Egan, Dan

The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance

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ISBN 13:: 9781324074724
author:: Egan, Dan
format:: Paperback
publisher:: WW Norton & Co
language:: English
Publication Year:: 2023
Pages:: 256
Dimensions:: 20.1 x 13.7 x 1.8 centimetres (0
Genre:: Science
Condition:: New
Availability:: Item usually sent within 5 working days

£14.11

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Description

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The Devil's Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance Phosphorus, a substance once prized for its rarity, has become a vital component of modern life. From the fertilizers that sustain billions of people, to the toxic substances that threaten our environment, phosphorus plays a critical role in our world. Pulitzer Prize finalist Dan Egan investigates the past, present, and future of this essential element, revealing its complex and often perilous history. From its discovery in a seventeenth-century alchemy lab to its widespread use in farming, phosphorus has shaped human history. Egan's account takes readers on a journey across the globe, from the battlefields of Waterloo to the guano islands off Peru, and from the Bone Valley of Florida to the sand dunes of the Western Sahara. With The Devil's Element, Egan sheds light on a pressing environmental issue that poses a threat to the food system worldwide. As our reliance on phosphorus grows, so too do the risks of toxic algae blooms and "dead zones" in waterways. Egan's harrowing report urges us to pay attention to one of the most perilous but little-known environmental issues of our time.

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