y of phosphorus with sewage sludge (from a sewage works using iron and aluminium salts for chemical P removal) and 23-32 kgP/ha/y with manures. Above-ground maize biomass production was highest with N-fertiliser and wheat, followed by the two manures, then sewage sludge and N-fertiliser alone (these last two being around one third higher than control). Soil P decreased slightly in the control over the 17 years and decreased significantly with N-fertiliser (c. -10%) but increased nearly +50% with sewage sludge and c. +25% with the manures. Water soluble P was however 20-30% lower with sewage sludge than with manures, suggesting a lower risk of phosphorus losses despite higher soil P (presumably due to iron and aluminium).

“Side effect of organic fertilizing on the phosphorus transformation and balance over 27 years of maize monoculture”, D. Asrade et al., Field Crops Research 295 (2023) 108902, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.108902

Cerium for P-removal and hypothetical recovery

Cerium oxides are widely used in glass polishing. Lab study recovered cerium chloride from glass polishing slurry, tested for phosphate precipitation from brewery wastewater, then cerium recovery. The brewery wastewater had 630 mg/l suspended solids, 20 mgP/l, 46 mgN_-total/l, and significant levels of other ions including sulphur, calcium, potassium, magnesium. Cerium chloride crystals were recovered from the glass grinding slurry (which contained 82% CeO₂) by leaching with HCl and H₂O₂. This cerium solution was added as 0.05 mol/l to the wastewater in beakers to precipitate phosphorus (stirring 10-20 minutes with pH adjustment, settling for 5 minutes, tested Ce:P ratio of 1 to 2). Total P removal was >99% and suspended solids removal of >96%. Cerium recovery from the precipitated sludge was tested by leaching cerium with 15% hydrochloric acid, then precipitating with sodium hydroxide. Over 70% cerium recovery was achieved. The authors suggest that the remaining leached precipitation sludge enable phosphorus recovery but this was not demonstrated. This leached sludge contained nearly 25% P but also >12% cerium which could be an obstacle to use in fertilising products (cerium is both mildly toxic and also a plant micronutrient), and if the process was used on municipal wastewater the sludge would likely contain other heavy metals and contaminants.

“Removal of phosphate from brewery wastewater by cerium(III) chloride originating from spent polishing agent: Recovery and optimization studies”, P. Lejwoda et al., Science of the Total Environment 875 (2023) 162643 DOI.

Iron-loaded plastic fibre lab tested for P removal – recovery by adsorption

Plastic fibres loaded with iron were tested at lab-scale for phosphorus removal from synthetic solutions and for P-recovery by desorption with fibre reuse for P-removal. 99% P-removal was achieved. 5 reuse cycles were tested. Polypropylene fibres were aminated then loaded with iron by 3-step reaction with acrylamide, ammonium iron sulphate, benzoyl peroxide, toluene and iron chloride. An iron loading of 13.5% was identified as optimal. The iron-loaded fibres (PPFFe) were tested for P-removal from synthetic solutions of potassium sulphate, with also chloride, nitrate, carbonate and sulphate ions. The PPFFe fibres removed over 99% of soluble phosphate in continuous flow conditions, with good ion selectivity, reducing phosphate from 2 mgP/l to <0.2 mgP/l. P adsorption capacity of the PPFFe fibres was 3%P. The P-loaded PPFFe fibres were regenerated using 0.1 mol/l EDTA (chelating agent) showing 99% desorption over five PPFFe reuse cycles. The authors note that waste polypropylene fibres could be used. ESPP notes that testing in real wastewater, with other competing ions and suspended solids / organic carbon is needed, as is demonstration of how to recover a useable phosphorus material from the EDTA regeneration solution, to enable application for phosphorus recycling.

“Fabrication of recyclable Fe³⁺ chelated aminated polypropylene fiber for efficient clean-up of phosphate wastewater”, S. Zhao et al., Front. Chem. Sci. Eng. (2023) DOI.

Pharmaceuticals and heavy metals release from sewage sludge biochar

Pyrolysis of sewage sludge can reduce the content of pharmaceuticals and heavy metals in the resulting biochar and their availability to plants, depending on pyrolysis temperature and duration. Sludge from the municipal sewage treatment plant in Binhai District, Tianjin, China, was hydrothermally treated (2 litre reactor) at 180 and 240°C for 6 and 15 h. The sludge contained c. 50 µg/kg caffeine and c. 100 µg/kg acetaminophen (a pharmaceutical). The resulting sludge biochars were characterised in terms of elemental composition, surface properties, PPCPs and heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cu and Zn), and added to a hydroponic solution at doses of zero to 0.8 g/l to test their toxicity for wheat growth. For all of the contaminants tested (caffeine, acetaminophen and the heavy metals) concentrations in the sludge biochars were of similar magnitude to those in the sewage sludge (from c. 4x lower to c. 2x higher), with no general relation to the two tested temperatures or times. Lower doses of the biochars in the hydroponic solution had benefits for wheat growth or health, but higher doses showed toxicity and damage to plants. Caffeine, acetaminophen and heavy metals from the biochars were taken up and accumulated in the wheat, but with levels in wheat shoots below China drug and food additive standard limits.

“PPCPs and heavy metals from hydrothermal sewage sludge‑derived biochar: migration in wheat and physiological response”, K. Zhen et al., Environmental Science and Pollution Research 29, 83234–83246 (2022), DOI

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ESPP member logos 05.06.23 page 0001

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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White Ammonia – Nitrogen Recovery
1^st White Ammonia Research Meeting (WARM) - 7^th June 2023

EU public consultations
EU draft update of Slaughterhouse BAT BREF
EU public consultation on “Taxonomy”: green investment funding
EU public consultation on fertiliser digital labelling
EU public consultation on Critical Raw Materials

EU input needed – recycled fertiliser products
Input on processing of manure products
Comments on proposed analysis standards for STRUBIAS materials
Animal By-Products (ABPs) in EU Fertilising Products Regulation delayed again

Policy
European Commission document on Food Security
European Parliament position on fertilisers
Updated EU Regulation on agricultural statistics (SAIO)
European Environment Agency report on soil monitoring

Nutrient recovery inauguration
Inauguration of Ragn-Sells - EasyMining first Ash2Salt plant 5

Research and development
Ammonia losses to air from livestock and combustion
Black soldier fly for wastewater resource recycling
Overview of agricultural P loss challenges
Benefits of Legacy Phosphorus

Stay informed

ESPP members

White Ammonia – Nitrogen Recovery

1^st White Ammonia Research Meeting (WARM) - 7^th June 2023

ESPP is organising a first White Ammonia and N-recovery Research Meeting (WARM) in Brussels and hybrid, Wed. 7^th June 2023 (plus nitrogen recovery site visit 6^th June). This will showcase research and innovation into nitrogen recovery and make links from EU R&D policy to industry implementation. Confirmed presentations to date include: European Commission DG Research and DG Environment, Fertilizers Europe, Severn Trent and ACEA.

This is within EU Green Week, Brussels, and back-to-back to the 6^th Power to Ammonia Conference by NH3 Event, Europe’s biggest ammonia event, Rotterdam 8-9 June 2023 (one hour train from Brussels).

Proposals for presentations or posters are welcome:

Registration is now open: http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/events

EU public consultations

EU draft update of Slaughterhouse BAT BREF

Draft update of EU BAT BREF for Slaughterhouse & Animal By-Product and Co-Product Industries is published. Public comments are invited. IED (Industrial Emissions Directive) Forum members (includes ESPP) are invited to input comments by 11^th May latest, so please send any comments to ESPP by 8^th May. The 540 document is a proposed update of the existing 2005 BAT BREF. Techniques presented as BAT (Best Available Technology) include: phosphorus recovery as struvite for resource recovery ($2.3.2.7 page 96) and wastewater treatment ($2.3.6.5.3 page 157) and in BAT12 and BAT14 (for wastewaters with P_total> 50 mg/l, $5.1.6 and $5.1.7 pages 450-451); P-removal from wastewater by chemical precipitation or enhanced biological P-removal (EBPR); dicalcium phosphate manufacture from gelatine production ($4.5.2.2 page 427); anaerobic digestion with use of digestates as N, P, K containing fertiliser ($2.1.2 page 31). It is indicated page 378 that wastewater treatment sludge can be sent to incineration then P-recovery. Total phosphorus and total nitrogen emissions to water are KEIs (Key Environmental Indicators, p.25). Use of sludge from gelatine production, feathermeal, PAP processed animal proteins or blood byproducts directly on farmland as a fertilising material are cited (pages 354, 369, 374, 433). Ammonia N-recovery from rendering condensate is cited ($4.3.4.2.2 page 397). BAT14 specifies limits (for direct discharge) of 4 – 30 mg/l for N_total and 0.25 – 2 mg/l for P_total – ESPP suggests that these limits seem non-ambitious compared to limits widely applicable to municipal wastewater treatment plants. ESPP will input comments to propose to add to BAT1 (Overall Environmental Performance) a nutrient valorisation plan, conform to the waste hierarchy (food, feed, fertiliser). ESPP will also comment that anaerobic digestion should ensure Animal By-Product Regulation 142/2011 End-Point heat/time conditions, to ensure sanitisation, and to enable use of digestates as fertiliser.

Draft “Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Slaughterhouses, Animal By-products and/or Edible Co-products Industries”, proposed update of existing 2005 BREF http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference/ Comments to ESPP by 8^th may.

EU public consultation on “Taxonomy”: green investment funding

Consultation open to 3^rd May 2023 for EU Taxonomy Regulation, defining technologies eligible for green investment funding (and possibly by extension other support or policy tools): includes P-recycling from municipal wastewater (Annex II = contribution to the circular economy, § 2.1). The draft Delegated Regulation will be adopted by the European Commission after the public consultation period and internal concertation, and does not go to the European Parliament and Council. The proposed Regulation and Annexes are based on the initial reports published by the European Commission in 2021 and 2022, see ESPP eNews n°s 59 and 66. Some of ESPP’s comments on the first draft are taken into account (clarifications regarding recovery routes, inclusion of end-uses other than in fertilisers, requirement of end-product to have a use …). The criteria require that at least 15% of incoming phosphorus is recovered for processes at the waste water treatment plant, and at least 80% for processes treating sewage sludge ashes.

ESPP continues to regret that recovery of nitrogen or of other nutrients is not included, that the wording is likely to exclude some processes for processing P in sewage sludge to organic fertilisers (e.g. biochars), and that the criteria cover only phosphorus recycling from “waste water treatment plants” not from e.g. manure*.

The proposed Regulation also includes, amongst many other sectors, with specified conditions:

treatment of separately collected bio-waste through anaerobic digestion or composting with the resulting production and utilisation of biogas, digestate, compost or chemicals (Annex II – 2.5);
urban waste water treatment systems (Annex I – 2.2);
mechanical material recovery form non-hazardous waste (Annex II – 2.7). This does not cover chemical recovery of e.g. potassium from waste-to-energy combustion ashes, however the preamble (14) states that recovery of “metals and inorganic salts from … ashes from non-hazardous waste incineration” should be considered for inclusion in the next update of the Taxonomy criteria.

Unlike the initial Commission report, the proposed Regulation does not cover agriculture.

* The draft text refers to “recovery of phosphorus from on-site waste water treatment plants (WWTP) (aqueous phase and sludge) and from materials (i.e. ashes) after thermal oxidation (i.e. incineration) of sewage sludge”. It is unclear what this means. On the one hand, the text later refers to “sewage sludge”, but on the other hand it cites NACE codes “in particular” E37.00 = sewerage, E38.32 = does not exist (maybe should read E38.3.2 - Recovery of sorted materials ?) and F42.99 = does not exist (maybe should read F42.9.9 - Construction of other civil engineering projects n.e.c.).

“Sustainable investment – EU environmental taxonomy”, EU public consultation to 3^rd May 2023 and draft Delegated Regulation establishing further Technical Screening Criteria for the EU ‘Taxonomy’ Regulation 2020/852 HERE.

See also: European Commission taxonomy and sustainable finance web page HERE and EU Taxonomy Navigator online tool HERE.

EU public consultation on fertiliser digital labelling

Consultation open to 29^th May 2023 on draft amendments to the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) to enable digital labelling of EU fertilising products before discussion in EU Parliament and Council. The proposed amending Regulation modifies both articles of the FPR itself and of its annexes. Modifications enable obligatory labelling information to be provided by digital means and specify functioning of this, and also modify definitions of packaging and labelling requirements, in some cases, for labelling soluble content of nutrients, organic carbon, dry matter, micronutrients, pH and stability ranges …

Proposal for a regulation COM(2023)98. Consultation open to 29^th May HERE.

EU public consultation on Critical Raw Materials

Consultation extended to 19^th June 2023 on draft EU Critical Raw Materials Regulation, before discussion in EU Parliament and Council, covering Critical and Strategic Raw Materials Lists, with update of the EU Critical Raw Materials List, including phosphate rock and P₄ – details in ESPP eNews n°74 and Consultation here (4000 characters free text plus optional document).

EU input needed – recycled fertiliser products

Input on processing of manure products

The European Commission (DG GROW) is preparing criteria for use of hygienised manure materials in EU fertilisers, and looks for input to define what “post processing” methods to include in CMC10. The DG SANTE delegated act authorising the use of certain hygienised manure materials in EU fertilisers (defining an ABP End-Point “processed manure” as defined in the Animal By-Products Regulations) is now nearly finalised and may be published in coming months. The European Commission (DG GROW) will then prepare a modification to the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) to specify the inclusion of such “processed manure” in EU-fertilisers (in CMC10), see below. “Processed manure” here means manure which has been hygienised using the “standard methods” defined in the Animal By-Products (ABP) Regulation 142/2011, Annex XI, Chapter I, Section 2 (a), (b), (d) and (e). However, under the EU FPR, a CMC material can only be used in, or as, a fertilising product if there is no further treatment or processing. It is therefore important that the future CMC10 criteria for hygienised manure materials (ABP “processed manure”) specify the treatments which can be carried out (after the ABP hygienisation) for its use in fertilisers. Such treatments could include drying, granulation, solid-liquid separation, stabilisation, pH adjustment, possibly with additives to be specified necessary for such processes. Please send to ESPP specifications of treatments you suggest are relevant for hygienised manure (ABP “processed manure”) and which you suggest should be included in CMC10.

Input by email by 10^th May to ESPP

Comments on proposed analysis standards for STRUBIAS materials

The European Commission has circulated for comment a proposed mandate to CEN to develop some 30 new analysis standards for CMCs 11 – 15, that is by-products, STRUBIAS and recovered mineral materials, including precipitated phosphates, ash-based materials, pyrolysis/gasification materials. Proposed standards include methods for determination, in these materials where relevant for EU Fertilising Products Regulation criteria, of levels of phosphate, iron, other elements, organic carbon, H / C_org, macroscopic impurities, PAH₁₆, PCDD/F, pathogens and of hygienisation conditions (temperature, time).

Commission draft standards mandate here (for new proposed standards for STRUBIAS, by-products, recovered minerals) see Annex II, page 29 onwards). Comments by 10^th May to ESPP

Animal By-Products (ABPs) in EU Fertilising Products Regulation delayed again

The European Commission informed the Fertilisers Expert Group, 18^th April, that inclusion of “processed manure” into the EU Fertilising Products Regulation is delayed to at least end 2023 and other ABPs to at least end 2024. This is because environmental safety assessments are legally required. This concerns the Animal By-Products covered by the draft DG SANTE delegated act defining “End Points” for use in EU fertilisers (see ESPP eNews n°70). The Commission confirmed that manure (and other specified Cat. 2 and 3 ABPs) will however be authorised as input materials to EU fertilising product composts, digestates, precipitated phosphates, ash-based materials and pyrolysis materials (CMCs 3, 5, 12, 13, 14) as soon as the DG SANTE delegated act enters into force. It is ESPP’s understanding that this will mean that for these CMCs will be able to include manure / specified ABPs either (i) if these have been hygienised (by ABP ‘standard methods’: Regulation 142/2011) BEFORE entering the composting / digestion / combustion / pyrolysis process or (ii) raw manure / specified ABPs is input into the composting / digestion / combustion / pyrolysis process and this process itself respects the ABP “standard methods” obligations. ESPP will ask that this be clarified in the EU FPR Frequently Asked Questions document after the DG SANTE delegated act is published.

Policy

European Commission document on Food Security

EU communication on Food Security reminds that the EU is largely food self-sufficient but that food inflation is nearly 20%/year. Fertilisers supply and price accentuates other pressures reducing agricultural productivity: climate change, loss of pollinators, labour shortages … 61% of agricultural land is arable (and more than half of this is to produce animal feed), and 31% of agricultural land is grassland. Ecosystem contribution to crop yield values is estimated to be 21%, with the remainder resulting from human inputs (planting, labour, chemicals). Agriculture is the main source of nitrogen discharge to waters and contributes to eutrophication, and contributes over 10% of EU greenhouse emissions (over 2/3 of this related to livestock). The 100 page Communication discusses a wide range of drivers of food security including climate, pollution, soil health, pests and diseases, biodiversity, research and technology, production intensity, trade, speculation, energy prices, fertilisers, workers, economics and finances, land use, supply chain, food loss and waste and demography. Mineral fertilisers are considered to “play a significant role for food security”, but (nitrogen) fertiliser prices are directly connected to energy prices and the EU is largely dependent on fertiliser imports. The EU is estimated to be around 30% dependent on imports for N fertilisers, 68% for P and 85% for K. High energy prices risk increasing these dependencies. Increased fertiliser prices lead farmers to apply less, resulting in lower yields and impacting food availability and access. Nutrient management plans, soil conservation, precision agriculture, crop rotation with legumes and nutrient recycling are cited as mitigating pressure from high fertiliser prices. For the fertiliser industry, a “green transition” is considered critical, using green hydrogen, digestate and compost, with improved nutrient use efficiency and so lower nutrient losses to the environment.

“Drivers of Food Security”, European Commission SWD(2023)4, 4^th January 2023 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/analysis-main-drivers-food-security_en

European Parliament position on fertilisers

Parliament resolution supports development of organic and recycled fertilisers, underlines negative impacts of fertiliser prices on farmers, supports livestock farming and calls to increase the EU farm budget (CAP). The position notes that phosphorus and nitrogen exceed planetary boundaries in the EU, but also calls for increased regional flexibility to exempt from Nitrates Directive nitrogen application limits and for the “presence of livestock on most territories” for “a more uniform availability of organic fertilisers”. Parliament calls to amend the Nitrates Directive and to enable “temporary derogations” for RENURE materials and digestates. Parliament notes that many secondary nutrient sources are not optimally used, calls for Member States’ CAP Strategic Plans to stimulate development of organic fertilisers and for actions, including investments and business plans, to support and improve market access for organic and recycled fertilisers, as well as crop rotation with plants which fix nitrogen, nutrient use efficiency and precision farming. Parliament calls for implementation and upscaling of the Farm Sustainability Tool for Nutrients (FaST) to develop nutrient balances for farms.

