Editing Phosphorus (section)

===Conservation and recycling===
[[File:Yorkshire Water Sewage Treatment Works (Phosphate Removal) - geograph.org.uk - 5979420.jpg|thumb|A phosphate removal sewage treatment station in [[Yorkshire]], England]]

Reducing agricultural runoff and soil erosion can slow the frequency with which farmers have to reapply phosphorus to their fields. Agricultural methods such as [[no-till farming]], [[Terrace (agriculture)|terracing]], [[contour plowing|contour tilling]], and the use of [[windbreak]]s have been shown to reduce the rate of phosphorus depletion from farmland, though do not completely remove the need for periodic fertiliser application. Strips of grassland or forest between arable land and rivers can also greatly reduce losses of phosphate and other nutrients.{{r|Udawatta2011}}

[[Sewage treatment]] plants that have a [[Enhanced biological phosphorus removal|dedicated phosphorus removal step]] produce phosphate-rich [[sewage sludge]] that can then be [[Sewage sludge treatment|treated]] to extract phosphorus from it. This is done by [[incinerating]] the sludge and recovering the resulting ash.{{r|Tweed2009}} Another approach lies into the recovery of phosphorus-rich materials such as [[struvite]] from waste processing plants, which is done by adding magnesium to the waste.{{r|Gilbert2009}} However, the technologies currently in use are not yet cost-effective, given the current price of phosphorus on the world market.{{r|Sartorius2011}}