Phosphorus detective

You may remember seeing phosphorus on a high school chemistry test or two. It's one of the less abundant elements found on our Earth, yet needed more for all living things.

"Of all the elements on the periodic table, phosphorus has a very extreme characteristic," said Deb Jaisi, professor of environmental biogeochemistry in the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "It makes us all alive and it makes us all die."

It's a double-edged sword. Phosphorus is the backbone of our DNA, and builds our bones and teeth. But too much phosphorus can damage kidneys and increase the risk of heart failure.

Phosphorus gives plants their daily nutritional needs. But whatever phosphorus a plant can't consume stays in the environment. It creeps into waterways and speeds up algae growth that can kill fish and aquatic plants.

Fascinated by these properties, Jaisi has dedicated his academic career to exploring phosphorus and its presence in the environment. His innovative research has unlocked new ways to pinpoint where the phosphorus causing environmental damage is coming from. The UD soil chemist and Fulbright U.S. Scholar was recognized in June at the World Congress of Soil Sciences in China as a 2026 recipient of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) Innovation Award, an honor given to one scientist around the world every two years.

"It's a big honor," Jaisi said.

Phosphorus forensics

Jaisi thinks of himself as a phosphorus detective. The big mystery: Where the phosphorus in the environment actually comes from.

"Is it coming from what farmers apply to their crops?" Jaisi said. "Is it coming from what the soil already had? Or is there another way, such as geological sources?"