Abstract
The phosphate industry produces huge volumes of waste (hundred million tons per year). These wastes are generally surface landfilled, leading to significant environmental impacts and a large footprint. The current practices of phosphate waste management, the typology of the waste streams and their characteristics, and finally their potential applications are reviewed. All the waste streams generated during the life cycle of phosphoric acid production going from the extraction of phosphate rock to its enrichment and transformation are considered. Great circularity opportunities have been identified and they aim (i) to recover the residual phosphorus and other critical minerals and metals, and (ii) to consider phosphate wastes as alternative resources in the civil engineering and building sectors. The purpose is to shift from linear thinking to circular thinking where synergy between different mining and other industries is highly encouraged. By doing so, opportunities to safeguard natural resources and to minimize the environmental and societal impacts are limitless. However, many challenges are still limiting this shift: economic and technical constraints, societal and policy-makers’ awareness, regulation harmonization and finally knowledge gaps. More efforts and investment in research and development are still required to reach the zero-waste target.
Highlights
The phosphate mining industry is vital for worldwide food security
This review aims to: (i) present the different kinds and characteristics of solid wastes produced during the extraction, beneficiation, and transformation of sedimentary phosphate ores, (ii) present the environmental impacts related to these wastes, (iii) highlight current management methods, and (iv) present the potential opportunities related to circular economy thinking
The following keywords were used in the search: sedimentary phosphate, phosphate byproducts, phosphate clay sludge, phosphate tailings, phosphate waste rock, phosphogypsum, and phosphate mine waste
Summary
The phosphate mining industry is vital for worldwide food security. Phosphorus is used mainly in the fields of agriculture, medicine, food, chemicals, etc. It is estimated that more than 270 million metric tons of phosphate rock was produced during 2017 [1], which represents an increase of more than 45% in comparison to 2000. After this production peak in 2017, production has slightly decreased to 223 million metric tons of phosphate rock in 2020 [1]. This is due mainly to the production decrease in China, shifting from 140 million tons (2017) to less than 95 million tons (2020) [1]
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