Availability of fertilisers in the EU”, European Parliament resolution 16^th February 2023, “P9_TA(2023)0059 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0059_EN.html

Updated EU Regulation on agricultural statistics (SAIO)

New Regulation requires reporting of all fertilising products (as defined by the EU Fertilising Products Regulation), and of both nutrients used in fertilisers and nutrient balances. Member States will be required to report average fertiliser purchase prices for different fertiliser products, nutrients in fertilising products and nutrient balances, at either the national or regional NUTS2 level (to be defined by the European Commission), and covering 95% of the Member State agricultural area. Data on nine different parameters relevant to calculating national nutrient balances will be required: inorganic fertilisers, organic fertilisers (excluding animal manure), crop and forage nutrient contents, crop residues and nutrient coefficients, biological N fixation coefficients, atmospheric N deposition coefficients, seed nutrient content coefficients, livestock manure volumes and nutrient content coefficients.

(Amending) Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 on “statistics on agricultural input and output”, 23 November 2022, HERE.

European Environment Agency report on soil monitoring

EEA 200 page report proposes soil health indicators including parameters for phosphorus and nitrogen to ensure that low levels do not compromise productivity but also to limit nutrient losses. Chapter 3 on soil nutrient loss (phosphorus and nitrogen) underlines and explains the concept of “critical” phosphorus levels for crop yield, below which yields will be reduced, and above which additional phosphorus input makes little difference, but which may be different from the critical level for phosphorus losses, above which losses increase rapidly with higher inputs. The following soil health indicators and monitoring parameters are proposed for phosphorus and nitrogen (in combination with parameters including organic carbon, pH, contaminants, soil compression …):

Falling below of optimal phosphorus
P limitation based on exceedance of N:P ratio
Exceedance of critical levels of mineral nitrogen
N limitation based on exceedance of C:N ratio
Total (organic) nitrogen
C:N ratio
Total N
Mineral N
Total P
Available P: Pox/Al+Feox
Available K

Threshold levels are proposed for contaminants, but not for nutrients.

“Soil monitoring in Europe — Indicators and thresholds for soil health assessments”, European Environment Agency EEA Report No 08/2022 https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/soil-monitoring-in-europe and DOI

Nutrient recovery inauguration

Inauguration of Ragn-Sells - EasyMining first Ash2Salt plant

The first commercial facility recovering potassium, calcium and sodium salts from municipal waste incineration fly ash was inaugurated in Högbytorp, Sweden by the Swedish Minister of Climate and Environment, Romina Pourmokhtari, alongside Erik Sellberg, Chairman of Ragn-Sells Board. The Minister emphasised Sweden’s commitment to achieving Net Zero Emissions by 2045, that transitioning to a circular economy is crucial to achieving this goal, and underlined the role of active companies prioritising sustainable development. Pär Larshans (Director of Sustainability at Ragn-Sells) then led a panel discussion with Anette Blücher from EON/Nordic, Emma Nohrén from the Swedish Parliament, Ellen Einebrant from The Recycling Industries, and Mattias Peterson Ersoy from Upplands-Bro Municipality. The panel stressed the importance of industrial symbiosis in achieving the environmental targets, and the need to shift away from the current paradigm of waste plants towards that of resource plants.

Fly ash is a waste product generated during the cleaning of flue gases in municipal waste incineration plants. Due to its high content of salts (200 kg per ton of ash) and heavy metals, it is classified as hazardous waste. In Sweden alone, 300 000 tons of fly ash are produced annually. The Ash2Salt process allows the recovery of the salts (potassium, calcium, and sodium chloride) present in fly ash (Fig. 1,2). The inaugurated plant, which cost 70 million €, can treat up to 150 000 tons of fly ash per year, producing roughly 10 000-12 000 tons of NaCl (solid), 6 000 tons of KCl (solid), and 25 000 tons of CaCl₂ (saturated solution (36%) per year. The fly ash is received from 15 Swedish incineration and waste-to-energy plants, and is loaded into silos on the plant roof from ten 180 m³silos on the side of the plant (Fig. 3), as shown by Mattias Lindblad, Head of Production at the Ash2Salt plant. The ash is then dropped to vessels and mixed with water using propeller agitators, to dissolve the salts. After this, the ash is passed onto a belt (Fig. 4), allowing the water containing the salts and heavy metals to percolate through, leaving a "washed ash" or "cleaned ash" that can be deposited at a landfill for non-hazardous waste. Some research is underway to find alternative uses for the washed ash, while the cleaning water coming out of the filter, containing the salts and heavy metals, is treated to remove heavy metals (through precipitation and separation). Additionally, organics are removed through a carbon filter. An evaporator is used to increase the concentration of salts in the cleaning water, which can process 20 m³ of water per hour (Fig. 5). Once the solution becomes saturated in CaCl₂, NaCl and KCl begin to crystallize and are separated based on their different properties. This process leaves behind a 36% CaCl₂ solution, while ammonia released during the evaporation process is scrubbed out to (NH₄)₂SO₄. The recovered salts can be used for various purposes, including fertilisers (KCl, (NH₄)₂SO₄), dust control and deicing (CaCl₂), or other industrial processes (NaCl, KCl).

The inauguration event was preceded by a visit to EasyMining's R&D facilities in Uppsala. During the visit, Jan Svärd (CEO) and Yariv Cohen (Head of Research and Development) presented EasyMining’s Ash2Phos and Aqua2N technologies (see eNews 62 and 74, respectively), and Michael Pohl (Head of Research and Development, Omya) presented new approaches for Zero Liquid Discharge, including the Brine2Mineral project collaboration, which aims to remove Mg and Ca from brine effluent in the Ash2Phos process.

news75 image

Research and development

Ammonia losses to air from livestock and combustion

Isotopic analysis distinguishes ammonia air emissions from agriculture from combustion emissions, suggesting that around half are in Europe are from farming (fertilisers, animal wastes) and around half from combustion. The authors distinguish “v” ammonia emissions to air (volatilisation from fertilisers, fertilised and natural soils, animal wastes, water) from “c” emissions (combustion of fossil fuels or biomass). The authors compared the data for different N-isotopes in the ambient atmosphere (a), atmospheric particulates (p) and precipitation (w) for East Asia, Europe and North America. Comparison of ratios enables estimation of volatilised ammonia “v” (assumed by the authors to be mainly related to agriculture) and combustion ammonia “c”. They conclude that around 51%, 54% and 60% of ammonia losses to air are from volatilisation “v” in Europe, North America and East Asia respectively, but with margins of error of +/- 20%. They thus conclude that ammonia emissions are generally significantly underestimated.

“Significant contributions of combustion related sources to ammonia emissions”, Z-L. Chen et al., Nature Communications (2022) 13:7710, DOI.

Black soldier fly for wastewater resource recycling

Innovative process (patented) enables cultivation of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae in liquid, so coupling treatment of high organic carbon wastewaters and valorisation of nutrients and carbon. BSF are already commercially cultivated on solid organic wastes, to produce proteins, lipids, aquaculture feed and organic fertilisers (see Protix at SOFIE2). The fly larvae cannot normally survive in a liquid medium. The patented process overcome this by providing an inert physical support for larvae mobility: diving for eating and re-emerging for breathing. The process has been successfully tested to date at lab scale (0.15 l, 180 cm² surface area) using synthetic wastewaters and real wastewaters, including food processing wastewaters, landfill leachate. This suggests that the larvae need at a minimum organic carbon level in the feed wastewater to ensure sufficient food. Results (not yet published) suggest that the larvae system can remove c. 80% of nitrogen and 50% of phosphorus from waste water with initial levels c. 150 mgN/ and 16 mgP/l. After depletion of carbon and nutrients in the wastewater by the fly larvae, treatment can be completed with conventional technologies, while larvae are separated and recovered.

“The treatment of leachate using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae: Adaptability and resource recovery testing”, V. Grossule et al., 2020, J. Environ. Manage. 253, 109707, DOI.

“Treatment of wastewater using black soldier fly larvae , under different degrees of biodegradability and oxidation of organic content”, V. Grossule et al., 2022, J. Environ. Manage. 319, 115734, DOI.

“Treatment of wastewater using Black Soldier Fly larvae: Effect of organic concentration and load”, V. Grossule et al., 2023, J. Environ. Manage. 338, 117775, DOI.

Overview of agricultural P loss challenges

8-page layperson’s summary update article explains farm P-losses are today key to surface water quality problems (eutrophication), discusses challenges of soil Legacy-P and possible solutions. Agricultural phosphorus losses are today the main cause of major eutrophication problems in the US/Canada Great Lakes, the Mexico Gulf Dead Zone and in many other lakes in North America, because wastewater treatment plant discharges have been now mostly addressed. At the same time, uptake of applied phosphorus in the first crop season is <20% global average and P-losses linked to soil erosion are a major route for phosphorus resource depletion (Alewell et al., 2020). The challenge is that P applied tends to bind in soils, so is not readily crop available, whereas many crops need P rapidly (e.g. half of maize’s P requirement is after flowering). But when P is applied up to levels such that it is readily available, then it tends to be lost in surface runoff or drainage with rainfall. On the other hand, P applied in the past and bound in soil (Legacy-P) slowly becomes available, so can contribute to today’s P-losses. Illinois, an intensive agriculture State, has a negative P balance over recent decades, but P losses continue as soil Legacy-P shows a “lag time”. Solutions discussed include not only appropriate P application (fertiliser, manure …), but also improving soil P testing and linked P application recommendations, phosphorus trap using specific underground filter structures, streambank buffer vegetation, cover crops, biostimulants to improve crop P uptake and fertilisers which release P according to plant needs (e.g. struvite).

“Blue Waters, Green Fields. Going Beyond BMPs and 4Rs to Control Future Phosphorus Loss to the Environment”, S. Windsor, Crops & Soils Magazine (American Soc. Agronomy) Jan-Feb 2023 DOI.

Benefits of Legacy Phosphorus

Incubation and pot trials demonstrate how P accumulated in soil, by long-term P fertilisation, improves effectiveness of further P-fertiliser application for crops, and underlines need to consider buffering capacity in soil P testing. Soil with different levels of “Legacy-P” was simulated by incubating low-P soil, with high buffering capacity, from West Bengal, India, at 70°C for 30 days in soluble P solutions 0 – 5000 mgP/kg soil. This is estimated to be equivalent to five years at 20°C. A second incubation in 0 – 1000 mgP/kg soil showed no further modification of P levels in the simulated Legacy-P soils, indicating that P had stably reacted with the soil. The five legacy P soils showed increases of Olsen-P up to nearly 2000 mg/kg (then divided b 1/5 in the pots, see below). Pot trials using the simulated Legacy-P soil (20% mixed with 80% non-incubated soil = without Legacy-P) and mustard (Brassica campestris) showed that plant growth responded much more to fertiliser addition (c. 0 – 200 mgP/kg soil), that is the maximum fertiliser dose was needed to achieve maximum plant growth in the soils without Legacy-P, whereas the lowest fertiliser does (50 mgP/pot) was sufficient in the pot with the highest Legacy-P. The authors conclude that Legacy-P is shown to be beneficial in improving crop response to fertiliser, effectively be preventing/reducing fixing of fertiliser P onto soil buffering sites. They underline that their results show that soil tests such as Olsen-P tend to underestimate the effectiveness of P-fertiliser application, because they involve increasing soil pH, and that P-fertilisation can be better planned if the soil P test is combined with measurement of soil buffering capacity (e.g. method Burkitt et al. 2022 or other).

“Evaluating the benefits of legacy phosphate”, N. Barrow et al., Plant Soil (2022) 480:561–570, DOI.

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Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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White Ammonia – Nitrogen Recovery
1^st White Ammonia Research Meeting (WARM) - 7^th June 2023
Call for nominations of nitrogen recovery science papers
ESPP moving forward on Nitrogen Recovery

Consultations, calls, surveys
EU public consultation on Critical Raw Materials
EFSA call for scientific experts
Open and upcoming Horizon Europe research funding calls related to nutrients
IFS survey on definition of “plant nutrient”
Looking for “best of” science publications on Nitrogen Recovery
Call for experts for EU Fertiliser Market Observatory

EU (Strategic and …) Critical Raw Materials Act (CRM)
Phosphate Rock and P₄ stay on EU Critical Raw Materials List
JRC Foresight Report on materials for strategic technologies
SCRREEN2 Fact Sheet

Policy
United Nations adopts 50% nutrient loss reduction target
Sewage plants are currently incompatible with small river & stream water quality

Summary of 15^th CRU Phosphates conference

ESPP new member
European Biochar Industry Consortium (EBI)

Research
IFS webinar debate on definition of “plant nutrient”
Vegan diets require lower N, P and K fertiliser inputs
Phosphorus Use Efficiency (PUE) is improving in China but is still low
Phosphorus uptake controls plant response to increased atmospheric CO₂

Nutrient recycling
Lex4Bio survey on “Bio-Based Fertilisers”
EasyMining LIFE RE-Fertilize N-recovery webinar
Implementation of German sewage P-recovery obligation
Phosphorus in sewage sludge incineration ash (SSIA) is not short-term plant available
Phosphorus uptake from nine secondary materials and P extraction methods
Freeze concentration to concentrate digestate RO liquor

Stay informed

ESPP members

White Ammonia – Nitrogen Recovery

1^st White Ammonia Research Meeting (WARM) - 7^th June 2023

This is within EU Green Week, Brussels, and back-to-back to the 6th NH3 Event (& 6th Power to Ammonia conference), Europe’s biggest ammonia event, Rotterdam 8-9 June 2023 (one hour train from Brussels).

Details coming soon on http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/events

Call for nominations of nitrogen recovery science papers

ESPP is preparing a SCOPE Newsletter special presenting the “best of” of recent scientific papers or reports on Nitrogen Recovery and Recycling. This will summarise a selection of around 25 scientific publications for the last few years, similar to SCOPE special editions on climate change – eutrophication links (n°137) or phosphorus sustainability (n°128).

Selection will target papers representing significant knowledge progress in N-recovery, both technical recovery (N recycling to industry or fertilisers) and biological or other N recycling routes, in particular: operating experience at full/pilot scale or innovative technologies leading to N-recovery in a form likely to be a marketable product.

Please send copies of or links to papers you suggest should be included, your own or other authors’, to .

ESPP moving forward on Nitrogen Recovery

ESPP is establishing a Start-Up Steering Committee to take forward actions on nitrogen recovery and recycling. First meeting online 29^th March. Persons interested to engage are invited to contact This working committee will function by online and/or physical meetings and email.

ESPP has also completed the detailed summary of the 19^th January Nitrogen Recovery Workshop, published as SCOPE Newsletter n°145 with summaries of presentation and discussions, and key facts on the different nitrogen recovery technology providers.

Consultations, calls, surveys

EU public consultation on Critical Raw Materials

Consultation open to 16^th May 2023 for public input on draft EU Critical Raw Materials Act, covering Critical and Strategic Raw Materials Lists, including phosphate rock and P₄ – details see article below. Consultation here.

EFSA call for scientific experts

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) call for candidates for its scientific panels and committee, including BIOHAZ (Biological Hazards), the committee dealing with safety of animal by-products use in fertilisers and animal feeds. The call is open for scientists to 3 April 2023.

EFSA “Call for Expressions of Interest for Membership of the Scientific Panels and the Scientific Committee of EFSA 2023” HERE

Open and upcoming Horizon Europe research funding calls related to nutrients

Several open and upcoming Horizon Europe calls concern nutrients, in particular soon-to-open calls on N and P regional boundaries and recycled nutrient fertilising products (first deadline February 2024). In December 2022, the European Commission adopted the 2023-24 work programme of Horizon Europe – the EU’s funding for research and innovation.

At the moment, ten calls open are related to nutrients. One call, closing soon on 23^rd March 2023, aims at developing EU advisory networks on the optimal fertiliser use, while other calls with a submission deadline on the 28^th March 2023 are focused on benefits of leguminous crops and their contribute to reducing the EU’s dependency on imports of nitrogen fertilisers and protein crops for feed, sustainable and circular management and use of water resources, including nutrient recovery, and innovative solutions in agriculture for water availability and quality. Two stages calls belonging to the “Clean environment and zero pollution” topic, first stage closing on 28^th March 2023, are open on manure use to mitigate GHG emissions and minimize nutrients/contaminants dispersion in the environment and bio-based platform chemicals, additives, materials or products. On the 12^th April 2023, five calls indirectly related to nutrients will close, dealing with strategies to improve yields in organic cropping systems, activities for the European Partnership Water Security for the Planet (Water4All), sustainable production of renewable energy at farm-level and urban farming impacts.

Particularly relevant calls for nutrient research will open on 17^th October 2023, with a (first) submission deadline 22^nd February 2024 (both one- and two-stage calls):

respecting safe ecological and regional nitrogen and phosphorus boundaries,
recovered / recycled fertilising products from secondary raw materials,
irrigation practices and technologies in agriculture, including potential of sewage sludge and other biowaste streams, ensuring high agronomic efficiency of the nutrients they contain,
inputs in organic farming,
nutritional value of animal feed under different production management conditions,
decentralised approaches for water and wastewater management,
monitoring of water quality in urban areas,
technologies for preventing and controlling pollution from bio-based industries.

ESPP is interested to support networking, dissemination and communication activities. Please contact Veronica Santoro for more information and possibilities (). See our ESPP list of running and finished EU and national funded nutrients research projects.

ESPP research activities and ESPP nutrient related R&D project list www.phosphorusplatform.eu/R&D

IFS survey on definition of “plant nutrient”

See article below. Survey open HERE.

Looking for “best of” science publications on Nitrogen Recovery

See above and HERE

Call for experts for EU Fertiliser Market Observatory

European Commission (DG Agriculture) call for experts to participate in EU Fertilisers Market Observatory as a group of experts on availability and affordability of fertilisers, following the Commission Communication on fertilisers supply and price (November 2022, see ESPP eNews n°72). Candidates should be representatives of organisations representing stakeholders of at least 10 EU Member States active in the fertilisers supply chain. The Observatory will have up to 20 members and will play a consultative role, providing the Commission with advice and expertise on factors impacting the fertilisers market and market developments.

“Commission calls for applications to join the upcoming EU Fertilisers Market Observatory”, 16^th march 2023. Deadline: 4^th April 2023 HERE

EU (Strategic and …) Critical Raw Materials Act (CRM)

Phosphate Rock and P₄ stay on EU Critical Raw Materials List

But the proposed CRM Act defines two levels of importance: “Strategic” and “Critical”. Strategic are related to electronics. New targets and tools are proposed for these, but not for “Critical”, so not for Phosphate Rock or P₄.

