About the book
Phosphate minerals are inorganic salts of phosphoric acid, H3(PO4), that exist naturally. There are about 200 different types of phosphate minerals. The more frequent phosphate minerals, on the other hand, are few and belong to the apatite family. The main group of lithosphere primary phosphates belongs to this family. The majority of the other minerals are the product of groundwater supergene alteration or bat and bird-guanos. They all have isolated (PO4) tetrahedral units structurally. Phosphates are divided into three categories: (1) liquid-crystallized primary phosphates; (2) secondary phosphates generated by alteration of primary phosphates; and (3) fine-grained rock phosphates formed at low temperatures from phosphorus-bearing organic material, primarily underwater. In this book, each section will begin with a new author's article outlining their contribution to the field of phosphate minerals. To help readers to evaluate progress and recognize how difficult some problems are, chapters will be presented with charts, graphs, and figures to help illustrate the scope of phosphate minerals. The book’s main focus will be on identifying major issues related to phosphate minerals such as excessive use of phosphate is not only depleting supplies but also causing widespread pollution that leads to dead zones in rivers and seas.
