Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia, 6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
Chemosphere. 2011 Aug;84(6):737-46. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.03.001. Epub 2011 Apr 8.
The element phosphorus has no substitute in sustaining all life and food production on our planet. Yet today's phosphorus use patterns have resulted in both a global environmental epidemic of eutrophication and led to a situation where the future availability of the world's main sources of phosphorus is uncertain. This paper examines the important history of human interference with the phosphorus cycle from initial discovery to present, highlighting key interrelated events and consequences of the Industrial Revolution, Sanitation Revolution and Green Revolution. Whilst these events led to profound advances in technology, public health and food production, they have fundamentally broken the global phosphorus cycle. It is clear a 'Fourth Revolution' is required to resolve this dilemma and ensure humanity can continue to feed itself into the future while protecting environmental and human health.
磷元素是维持地球上所有生命和粮食生产的不可或缺的元素。然而，如今的磷使用模式不仅导致了全球性的富营养化环境问题，还使得世界主要磷源的未来供应情况变得不确定。本文从最初的发现到现在，考察了人类对磷循环的重要干预历史，重点介绍了工业革命、卫生革命和绿色革命的关键相关事件及其后果。虽然这些事件带来了技术、公共卫生和粮食生产的深刻进步，但它们从根本上打破了全球磷循环。显然，需要一场“第四次革命”来解决这一困境，以确保人类在未来能够继续养活自己，同时保护环境和人类健康。