The Act is a proposed EU Regulation, published 16^th March 2023, which is now open to public consultation until 16^th May 2023 then will go to the European Parliament and Council for discussion and possible amendment and modification before adoption.

The “Strategic Raw Materials” are defined as those needed for (Preamble §4) “strategic technologies underpinning the green and digital transitions or for defence or space applications” and are listed in Annex I (16 materials, all metals or related elements). These are a subset of 34 Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) listed in Annex II and defined as (Preamble §5) “all strategic raw materials as well as any other raw materials of high importance for the overall Union economy and for which there is a high risk of supply disruption” and are listed in Annex II. Both lists will be reviewed every four years.

“Phosphate Rock” and “Phosphorus” (meaning P₄/derivatives) are maintained in this proposed 5^th CRM list, which now includes 34 materials, increased from 30 in the 4^th CRM list (2020, see ESPP eNews n°48). Arsenic, helium, copper, nickel (battery grade) and feldspar* are added; natural rubber is deleted. However, they are not included in the subset of 16 Strategic Raw Materials (SRMs).

The proposed EU Critical Raw Materials Regulation and its annexes include “Phosphorus” and “Phosphate Rock” as CRMs, but provide no definition of these terms. Similarly for the previously published updates of the CRM List. A recent definition can be found in the SCCRREEN Factsheet (see below) as follows:
*CRM “Phosphate Rock”*	*CRM “Phosphorus”*
“In effect covering phosphorus P in different forms in fertilisers, animal feed, chemicals and other uses.”	“Referring to elemental phosphorus P₄, often known as white phosphorus.”
ESPP comment: around 95% of global phosphate rock use is for agriculture, of which around 90% for fertilisers. (see ESPP FactSheet).	ESPP comment. P₄ is produced from phosphate rock in specific furnaces. P₄ production is <2% of phosphate rock use. The EU today has no P₄ furnace and depends entirely on imports. See SCOPE Newsletter n°136

The Commission’s proposals for the SRM (Strategic) list are indicated to be based on the new JRC Foresight Report (2023), see below. It is therefore very surprising that the essential role of P₄ derivatives for electronics, batteries, renewable energy is not recognised and that “Phosphorus” is not included in the list of Strategic Raw Materials.

White Phosphorus (P₄, referred as “Phosphorus” in the EU CRM documents) is necessary for battery electrolytes, microchip etching, semiconductors, fire safety, all of which are essential for the “Strategic” sectors of green energy, digital and aerospace. Indeed, “Phosphorus” is identified in the accompanying JRC Foresight Report, as used in batteries, photovoltaics, hydrogen iron/arc furnaces, laptops/smartphones and space/satellites and as having high supply risk (see below).

As per ESPP’s input to the public consultation in November 2022 (HERE), ESPP notes that food materials are excluded from the definition of CRMs but we regret that the proposed CRM Act does not recognise the important links between CRMs and food security. This could be achieved by indicating in the proposed CRM Act the links to the Commission Communication on Fertilisers price and supply (see ESPP eNews n°72).

The proposed CRM Regulation sets out actions to be engaged, at either EU or Member State levels. As written, it seems that some of these actions apply to all Critical Raw Materials, and some only to Strategic Raw Materials (this could be modified by Parliament/Council).

Art:	Actions proposed for STRATEGIC SRMs only
1	EU targets for production of raw materials (extraction: 10% of EU consumption), processing (40%), recycling (15%), supply diversification (no country > 65% of supply)
5 - 17	“Strategic Projects”: expected to make a meaningful contribution to EU supply of SRMs
24	Possibility of EU-level joint supply purchasing systems.
Art:	*Actions proposed for ALL* CRMs**
18	Each MS to define national exploration programmes
19	EU-level monitoring of supply risk, covering: trade flows; demand and supply; concentration of supply; Union and global production and production capacities at different stages of the value chain … Stress test at least every three years, considering supply chain, processing and recycling, alternative sources
25	Each Member State to adopt a national programme to increase collection of waste with high CRM recovery potential and ensure appropriate recycling, increase re-use, increase use of secondary raw materials including by taking recycled content into account in public procurement. National systems may include financial incentives. The Commission will adopt a list of waste streams considered as having high CRM recovery potential.
26	Inventory and feasibility assessment of potential recovery of CRMs from “extractive wastes”. As currently written, ESPP suggests that this will not apply to phosphogypsum stacks, as these are processing waste, not from “extractive” industries (as defined in 2006/21/EC).
30	The Commission is empowered to adopt Environmental Footprint calculation rules and sustainability certification schemes for CRMs.
33	Strategic partnerships between the EU and third party countries for CRM supply.

Definitions

The proposed Regulation includes a considerable number of definitions. Although these are “for the purposes of this Regulation”, they may pose jurisprudence. As well as some unexpected definitions (e.g. tumble dryer, dishwasher …), the definitions include:

Reserves: all mineral occurrences that are economically viable to extract.
Raw material: a substance in processed or unprocessed state used as an input for the manufacturing of intermediate or final products, excluding substances predominantly used as food, feed or combustion fuel.
Recycling: any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes.
Recovery: any operation the principal result of which is waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other materials which would otherwise have been used to fulfil a particular function, or waste being prepared to fulfil that function, in the plant or in the wider economy.

JRC Foresight Report on materials for strategic technologies

Forecasts for EU material demand and supply risks for strategic technologies. “Phosphorus” (P₄) is cited for all five sectors and as supply-critical. This seems to include misunderstandings, but other essential uses of P₄ are missing. The report covers 15 technologies in five strategic sectors: renewable energy, e-mobility, industry, information & communications technology (ITC) and aerospace/defence. P₄ is identified as used in lithium ion batteries, solar photovoltaics (PV), hydrogen direct reduced iron and electric arc furnaces (H2-DRI), smartphones – laptops and space launchers – satellites. Phosphate rock is identified as used in data transmission networks.

The report identifies ‘Phosphorus’ (P₄) as the raw material with the highest supply risk for batteries and for H2-DRI (p. 20, p77) and amongst the 15 with highest supply risk for data storage & servers, PV, smartphones-laptops and space-satellite, with 79% of production in China (p.76. Note: JRC indicated 87% in the P₄ MSA 2021, see ESPP eNews n°58). However, the need for P₄ in batteries seems to be based on the error that P₄ is needed to produce lithium iron phosphate for LFP batteries (to ESPP’s understanding, this is incorrect: battery grade LiFePO₄ can be and already is today produced via purified merchant-grade phosphoric acid, see SCOPE Newsletter n°136). The JRC Foresight Report further suggests that LFP batteries will compete with fertiliser production for phosphate rock (this is referenced to only one P-rock mine project company’s promotion, Epstein 2022). Not only is this largely wrong (see summary of CRU Phosphates 2023 below), it also suggests the report is confusing “Phosphate Rock” with “P₄”. P₄ is however a necessary input to produce lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆), which is cited in the Foresight Report for batteries (electrolytes) and tablets-laptops.

The Report also notes (p.90) that P₄ is increasingly essential for fire safety, under data storage and servers, stating “increasing move to green materials and chemicals … Phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) are often proposed as alternatives to brominated flame retardants (BFRs)”. Flame retardants are also needed in smartphone-laptops, but – without explication nor coherence – the Report apparently does not consider the need for phosphorus in fire safety for wind turbines, photovoltaics, heat pumps, space-satellites, 3D-printing …

Gallium indium phosphide and indium phosphide, which do need P₄ for their production, and which are used in semiconductors, are cited as needed for photovoltaics and data storage. Other essential uses of P₄ in the considered technologies are not cited, in particular thermal phosphoric acid for micro-chip etching, and phosphine for semi-conductor doping (partial modification of Si to P in semiconductors).

Phosphate rock is indicated as needed for data transmission networks, but for no other technology (p84), with no explanation (p.81), but P₄ is not cited whereas it is used in fire safety of cables, semiconductors, microchips. Again this suggests that the Report is confusing these two CRMs.

Overall, the designations of which technologies require “Phosphorus” (meaning P₄/derivatives) and “Phosphate Rock”, and why, are largely unexplained, often incoherent, and in some cases seem to be based on erroneous information and confusion between these two CRMs. Despite this, and even more so when considering the essential uses of P₄ which are not cited or only partly taken into account (chip etching, fire safety, semiconductor doping), the Foresight Report identifies P₄ as needed for all the strategic sectors and a significant number of the technologies, and as one of the materials with the highest supply chain risk (this is certain: no production of P₄ in the EU, and import dependency on three countries: China, Vietnam and Kazakhstan).

ESPP therefore considers it very surprising that the CRM “Phosphorus” (P₄ and derivatives) is not included in the proposed list of EU Strategic Raw Materials, see above.

SCRREEN2 Fact Sheet

Published SCRREEN2 input to CRM Act confuses the two CRMs ‘Phosphorus’ (P₄) and ‘Phosphate Rock’ and contains various errors. ESPP had understood that the EU-funded SCRREEN2 project (3 million € EU money, led by the French Atomic Energy Commission CEA), was supposed to deliver input information to support the update of the CRM List, in the form of SCRREEN2 CRM “Factsheets”. The project has apparently failed to do this in time for Phosphate Rock and P₄ in that the draft Factsheet (not dated, online 19^th March 2023) contains various errors suggesting a lack of relevant understanding (e.g. sodium is cited as one of the three main plant nutrients p.16) and confuses the CRM “Phosphate Rock” with “Phosphorus” (P₄) by treating both in the same Factsheet. The separation into two Factsheets of the two CRMs Phosphate Rock and P₄ was requested, but is apparently not done in time to input to the CRM Act. Also, the authors do not seem to understand the chemical difference between “phosphate” and “phosphorus”: on p.26 phosphate is calculated to have the molar weight of the element phosphorus. ESPP pointed to such problems already at SCRREEN workshops and in letters in July and September 2022 (see HERE). Many comments are not taken into account in this draft Factsheet. This failure of SCRREEN may explain the apparently confused treatment of P₄ in the JRC Foresight Report.

* Feldspar: a naturally occurring alumino-silicate mineral, source of alumina for e.g. glassmaking, ceramics.

European Commission Critical Raw Materials web page:
https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials_en

European Commission press release, 16^th March 2023 IP_23_1661 “Critical Raw Materials: ensuring secure and sustainable supply chains for EU's green and digital future” – includes links to Commission Communication, FAQ, etc. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_1661

Proposed EU Critical Raw Materials Act, COM(2023)160, 16^th March 2023 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/european-critical-raw-materials-act_en

JRC Foresight Report 2023 “Supply chain analysis and material demand forecast in strategic technologies and sectors in the EU – A foresight study”, S. Carrera et al., ISBN 978-92-68-00339-8 (266 pages) https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC132889

SCRREEN2 (“Solutions for CRitical Raw materials - a European Expert Network 2) draft FactSheets https://scrreen.eu/crms-2023/

Public consultation open to 16^th May 2023 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13597-European-Critical-Raw-Materials-Act_en

Policy

United Nations adopts 50% nutrient loss reduction target

The COP15 Kunming-Montreal convention Global Biodiversity Framework, December 2022, includes the target to reduce nutrient losses by 50% by 2030, that is the same nutrient loss reduction target as the EU Green Deal (Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, both May 2020, see SCOPE Newsletter n°139). Target n°7 of Global targets for 2030 aims to reduce all pollution to levels not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystems and specifies “reducing excess nutrients lost to the environment by at least half, including through more efficient nutrient cycling and use” as well as reducing by 50% risks from pesticides and hazardous chemicals and addressing plastic pollution.

United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, decision adopted 7-19 December 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf

Sewage plants are currently incompatible with small river & stream water quality

Statistical analysis suggests that sewage works discharge flow > 6.5% of low flow* of small rivers and streams means likely failure to achieve Good Quality Status required by the EU Water Framework Directive. The correlation is not found in larger rivers (Strahler order >3). Nearly 60% of the 1.7 million km of Europe’s rivers and streams are not in Good Ecological Status, usually as a consequence of multiple pressures. The correlation between higher proportion of (low) flow from sewage works discharge to quality status failure held for smaller rivers and streams held not only for the EU overall, but also for 7 out of 10 of the largest catchments (not for the Rhône catchment) and to some extent for all of 6 river types. Across Europe, 82% of length of smaller rivers and streams were not in Good Ecological Status. A maximum recommended discharge / river Q10* low flow ratio of 6.5% was derived, based on 50% probability of achieving Good Quality Status. If 90% probability of Good Quality Status was targeted, this would result in a ratio of 12%. Nearly 60% of segments of small rivers and streams in Europe today exceed the 6.5% ratio and this concerns 9 700 of the EU’s 26 500 sewage works (mainly smaller sewage works: 2/3 < 10 000 p.e.). These sewage works are distributed across the UK, but >80% of sewage works exceed the 6.5% ratio in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Solutions to mitigate discharges to smaller rivers and streams include re-routing discharge to larger rivers, additional wastewater processing, appropriate re-use of wastewater or restoration of ecosystems.

* 10% quartile low flow

“Are waste-water treatment plants failing to protect the ecological health of European streams?”, EU Commission Science for Environment Policy n°595, 15^th February 2023 https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/are-waste-water-treatment-plants-failing-protect-ecological-health-european-streams-2023-02-15_en

“Why wastewater treatment fails to protect stream ecosystems in Europe”, O. Büttner et al., Water Research 217 (2022) 118382 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118382

Summary of 15^th CRU Phosphates conference

Phosphates 2023 took place in Istanbul, 27th February – 1st March 2023, with 370 participants, 50 industry stands and nearly 30 technical presentations. Ludwig Hermann, for ESPP, presented European policy perspectives.

Humphrey Knight, CRU, summarised market challenges of 2022: prices hit a 15-year high, resulting in a significant drop in demand. Despite high crop sales prices, phosphate fertiliser affordability was unfavourable. Demand for high-grade rock fell more than for low-grade rock. With the fall in demand for phosphate fertilisers, industry thus managed to ride through major supply disruptions. China’ exports fell by nearly 50% in 2022, and may remain reduced as the country’s priority turns to national supply. Contrary to initial expectations, Russia was able to continue exporting fertilisers, but showed a considerable decrease in exports of high-grade phosphate rock comparable to other high-grade rock suppliers. Price and supply challenges are expected to become less acute in 2023.

Technical presentations particularly addressed speciality fertilisers and sustainability. Ravi Hiremath, Solvay, presented a chemical additive (ACCO-PHOS) to chelate cadmium, copper, arsenic and other metals out of phosphoric acid, so enabling producing of fertilisers with low heavy metal levels. Michael Meyer, EasyMining, presented the Ash2Phos process to recover phosphorus as high-quality calcium phosphate from sewage sludge incineration ash. Agnes von Garnier, Collin Bartlett and Hannes Storch, Metso Outotec, presented a process to recover sulphuric acid from phosphogypsum stockpiles, to address the expected shortfall in sulphuric acid supply when supply from oil refineries slows down. Hadrien Leruth, Prayon Technologies, presented the GetMoreP and Ecophos processes, as routes to upgrade secondary phosphorus sources, low grade phosphate rock or phosphate mine tailings to dicalcium phosphate.

Sam Adham, CRU, discussed expected future development of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries, as a lower cost alternative to Lithium Ion. Phosphate rock consumption for LFP battery cathode production is disproportionally high due to very high purity requirements. This could be balanced by co-production of merchant grade phosphoric acid carrying the impurities that have been removed from LFP grade. Demand for phosphate rock for LFP production is expected to reach 4 – 5 Mt/y (rock) per year in coming decades, compared to current total world production of around 200 Mt/y of phosphate rock (see ESPP FactSheet).

Several phosphate rock mining projects were presented, in Europe (Norge Mining, Stavanger Region, Norway), South Africa (Schiel Phosphate Mining Project, Limpopo Province), Canada (First Phosphate, Quebec) and Australia (Verdant Minerals and Arianne, both in the Northern Territories). Most of them target high grade resources suitable for LFP batteries and other industrial uses.

15^th CRU Phosphates Conference (2023)

The 16^th CRU Phosphates Conference will take place in Warsaw, Poland, 26-28 February 2024

https://events.crugroup.com/phosphates/home

ESPP new member

European Biochar Industry Consortium (EBI)

EBI is the voice of leading players in the rapidly developing European biochar industry. EBI supports biochar as a high-potential solution for phosphorus recycling (from sewage sludge and certain animal by-products), carbon mitigation, and agricultural soil improvement. For a broad range of feedstocks, particularly those where contaminants or sanitary safety pose challenges, such as sewage sludge or certain animal by-products, pyrolysis enables a circular economy. By increasing awareness of the benefits of biochar and advocating for science-backed regulations and industry standards, EBI is working towards developing the European biochar industry into an important and established sector. The overall aim is to contribute to Europe’s fight against climate change. The sector development is already in process, by end of 2022, the EU had 130 installations, producing around 53 000 t/y of biochar. See EBI Market Report here. EBI has 83 members, who are pyrolysis plant owners and operators, users, system and technology providers. Depending on the process and input materials, which can include plant-based, non-plant-based and waste streams, biochars can be used in animal feed, air, soil and water purification (activated carbon), as well as fertilisers or soil improvers. Moreover, the market potential of biogenic carbon-based construction materials and polymers obtained through pyrolysis is growing fast. By becoming a member of the ESPP, EBI finds an important ally in advancing nutrient recovery and waste stream valorisation, including pyrolysis as a treatment path for residues like sewage sludge and work towards a circular economy as well as the creation of quality carbon removals. EBI has recently launched advocacy to request that the European Commission revisit the current exclusion of sewage sludge biochar from the Fertilising Products Regulation (CMC14). The position paper is based on a reassessment of recent data showing that pharmaceuticals, microplastics and PFAS are eliminated in pyrolysis under appropriate conditions (see ESPP eNews n°73).

European Biochar Industry Consortium (EBI) www.biochar-industry.com

EBI European Biochar Market report 2022/2023 HERE

Research

IFS webinar debate on definition of “plant nutrient”

International Fertiliser Society webinar proposed a new definition of a “plant nutrient”, aiming for a wider concept of “one nutrition”, following 2022 concept paper from scientists and industry (IFA). A survey is now open for input. The authors suggest that current definitions of “plant nutrient” are widely interpreted to mean that the nutrient must be essential for all plants, whereas science is today showing that a number of elements can improve plant growth and development, where this was not previously recognised (e.g. silicon, iodine), or may be only essential for some crops in some conditions (e.g. aluminium for certain tea varieties, sodium for some species). The authors note that US regulation currently defines a plant nutrient as being “essential for normal growth of plants” but does not specify for all plants*.

