ABSTRACT
The phosphate manufacturing and phosphate fertilizer industry includes the production of elemental phosphorus, various phosphorus-derived chemicals, phosphate fertilizer chemicals, and other nonfertilizer phosphate chemicals [1-30]. Chemicals that are derived from phosphorus include phosphoric acid (dry process), phosphorus pentoxide, phosphorus pentasulfide, phosphorus trichloride, phosphorus oxychloride, sodium tripolyphosphate, and calcium phosphates [8]. The nonfertilizer phosphate production part of the industry includes defluorinated phosphate rock, defluorinated phosphoric acid, and sodium phosphate salts. The phosphate fertilizer segment of the industry produces the primary phosphorus nutrient source for the agricultural industry and for other applications of chemical fertilization. Many of these fertilizer products are toxic to aquatic life at certain levels of concentration, and many are also hazardous to human life and health when contact is made in a concentrated form.
