Environmental performances of production and land application of sludge-based phosphate fertilizers-a life cycle assessment case study.

Phosphorus (P) is a non-renewable resource extracted from phosphate rock to produce agricultural fertilizers. Since P is essential for life, it is important to preserve this resource and explore alternative sources of P to reduce its criticality. This study aimed to assess whether fertilizing with sludge-based phosphate fertilizers (SBPF) can be a suitable alternative to doing so with fertilizers produced from phosphate rock.