The authors propose as a new definition “A mineral plant nutrient is an element which is essential or beneficial for plant growth and development or for the quality attributes of the plant or harvested product, of a given plant species, grown in its natural or cultivated environment”.

They call for a consensus agreement on a new definition of “Plant Nutrient”, suggesting that this process should bring together scientists, industry and regulators. ESPP suggests that this is the logical remit of standardisation (ISO). The authors also suggest that a global body should be established to periodically review evidence as to which elements can be considered to meet the new definition under which conditions.

ESPP notes that the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) has fixed a clear and simple definition of Plant Nutrient: “substance that is essential or beneficial for plant growth” (ISO 8157:2022 Fertilizers, soil conditioners and beneficial substances — Vocabulary).

ESPP also notes that the EU Fertilising Product Regulation (FPR) uses the term “nutrient” but does not include a definition for it. However, the FPR does in effect specify a limited list of recognised nutrients, in that it defines a Macronutrient fertiliser (cf. PFC1(C)(I)(a)(ii)) as providing N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na or S and a Micronutrient fertiliser (PFC1(C)(II)) as providing B, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn.

* Source: AAPFCO “Official Publication” n°76, 2003, which indicates as the definition for “Secondary Nutrient (T-9, page 94) “those other than the primary nutrients that are essential for the normal growth of plants and that may need to be added to the growth medium …”

IFS (International Fertiliser Society) webinars: https://fertiliser-society.org/product-category/recordings-and-webinars/webinars/

“What is a plant nutrient? Changing definitions to advance science and innovation in plant nutrition”, P. Brown, F-J. Zhao, A. Dobermann, Plant Soil (2022) 476:11–23 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05171-w

IFS webinar “A new definition of ‘Plant Nutrient’ and its implications for fertilizer regulations globally”, 22^nd February 2023 https://fertiliser-society.org/ifs-events/2023-ifs-technical-webinar-programme/

Survey open: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxAqeOSMCwfszUov9PXv78zdFqd7Dz8ONf_jdvcfH9tDw3wA/viewform

Vegan diets require lower N, P and K fertiliser inputs

Fertiliser requirements are calculated for vegan vs. omnivore diet, with different animal feed use efficiency, crop use efficiency and recycling rates. Overall results are presented as total mass of fertiliser, but calculations are presented separately for N, P and K. Key influencing parameters are identified as: livestock feed use efficiency (IFE), fraction of animal manures reaching and taken up by crops (depending on manure and agri-food waste recycling / reuse scenarios, and crop use efficiency) and N-loss during composting of manures and food wastes. It is underlined that in intensive livestock systems not all manure is returned to land (e.g. China only 35-75% of livestock manures returned to land, Ma 2010, Hou 2013) or manure may be applied in excess to some land or not distributed usefully on land*. The authors conclude that estimates of fertiliser requirements vary widely depending on the coefficients used for these different efficiency factors. With a relatively high hypothesis of 70% of return and uptake of manure by crops, an omnivore diet would require (table 5) 12 – 120 x more P-fertiliser than a vegan diet and 5 – 30 x more N-fertiliser. These estimates compare to estimates published by other authors of 20 – 36 x for P and 6 – 13 x for N. The authors note that Van Kernebeek 2016 estimated that including some meat in diet would be optimal, but that this assumes that livestock and animal feed crops are produced on marginal land and that there is no competition for this land space for other uses (e.g. energy crops).

* ESPP notes that it is nearly inevitable that manure will not be appropriately distributed even in extensive livestock systems, because animals tend to concentrate excretion at feeding, drinking or rumination points – see Kreuzer in SCOPE Newsletter n°131.

See also Lancet Commission, Springmann et al. in ESPP eNews n°48

“Savings in fertilizer requirements from plant-based diets”, L. Harvey, Resources, Conservation & Recycling 190 (2023) 106820 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106820

Phosphorus Use Efficiency (PUE) is improving in China but is still low

Despite improvements, China still has low PUE (c. 40% national average) and significant phosphorus surplus (over 25 kgP/ha), with high regional variations. Both PUE and surplus are however improving since around 2005 – 2015. Phosphorus flow analysis is based on data for crop yields, straw, livestock, fertiliser and cultivated areas for Chinese official data, FAO and literature. Assessment was made at the national level for 1990 – 2018 and at the provincial level (grouped into seven regions) for 2005 – 2018. Around 7.5 MtP/y were input to China’s farmland over this period, of which c. 80% in mineral fertiliser, whereas the average output was <3 MtP/y. Higher phosphorus use efficiencies (PUE) in the North East China probably correspond to climates with rainfall, allowing organic matter accumulation in soil. Lower PUE and soil P accumulation (P-surplus) correspond to intensive crop production regions with high fertiliser use. The authors conclude that China crossed the Kuznets curve for phosphorus in 2007, with use efficiency improving and environmental losses decreasing since then, but that China still has one of the highest fertiliser inputs in the world, and phosphorus use efficiency relatively low, and suggest the need for regionalised policies to improve PUE and reduce agricultural phosphorus surpluses.

“Phosphorus use efficiency has crossed the turning point of the environmental kuznets curve: Opportunities and challenges for crop production in China”, W. Shen et al., J. Environmental Management 326 (2023) 116754 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116754

Phosphorus uptake controls plant response to increased atmospheric CO₂

Meta-analysis of 111 studies shows that effects of elevated carbon dioxide (eCO₂) on plant biomass are best explained by plant phosphorus uptake and that eCO₂ modifies aboveground biomass P pool and biomass P concentration. A literature search for paper covering both increasing CO₂ and phosphorus found over 1600 papers (since 1950), of which nearly 550 were found relevant after analysis, of which 111 were retained as including data on biomass or P pools/concentrations. eCO₂ showed a +13% increase in above ground biomass, but no increase in litter biomass, and to a +20% increase in above ground biomass P pool, +14% increase in biomass below ground P pool, but a decrease in above ground biomass P concentrations (+7%) and no change in below ground biomass P concentrations. Plant P uptake, which was related to biomass, was the variable which best explained increased biomass with eCO₂. Effects of eCO₂ on the phosphorus cycle were impacted by variables such as duration of experiment and aridity. The authors conclude that plant phosphorus uptake should be considered in future biosphere carbon dioxide modelling.

“Plant biomass responses to elevated CO₂ are mediated by phosphorus uptake”, X. Han et al., Science of the Total Environment 863 (2023) 160775 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160775

Nutrient recycling

Lex4Bio survey on “Bio-Based Fertilisers”

EU Horizon 2020 project Lex4Bio launches online survey of farmers, consumers, fertiliser producers and food & beverage industry to identify drivers and barriers to uptake of bio-based fertilisers (BBFs). The surveys, for each target sector, are online in several different languages. Depending on the target, questions cover attitudes to using waste or recycled materials to fertilise food crops, perceived safety of recycled nutrient sources, different recycled materials.

Lex4Bio surveys on bio-based fertilisers https://lnkd.in/dsB5AxFB

EasyMining LIFE RE-Fertilize N-recovery webinar

One-hour webinar (available online) offers detailed presentation of EasyMining’s Aqua2N nitrogen recovery process operational experience (4 m3/h) and now upscaling (10 m³/h), including Biophos’ R&D Director. The two step process removes >95% of ammonium from wastewater liquors by struvite precipitation, then dissolves the struvite in sulphuric acid, recycling the magnesium and phosphorus back to the precipitation stage, and producing ammonium sulphate solution (c. 10% solution = c. 2% N/ww, with objective to concentrate to 30 - 40% solution). Dines Thornberg, Biofos, responsible for treating Copenhagen area’s wastewater explains that the ammonium from sewage sludge digestate liquid fraction (which is returned to the sewage works) can reduce N loading to the works considerably, so increasing biological treatment capacity. Anna Lundbom, EasyMining, explains that the Aqua2N process can reduce sewage works nitrous oxide losses by 15 – 30 %, significantly reducing climate impact. Mikael Hedström, EasyMining, explains that the process is part of EasyMining’s objective to recycle resources and so mitigate climate emissions. The process has been tested, in the EU-funded LIFE RE-Fertilize project on municipal wastewater sludge liquor (Biofos Lynetten wwtp) and landfill liquor (Högbytorp) with a 4 m³/h pilot, a scale appropriate for smaller wastewater plants, enabling optimisation, and demonstrating replicability and transferability. A 10 m³/h unit for larger plants has been designed and is now entering the commercialisation phase. The recovered ammonium sulphate solution has been tested in pot trials by the Swedish Agricultural University and by farmers (Lantmännen).

Photos: EasyMining Aqua2N pilot

RE-Fertilize webinar, 26^th January 2023, watch replay here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mbuENQsJfo

See also ESPP-DPP-NNP Nutrient Recycling Technology Catalogue http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/techcatalogue

Implementation of German sewage P-recovery obligation

Comparison of 3 digestion and 3 analysis methods, plus interlaboratory comparison recommends ICP-OES after microwave digestion to provide reliable analysis of sewage sludge phosphorus content. 14 sludge samples from 11 different sewage works were analysed for phosphorus content using the two digestion methods and three analysis methods indicated as regards P-recovery in the German Sewage Sludge Ordinance (*): aqua regia digestion in a microwave or under reflux conditions, then inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), or photometric phosphorus determination with ammonium molybdate. These methods (tested in some cases by several laboratories) showed variation of around +/- 20% in results for P-content. ICP-OES after aqua regia digestion in a microwave was identified as the most reliable method. A mixed sludge sample was analysed using these methods by 28 laboratories, showing around 7.2 % reproducibility variation in results for P content. Data show, for the sludges from these eleven wwtps, P-content of 1.7 – 3.8% and iron content of 1.4 – 5 % Fe (dry weight).

Phosphorus in sewage sludges:

Previous studies suggest similar levels of P in sewage: 0.8% - 31% (Krogstad et al. 2005), 0 - 4 % (Guivarch 2001), 2 - 6% (Frossard 1996) SCOPE Newsletter n°73, 2.6–3.4% (Cydzik‑Kwiatkowska & Nosek 2020), 3.4 % (Phong 2022), 4.3% (Falk 2020).

The European Commission seminar of 1980 indicated P-content of sewage sludges:

For Switzerland, increase from 1.1 % P/dm in 1971 to average of 2.7 % P/dm in 1979: (0.2 - 4.6 % in wwtp without P removal and 0.9 - 7.9 % in wwtp with P-removal). The increase is considered to be due to implementation of P-removal.
For Belgium (Wallonia), 0.2 – 0.9 % P/dm
For Finland, 2 – 3.7% P/dm for chemical P-removal sludge

* German sewage P-recovery Ordinance: AbfKlärV 2017 German sewage sludge directive (Verordnung zur Neuordnung der Klärschlammverwertung) LINK

“Determination of the phosphorus content in sewage sludge: comparison of different aqua regia digestion methods and ICP‑OES, ICP‑MS, and photometric determination”, T. Sichler et al., Environmental Sciences Europe (2022) 34:99 LINK.

See also Sichler et al. in ESPP eNews n°66.

Phosphorus in sewage sludge incineration ash (SSIA) is not short-term plant available

Ashes from four German sewage sludge incinerators were tested as phosphorus fertilisers in 4-week pot trials, showing considerably lower P Use Efficiency than mineral P fertiliser (MCP) and similar or worse than phosphate rock in these short-duration tests. Pot trials used the P-sensitive flowering plant Tagetes patula (French marigold) with soil pH of 6 or 4.5 with weekly applications of P fertiliser/ash and of nitrogen as required. Particle size distribution of the ashes was recorded. Phosphorus Use Efficiency was calculated based on P uptake. At soil pH 4.5 plant fresh weight was similar with the sludge ashes compared to MCP (water soluble P fertiliser) or phosphate rock, whereas at pH 6 fresh weight was significantly higher with ash than with phosphate rock, but lower than with MCP. Plant P uptake and P Use Efficiency was significantly lower than for MCP at both soil pHs, and was four times lower at soil pH 6. The authors note that phosphorus solubility test methods with calcium chloride + diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (CAT) and calcium-acetate-lactate (CAL), as widely used in Germany, do not give useful predictions of plant P availability in sewage sludge incineration ash.

“Phosphorus Availability from German Sewage Sludge Ashes to Plants Cultivated in Soilless Growing Media of Contrasting pH”, D. Hauck et al., Agronomy 2022, 12, 2610 DOI.

Phosphorus uptake from nine secondary materials and P extraction methods

Phosphorus efficiency of struvite in pot trials was the same or better than mineral P fertiliser, but was considerably lower for an iron phosphate containing sewage sludge and for two sewage sludge ashes.

In papers 2021 and 2022-1, RAE (relative agronomic efficiency) of phosphorus in secondary materials was compared to mineral phosphate fertiliser (TSP = triple super phosphate) and no phosphate (control) in seven month pot trials with perennial ryegrass at three P dose levels (one application at start):

Two different struvites, both recovered from sewage, both c. 8% P, C_-org < 0.5%,
Dried pelletised sewage sludge from a sewage works, 0.8% P, 16 % C_-org, 2% Fe
ASH1: ash from sewage sludge from a rotary kiln process, 900-1000°C with sodium sulphate additive, 6% P, low C_-org, 4.4% Fe
ASH2: ash from sewage sludge from a two-step rotary kiln process (pyrolysis 650-750°C then incineration 900-1100°C, without chemical additives at this stage of the technology development), c. 6% P, c. 8% C_-org and 16% Fe.

The first paper (2021) compares the phosphorus fertiliser effectiveness of the five secondary materials to TSP. At 9 and 19 kgP/ha, after one month, one of the two struvites showed phosphorus fertiliser efficiency (RAE relative agronomic efficiency) similar to mineral fertiliser (Fig 3). The other struvite, the two ash materials and the sewage sludge pellets showed considerably lower RAE after one month. However, RAEs were similar after one month at 28 kgP/ha application (except for ASH2 which was much lower). After four months the two struvites showed RAEs similar to mineral P fertiliser. After seven months, the RAEs of the two struvites were > 110% (better than TSP), whereas the two ashes and sludge pellets showed RAEs of below 75% at 9 and 19 kgP/ha and 30 - 84 % at 28 kgP/ha.

A second paper (2022-1), based on the same pot trial data, compares P measured by eleven different extraction methods, ranging from strong acid “destructive” total-P to Olsen-P, to shoot P uptake in seven cuts from one to seven months. This shows (table S11) that, for these six materials (two struvites, dried FeP sludge, two ash materials, TSP) and for cumulative P uptake after seven months, only six extraction methods showed correlation > 0.6 (in order of highest correlation: 2% citric acid, microwave digestion + nitric acid, nitric acid, ammonium lactate, NAC = neutral ammonium citrate, microwave digestion + aqua regia) whereas (table 4) five showed correlation < 0.5 (Mehlich3, Bray 2, water, calcium chloride and Olsen-P). However, all extraction methods showed correlation for P uptake after seven months > 0.6 if the mineral fertiliser TSP was excluded. After only one month, six methods showed correlation > 0.6 to shoot P uptake (in order: water, calcium chloride, NAC, Mehlich3, microwave + nitric, ammonium lactate).

The third paper (2022-2) shows results of 4-month pot trials with perennial ryegrass for Euphore output ash (two-step rotary kiln process without chemical additives at this stage of the technology development, see ESPP-DPP-NNP Technology Catalogue), iron phosphate extracted from sewage sludge, crab carapace material and microalgae, in three different substrates (compared to TSP and control), concluding that four months were needed for P from these materials to become plant available.

2021: “Impact of time and phosphorus application rate on phosphorus bioavailability and efficiency of secondary fertilizers recovered from municipal wastewater”, Chemosphere 282 (2021) 131017 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131017

2022-1:“Phosphorus Availability in Recycled Fertilizers: Comparison of 11 Chemical Extraction Methods with Plant Uptake During a 7‑Month Growth Experiment”, A. Bogdan et al., J. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 2022 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-01075-5

2022-2: “Substrate-Driven Phosphorus Bioavailability Dynamics of Novel Inorganic and Organic Fertilizing Products Recovered from Municipal Wastewater - Tests with Ryegrass”, A. Bogdan et al., Agronomy 2022, 12, 292. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020292

Freeze concentration to concentrate digestate RO liquor

Progressive and suspension freeze concentration (FC) were tested at lab scale to concentrate the nutrients from a membrane filtrate (ultrafiltration + reverse osmosis RO) liquor from pig slurry and agro-industrial waste digestate, from an anaerobic digester in Catalonia, Spain. The RO process, operating on the liquid fraction of solid-liquid separated digestate, gives clean effluent water which can be discharged and a nutrient “concentrate” (1%N, 0.02%P, 2%K). Freeze concentration was tested in 2 litre lab reactors with circulating refrigerant at -5, -10 and -15°C with the aim to further concentrate the nutrients present in the RO “concentrate”. After two hours of freeze concentration, around 56 % of N, 90 % of P and 63 % of K was concentrated in the liquid fraction (50% of the initial volume), that is phosphorus concentration was nearly doubled by the freeze drying whereas N and K concentration not increased by more than 20%. In an earlier paper, the same authors tested multi-stage progressive freeze concentration in the same 2 litre lab reactor on cheese whey from a dairy processing factory, achieving 2 – 3 x increases in lactose and protein contents after 2 – 4 freeze concentration cycles. Further studies underway, but not published yet, assess the freeze concentration technology at a pilot scale using a 40-litre reactor tested with digestate (in the Fertimanure Horizon 2020 project). The authors conclude that freeze concentration has a similar or lower operational energy consumption than membrane concentration technologies and offers significant energy-saving potential compared to thermal and evaporation processes.

