A Global Emission Inventory of Particulate Phosphorus From Fertilizer Production and Handling

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, with many species limited by P availability for primary productivity. While dust and primary biological aerosols, such as pollen, are shown to be large atmospheric P sources, emissions from phosphatic fertilizer production—comprising phosphate rock mining, grinding, and chemical processing—remain unquantified. We present the first global estimate of P aerosol emissions from fertilizer production using publicly available production and emission factor data. Present-day annual P emissions in the sub-10-micron fraction are ∼120 Gg P/year, comparable to dust, but are more directly upwind of P-limited ocean basins like the North Atlantic. Between 2002 and 2022, these emissions increased by 60%, fluctuating regionally with fertilizer production trends. With P demand projected to triple by the year 2100, understanding this source and its impacts on ecosystems is important.