Phosphorus+Cycle

=Phosphorus Cycle = Phosphorus is an important element for all forms of life. As phosphate (PO4), it makes up an important part of the structural framework that holds DNA and RNA  together. Phosphates are also a critical component of ATP ? the cellular energy carrier ? as they serve as an energy ?release' for organisms to use in building proteins or contacting muscles. Like calcium, phosphorus is important to vertebrates; in the human body, 80% of phosphorous is found in teeth and bones. The phosphorus cycle differs from the other major biogeochemical cycles in that it does not include a gas phase; although small amounts of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) may make their way into the atmosphere, contributing ? in some cases ? to acid rain. The water, carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles all include at least one phase in which the element is in its gaseous state. Very little phosphorus circulates in the atmosphere because at Earth's normal temperatures and pressures, phosphorus and its various compounds are not gases. The largest reservoir of phosphorus is in sedimentary rock. It is in these rocks where the phosphorus cycle begins. When it rains, phosphates are removed from the rocks (via weathering ) and are distributed throughout both soils and water. Plants take up the phosphate ions from the soil. The phosphates then moves from plants to animals when herbivores eat plants and carnivores eat plants or herbivores. The phosphates absorbed by animal tissue through consumption eventually returns to the soil through the excretion of urine and feces, as well as from the final decomposition of plants and animals after death.  The same process occurs within the aquatic ecosystem. Phosphorus is not highly soluble, binding tightly to molecules in soil, therefore it mostly reaches waters by traveling with runoff soil particles. Phosphates also enter waterways through fertilizer runoff, sewage seepage, natural mineral deposits, and wastes from other industrial processes. These phosphates tend to settle on ocean floors and lake bottoms. As sediments are stirred up, phosphates may reenter the phosphorus cycle, but they are more commonly made available to aquatic organisms by being exposed through erosion. Water plants take up the waterborne phosphate which then travels up through successive stages of the aquatic food chain. While obviously beneficial for many biological processes, in surface waters an excessive concentration of phosphorus is considered a pollutant. Phosphate stimulates the growth of plankton and plants, favoring weedy species over others. Excess growth of these plants tend to consume large amounts of dissolved oxygen, potentially suffocating fish and other marine animals, while also blocking available sunlight to bottom dwelling species. This is known as eutrophication. Humans can alter the phosphorus cycle in many ways, including in the cutting of tropical rain forests and through the use of agricultural fertilizers. Rainforest ecosystems are supported primarily through the recycling of nutrients, with little or no nutrient reserves in their soils. As the forest is cut and/or burned, nutrients originally stored in plants and rocks are quickly washed away by heavy rains, causing the land to become unproductive. Agricultural runoff provides much of the phosphate found in waterways. Crops often cannot absorb all of the fertilizer in the soils, causing excess fertilizer runoff and increasing phosphate levels in rivers and other bodies of water. At one time the use of laundry detergents contributed to significant concentrations of phosphates in rivers, lakes, and streams, but most detergents no longer include phosphorus as an ingredient.   Phosphorus Cycle Diagram The Biology Department at California State University, Stanislaus provides an excellent diagram of the phosphorus cycle.  About Phosphorus This page from the Potash and Phosphate Institute:Potash and Phosphate Institute of Canada provides a basic overview of the importance of phosphorus to both humans and the environment.  Environmental Protection Agency: Phosphorus The EPA provides information on forms of phosphorus, why phosphorus is important, and what should be taken into consideration when monitoring phosphorus levels in water.  Phosphorus in Soil and Water The Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiatives website provides basic information on phosphorus, as well as an explanation of how phosphorus reaches surface water.  Phosphate Recovery This page, sponsored by the CEEP (Centre Europeen d'Etudes des Polyphosphates), focuses on recycling phosphate from a European perspective.  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">**References** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Enger, Elton D. and Bradley Smith, //Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships//. McGraw Hill: 2002. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Miller, G. Tyler Jr., //Environmental Science//. Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning: 2001. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Nebel, Richard J. and Richard T. Wright, //Environmental Science//. Prentice Hall: 1998. []