“Application of Freeze Concentration Technologies to Valorize Nutrient-Rich Effluents Generated from the Anaerobic Digestion of Agro-Industrial Wastes”, I. Uald-lamkaddam et al., Sustainability 2021, 13, 13769. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413769

“Progressive freeze concentration of cheese whey for protein and lactose recovery”, I.Uald Lamkaddam et al., International Dairy Journal 139 (2023) 105572 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2022.105572

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ESPP members

ESPP Members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews073
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ESPP new members
C-Green
SNB

SOFIE and Nitrogen Recovery Workshop
Follow-up to successful events

What does the term “Bio-Based Fertiliser” mean?
EU Communication on “Bio-Based" and relevance to nutrients

Regulatory
Recovered struvite authorised in EU Certified Organic Farming
Lack of data on Cat1 ABP ash safety
Preparatory study for Sewage Sludge Directive (SSD) revision
Spanish Royal Decree on sustainable fertilisation in agriculture
CEN has published 82 Technical Specifications for fertilising products

Nutrient recycling
Updated inventory of operating P-recovery sites
Fluidised-bed sewage sludge recovery and ash reuse as fertiliser
Biogas digestate resources will be increase by five by 2050
Braunschweig sewage nutrient recovery trials
European Biochar Industry (EBI) position paper on pyrolysis of sewage sludge

Nutrient stewardship and food security
Global and European food security highly dependent on fertiliser supply
Scientists propose UK Phosphorus Transformation Strategy
NGOs welcome revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) proposal
JRC study suggests EU+UK are accumulating 130 ktP/y in soil
Transgressing planetary boundaries for P and N

Stay informed

ESPP members

ESPP new members

C-Green

C-Green has developed and patented OxyPower HTC™, converting sewage sludge, manure, and food digestate into solid hydrochar by a combination of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) and wet oxidation of the separated water. HTC or wet pyrolysis was invented in 1913 by the Nobel prize-winning German chemist Friedrich Bergius. Wet oxidation produces heat, which is used to heat the incoming sludge and to convert the nitrogen in the separated water into ammonium ions.

OxyPower HTC™ simplifies both nitrogen and phosphorus recovery. Nitrogen is extracted from the separated nitrogen-rich wet oxidized process water by ammonia stripping. Up to 60% of the nitrogen in the sludge is separated as ammonium sulphate.

The hydrochar can be used as a biofuel or for soil improvement depending on local regulations. Mono-incineration of the hydrochar makes it possible recover phosphorus from the ash. NO_x emissions are significantly lower compared to sludge incineration. In addition, more than 50% of the nitrogen in the sludge can be recovered as fertiliser.

If the hydrochar is used for soil improvement, virtually all phosphorus and up 90% of the nitrogen in the sludge (60% ammonia water and 30% in the hydrochar) is used.

C-Green is confident that membership in ESPP will help us contribute to developing sustainable carbon and nutrient recycling through information, monitoring, networking and contacts with decision makers.

Website: www.c-green.se

SNB

SNB, a Dutch company established in 1994 by Dutch Water Authorities, operates the largest sewage sludge incineration plant in Europe. Their aim is to treat sewage sludge sustainably by recovery of energy and raw materials. Furthermore, they are engaged to reduce their environmental footprint, including the objective of carbon neutral sewage sludge treatment. Currently SNB processes about 410.000 to 430.000 tons of dewatered sewage sludge a year. Their strategic goal is to achieve circular sewage water and sludge treatment. To achieve this goal SNB is and has been involved with several partners to recovery phosphates from sewage sludge incineration fly ashes. These sludges contain phosphorus concentrations comparable to low grade phosphate rock. In addition to phosphate recovery, SNB is investigating recovery and recycling nitrogen from sewage sludge. As a member of ESPP, SNB contributes, together with the other members, to a phosphorus sustainable Europe by recovery of phosphates from waste, through research and by steering regulation towards a circular economy.

https://www.snb.nl/

SOFIE and Nitrogen Recovery Workshop

Follow-up to successful events

ESPP’s January 2023 events, 2^nd SOFIE and 1st Nitrogen Recovery Workshop, saw nearly 400 participants in Brussels and online. SCOPE Newsletter summaries of both events are currently being finalised.

Registered participants to each event already have full access to slides, session recordings, edited Chat, list of participants with emails (on Swapcard (for SOFIE) or via link sent for N-Recovery).

SOFIE2 (Summit of Organic and Organo-Mineral Fertilisers Industries in Europe) confirmed the considerable enthusiasm and interest in this growing and restructuring sector, which is strategic for the nutrient circular economy. SOFIE showed active engagement both by upstream sectors supplying raw materials (in particular digestates and compost, of which production is expected to grow considerably in the coming decade with EU biomethane and biowaste policies), organic fertiliser producers, processing equipment suppliers, and also the mineral fertiliser industry, motivated by complementarities between organic and mineral nutrients for crop nutrition and by market and logistics synergies. SOFIE is the only event for organic fertilisers industry, and the only place to meet this growing industry’s different partners.

SOFIE3 is already fixed for 16-17 January 2024 (Brussels & hybrid)

Further information soon www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE

SOFIE3

NRecovery logo The Nitrogen Recovery Workshop showed strong interest in “White Nitrogen” (recovery and reuse of reactive nitrogen), accelerated by the current energy and fertiliser supply crisis. Technologies exist, some longstanding (stripping and scrubbing), some innovative and new, but with challenges of producing dilute solutions, logistics, cost. The workshop agreed the need to establish some form of working group to develop proposals on policy, R&D funding, information gathering and supply-chain networking and collaboration. A Steering Committee is now being established to take this forward and is open to companies and volunteers wishing to contribute.

If you wish to be involved on Nitrogen Recovery, contact:

What does the term “Bio-Based Fertiliser” mean?

EU Communication on “Bio-Based" and relevance to nutrients

The European Commission has published a communication on the use of the term “Bio-Based Plastic” which can be seen as relevant for the term “Bio-Based Fertiliser”. The Communication refers to the CEN/TC4111 definition of Bio-Based (see below) and indicates that Bio-Based plastics are made from biomass, with a preference for organic wastes and by-products, whereas conventional plastics are made from fossil resources. The Communication notes that Bio-Based Plastics can be made fully or partly from biobased feedstock, but underlines that generic claims such as “biobased” may be banned by the Green Deal proposed directive “Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition”, unless underpinned by recognised environmental performance, and therefore that the exact and measurable share of biobased content should be specified (in a Bio-Based Plastic).

The CEN (TC4111) European Standard EN 16575 (August 2014) “Bio-based products: vocabulary” defines (2.1, 2.5) a bio-based product as “Wholly or partly derived from biomass. May have undergone physical, chemical or biological treatment” and (2.4) bio-based content as “fraction of a product that is derived from biomass. Normally expressed as a percentage of the total mass of the product”. Biomass is defined (2.7) as “material of biological origin excluding material embedded in geological formations and/or fossilised”. CEN has outlined methodology for quantifying the bio-based content of products in CEN/TR 16721. This takes as starting point the % of bio-based carbon based on C¹⁴ ratio. Unfortunately, this method does not seem appropriate for assessing whether N or P or K are “bio-based” when recovered from organic wastes.

ESPP notes that the term Bio-Based Fertiliser (“BBF”) is already being used in R&D publications (see e.g. Wester-Larsen et al. Lex4Bio 2022 in ESPP eNews n°72) and that a comparable discussion is ongoing concerning the wording “nutrients of solely biological origin” in the EU FPR (Fertilising Products Regulation).

ESPP considers that the definition and usage of these vocabulary terms are important for market clarity (product communication to users and consumers) and for a possible future European Standard on defining and measuring “Bio-Based nutrient” content (nutrients of “biological origin”) to support environmental claims and EU Fertilising Products Regulation certification.

ESPP is therefore developing a Position Paper on the definitions of “Bio-Based Fertiliser” or “Bio-Based Nutrient”.

This document is open to comment on the ESPP public website www.phosphorusplatform.eu. The objective is to achieve consensus on a proposed definition to submit for consideration by the European Commission and by CEN.

European Commission Communication COM(2022)682, 30^th November 2022 “EU policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics” HERE

Regulatory

Recovered struvite authorised in EU Certified Organic Farming

The EU Organic Farming Regulations have been modified to authorise “Recovered struvite and precipitated phosphate salts”, as defined in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR). The modifying Regulation (2023/121 modifying 2021/1165), published 17^th January 2023, specifies that, to be authorised for use in Certified Organic Farming, the recovered phosphates “must meet the requirements laid down in” the FPR and that “animal manure as source material cannot have factory farming origin”. ESPP notes that there is to date no official EU definition of “factory farming”. The European Environment Agency indicates a definition here and the EU Expert Group on Organic Farming (EGTOP 2013) refers to 1995 EU Guidance*. ESPP also notes that the modification to the Organic Farming Regulations does not include the words “and derivates” which are included in the FPR CMC12, suggesting that recovered precipitated phosphates can be used in Certified Organic Farming as such, but not after chemical reprocessing. ESPP further notes that the text specifies that the recovered precipitated phosphates must “meet the requirements” of the FPR, and does not state that they must be EU-Certified under the FPR. It could be surmised that this choice of wording means the precipitated phosphates must respect the criteria of FPR CMC12, and of at least one FPR PFC, and of FPR Labelling (Annex III), but do not require FPR Conformity Assessment (Annex IV), but this interpretation should be verified with national Certified Organic Farming implementation authorities. ESPP notes that the obligation to respect CMC12 excludes (for the present) any struvite or precipitated phosphates derived from manure or from other animal by-products (ABPs) (e.g. from digestate where manure [even if not from factory farming] or separately collected municipal biowaste are inputs to the digester), until the ABP Regulations are modified to include relevant ABP End-Points (amendment underway, see ESPP eNews n°71). It is ESPP’s understanding that under the wording of this amendment as proposed, precipitated phosphates derived from ABPs would only be authorised in the FPR CMC12 if (1) they are precipitated from digestate where the digestion process respects the Standard Processing Requirements of the ABP Regulation 142/2011 “standard” processing requirements (Annex V, ch. I, II and III) or (2) if the precipitated phosphate is sterilised according to the requirements of 142/2011 Annex XI, chapter I ($2 a, b & d, that is treatment at ≥70°C for ≥60 minutes), and (in both cases) if the processing plants were appropriately authorised and controlled by national ABP authorities.

Note: the German language published version of this Regulation contains a translation error (the materials are “deleted” from the list instead of being “added”). The European Commission is aware and correction is underway.

* 1995: Commission Guidelines for the use of excrements in organic farming (Annex II, part A, to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91), VI/5684/95-EN Rev5(PPQPP/EN/95/5684R5.doc). These guidelines are out of date and refer to interpretation of “factory farming” in EU Regulation 2381/94 which has been repealed, but this used exactly the same wording “factory farming origin prohibited” as in the current Organic Farming Regulations which have replaced it. See reference to this 1995 document in a 2020 European Commission answer to the European Parliament (1/7/2020). This 1995 document is no longer available on the European Commission website and can be found on the ESPP website www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/121 of 17 January 2023 amending and correcting Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1165 authorising certain products and substances for use in organic production and establishing their lists https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R0121

Lack of data on Cat1 ABP ash safety

Data search and analysis for ESPP concludes that incineration and co-combustion are not proved to inactive prions. Cat1 animal by-products represent a significant, high-quality potential for phosphorus recovery. ESPP considers that the priority is safety, and in particular inactivation of prions (which cause BSE, scrapie and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). A literature search, commissioned by ESPP to Dr Kevin McDonnell, University College Dublin, identified only 22 studies, recent or not, relevant to pathogen reduction in animal by-products by thermal/chemical processes, of which 13 reported pathogen reduction following thermal treatment. None of the studies addressed the specific conditions of the EU Industrial Emissions Directive IED (850°C, 0.2 seconds). Data suggests that increasing temperature and time improve prion deactivation. The only directly relevant studies (Brown et al. 2000 et 2004) use a highly heat resistant prion (strain 263K, comparable to BSE) and show >8 log ₁₀ reduction at 612 °C for 15 min and total inactivation at 1 000 °C for 5 and 15 min. Dr McDonnell concludes that this does not enable conclusions concerning prion deactivation under EU IED conditions.

“Sanitary Safety of Animal by-product Ash”, K. McDonnell, UCD and Bio-e Biosystems, for ESPP, 47 pages, 2022, online here www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

“New studies on the heat resistance of hamster adapted scrapie agent: Threshold survival after ashing at 600°C suggests an inorganic

template of replication”, P. Brown et al. 2000, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 97(7), https://doi.org/10.1073/PNAS.050566797

‘Infectivity Studies of Both Ash and Air Emission from Simulated Incineration of Scrapie-Contaminated Tissues”, P. Brown et al. 2004, Environmental Science Technology, PP. 6155-6160. https://doi.org/10.1021/es040301z

Summary of the Brown et al. studies cited: Brown et al. 2000 tested injection of prion-infected brain material from hamsters into healthy hamsters, with or without dry heat combustion under air at 600°C or 1000°C. This showed prion reinfection after combustion at 600°C. Brown et al. (5 out of 35 healthy hamsters infected). Brown et al. repeated their trials because the results were surprising, taking precautions on possible contamination by combustion flue gases, and obtained the same results in the second study (2004). The authors note some residual organic carbon at 600°C. In the second study, samples were also heated under nitrogen, and in this case there was no reinfection at 600°C, leading the authors to conclude that incomplete combustion was not preventing prion deactivation. They hypothesise that at 600°C the prions are leaving an “inorganic template” (rather like a fossil) in the ash and that this template can cause refolding of healthy prions, so causing reinfection.

ESPP comment: The literature search conclusions and the Brown studies would seem to lead to the conclusion that there is today no evidence that IED incineration of Cat1 animal by-products ensures safety (prevents risk of TSE transmission). This is problematic, not only as regards possible use of Cat1 ash in P-recovery or fertiliser production, but also as regards current management of Cat1 by-products, which are currently incinerated under IED conditions.

ESPP plans to organise a webinar of concerned companies, stakeholders and experts, to discuss how to take forward these questions. If you are interested to input, please contact

Preparatory study for Sewage Sludge Directive (SSD) revision

EU preparatory study for the SSD concluding mainly that there is a lack of data of possible impacts of emerging pollutants, in particular pharmaceuticals, and also a lack of data on sewage sludge treatment and use. The report assesses implications for sewage sludge management of different current or anticipated EU policies. Risk assessment of different emerging pollutants in sludge are presented, including microplastics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). For industrial chemicals, the highest PEC/PNEC ratios (indicator of potential risk) were for the brominated flame retardant Deca-BDE (BDE209) and for PAHs (poly aromatic hydrocarbons). PFAS were also identified as “of potential concern for human health” and some pharmaceuticals as possibly posing health risks through sludge use on soils. The contribution of sewage sludge to microplastic inputs to soils is considered small (most inputs to the environment are from vehicle tyre wear), and most sludge microplastics are fibres. Possible impacts of microplastics on soil, plants and health is considered to be poorly understood. The report underlines that data on how sewage sludge processing modifies emerging contaminant inputs to soil is inadequate and should be developed. The report also underlines that data on use routes for sewage sludge in Europe are incoherent and incomplete: unidentified “other” category is often reported, “Compost is reported as an end-use whereas it is in fact a pre-treatment before different destinations. Also, there is inadequate data as to how much sewage sludge undergoes anaerobic digestion, which impacts both final sludge volumes and energy recovery. The report notes that phosphorus can be recovered by different routes. Application of sludge to agricultural land “remains a key end-of-life option”, ensuring nutrient return to agriculture, with currently around one third of EU sewage sludge used in this way. However, the report notes that “future trends for use of sewage sludge on land are not clear … there are uncertainties with regard to the environmental impacts, specifically linked to pollutants of emerging concern”.

“Support to the evaluation of the Sewage Sludge Directive. Exploratory study - final report”, Wood, Trinomics, Ricardo, IMDEA, Tyrsky, March 2022 https://dx.doi.org/10.2779/582221

Spanish Royal Decree on sustainable fertilisation in agriculture

National Decree requires farmers to record all nutrient and organic carbon applications and implement a fertilisation plan, and specifies conditions for recycling secondary materials as fertiliser coherent with the EU FPR. The 43 page Decree states as context the EU Green Deal targets to reduce nutrient losses by 50% by 2030 without deteriorating soil fertility. It sets as aims to ensure farmers planning of and recording of fertilisation, define good agriculture practices for nutrient application (including of fertilisers, manures, sewage sludge and other secondary materials), establish by 2026 a mandatory register of manufacturers and other economic agents for fertilisers, define conditions under which waste and secondary materials can be either used in fertilising products (this largely refers to the EU Fertilising Products Regulation criteria) or applied as waste, define accreditation and intervention of “technical fertilisation advisors” to farmers. Farmers and foresters will be obliged to record all applications of nutrients or of organic carbon to soil in a new “fertilisation” section of the existing log established for phytosanitary products. Farmers will have to define a fertilisation plan, using soil and leaf analysis data, and this must prioritise the use of organic fertilisers and must include measures to mitigate ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions. Reference to a fertilisation advisor will be obligatory for these plans in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. The Decree also includes measures concerning heavy metal limits in fertilisers and in soils, storage and application of manures, limiting ammonia emissions from urea fertilisers (reference is made to the UNECE document “Options for ammonia mitigation”).

Spain Royal Decree 1051/2022 (27th December 2022) establishing legal standards for sustainable nutrition in agricultural soils - Real Decreto 1051/2022, de 27 de diciembre, par el que se establecen normas para la nutrición sostenible en las suelos agrarios https://www.boe.es/eli/es/rd/2022/12/27/1051

CEN has published 82 Technical Specifications for fertilising products

In April 2022, CEN published 82 new Technical Specifications to support implementation of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation. This is expected to be followed, after laboratory validation, by European Standards. The new Technical Specifications cover testing methods, sampling methods, terminology and concern soil improvers and growing media (CEN/TC 223), fertilisers and liming material (CEN/TC 260) and plant biostimulants (CEN/TC 455) and cover aspects such as terminology and classification, determination of physical properties and particle size, determination of nitrogen of different forms in organic and mineral fertilisers, determination of water soluble -, citric acid soluble -, formic acid soluble – and NAC soluble – phosphorus in fertilisers, determination of potassium, magnesium, calcium and micro-nutrients contents, nutrient release from coated fertilisers, determination of total organic carbon content …

“CEN published 82 new Technical Specifications on fertilizing products in support of the EU Circular Economy objectives”, 21^st April 2022 HERE.

Nutrient recycling

Updated inventory of operating P-recovery sites

The worldwide inventory list of operating full-scale installations for P-recovery from wastewater treatment (Christian Kabbe, P-REX Environment) is updated online here. The inventory list has been fully updated, and identifies around 75 installations operating worldwide as currently operational and recovering phosphorus, of a total of around 120 installations listed. The technology supplier, the location, operating since, the recovered phosphate material/product and the annual tonnage of product output are specified. Christian Kabbe notes that these outputs are nominal capacities, whereas plants often produce significantly less. With units expected to come online this year, there will be around 45 struvite plants operational in Europe, producing struvite containing c. 2000 tP/y. This compares to expected recovery of around 50 000 tP/y from sewage sludge incineration ash in Germany alone, when the German P-recovery obligation comes fully into application (in 2032).

