SESSION #1 – How much phosphate is contained in an LCD display and which plant needs the same amount of phosphate?

According to the survey by the Federal Environment Agency¹ (based on data from Chi Mei Optoelectronics), the production of one LCD screen module requires 0.0374 kg of phosphate. According to the website “Effizient Düngen”², 35 dt of winter rape need 27.3 kg of phosphorus. This means that 2.1 kg of winter rape need as much phosphate in one year as is used for the production of one LCD screen.
To contrast the two applications, the metaphor of an hourglass is used. The pink particles in the sand represent the amount of phosphate needed either for the production of one LCD module or for the growth of 2.1 kg of winter rape in one year

1 Schaffung einer Datenbasis zur Ermittlung ökologischer Wirkungen der Produkte der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik (IKT), Umweltbundesamt, UBA-FB 001788
2 https://www.effizientduengen.de/naehrstoffe/#1 ; accessed: 03.06.2021