Recovery of organic phosphorus

Phosphorus is found in many organic residues as both inorganic and organic compounds. These phosphorus compounds may be very stable in nature. The phosphorus dosage can therefore hardly be controlled by direct application of manure or fermentation residues. This frequently results in an over-application of phosphorus on soil, which has negative environmental and economic consequences.

At Fraunhofer IGB, we have developed biocatalytic processes for the mineralization of organic phosphorus in agricultural residues and its recovery as a valuable fertilizer.

The natural biological degradation process converts organic components into inorganic ions available to plants (NO₃^–, NH₄⁺, PO₄^3–). These processes can take several months or years and depend on local conditions such as humus content, temperature, moisture, and the activity of microorganisms.

A proprietary analytical method allows us to determine the type of phosphorus compounds in organic waste.

For the organic phosphates contained in agricultural residues, we have developed a biocatalytic process for the mineralization of the phosphates and their recovery as high-quality fertilizer.