“Inventory of phosphorus “recovery and /or recycling” facilities operating or under construction at or downstream of wastewater treatment installations” v 11/2022 here: https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/activities/p-recovery-technology-inventory

Fluidised-bed sewage sludge recovery and ash reuse as fertiliser

Published paper presents ENDEV PAKU new-design sewage sludge incinerator achieves energy neutrality and ash of around 5% P content, successfully tested in continuous-operation 10 000 t/y dried sludge input pilot. The process developed by ESPP member ENDEV takes mechanically dewatered sewage sludge (20 - 25% DM), dries it at 110°C then mixes with sand and combusts at 850°C / 2 seconds (respecting IED requirements) in a double circulating fluidised bed dryer / incinerator designed to optimise energy. Organic contaminants and microplastics in sewage sludge are eliminated, and heavy metals are partly volatilised. Around 8% of mercury, 5% of zinc and 4% of copper are thus effectively removed from the ash to the flue gas filter waste stream. Sulphur is removed from flue gases by scrubbing. The pilot installation was constructed at Rovaniemi municipal sewage works, Finland (63 000 p.e., probably using iron for chemical P-removal), treating all the works sludge, and has now today been operated for nearly two years, producing around 1 MWh heat per tonne of mechanically dried sewage sludge. The scale and compact design enable at medium size sewage works, avoiding sewage sludge transport. Heavy metal contents of the ash are significantly lower than EU Fertilising Products Regulation limits for As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn but phosphorus solubility at 65-70% in NAC is too low for labelling as phosphate fertiliser under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation..

“A novel dual circulating fluidized bed technology for thermal treatment of municipal sewage sludge with recovery of nutrients and energy”, P. Petlola et al., Waste Management 155 (2023) 329–337, DOI. See also ESPP-NNP-DPP Nutrient Recycling Technology Catalogue.

Biogas digestate resources will be increase by five by 2050

The EBA Statistical Report 2022 provides detailed assessment of biogas production in Europe today and trends, concluding that digestate resources (220-260 Mt fresh weight/y today) will double by 2030 and increase five-fold by 2050. The European Biogas Association (EBA) combines data from national biogas associations, national statistics and industries in EU plus 6 adjacent countries, and presents detailed analysis and graphs. The report concludes that by 2050 biogas and biomethane* (from anaerobic digestion) could provide 35 – 60% of Europe’s gas consumption. This is driven by EU policies towards renewable energies, and accelerated by the current gas supply and price crisis. This will result in a several-fold increase in digestate production, providing a key resource of secondary nutrients. Estimates of nutrient content suggest that digestate today contains 0.5 - 0.6 Mt N-NH₄/y, expected to increase to 2.6 -3.1 Mt by 2050, and 0.4 – 0.5 MtP/y, increasing to 2.0 – 2.3 MtP. This corresponds, for 2050 estimates , to around 26% - 31% of today’s synthetic N fertiliser consumption and c. 86% for synthetic P fertiliser (2050). Digestate also brings, today, around 5 Mt/y of stable organic carbon to agricultural soils.

“Statistical Report 2022. Tracking biogas and biomethane deployment across Europe”, European Biogas Association, December 2022, 160 pages, price on request here https://www.europeanbiogas.eu/SR-2022/EBA/

* “Biogas” is the combustible gas generated by anaerobic digestion of organic materials, consisting mostly of methane, but with some other gases. “Biomethane” is high-purity or refined biogas, consisting almost solely of methane, and which can be reinjected into natural gas distribution networks to replace fossil methane. For definitions see: https://www.europeanbiogas.eu/about-biogas-and-biomethane/

Braunschweig sewage nutrient recovery trials

Three-year, full-scale tests at 380 000 p.e. wwtp assess thermal pressure sludge hydrolysis (TPH), anaerobic digestion, struvite precipitation and ammonium sulphate recovery. Identifying benefits, operating challenges and parameters. In the C19^th sewage nutrients were recycled by spreading sewage on farmland, after primary treatment since the 1950’s. From 1979, the waste water treatment plant (wwtp) integrated secondary treatment and anaerobic sludge digestion, with the digested sludge continuing to be used on farmland (storage in winter to enable use in summer only). However, nitrogen application limits since 2016 has led to 40% of sludge being incinerated. In 2019, for circularity objectives, thermal hydrolysis was added between two sludge digestion stages, with struvite precipitation in the digestate dewatering liquor, and ammonia recovery by stripping from the digestate liquor. Optimal conditions for the thermal pressure hydrolysis were identified through the trials as around 145°C, 4 bars, 1 ½ hours. The resulting breakdown of the sludge led to a +20% increase in biogas production, resulting in more than enough additional secondary heat after electricity generation to heat the TPH. After two years of process optimalisation reliable struvite recovery (without loss of fines, >80% P precipitation in reactor) was achieved with the NuReSys reactor. With the TPH in place, around 15% of total P in sludge was recovered in struvite, operating with MgCl₂ dosing at around 2:1 Mg:P ratio and pH 8.5 (NaOH dosing). This is not sufficient to achieve the German P-Recovery Ordinance obligations, because the dewatered sludge exceeds 20 g P/kg DM. Some 250 t/y of struvite are now being produced, and this is fairly pure, with < 0.5% calcium, potassium, iron etc and heavy metals below German fertiliser legislation levels (organic contaminants not reported). The ammonia stripping unit was operating on digestate with c. 1200 mgNH₄-N/l and optimal conditions were identified as pH 9.5 (NaOH dosing) and temperature 55°C (heating needed). This generated an ammonium sulphate solution of concentration about 38 % based on weight. This is conform to German fertiliser legislation requirements and is distributed locally by a third party in the region so ensuring effective recycling to crop production.

“Technology related results of the case study Braunschweig (DE)”, A. Kleyöcker, J. Heinze, F; Kraus, 10/2022, EU Horizon 2020 funded, online here.

European Biochar Industry (EBI) position paper on pyrolysis of sewage sludge

Policy paper concludes that pyrolysis removes most organic pollutants from sewage sludge. The paper requests a review of the current exclusion of sewage sludge from pyrolysis and gasification materials in the EU FPR (Fertilising Products Regulation CMC14). The 14-page paper explains the pyrolysis process and the resulting material, biochar. Evidence is summarised (based on 10 studies plus 2 review papers) indicating that pyrolysis eliminates pathogens and organic pollutants (including PFAS, PAH, microplastics), on condition that the pyrolysis temperature and residence time are sufficient [ESPP note: probably a minimum temperature of maybe 500°C – 650°C is required, see ESPP SCOPE Newsletter n°144, whereas the EU FPR CMC14 allows temperatures down to 180°C so adjustment would be necessary]. Evidence is also summarised indicating that biochar contributes to carbon storage in agricultural soils and can be a negative carbon emissions fertiliser. Phosphorus in sewage sludge biochar seems to be slowly crop available, with NAC solubility generally up to 80% [ESPP note: in this case, cannot be labelled as a phosphorus fertiliser under the EU FPR, Annex IV, part II, PFC1 point 4(b)]. Pyrolysis is considered as scalable for medium or large sewage works (> 20 000 p.e.). It is noted that sewage sludge biochar can be used in agriculture under national regulations such as in the Czech Republic, Denmark and Sweden.

EBI (European Biochar Industry) is an ESPP member since January 2023.

“Sewage Sludge as feedstock for pyrolysis to be included in the scope of the EU Fertilizing Products Regulation”, EBI Position Paper sent to the European Commission, 23 January 2023 https://www.biochar-industry.com/2023/ebi-position-paper/

Nutrient stewardship and food security

Global and European food security highly dependent on fertiliser supply

Modelling of agricultural input shocks impact on crop production shows that fertiliser supply is highly critical to global food security, with risks of 30 – 50% crop production losses, especially in Western Europe and the USA. This paper models impacts on crop yield of hypothetical reductions in supply of different agricultural inputs (fertilisers, machinery, pesticides) for 12 crops for which relevant data was found (barley, cassava, groundnut, maize, millet, potato, rice, sorghum, soybean, sugar beet, sugarcane and wheat), 25 climate types and different countries or continents. A “random forest” modelling method was used, because this has been shown to applicable to crop yields. Generally, input shocks impacted crops in climate types with highest current yields. Reductions in fertiliser inputs (in particular N, and in some cases K) cause the most significant crop yield losses. A 50% reduction in N-fertiliser inputs would case a25% - 75% reduction in wheat yield in much of Western Europe and in parts of North and South America, Asia and Southern Africa. A 50% reduction in all of the modelled agricultural inputs would reduce maize production by 30% in China, around 50% in France and in the USA, 70% in Argentina and would reduce wheat production by 40 – 50% in Germany and France, around 20% in Australia and Canada and 10% in the USA. Worldwide wheat production could be reduced by 30% and maize production by 50% with a 75% reduction in all modelled agricultural inputs. The authors underline the dependency of crop yields, and so food security, on global trade flows of fertilisers and other agricultural supplies.

“Agricultural input shocks decrease crop yields globally”, A. Ahvo et al., Research Square preprint December 2022 DOI.

Scientists propose UK Phosphorus Transformation Strategy

Researchers conclude the 4-year RePhoKUs project with the co-development of six key strategic pathways for the UK food system to transition to a desirable phosphorus future. Based on consultation with around 60 stakeholders, the scientists assessed the UK’s phosphorus vulnerability, finding that the UK imports nearly all the phosphorus in processed fertilisers used in the UK, and around half of the phosphorus in processed animal feeds (not including locally used manure, grass and fodder). They estimate that theoretically the UK has nearly enough phosphorus circulating in the food system to be self-sufficient, based in part on the analysis that only 43% of P imported (total of 172 ktP/y net, in fertilisers, chemicals, animal feed, food products) ends up in food products. Their P-flow analysis for the UK suggests that 48 ktP/y is lost to water and landfill, which is around 30% of net imported phosphorus; They estimate that nearly 90 ktP/y is accumulating in agricultural soils due to over application, principally driven by manure application. [Note: this is coherent with UK official Defra data but is contradictory to Panagos et al. below]. The report underlines significant regional phosphorus imbalances have resulted from high concentration of livestock production in North West England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while the South East cropping regions remain in phosphorus deficit [this is also the conclusion of Panagos et al. see below]. The researchers suggest that over-application of phosphorus in manure to farmland in England’s North West alone is equivalent to almost 30 million UK£/year of phosphorus fertiliser (not including nitrogen).

The report concludes that the current linear phosphorus use coupled with fragmented governance has led to serious water pollution, trade security risks and regional imbalances that are costly and inefficient. It analyses vulnerability to different agricultural sectors to fertiliser price increases and identifies structural obstacles to more sustainable P management. Cost is identified as a major obstacle, both cost of P-recycling (e.g. manure processing) and cost of recycled P products.

The report concludes that actions are needed to render coherent the institutional framework, raise awareness, bring together different stakeholders and develop targets and indicators for P sustainability for different sectors or scales (e.g. catchments, supermarket chains) and proposes the establishment of a “government supported” national phosphorus platform.

Below: stakeholder vision for a transformed phosphorus management system for the UK (RePhoKUs 2022).

stakeholder vision

RePhoKUs partners: Lancaster University, University of Leeds, University of Technology Sydney, AFBI, UK CEH. Funded by UKRI under the UK’s Global Food Security research program.

“UK Phosphorus Transformation Strategy. Towards a circular UK food system”, RePhoKUs, D. Cordell et al., 2022, HERE.

“A new direction for tackling phosphorus inefficiency in the UK food system”, RePhoKUs, S.Rothwell et al., 2022, HERE.

“Regional phosphorus imbalances” - interactive maps. RePhoKUs. 2021, HERE

“Phosphorus in the UK Food System: risks and opportunities” RePhoKUs animation HERE

NGOs welcome revised Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) proposal

Environment associations joint position welcomes UWWTD revision proposal, especially treatment of further pollution sources, circular economy and polluter pays principle. The NGOs call to apply the “zero pollution hierarchy” to sludge. The joint EEB (European Environment Bureau), Surfrider, Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) position welcomes the proposed requirement of energy-neutrality for the wastewater treatment sector by 2040 [art.11] (inc. anaerobic digestion of sludge) and proposed monitoring of greenhouse gases [art.21.1d]. The NGOs welcome the proposed empowerment of the European Commission to set minimum recycling rates for phosphorus and nitrogen [art.20]. The position states that “while it is essential to favour recovery of resources from wastewater and sludge, the risk of contamination and the associated limits for direct reuse needs to be acknowledged”. The NGOs request that treatment of sludge should be based not only on the “Waste Hierarchy” [this is already specified in art.20] but also on the “Zero Pollution Hierarchy” defined in the Green Deal Zero Pollution Action Plan, that is “Prevent” above “Treat”, application of the Precautionary Principle and of Polluter Pays. ESPP is not clear as to what this would mean in implementation for sewage sludge. The NGO’s welcome the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to require producers and importers of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to cover costs of monitoring and removing these (in wastewater treatment) [art.9].

“Joint NGO Analysis of the European Commission’s Proposal for a Revised UWWTD”, EEB – Surfrider – HCWH, 14^th December 2022, 7 pages HERE.

JRC study suggests EU+UK are accumulating 130 ktP/y in soil

Data on soils, crops, fertilising inputs, erosion losses, etc. suggests average P surplus of 0.8 kgP/ha/y for EU+UK, with very wide regional variations. This suggests considerable opportunities for improvement in phosphorus management by reducing inputs in regions with high surplus and high available soil P and increasing inputs in regions at risk of soil fertility depletion. This study follows on from the study estimating phosphorus offtakes in crops and crop residues in EU+UK published earlier in 2022 (see ESPP Scope Newsletter n°142). With the new study, JRC makes available online P budgets (inputs – outputs) at the NUTS2 (regional) and at country scale, and also a dataset for both Total P and Olsen P (available P) based on LUCAS (Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey) topsoil data. The study estimates that EU+UK topsoil (173 million ha, 0 – 20 cm depth) contains an average of 1 400 kgP_total/ha (total 245 Mt P), but that < 6% of this is available to crops (P_Olsen). The study estimates that inorganic fertilisers and manure contribute similar levels of P in fertilisation (both c. 7.6 kgP/ha/y = total 1.3 MtP/y). This assumes that 90% of manure phosphorus is applied locally as organic fertilisation. Displaced P lost from fields by erosion and sediment flux is estimated at c. 2 kgP/ha/y (370 ktP/y EU+UK) but only around 18% (66 ktP/y EU+UK) of this is considered to be lost to surface waters (the remainder being redeposited in soil close to the field of loss). The study includes visual maps illustrating, for regions across Europe, soil P stocks, mineral fertiliser use, manure, P erosion, P losses to surface waters, phosphorus budget (excess or deficit). The majority of European regions show a P-surplus (121 regions of 223). Most of Northern and Central Europe (except The Netherlands, Belgium and Western France) shows a P deficit, as does Scandinavia. The largest P surpluses (as tP/country) are Spain, Italy and Poland (fig. 9) and the largest P surpluses (per hectare) are Malta, The Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and Ireland (fig. 10). Regional variations are considerable, Brittany France has a P-surplus of > 10 kgP/ha/y whereas parts of Northern/Central France show a deficit <-8 kgP/ha/y.

European Commission JRC summary (ESDAC European Soil Data Centre) “Phosphorus budget and P stocks” LINK.

“Improving the phosphorus budget of European agricultural soils”, P. Panagos et al., Science of the Total Environment 853 (2022) 158706 DOI.

Transgressing planetary boundaries for P and N

Scientists suggest that Western Europe is exceeding the “share” of planetary boundary for P annually by 3-4x and for N by 4-5x. For Eastern Europe, significant exceedance is not identified. The exceedance is higher for P and similar for N considering accumulated share since the 1950’s. The “share” is based on agricultural land surface (crop plus grass), not on population. Worldwide, exceedance was driven mainly by economic growth, not population growth. Exceedance estimates are based on the most recent nutrient planetary boundary estimates (Carpenter and Bennett 2011, Steffen et al. 2015,de Vries et al. 2013, following Rockström et al. 2009 & 2009), that is 6.2 MtP/y and 62 MtN/y. Around half of the accumulated exceedance for phosphorus and nitrogen are in China, the USA plus India (because of their large agricultural areas), whereas countries with highest exceedance of share (taking into account agricultural area) include South Korea and the Netherlands for N and Japan and South Korea for P. The authors suggest that future allocations of fair shares of nutrient planetary boundaries should consider transfer of nutrients from global regions with accumulated share exceedance over past decades to those low cumulative nutrient use, in particular Africa.

“Disparate history of transgressing planetary boundaries for nutrients”, V. Sandtröm et al., Global Environmental Change 78 (2023) 102628, DOI.

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ESPP members

ESPP Members 14 02 23

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews072
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Summit of the Organic Fertilisers Industry in Europe
Brussels & hybrid, 17-18 January 2023

Workshop on Nitrogen Recovery
Brussels & hybrid, 19 January 2023

ESPP General Assembly and New Year 2023
Developments towards phosphorus recycling in 2022
ESPP projects and actions for 2023

Policy
European Commission Communication on availability and affordability of fertilisers
ESPP input on Critical Raw Materials (CRM), food security and energy policies
ESPP input on Polluter Pays Principle (PPP)
NGOs “Manifesto” for PFAS ban

EU fertilisers policies
ESPP input on recycled nutrients in certified Organic Farming
Industry summary of regulatory tasks for recycled fertilisers
Animal By-Products (ABPs) in CE-mark fertilisers
German steel slag industry legal action against FPR “By-Products” CMC12 criteria

Nitrogen recycling technology mapping
ESPP operator mapping and literature search on N recycling and recovery

Nutrient recycling
The OCP Group, Morocco and world food security
RENOWAGRO: 800 participants in Zaragoza
Potential ammonia emissions from secondary nutrient products
Potassium recovery from alkaline battery processing
Lithium Iron Phosphate battery cathode recycling
Elevated atmospheric CO₂ (eCO₂) and crop nutrient levels
Digestibility of recovered calcium phosphates
Phosphorus recycling potential in Eastern Europe

Stay informed

ESPP members

Summit of the Organic Fertilisers Industry in Europe

Brussels & hybrid, 17-18 January 2023

Already 120 participants are registered for this second organic and organo-mineral fertiliser industry conference. Speakers and registrants to date include the European Commission (DG AGRI, DG GROW, JRC), Copa-Cogeca, S&P Fertecon, iFoam, Notified Bodies, Registered participants to date include : Fertira, Koppert, Deleplanque, LBST Denmark, Omya, SEDE Veolia, Agrobiogel, Teagasc, Mills Nutrients, Tessenderlo, Adas, Honkajoki Oy, Protix, WEW, Benefert, Agrana, DCM, Evergreen, Ferm O Feed, Boicompig, Tervalis ….

The 1^st SOFIE meeting, 2019, brought together, for the first time ever, the European carbon-based fertiliser sector, and attracted participants, from industry (two thirds of participants), as well as regulators, stakeholders and R&D, from 14 European countries and worldwide (summary in SCOPE Newsletter n°130).

