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A Material Flow Analysis of Phosphorus in Japan

Author

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  • Kazuyo Matsubae‐Yokoyama
  • Hironari Kubo
  • Kenichi Nakajima
  • Tetsuya Nagasaka

Abstract

The demand for biofuels has recently increased because of rising prices of fossil fuels and diversification of energy resources. As a result, the demand for sugarcane and corn has been increasing, not only for food production, but also as sources of energy. In this context, securing supplies of phosphorus, required as an essential nutrient in agricultural production, has considerable implications that extend beyond food and agricultural policy. It is therefore important to consider the quantity and availability of phosphorus resources that remain untapped, because the demand and supply of phosphate ore is currently becoming very tight, and Japan has no domestic phosphorus resources. To identify potential phosphorus resources, we have investigated the material flow of phosphorus within Japan, including that in the iron and steel industry, on the basis of statistical data for 2002. Our major finding is that the quantity of phosphorus in iron and steelmaking slag is almost equivalent to that in imported phosphate ore in terms of both the amount and concentration. We also found, by means of a waste input–output analysis and a total materials requirement study, that the phosphorus potentially recoverable from steelmaking slag by a new process that we have proposed has considerable environmental and economic benefits. Concerning the restricted supplies of phosphorus resource, it is important to consider the quantity and availability of phosphorus resources that currently remain untapped. From that viewpoint, steelmaking slag would be expected to be a great potential resource for phosphorus.

Suggested Citation

  • Kazuyo Matsubae‐Yokoyama & Hironari Kubo & Kenichi Nakajima & Tetsuya Nagasaka, 2009. "A Material Flow Analysis of Phosphorus in Japan," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 13(5), pages 687-705, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:13:y:2009:i:5:p:687-705
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2009.00162.x
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrea E. Ulrich & Ewald Schnug, 2013. "The Modern Phosphorus Sustainability Movement: A Profiling Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(11), pages 1-23, October.
    2. Chowdhury, Rubel Biswas & Moore, Graham A. & Weatherley, Anthony J. & Arora, Meenakshi, 2014. "A review of recent substance flow analyses of phosphorus to identify priority management areas at different geographical scales," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 213-228.
    3. Wu, Huijun & Yuan, Zengwei & Zhang, Yongliang & Gao, Liangmin & Liu, Shaomin, 2014. "Life-cycle phosphorus use efficiency of the farming system in Anhui Province, Central China," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 1-14.
    4. Matsubae, Kazuyo & Webeck, Elizabeth & Nansai, Keisuke & Nakajima, Kenichi & Tanaka, Mikiya & Nagasaka, Tetsuya, 2015. "Hidden phosphorus flows related with non-agriculture industrial activities: A focus on steelmaking and metal surface treatment," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 105(PB), pages 360-367.
    5. Jedelhauser, Michael & Binder, Claudia R., 2015. "Losses and efficiencies of phosphorus on a national level – A comparison of European substance flow analyses," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 105(PB), pages 294-310.
    6. Heng Yi Teah & Motoharu Onuki, 2017. "Support Phosphorus Recycling Policy with Social Life Cycle Assessment: A Case of Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-16, July.
    7. Nanda, Madhuri & Kansal, Arun & Cordell, Dana, 2020. "Managing agricultural vulnerability to phosphorus scarcity through bottom-up assessment of regional-scale opportunities," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    8. Roland W. Scholz & Gerald Steiner, 2022. "The role of transdisciplinarity for mineral economics and mineral resource management: coping with fallacies related to phosphorus in science and practice," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 35(3), pages 745-763, December.
    9. Elizabeth Webeck & Kazuyo Matsubae & Tetsuya Nagasaka, 2015. "Phosphorus requirements for the changing diets of China, India and Japan," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 17(3), pages 455-469, July.
    10. Luo, Zhibo & Ma, Shujie & Hu, Shanying & Chen, Dingjiang, 2017. "Towards the sustainable development of the regional phosphorus resources industry in China: A system dynamics approach," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 186-197.
    11. Ashton W. Merck & Khara D. Grieger & Alison Deviney & Anna-Maria Marshall, 2023. "Using a Phosphorus Flow Diagram as a Boundary Object to Inform Stakeholder Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-10, July.
    12. Lwin, Cherry Myo & Murakami, Mari & Hashimoto, Seiji, 2017. "The implications of allocation scenarios for global phosphorus flow from agriculture and wastewater," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 94-105.
    13. Cooper, James & Carliell-Marquet, Cynthia, 2013. "A substance flow analysis of phosphorus in the UK food production and consumption system," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 82-100.
    14. Stanley Udochukwu Ofoegbu, 2019. "Technological Challenges of Phosphorus Removal in High-Phosphorus Ores: Sustainability Implications and Possibilities for Greener Ore Processing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-38, November.

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