Biogeochemical cycles Pt2- The
Phosphorus and Sulphur Cycles
Lecture 9 ENV101
What is the • The movement of phosphorus and its
phosphorus different forms in nature with the help
of living organisms is called the
cycle? phosphorus cycle.
What are the
main sources
of • Rocks, water, soil, and sediments constitute
the primary nonliving sources of
phosphorus phosphorus, whereas plants and animals
in the form the major living sources.
phosphorus
cycle?
What are the five steps of the phosphorus cycle?
• 1) Weathering
• 2) Mineralization by plants
• 3) Assimilation by animals
• 4) Decomposition by microorganisms
• 5) Geological uplift by tectonic movements
• A number of human activities, use of fertilizers,
artificial eutrophication, etc. has a great impact
on the phosphorus cycle.
Human • The phosphorus fertilizers increase the level of
Impact on phosphorus in the soil. Overuse of these
fertilizers reduces the fertility of the soil and is
Phosphorus also harmful to the microorganisms present in
the soil. When these are washed away into the
Cycle nearby water bodies, they are hazardous to
aquatic life.
• During the shipping of food from farms to cities,
the amount of phosphorus that is washed away
in water causes eutrophication. This leads to the
growth of algae. These form algal blooms or die,
which is toxic to the aquatic ecosystem.
The Sulphur
cycle
• Major sulfur-producing
sources include
sedimentary rocks,
which release hydrogen
sulfide gas, and human
sources, such as
smelters and fossil-fuel
combustion, both of
which release sulfur
dioxide into the
atmosphere.
Steps of Sulphur Cycle
• Decomposition of Organic Compounds
• Protein degradation releases amino acids that contain sulphur. Sulphates are reduced to H2S by
the action of Desulfotomaculum bacteria.
• Oxidation of Hydrogen Sulphide to Elemental Sulphur
• Hydrogen sulphide oxidises to produce elemental sulphur. Certain photosynthetic bacteria from
the families Chlorobiaceae and Chromatiaceae initiate the oxidation process.
• Oxidation of Elemental Sulphur
• Elemental sulphur present in the soil cannot be utilized directly by the plants. Therefore, it is
converted into sulphates by chemolithotrophic bacteria.
• Reduction of Sulphates
• Sulphates are reduced to hydrogen sulphide by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. This occurs in two
steps:
• Firstly, the sulphates are converted to sulphites utilizing ATP.
• Secondly, the reduction of sulphite to hydrogen sulphide.
Impacts of Sulphur on the Environment
• Hydrogen sulfide rapidly oxidizes to gases that dissolve in water to
form sulfurous and sulfuric acids. These compounds contribute in large part to the “acid
rain” that can kill sensitive aquatic organisms, cause deforestation and damage marble
monuments and stone buildings.
• It is an air pollutant; high levels affect human health by affecting eyes and lungs.
Climate change and the carbon cycle
Why is the nitrogen cycle important in nature?
How do humans impact the nitrogen cycle?
Human activities release excess nitrogen into the environment, eventually disturbing the balance
of nitrogen in its different reservoirs in two possible ways:
Human Burning of Fossil Fuels
Use of Nitrogen-Containing Fertilizers and eutrophication
interactions Carbon dioxide and the oceans and how they act as carbon sinks and the impact of humans on
sinks
with the
Biogeochemical
Cycles How is the carbon cycle linked to the hydrological cycle?
Textbook readings pages 69-72, 73