SOFIE2 is co-organised by ESPP, ECOFI, Eurofema and Fertilizers Europe, with support of the International Fertiliser Society.

SOFIE2 - 2^nd Summit of the Organic and organo-mineral Fertilisers Industries in Europe,

Brussels & hybrid, 17-18 January 2023 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE2023

Workshop on Nitrogen Recovery

Brussels & hybrid, 19 January 2023

www.phosphorusplatform.eu/NRecovery

This workshop is open, for physical participation in Brussels, to invited participants only whereas online access is open to the public. This is necessary to enable an operational working meeting in Brussels. Online participants will be able to actively participate through the Chat and the dedicated networking space on Swapcard.

Information and registration online (hybrid) www.phosphorusplatform.eu/NRecovery

Participation in Brussels: contact Olivier Bastin, ESPP

ESPP General Assembly and New Year 2023

ESPP wishes all the best for 2023 to all of our eNews readers. We hope that the year will bring an end to Russia’s war against the Ukraine and peace to nations and populations across the world, and we look forward to actions on nutrient sustainability, coherent with actions on climate change, in Europe and worldwide.

ESPP’s General Assembly, hosted in Brussels (by Fertilisers Europe) and online, 28^th November 2022, saw participation at the meeting of just over half of ESPP’s 52 Members and Partners, and formal email vote of over 90% of ESPP’s legal Members.

The General Assembly validated, with the necessary quorums, the 2021 accounts, 2022 and 2023 budgets (keeping membership fees at the same level as previous years).

The assembly also validated (with the specific necessary quorum and voting conditions) the modification of ESPP’s statutes to widen the association’s objectives and actions to cover “recycling of other nutrients”. ESPP will now take forward actions on recovery and recycling of nitrogen and of other nutrients, but will not engage in questions such as crop nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen losses, nitrogen and climate change (except where these are relevant to ESPP’s core objective of phosphorus sustainability). The assembly underlined that ESPP’s core competence remains phosphorus, and that action on recycling of nitrogen or other nutrients must be financed by new member fees or other new funding.

The ESPP N-Recovery Workshop (Brussels and online, 19^th January 2023) aims to identify companies and stakeholders interested to establish a Nitrogen Recovery Group within ESPP.

Developments towards phosphorus recycling in 2022

The ESPP General Assembly noted a number of successes over the past year, with progress towards P-recycling in Europe with significant regulatory developments including:

Regulatory proposal for Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
à framework to set minimum reuse & recycling rates for N and P
EU Fertilising Products Regulation entered into force July 2022
à composts, digestates, precipitated phosphates, ashes, biochars
Recovered precipitated phosphates in Organic Certified Production
à Public Consultation closed 21/11/22
EU Communication on fertilisers (9 th November 2022) – promotes nutrient recycling
Legal obligation to recover P from sewage notified to EU by Austria, not yet legally ratified in Austria but expected
à 3^rd European country, after Switzerland, Germany www.phopshorusplatform.eu/eNews070

ESPP continues to develop communications to enable networking between stakeholders, companies and researchers interested in nutrient sustainability and to promote phosphorus recycling:

4^th European Sustainable Phosphorus Conference, June 2022, with active engagement of Vienna City and of Borealis, and more than 300 participants www.phosphorusplatform.eu/Scope143
Social media: LinkedIn over 800 followers and Twitter nearly 2500 followers
ESPP website: c. 60 000 users/year - up from c. 40 000 in 2021
ESPP emailing list (eNews): 93 000 recipients, most recent eNews n°71 = 12 000 clicks

ESPP projects and actions for 2023

ESPP expects to take forward the following dossiers in 2023 (to be confirmed):

INMAP (EU Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan)
EU water policy: Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (see eNews 71), Sewage Sludge Directive
Critical Raw Materials: re-evaluation underway of ‘Phosphate Rock’ and ‘Phosphorus’ (P₄) ;
and Potash (?) ; MSA for ‘Phosphate Rock’ ; link between CRM - energy - food security policies
EU Fertilising Products Regulation: JRC study on possible additional CRMs, implementation …
Cat. 1 ABP ash: ESPP legal Opinion, safety data survey 2022, EFSA evaluation 2023 ?
Recovered nutrients in Organic Farming: submission of dossiers by companies via Member States
End-of-Waste / animal feed regulation / algae
Nitrates Directive and recycled manure nutrients www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews047
EU “Taxonomy” ?
ESPP – DPP – NNP Recycling Technology Catalogue http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/techcatalogue
Events: SOFIE2, N-Recovery, Organic Certified Farming (PROPRE), P₄chemistry and uses, iron-phosphorus interactions, adsorbents for P-removal and recovery, Phosphorus Research in Europe Meeting (PERM6), event in Italy with the Italian Phosphorus Platform …

Policy

European Commission Communication on availability and affordability of fertilisers

The Commission recognises the EU’s dependency on imports for fertilisers, impacting farmers’ costs and food insecurity, and the strategic need for organic fertilisers, green ammonia and nutrient recycling, alongside sustainable and precision farming, to improve nutrient use efficiency and reduce losses.

Actions announced include:

Use CAP (Common Agriculture Policy) Member State Strategic Plans to support efficient and sustainable fertiliser use whilst preventing nutrient losses, including rollout of the FaST tool (Farm Sustainability Tool for Nutrients): “CAP Strategic Plans support partial replacements of mineral fertilisers by organic fertilisers like manure, sewage sludge and biowaste, from methanisation processes or biological and thermal treatments, while ensuring that this does not result in higher nutrient losses”
Organic and recycled fertilisers: “Better access to organic fertilisers and nutrients from recycled waste-streams, especially in regions with a low usage of organic fertilisers”
Support for Green Ammonia (from renewable energies, not from natural gas)

ESPP welcomes the recognition of the importance of organic and recycled fertilisers, as well as improving fertiliser use and calls for strong EU action to support these be included in the Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan under preparation for 2023. ESPP underlines that the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium present in organic waste streams (manure, sewage biosolids, food wastes, animal by-products) are in total significantly greater that used in mineral fertilisers, and potential for increasing recycling is considerable.

The European fertilisers industry (Fertilizers Europe, 9^th November 2022) has underlined the need to optimise nutrient use, in particular with the EU FaST tool and precision fertiliser practices, and called for “measures to support the transition to a low-carbon fertilizer industry”.

ESPP welcomes the possibility to require nutrient recycling in the proposed revision of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (published 26^th October 2022) and calls for this requirement to be rapidly implemented. This should also be included in the Sewage Sludge Directive revision underway. Germany and Switzerland already have regulatory phosphorus recycling obligations; and now also Austria.

ESPP notes the recognition in the Communication of the importance of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/1009 to open the market for recovered fertilisers and for “Specialty EU fertilising products such as inhibited fertilisers, controlled release fertilisers and plant biostimulants”. ESPP calls to accelerate removal of legal obstacles to recycling of nutrients from animal by-products (ABP), where these are confirmed to be safe, such as Cat.1 ABP incineration ash. We call on the Commission to mandate rapidly EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) to assess the safety of these materials.

ESPP welcomes the announced aim of improving fertiliser use of manure and processed manure in compliance with the Nitrates Directive. ESPP notes the Commission’s clarification that proposed JRC “RENURE” processed manure materials (see ESPP eNews n°47) with potential ammonia emissions should continue to be subject to strict Nitrates Directive application requirements. ESPP underlines that it should be recognised that mineral fertilisers recovered from manure do not have ammonia emission or leaching risks different from fossil-derived mineral fertilisers, and should not be considered as “processed manure” (similarly for biomass grown using manure as a substrate), see ESPP eNews n°71.

The Nutrient Circular Economy, increasing nutrient recycling and organic fertilisers, alongside Nutrient Use Efficiency and green ammonia, are the only way out of EU import dependency for fertilisers, and so are critical to ensure food security, farmer livelihoods and to limit food inflation.

ESPP calls for clear regulatory actions and fiscal or market incentives to support nutrient recycling in the upcoming Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan.

2^nd European Summit of the Organic Fertilisers Industry in Europe (SOFIE), 17-18 January 2023, Brussels and online www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SOFIE2023

European Commission Communication “Ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers”, COM(2022) 590, 9^th November 2022 here and press release / Q&A / summary here.

ESPP input on Critical Raw Materials (CRM), food security and energy policies

ESPP calls for EU policy to combine nutrient CRMs, food security and energy. EU consultations on CRM policy excluded agricultural products and energy, whereas NPK are critical for food production and gas for N-fertiliser (see ESPP eNews n°71). ESPP’s input underlined that “Phosphate Rock” (in effect, phosphorus in any form) is on the EU Critical Raw Materials list, because it is non-substitutable for fertiliser, animal feed and food and the EU is highly import dependent. Natural gas supply and price challenges have strongly impacted N-fertiliser production in Europe, threatening farmers’ access to fertilisers, and so EU food security. ESPP also underlined the synergies between nutrient recycling and environmental objectives: reducing nutrient losses to waste and eutrophication, reducing nitrogen losses to air (greenhouse nitrogen gases, ammonia). ESPP welcomes that the Commission’s proposed CRM policy Roadmap emphasises recycling and improving “level playing field. ESPP suggests that such policies should be implemented for nutrients and proposes a number of policy actions to incite and facilitate phosphorus recycling.

ESPP input submitted to EU public consultations on Critical Raw Materials (CRM) policy, 25^th November 2022 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

ESPP input on Polluter Pays Principle (PPP)

ESPP welcomed the launch of EU work to better implement PPP, underlining the social costs of nutrient losses and eutrophication, and the need to implement PPP for emerging contaminants which are an obstacle to nutrient recycling, in particular by implementing PPP into the Common Agricultural Policy and by obliging full cross-compliance between CAP funding and local River Basin Management Plans under the Water Framework Directive. The Commission’s draft Roadmap refers to the European Court of Auditors report (2021) which emphasises that polluters do not bear the full costs of water pollution. ESPP provided references to several studies illustrating the societal costs of eutrophication. ESPP calls for the “Extended producer responsibility” proposed for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in the draft revision of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (October 2022) to be extended to cover industrial chemicals, plastic additives, micro-plastics and agrochemicals. ESPP notes the call from different organisations to fully implement ban on PFAS proposed under the Green Deal (SWD(2020)249). ESPP also calls for dialogue with the EU food industry, supermarkets and consumer organisations on contaminant safety in nutrient recycling.

EU consultation on the Polluter Pays Principle closed 11/12/2022 and ESPP input.

NGOs “Manifesto” for PFAS ban

Call signed by around 100 organisations calls on the EU to implement the ban on PFAS as a “group” (announced in the Chemicals Strategy eNews n°49), by banning PFAS in all consumer products by 2025 and completely by 2030. PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated substances) are considered a problematic contaminant in sewage sludge (see e.g. Sweden Water position in eNews n°66) and EU Commission workshop 2021 (eNews n°55). The Arcadis report on contaminants in fertilising products (for DG Environment, 2021) recommended to “remove PFAS as completely as possible from fertilising materials” (eNews n°61). The ‘Manifesto’, signed by EEB (European Environmental Bureau), CHEMTRUST, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and others, specifically refers to the problem of PFAS in sewage sludge (referring to the EFSA 2020 Opinion) and one of the ten call points is “to urge the EU authorities to adopt waste legislation ensuring the classification of PFAS-containing waste as Hazardous and/or POPs waste. That is to avoid PFAS-containing waste being circulated back into the economy and the environment via recycling and other routes such as sewage sludge spreading.” The Cefic (European Chemistry Industry Council) position is that “grouping” of chemical substances should be supported by robust evidence and coherence, whereas PFAS (considered as a group of chemicals with a stable carbon-fluoride bond) covers some 4700 very varied chemicals (Cefic May 2021, EFCTC 2020).

NGO “Manifesto for an urgent ban of ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS” https://www.banpfasmanifesto.org/en/

EU fertilisers policies

ESPP input on recycled nutrients in certified Organic Farming

ESPP welcomed the proposal to authorise recovered precipitated phosphates in Organic Farming, as this will help address the P-deficit in Organic Farming and is coherent with the principle of recycling (see ESPP eNews n°71). ESPP welcomed that is widened beyond only struvite, and to include recovery not only from municipal wastewater. ESPP suggested that clarification is needed as to whether EU Fertilising Product Regulation (FPR) conformity assessment is required, and what is the definition of “not from factory farming”. ESPP suggested that further recycled nutrient materials should be assessed for inclusion into the EU Organic Farming Regulation: Renewable calcined phosphates (cf. positive EGTOP Opinion 2016 (“Final Report on Fertilisers II”) and other phosphorus fertilisers recovered from ashes as defined in FPR CMC 13, Potassium fertilisers recovered from municipal waste incineration ashes, Recovered elemental sulphur, Bio-sourced adsorbents used to treat wastewaters, Phosphorus-rich pyrolysis and gasification materials (inc. biochars), Algae and algae products grown to treat wastewater, Vivianite, Recovered nitrogen from off-gases. ESPP included wording proposals for inclusion of these materials into the Organic Farming Regulation 2021/1126 Annex II.

ESPP has previously exchanged with the European Commission concerning inclusion of recycled nutrient materials into the Organic Farming Regulation. The conclusion is that for this to progress, companies and operators need to obtain that Member States submit dossiers to the European Commission. ESPP can provide relevant information and possibly coordinate submission of dossiers for similar substances by different companies to different Member States. We are also interested by proposals of other recycled nutrient materials (in addition to those listed above) of potential interest for Organic Farming.

ESPP input to EU public consultation “Organic production – authorised products & substances (updated list)”, 21^st November 2022 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

Industry summary of regulatory tasks for recycled fertilisers

Experts from Yara outline the different regulations and safety concerns a company must address to place on the market a fertiliser based on secondary materials. Presented at the International Fertiliser Society Conference, December 2022 (IFS Proceedings 867), the 23-page paper summarises the new EU Fertilising Products Regulation and its implementation (in particular Conformity Assessment), but also the other regulations relevant to recycled fertilisers. This covers waste-related regulations (Waste Framework Directive, Animal By-Products Regulation, water and sewage sludge regulations) but also other legislation which is applicable to all fertilisers, but may be more complex to apply for organic-based or waste-derived fertilisers: chemical legislation (REACH, CLP), transport regulation, Explosive Precursors (important because ammonium nitrate can be dangerous if mixed with organic materials), Occupational Health and Safety (e.g. health hazard bio-agents, respirable dust, APEX = explosive atmospheres), environmental permitting of operating sites (to handle waste or secondary materials). It is reminded that apparently ‘harmless’ biological materials require careful management in the workplace: grain flour can be allergenic (protein), wood dust can be carcinogenic, any organic dust can be explosive (e.g. flour). These possible workplace risks require risk assessment and are generally outside the experience of mineral fertiliser operators. Practical approaches for companies envisaging use of secondary materials in fertiliser production are proposed, including management quality systems, initial testing on national market before moving to CE-Mark, early engagement with a Notified Body to prepare Conformity Assessment.

“Professionalising the recycling of recovered nutrients into fertilisers”, W. Franke, R. Mulatto, N. Hammer, Yara International, IFS (International Fertiliser Society) Proceedings n°867 https://fertiliser-society.org/product-category/proceedings/

Animal By-Products (ABPs) in CE-mark fertilisers

Parallel to the consultation on DG SANTE proposals to authorise certain Animal By-Products in EU, DG GROW has started elaboration of necessary amendments to the EU Fertilising Products Regulation annexes (see also eNews n°71). ESPP input requested clarification that ABPs can continue to be used, as is already today the case, in National Fertilisers (with traceability) or in EU-fertilisers (under certain conditions, without traceability), can be used in EU-fertilisers either directly (under CMC10) or as inputs to other CMCs (depending on processing conditions: composts, digestates, precipitated phosphates, ashes, biochars). Other stakeholders raised the very valid question that ABPs under CMC10, in particular “processed manure”, should be subject to the same quality conditions as manure-derived composts or digestates, e.g. contaminant limits, macro-plastics …

DG GROW proposals here and ESPP input www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory

German steel slag industry legal action against FPR “By-Products” CMC12 criteria

The steel slag industry suggests in particular that the limits for chromium and vanadium fixed in CMC11 are not relevant for “safety” and are not justified by the “latest scientific evidence”. The legal submissions states that these heavy metal limits will “exclude lime-containing fertilising products from the steel industry”. ESPP cannot take position on a legal case underway. We note however that the limits fixed for chromium and vanadium in CMC11 were discussed at the EU Fertilisers Expert Group, with participation of Member States, NGOs and industry organisations, and they were proposed in the European Commission (JRC) document “Technical proposals for by-products and high purity materials as component materials for EU Fertilising Products” (§19.2.7 page 124-126) which references some 15 scientific publications dating from 2000 to 2016.

Fachverband Eisenhüttenschlacken v Commission, European Court of Justice, Case T-560/22, 2 September 2022 here.

“Technical proposals for by-products and high purity materials as component materials for EU Fertilising Products” JRC128459, EUR 31035 EN, ISBN 978-92-76-50116-9, 2022

Nitrogen recycling technology mapping

ESPP operator mapping and literature search on N recycling and recovery

ESPP has published a literature review of recent publications (science papers, reports, …) on nitrogen recovery technologies, identifying technologies, operators and keynote publications. The assignment resulted in two tables (Europe, rest of world) classifying all identified stakeholders with a description of their technology (substrate, technology type and readiness level, final product and industrial use). This did not include direct application of manure or sludge to the ground, nitrogen stabilisation in manure and recovery routes such as biomass production. The information was updated with existing contacts within the industry and research community. Although non exhaustive and subject to improvement along the way, it has been used as a source of information for ESPP’s actions on nitrogen reuse and recovery.

The results demonstrate that active research in under way on the topic, along with different demonstration projects. Without surprise, N-rich streams such as manure or digestate are targeted in priority and the main recovery route is fertilising. Several commercial technology providers are active in the field, at different scales. Some European countries display more technology providers than others, reflecting in some cases local agricultural environment.

Due to the chemistry of nitrogen and the type of N-rich substrate applicable (often in liquid/slurry phase), N recovery technologies are often applied locally (i.e. as close as possible to the source), contrary to other nutrients such as P that might be processed in centralised plants. An extreme example is pure urine processing, that is not widely applied. A second challenge is often the relatively low concentration of recovered ammonia, often as a water solution.

Concentration of a nitrogen-containing stream such as digestate (often after prior treatment) to a liquid fraction recovered as fertiliser is applied at industrial scale. The main technology in that case is membrane filtration (reverse osmosis or nanofiltration).

