Open access publications in the SLU publication database

Phosphorus flows to and from Swedish agriculture and food chain around the years 2010 – 2011, as
well as significant phosphorus flows in other sectors, have been identified and quantified.
Inflows of phosphorus consist of the import of mineral fertilizers and other fertilizers,
atmospheric deposition, and imports of food and feed. Internal flows in the form of waste and byproducts
from slaughter, food processing and ethanol production have been described. Outflows of
phosphorus consist of exports of agricultural products to cat and dog food, losses to soil or water,
and waste, where phosphorus is not re-used in agricultural production.
Swedish agricultural land had an annual net import of about 10,600 tonnes of phosphorus
corresponding to 3.2 kg phosphorous per hectare. Total imports of phosphorus in food and feed
exceed imports of phosphorus in fertilizers. Despite strict regulations on requirements for access to
land using manure on, phosphorus was accumulated in the soil at the farms with higher stocking
density. Organic farms are no exception. The amount of phosphorus in manure greatly exceeds the
amount of phosphorus in imported mineral fertilizer.
Phosphorus flows in industry are mainly in the pulp and paper industry and the steel industry.
Imported coal and coke also contains phosphorus. Significant amounts of phosphorus are found in
ash and slag from the steel industry and in sludge from the pulp and paper industry.
Unwanted substances that follows phosphorus flows, mainly cadmium, has been mapped to
some extent. Information on cadmium flows are mainly around sewage sludge and mineral
fertilizer. The sludge used as fertilizer in Sweden has significantly lower amounts of cadmium per
kg of phosphorus than the average mineral fertilizer used outside Scandinavia. The control of
cadmium in imported food and feed to Sweden is insufficient.