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Source
Phosphates used to be obtained from animal bones and from urine, but these sources were not sufficient so phosphate was mined from phosphate-bearing rocks. The rocks are crushed and purified to produce phosphoric acid which can then be reacted with sulphuric acid to produce purified phosphates. Phosphorus is highly reactive and is never found as a free element on earth but is obtained from the mining of phosphate rocks.
Properties
Phosphorus exists in two main forms -- as white phosphorus and as red phosphorus. Phosphorus is an essential element of life and exists in DNA and phospholipids that exist in all cell membranes. Phosphate is an inorganic chemical and a salt of phosphoric acid. The phosphate ion consists of a central phosphorus atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement. Phosphates are nutrients and are essential to plant, animal and human life.
Use
The most common form of use for phosphates and phosphorus is as fertilizer in agriculture. Phosphorus promotes flowering and seed production in plants and is made available to them in the form of phosphate ions. The two main types of fertilizers are superphosphate and triple phosphate. Phosphates and phosphorus are also an essential part of a human diet and phosphorus is necessary to human cell's ability to store and convert energy. Phosphorus is also used for its candescent qualities in flares and munitions.
Risks
Ingesting too much phosphorus is dangerous and can result in bone and tooth decay. The white phosphorus allotrope is dangerous because it can ignite in the air and produces phosphoric acid residue. Phosphorus can also be used to make precursor elements to ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which are classified by the DEA as dangerous drugs.