Currently, the main nitrogen recovery technology, supplied by different engineering companies, is ammonia stripping (often air stripping followed by acid/water scrubbing). Stripping has been applied for decades in industry as well as to remove N from wastewater, leachate and digestate and improve treatment performance. The process is variable depending on the supplier and the substrate (e.g.with or without caustic dosing),and developments such as vacuum stripping and membrane contactors are still underway or start being applied industrially.

A European company has also developed a technology to separate ammonium from liquid streams and recover it as ammonium sulphate, with industrial pilot plants are currently running. Another works with BiPolar Membrane Electro Dialysis.

A large amount of pilot or laboratory-scale technologies are currently under development or proof of concept, with various degrees of readiness (forward osmosis, ion exchange using resins or zeolites, etc.), or a mixture of different technologies (for example to extract N from ion exchange regeneration solution).

Mapping report and literature search on nitrogen recovery, Akinson Tumbure and Olivier Bastin for ESPP, December 2022 available here

The mapping report will be presented and discussed at the ESPP workshop on Nitrogen Recovery, Brussels & hybrid, 19 January 2023 www.phosphorusplatform.eu/NRecovery

Nutrient recycling

The OCP Group, Morocco and world food security

Independent expert article considers that OCP and Morocco hold the keys to future world fertiliser and food supply security, underlining OCP’s contribution to Africa’s food production, and the importance of “green ammonia”. Michaël Tanchum, Middle East Institute*, starts by reminding that Morocco holds over 70% of known world phosphate rock reserves. He explains the significance of these reserves by underlining the importance of P as an essential nutrient for plants, essential to feed the world’s growing population. He suggests that P fertilisers were critical in enabling the world’s population to increase from <2 to 8 billion over the last century. Morocco-based OCP Group (an ESPP member) has been transformed over recent decades to become a global leader in the phosphate and fertiliser industries.

Over the last 15 years, through a fundamental transformation of its industrial strategy, OCP’s phosphate production has doubled, and its fertiliser production tripled, reaching 24,5 MT and 10,9 MT respectively. By 2020, OCP had earned global market share leadership positions in multiple phosphate-based categories: phosphate rock 33%; phosphoric acid 54%; and fertiliser 26%. As the largest private sector employer in Morocco, OCP employs some 18,000 people and reported total revenues of more than US$9 billion in 2021.

OCP already uses 87% renewable energy to power its operations (as it evolves to 100% clean energy by 2030) and is reducing water use by 15% by 2024.

Operating in a water-scarce region, OCP is committed to not drawing Morocco's precious freshwater. The Group already meets nearly 1/3 of its water use from sewage works reclaimed water (Khouribga, Benguerir, Youssoufia) and desalination and ultimately targets 100% of its water needs met through non-traditional sources by 2026.

A challenge to increasing fertiliser production to help feed the growing global population sustainably, is access to and price of natural gas (ammonia is today produced from natural gas). This is accentuated by Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

OCP has signed a partnership agreement in Nigeria, whereby the company will provide Nigerian farmers with locally-produced customised fertilisers and strengthen the partnership between the Group and the Nigerian natural gas industry. OCP is also developing fertiliser production in other African countries (Ghana, Ethiopia …).

Mr Tanchum’s article notes that Morocco is investing in large scale solar electricity production which could in the future power green ammonia and hydrogen.

The article underlines the importance of OCP’s “Agribooster” programme in Africa which has already helped more than 700 000 farmers in Africa increase productivity by one third or more by addressing fertiliser access (including credit) and adapting fertiliser products to crop needs.

In response to the turmoil in global food and commodity markets in 2022, OCP launched an emergency response by donating and discounting 550KT of fertiliser for the continent. In the longer term, the company will reserve 4 million tonnes of fertiliser for the continent in 2023 irrespective of global demand and higher market pricing in other regions.

“Morocco’s New Challenges as a Gatekeeper of the World’s Food Supply: The Geopolitics, Economics, and Sustainability of OCP’s Global Fertilizer Exports”, M. Tanchum, January 2022 (9 pages) HERE.

Michaël Tanchum is with the Middle East Institute and European universities and institutes. The Middle East Institute (MEI) is an independent, not-for-profit educational organisation. Its funders are transparently listed here and Morocco and OCP are not significant funders.

RENOWAGRO: 800 participants in Zaragoza

The first RENOWAGRO conference, on sustainable use of organic secondary resources organized by Térvalis Group - Fertinagro Biotech, 14-15 November 2022, brought together over 800 participants, mainly from the agri-food sector. The event was opened by Sergio Atarés, Tervalis, Luis Planas, Spanish Minister of Agriculture and Javier Lambán, President of Aragon Region.

Luis Planas recalled that nutrients for agriculture can be recovered from manure slurries and sewage sludge and that companies are already active because "there is no sustainability without profitability … a healthy and more productive soil at a lower cost is essential”. He underlined that these secondary materials should be used appropriately, advocating innovation.

The president of Aragon announced that the Region’s objective is to replace all use of mineral fertiliser with organic products from the treatment of slurry, building on the experience and R&D of the Teruel-based group Térvalis.

Speakers underlined the importance of agricultural and industrial innovation, balanced and effective bio-based fertilisers from manure and digestate, soil health as pillars of an agricultural transition to circular, sustainable and biodiversity enhancing practices. The differences between conditions and requirements of Spanish soils compared to those of central and northern European countries was discussed, emphasising the need to increase organic carbon in Spanish soils.

Speakers included: Laia Llenas, Beta Technological Centre at the University of VIC (and Fertimanure), Ángel Ruíz, Spanish National Research Council CSIC, Luis Lassaletta, Politecnical University of Madrid, José Antonio Mayoral, University of Zaragoza, Javier Ponce, Spanish Technology Fund CDTI, Keiji Jindo, Wageningen University, Fernando Miranda, Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Grazia Masciandaro, Italian Research Council CNR, Pisa, Carlos García, CEBAS – CSIC, Rodolfo Canet, Instituto Valenciano de Agricultura – IVIA, Nicola Frison, Università degli studi di Verona, Ana Robles, Gent University and Ludwig Hermann, Proman and ESPP.

RENOWAGRO – international meeting on organic resources for sustainability of the agri-food sector, Zaragoza, 14-15 November 2022 www.renowagro.com

Potential ammonia emissions from secondary nutrient products

Lab study assesses potential ammonia emissions from soil after use of 39 different organic-carbon secondary nutrient products. The products tested are mostly dried and pelletised and sold under national fertiliser regulations. Raw materials for the products tested included digestates, poultry manure, plant residues, food processing residues, and animal by-products. Total N content of the products was 0.4 – 17 % fresh weight. Ammonia losses were evaluated after surface application or incorporation of the materials to either pure sand or four different soils, at equivalent to 400 kgN/ha (high fertilisation level) and incubation for six weeks at 15°C. Ammonia losses varied considerably between the different materials, from 0% for composted olive oil residues to more than 2/3 losses of total N for digestates, but were mitigated considerably when the products were incorporated into the soil. Significant correlation was found between initial ammonia losses from the different products and their pH and ammonium content. Soil incorporation reduced ammonia losses by 37 – 96 % compared to surface application. This is already well known for liquid slurries and digestates with high proportion of ammonium-N, and is EU agricultural BEMP (Best Environmental Management Practice for agriculture EU 2018/813) and the study shows that this can also be true for pelletised products containing mainly nitrogen in an organic form.

NOTE: Information on the classification of the products under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/1009 (into CMCs and PFCs, Table 1) is indicative only, because many of these products are not (today) eligible for use in EU-fertilisers : e.g. none of the cited animal by-product derived materials can be used in EU-fertilisers until possible future regulatory amendments are made; compost of biochar, seaweed or digestate recovered minerals are all excluded from CMC6.

“Potential ammonia volatilization from 39 different novel biobased fertilizers on the European market – A laboratory study using European soils”, L. Wester-Larsen et al., J. Environmental Management 323 (2022) 116249 DOI. Work funded under the Lex4Bio project.

Potassium recovery from alkaline battery processing

Hazenite (a potassium – sodium – magnesium phosphate, similar to struvite: KNaMg₂(PO₄)₂·4H₂O,) was precipitated from alkaline battery black mass processing water. Alkaline batteries use potassium hydroxide as electrolyte, but are generally contaminated with zinc carbon batteries (containing ammonium chlorides). Depending on the battery treatment process, potassium needs to be removed from process wastewaters containing ammonium or from the process itself (to allow recovery of zinc and manganese sulphates). The process waters are alkaline which facilitates Hazenite precipitation by adding phosphate, magnesium and further adjusting pH, followed by filtration (0.45 µm). In 1.6 litre laboratory tests, 50% - 60% removal of K was achieved after one hour reaction at 1:1:1 K:P:Mg ratio, increasing to c. 80% removal at 1:1.5:1.5 K:Mg:P, with in all cases over 80% P removal and over 90% Mg removal. Ammonium in the wash water did not inhibit Hazenite precipitation. The authors conclude that precipitation was rapid and purity of the Hazenite high, with operation at room temperature without consumption of excess chemicals, making this a potentially feasible route for potassium removal and recovery from alkaline battery processing. Recent studies (Watson 2020 see SCOPE Newsletter n°138, Raniro 2022) suggest that Hazenite is an effective fertiliser.

“Precipitation of potassium as hazenite from washing water of spent alkaline batteries”, S. Lapinkangas et al., Chemical Engineering Journal Advances 12 (2022) 100426, DOI.

Lithium Iron Phosphate battery cathode recycling

Lab-scale testing of acid leaching and ion exchange to recover lithium salts and phosphate minerals from lithium iron phosphate battery cathodes. This study tested the concept using virgin LiFePO₄ cathodes at laboratory scale. Sulphuric, citric and oxalic acid were tested for leaching of cathode material, which contains lithium iron phosphate and additives, including c. 1.4% carbon (coating). Oxalic acid (0.5M) was selected as optimal achieving >95% lithium and phosphate leaching, whilst leaving 95% of the iron in the solid largely as ferrous oxalate. The lithium was then separated from the solution onto an ion exchange resin (iron would interfere with this and would fix to the iron exchange resin instead of lithium), releasing potassium ions from the resin. Potassium chloride was used to release the lithium from the ion exchange resin (releasing lithium chloride solution, for lithium recycling) and restore the potassium ion exchange resin. The leaching solution thus becomes a potassium phosphate solution, potentially useable for mineral fertiliser production.

“Proof-of-Concept study of ion-exchange method for the recycling of LiFePO₄ cathode”, X. Zhang et al., Waste Management 157 (2023) 1–7, DOI.

Elevated atmospheric CO₂ (eCO₂) and crop nutrient levels

A review of 160 publications concludes that eCO₂ reduces concentrations of most nutrients (N, P, K, S, Fe, Mg, Zn) by up to 5 – 25% in plant tissue, potentially limiting increased photosynthesis and reducing crop nutritional value. The biological mechanisms reducing plant N content under eCO₂ are analysed, but little information is provided on mechanisms for other nutrients (including phosphorus). Papers reviewed in ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter n°137 concluded that eCO₂ will increase plant nutrient requirements, resulting in increased root development; that eCO₂ will generally increase soil P mineralisation (by soil microbes), possibly increasing P-availability for crops but also leading to increased risk of soil P losses; and that plant P-uptake could be limited by N availability. This new review paper reinforces this third point, concluding that a number of studies show lower N content of plant tissues under eCO₂. Reduced plant uptake of N and of other nutrients under eCO₂ may result from lower soil available nutrients, nutrient limitation and a “dilution” effect with increased growth and carbon uptake, reduced transpiration (so reduced nutrient transport with water uptake). However, these effects cannot explain differences in tissue concentration reductions between different nutrients, nor the reductions observed. There is increasing consensus that, beyond these effects, eCO₂ leads to reduced plant Nutrient Use Efficiency. Total nutrient uptake increases, but less than increases carbon fixation. For nitrogen this seems to relate mainly to reduced nitrate-N uptake (with less impact on ammonia-N or organic-N uptake), possibly related to impacts on genes and proteins involved in nitrate transport, or on nitrate or nitrite metabolising enzymes.

“The decline of plant mineral nutrition under rising CO₂: physiological and molecular aspects of a bad deal”, A. Gojon et al., Trends in Plant Science, Month 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2022.09.002

Digestibility of recovered calcium phosphates

Review paper concludes that phosphorus in bone-derived DCP and TCP are better available for poultry than in the same calcium phosphates from phosphate rock. Digestibility in rock-derived calcium phosphates is MCP > DCP > TCP, that is the higher the P:Ca ratio, the more available the phosphorus. The number of studies comparing uptake by non-ruminant livestock of P from bone derived calcium phosphates versus rock-derived calcium phosphates is limited (around ten studies identified). The authors conclude that digestibility for poultry of bone-derived DCP and TCP was better than for rock-derived, but that data is lacking for comparisons for MCP for poultry and for all three calcium phosphates for pigs. Overall differences seem to be relatively small, and lower than variations in results between different studies or between different rock-derived calcium phosphates. The authors conclude that further research is needed into digestibility of bone-derived MCP for poultry and bone-derived calcium phosphates for pigs. ESPP notes that researchers nearly always conclude that further research is needed, and that in this case the existing studies tend to suggest that digestibility of calcium phosphates is variable, and can result in significant variations in livestock growth (if diet phosphorus is given only to recommended values, with no margin of security) but seems to be related not to the material from which the calcium phosphates are derived, but maybe to chemical and physical form.

“Calcium and phosphorus digestibility in rock- and bone-derived calcium phosphates for pigs and poultry: A review”, A. Woyengo et al., Animal Feed Science and Technology, (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2022.115509

Phosphorus recycling potential in Eastern Europe

The 3^rd PhosV4 Project Workshop, Brno (Czech Republic) & hybrid, 15/11/2022, discussed potential secondary phosphorus resources and recycling routes in the V4 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia).

Julia Tanzer, Proman Management, summarised phosphorus management perspectives in Austria: despite significant decreases in agricultural P-balances, over 10% of river monitoring sites continue to exceed thresholds for orthophosphate, especially in agricultural areas. Specific indicators are needed for P management (import dependency and mineral fertiliser use, emissions to water bodies, soil accumulation, waste P losses) but these are not comparable to other substances and do not provide an overall indicator. Management scenarios for Austria suggest that mineral P fertiliser imports could be reduced by higher recovery from waste, and by reducing losses to water and soil accumulation, with economic benefits for farmers and co-benefits of lower mineral N fertiliser use and reduced N losses.

Jiri Jaromir Klemes, Brno University of Technology, and Marzena Smol, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland explained that nearly all of the sewage sludge produced in the V4 countries is currently used as fertiliser on land, often after composting, but that a small amount (<10%) still goes to landfill. This route should be banned because it wastes the nutrients and organic carbon in the sludge, and risks contributing to landfill methane losses.

Zoltan Toth, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, summarised the range of available technologies for phosphorus recovery from sewage and presented initial results of the Lex4Bio project showing that crop response to P-fertiliser can be optimised by a combination of soluble mineral P fertiliser and slowly available P (e.g. struvite, manure).

Sebastian Hreus, Technical University of Kosice, indicated that rocks used for silicate aggregate extraction for the construction industry, at several quarries in Slovakia, contain up to 0.03 – 0.08% P. Such mining by-product could theoretically be a source of secondary phosphorus, but the P concentrations are two orders of magnitude lower than low-grade commercial rock, so that extraction is unlikely to be feasible. P-concentrations up to 7-8 % P have been found in some localised deposits of sandstones, resulting from geological lake P sedimentation, but to date no economically sized deposit is known.

Several R&D projects addressing phosphorus recovery and recycling were presented: Lex4Bio, PhosForce, InPhos, CEPhosPOL, PolFerAsh, CEPhosPOL.

The first two PhosV4 workshops included presentations by Damien Cazalet, Veolia Wasser Deutschland GmbH and Yariv Cohen, EasyMining, on routes for phosphorus recovery from sewage, respectively by bio-acidification to solubilise P in sludge followed by phosphate precipitation, and recovery of quality calcium phosphate products from sewage sludge incineration ash.

PhosV4 project “How to stay alive in V4? Phosphorus Friends Club builds V4's resilience” https://www.phosv4.eu/

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Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Events

10-12 June 2025, Bergen, Norway: nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries workshop

Nutrient sustainability in livestock

Workshop outlines key messages for UNEP white paper

Calls

ESPP call for consultant: feasibility of recycled P ‘quotas’ in fertilisers

Help ESPP continue sharing free information on phosphorus sustainability

Sign the joint stakeholder call for nutrients in the EU Circular Economy Act

Public consultations open

Open: EU consultations on simplification of sustainability reporting

Open: EU consultation on next EU budget framework

New ESPP member

LIFE Phos4EU – demonstration of vivianite recovery

Policy

EU Battery Recycling Regulation to require phosphorus to be accounted

EU phosphate supply: can Europe find enough P without Russian imports ?

EU Clean Industrial Deal (CID): decarbonisation, circularity

EU Green Deal progress assessment

Circular Economy Act

EURIC (recycling industry) priorities

Italians call for ambitious Circular Economy Act

Netherlands associations proposals for Circular Economy and End-of-Waste

Nutrient recycling

CleanTeQ Water delivering first PHOSPHIX® ion-exchange P-recovery plant

Stercore manure pyrolysis project validated

EasyMining confirms funding for first Ash2Phos plant

Research

Food phosphate additives widespread in US foods

Stay informed

ESPP members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

Events

10-12 June 2025, Bergen, Norway: nutrients in aquaculture and fisheries workshop

9th April: Flashphos demonstration of sludge drying for P4-recovery

17-18 June 2025: European Wastewater Management Conference

Consultations

Open: EU Fertilising Products Regulation – audit frequencies

Open: Evaluation of EFSA

Open: US EPA consultation on PFAS in sewage sludge and water

Open: EU consultation on simplification of sustainability reporting and taxonomy

Open: EU consultation on next EU budget framework

Closed: EU call for evidence on green transformation for industry and livestock

ESPP input submitted: EU public consultation on water resilience

ESPP input submitted: Evaluation of public procurement directives

ESPP input submitted: UK Parliament Inquiry on Nitrogen

ESPP input submitted: ash-recovered phosphates in Organic Farming

Policy

European Commission “Vision for Agriculture and Food”

State of Europe’s waters

European Commission Report on Water Framework Directive Implementation

Nutrient recovery

UKWIR report: valorisation of potable water treatment sludges

UN FAO report on nitrogen in agri-food systems

Phosphorus, food and health

Mouse maternal high phosphorus diet impacts offspring mineral metabolism and growth

Mouse high P diet leads to heart disease risks

Sustainable development of the food & beverage industry

Commiserations

Stay informed

ESPP members

Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)

9^th April: Flashphos demonstration of sludge drying for P₄-recovery