Phosphorus

Phosphorus exists in several allotropic forms. The waxy, white solid is insoluble in water, but spontaneously ignites in air. When heated, pure (white) phosphorus can be converted into a red powdery form. Interestingly, the properties of this red phosphorus are different, and it is fairly stable in air.

Phosphorus has applications in pyrotechnics, including fireworks. A person who strikes a match against the black strip on a match box is using phosphorus to create the sparks.

The most prevalent applications of this element are in the form of phosphate salts. Sodium phosphate is used in the production of synthetic detergent and in industrial water treatment. Phosphates are also important constituents of fertilizers.

Biologically, phosphorus, along with carbon and nitrogen, plays a vital role in living organisms as an essential constituent of DNA – life's blueprint. As well, phosphorus is an important component of ATP – the body's fuel molecule. This element is also present in the bones and nervous tissues as hydroxyapatite.

Phosphorous is often stored in plants and animals in the form of bound phosphates. One of the main storage forms is a molecule called phytate, or phytic acid. In this form, phosphorus is not available to plants or to animals for use in the body; it must be broken down. Canola meal, for example, contains much phosphorus, but it is bound in a form that is not digestible by animals. Phytate-bound phosphorus, in turn, binds essential minerals and other nutrients, and as a result, an animal fed with canola meal is unable to utilize these nutrients. Also, the bound phosphorus is released into waterways and acts as a pollutant. Scientists at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) have made major advances in reducing the formation of phytate in canola. Resulting from this research, phytic acid has been reduced by close to 50% in canola meal, creating new possible applications for canola meal as feed in the aquaculture industry.

Additional Information

Learn more about relevant NRC research:

• NRC-Plant Biotechnology Institute: Carbohydrate Modification (NRC-PBI)