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Potentially Massive And Global Non-Pyrogenic Production Of Condensed "Black" Carbon Through Biomass Oxidation, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Hongmei Chen, Jianshu Duan, Satish C. B. Myneni, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

With the increased occurrences of wildfires worldwide, there has been an increase in scientific interest surrounding the chemistry of fire-derived "black" carbon (BC). Traditionally, wildfire research has assumed that condensed aromatic carbon (ConAC) is exclusively produced via combustion, and thus, ConAC is equated to BC. However, the lack of correlations between ConAC in soils or rivers and wildfire history suggests that ConAC may be produced non-pyrogenically. Here, we show quantitative evidence that this occurs during the oxidation of biomass with environmentally ubiquitous hydroxyl radicals. Pine wood boards exposed to iron nails and natural weather conditions for 12 years yielded a …

Stabilization Of Pfas-Contaminated Soil With Sewage Sludge- And Wood-Based Biochar Sorbents, Erlend Sørmo, Clara Benedikte Mader Lade, Julie Zhang, Alexandros G. Asimakopoulos, Geir Wold Åsli, Michel Hubert, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Hans Peter H. Arp, Gerard Cornelissen

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Sustainable and effective remediation technologies for the treatment of soil contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are greatly needed. This study investigated the effects of waste-based biochars on the leaching of PFAS from a sandy soil with a low total organic carbon content (TOC) of 0.57 ± 0.04% impacted by PFAS from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) dispersed at a former fire-fighting facility. Six different biochars (pyrolyzed at 700–900°C) were tested, made from clean wood chips (CWC), waste timber (WT), activated waste timber (aWT), two digested sewage sludges (DSS-1 and DSS-2) and de-watered raw sewage sludge (DWSS). Up-flow column …

Fate And Transport Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) At Aqueous Film Forming Foam (Afff) Discharge Sites: A Review, Jeffery T. Mcgarr, Eric G. Mbonimpa, Drew C. Mcavoy, Mohamad R. Soltanian

Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are an environmentally persistent group of chemicals that can pose an imminent threat to human health through groundwater and surface water contamination. In this review, we evaluate the subsurface behavior of a variety of PFAS chemicals with a focus on aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) discharge sites. AFFF is the primary PFAS contamination risk at sites such as airports and military bases due to use as a fire extinguisher. Understanding the fate and transport of PFAS in the subsurface environment is a multifaceted issue. This review focuses on the role of adsorbent, adsorbate, and …

Food Waste Storage Gaseous Emissions Detection And Quantification Using Infrared Spectroscopy, Ryley A. Burton-Tauzer

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

A growing interest in sustainable waste management and the implementation of new policies have prompted a shift towards alternative resource recovery methods for organic waste, including food waste. To effectively assess alternative food waste treatment scenarios, it is important to evaluate the life cycle impacts associated with each scenario. The storage phase of food waste, encompassing its accumulation in kitchens, and storage in bins for collection and transportation, has been overlooked as a source of greenhouse gases in previous studies. This investigation aimed to identify the greenhouse gases emitted during the initial five-day period of low-oxygen storage. An open dynamic …

Enhanced Adsorption Of Anionic Dyes Using Sr-Doped Zno Nanoparticles: Nonlinear Kinetics And Isotherm Studies, Mostafa H. Mohamed, Taha M. Elmorsi, H. M. Abdelbary

Al-Azhar Bulletin of Science

Using a co-precipitation process, sr-doped ZnO was prepared and demonstrated to be effective in the removal of anionic congo red dye, since its surface positive charge was increased to 17.3 mV. To investigate the surface morphology and physicochemical characteristics of Sr-doped ZnO, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis, and point of zero charges (pHPZC) were employed. We conducted batch adsorption experiments to investigate the effects of contact time (180 minutes), pH (3.5–11), adsorbent dosage (0.5–3.0 g L−1), and temperature (288–328 K). The kinetic study was modeled using several equations, including pseudo-firstorder (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), Elovich, and intra-particle diffusion …

Groundwater Remediation Using Modified Biochar, Kers Ung-Watson, Ismail Abdulraheem, Nikki Tibayan, Suraj Pochampally

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Biochar, a lightweight black residue made of carbon, has proved to be an effective adsorbent to remove TCE from groundwater. Not only is it an economical substitute for conventional adsorbents but it can be created by using a variety of organic materials. For this project, it will rely on walnut shell feedstock to create biochar as this had the best ability to adsorb TCE.

Preparation Of Zn/Al-Chitosan Composite For The Selective Adsorption Of Methylene Blue Dye In Water, Risfidian Mohadi, Patimah Mega Syah Bahar Nur Siregar, Neza Rahayu Palapa, Aldes Lesbani

Makara Journal of Science

Layered double hydroxide (LDHs) are widely used adsorbents for methylene blue removal. However, LDHs have a perishable structure that cannot be used repeatedly. Modifying LDHs with chitosan produces a strong material with a large surface area for methylene blue adsorption. Adsorption conditions were optimized by determining the adsorption isotherms and the adsorbent regeneration process. Results showed that the adsorption process was balanced in 90 min with maximum adsorption capacities of 86.207 mg/g, 35.336 mg/g, and 98.039 mg/g for Zn/Al, chitosan, and Zn/Al-chitosan, respectively. The adsorption in this study followed the Freundlich isotherm model. Regeneration analysis of the adsorbent showed that …

