Forty years of phosphorus

I can't believe we're still not clean on phosphorus. Of course, I'm guilty, too. I only recently switched to a green dishwasher detergent, which I supplement with a small amount of Cascade if I need a little phosphorus and chlorine to get the dishes clean. But nearly 40 years ago, eutrophication was a known problem due to phosphorus run-off. Those radicals at National Geographic reported on it.

The Globe story is not very good. First, there's the nonsensical mention that phosphorus is a "natural element". True, but it's the artificial phosphorus that matters. The reporter at least mentions that later, but he never gives any sense of the relative magnitudes of the human sources.

Then, the story meanders back and forth. Its narrative is so confused that it's hard to imagine any remedy other than starting over from scratch.