Assessment of long-term phosphorus budget changes influenced by anthropogenic factors in a coastal catchment of Osaka Bay

Phosphorus usage is irreplaceable in agriculture; however, its excessive use leads to wastage of invaluable resources and significant soil surplus. Agronomic soil phosphorus surplus in Asian regions has a much higher level than the global average. And with rapid urbanization and population growth in the recent decades, Asian countries have seen a rise in environmental pollution levels also. This study assessed the detailed phosphorus budget in the Yamato River catchment, an urbanized coastal catchment in Asia, from 1940s to 2010s using Soil and Water Assessment Tool, comprehensively analyzed the effect of anthropogenic factors on long-term phosphorus loading and agronomic soil phosphorus balance. The results showed the peak period of total phosphorus loading and agronomic soil phosphorus surplus occurred in 1970s, at 895 tons/year and 36.6 kg/ha, respectively. The major reasons for increased phosphorus loading and soil surplus during 1940-1970 were rapid population growth and increased fertilizer usage, respectively. Since the 1980s, the construction of wastewater treatment system and reduction in agricultural land contributed to environmental improvement. These anthropogenic factors had a much stronger impact on phosphorus budget than climate change in the study catchment. Soil phosphorus balance is affected by a combination of factors, such as soil properties, fertilizer usage and applied schedule, precipitation event, and crop types. And soil phosphorus surplus may be severely overestimated if the non-point source loss due to precipitation factor is not fully considered.

Automated summary

Phosphorus usage in agriculture is important but excessive use can lead to wastage of resources and soil surplus. Asian countries, particularly in urbanized coastal areas, have higher levels of agronomic soil phosphorus surplus than the global average. Anthropogenic factors, such as population growth and increased fertilizer usage, have greatly contributed to phosphorus loading and soil surplus. However, efforts in wastewater treatment and reduction in agricultural land have helped improve the environmental situation since the 1980s. Factors such as soil properties, fertilizer usage, precipitation events, and crop types all affect soil phosphorus balance. It is important to consider the non-point source loss due to precipitation to avoid overestimating soil phosphorus surplus.