Phosphorus, a non-metallic chemical element with the atomic number 15 on the periodic table, draws little attention. Most of us do not think twice about what phosphorus does in and around us—that is, in our bodies and our environment.
MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) professor Christopher Cummins explains in an article on the chemistry department’s webpage: “Pure phosphorus P4 does not occur naturally because it is highly reactive. Phosphorus is mined from phosphate rock, […] basically animal bones and teeth.”
So, really, why should we care?
I want to be upfront. I am not a chemist. Therefore, forgive me when I fall short of scientifically explaining this quandary with the element “P.” While not a chemist, I am a holistic health practitioner and community herbalist, and in addition, a gardener and aspiring farmer. Within the realm of all these occupations, I am forced to think about phosphorus....
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