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“Without phosphorus there would be no thought,” observed Jacob Moleschott a 19th-century physiologist and philosopher. Phosphorus is one of the six main elements that make up the human body and an essential element for life as we know it for the creation of DNA, cell membranes, bones and teeth in humans, and even the microbiome of ocean-dwelling plankton–as a possible signature in the search for life in the cosmos.
Unlike hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and calcium, phosphorus is rare. And it is even more scarce elsewhere in the Solar System. The source of its arrival on early Earth remains a mystery.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that the state will come up with a plan to close the former phosphate plant for good after another leak late last month.
On this week’s Florida Matters, we’ll learn about the history of former Piney Point phosphate plant, what’s being done to fix its issues, and if there are similar sites in the region with the same problems.
In late March, a retention pond at the plant sprung a leak. More than 200 million gallons of wastewater spilled into Tampa Bay, which could create environmental problems in the long run.
Since then, the leak has been temporarily fixed. And on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state will come up with a plan to close the site for good.
Florida officials scramble to prevent catastrophic flood of contaminated water from reservoir
Paulina Firozi and Brittany Shammas, The Washington Post
April 4, 2021
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This aerial photo taken from an airplane shows a reservoir near the old Piney Point phosphate mine, Saturday, April 3, 2021 in Bradenton, Fla. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Saturday after a significant leak at a large pond of wastewater threatened to flood roads and burst a system that stores polluted waters. The pond where the leak was discovered is at the old Piney Point phosphate mine, sitting in a stack of phosphogypsum, a waste product from manufacturing fertilizer that is radioactive. (Tiffany Tompkins/The Bradenton Herald via AP)Tiffany Tompkins/Associated Press
Millions of gallons of wastewater released from Piney Point will cause ecological damage
Scientists say adding nutrients to Piney Point water could result in bacteria
and last updated 2021-04-05 17:48:53-04
PINEY POINT, Fla. â Millions of gallons of wastewater being released from Piney Point into Tampa Bay could be ecologically damaging.
The water is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen which are nutrients. Scientists say suddenly adding a large amount of nutrients to natural water will result in algae and bacteria growth.
Algae can suffocate fish and as a result, there may be fish kills or red tides associated with this.