Statistical Analyses Of Hemp Cannabinoid Test Results, Rachel J. Stegmeier

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Cannabis sativa L. is a flowering plant used for recreational and industrial purposes that produces a class of compounds called cannabinoids. Industrial hemp is a strain of Cannabis sativa L. that has been propagated to have a low Δ 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹THC) and a high cannabidiol (CBD) content. With recent advancements in legislation, farms are now growing hemp for fiber, CBD production and other hemp derived product purposes but crops risk being destroyed if THC content levels exceed the current maximum legal limit of 0.3%. For the present study hemp samples were dried, ground, extracted with various alcohols, …

Functionalized Biochar Electrodes For Asymmetric Capacitive Deionization, Hellen Stephanie

Theses and Dissertations

Electrosorption-based capacitive deionization (CDI) has become a viable process for brackish water desalination and defluoridation. In this study, activated Douglas fir biochar is used as a low-cost electrode material with adsorption capacity comparable to activated carbon obtained from biomass precursors. Adding functional groups to the activated biochar enhanced salt removal capacity, providing cation and anion selectivity. The functionalized electrodes were prepared by Nafion, titanium isopropoxide, and p-phenylenediamine treatment, respectively, which introduced sulfonate, titanium dioxide and amine functional groups to the electrode surface. These modification methods are versatile and can be easily performed without sophisticated laboratory environment. Modified biochar electrodes …

Phosphorus Enriched Modified-Douglas Fir Biochar As A Soil Amendment, Beatrice Arwenyo

Theses and Dissertations

Biochar application as a soil additive is gaining global acceptance. In this era of climate change, biochar use for improved soil productivity is not just a sustainable eco-friendly substitute to synthetic fertilizer, but a noble contributor to the fight against climate change. Although biochar has been accredited with some environmental and agricultural benefits, most studies concentrated on agricultural and biowaste products as feedstocks. This research was designed to explore P-enriched modified-Douglas fir biochar potential as a soil additive. Using corn as a test crop, greenhouse studies were performed on acidic sandy soil, comparing phosphorus enriched modified-Douglas fir biochar efficacy to …

Competitive Sorption And Transport Of Heavy Metals In Soil And Mn Oxide-Coated Sand, Joshua Tyler Padilla

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the competitive sorption of Ni, Pb, and Zn as well as synergistic interactions between Ni and phosphate (P) in soils and Mn oxide-coated sand. During stirred-flow experiments, the sorption of heavy metal cations by Olivier soil was mutually reduced when applied simultaneously. When applied consecutively, the cation of higher affinity was able to displace the cation of lower affinity from the soil surface, however, no evidence for the reverse case was observed. A novel general exchange kinetics model was able to correctly describe such displacement. Competition between Ni and Zn mutually increased mobility in Olivier and Windsor …

Labilization And Diversification Of Pyrogenic Dissolved Organic Matter By Microbes, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Andrew S. Wozniak, Kyle W. Bostick, Andrew R. Zimmerman, Siddhartha Mitra, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

With the increased occurrence of forest fires around the world, interest in the chemistry of pyrogenic organic matter (pyOM) and its fate in the environment has increased. Upon leaching from soils by rain events, significant amounts of dissolved pyOM (pyDOM) enter the aquatic environment and interact with microbial communities that are essential for cycling organic matter within the different biogeochemical cycles. To evaluate the bio-reactivity of pyDOM, aqueous extracts of laboratory-produced chars were incubated with soil microbes and the molecular changes to the composition of pyDOM were probed using ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (Fourier transform – ion cyclotron resonance – …

Biolability Of Fresh And Photodegraded Pyrogenic Dissolved Organic Matter From Laboratory-Prepared Chars, K. W. Bostick, A. R. Zimmerman, A. I. Goranov, S. Mitra, P. G. Hatcher, A. S. Wozniak

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Pyrogenic dissolved organic matter (pyDOM) is known to be an important biogeochemical constituent of aquatic ecosystems and the carbon cycle. While recent studies have examined how pyDOM production, composition, and photolability varies with parent pyrogenic solid material type, we lack an understanding of potential microbial mineralization and transformation of pyDOM in the biogeosphere. Thus, leachates of oak, charred at 400 °C and 650 °C, as well as their photodegraded counterparts were incubated with a soil‐extracted microbial consortium over 96 days. During the incubation, significantly more carbon was biomineralized from the lower versus higher temperature char leachate (45% vs. 37% lost, …

Evaluation Of The Mechanisms And Effectiveness Of Nano-Hydroxides, Wood And Dairy Manure-Derived Biochars To Remove Fluoride And Heavy Metals From Water, Anna Rose Wallace, Wenjie Sun Dr, Chunming Su Dr

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

The development of effective treatment processes for the removal contaminants, such as fluoride and heavy metals, from polluted water have been urgently needed due to serious environmental health and safety concerns. In this dissertation, a variety of materials including various (hydro)oxide nanomaterials, biochars and surface modified biochar were studied to evaluate their effectiveness and mechanism on removing fluoride or mixed heavy metals from water.

In the Chapter 2, this study investigated the adsorptive removal of fluoride from water using various (hydro)oxide nanomaterials, focusing on ferrihydrite, hydroxyapatite (HAP) and brucite, which have the potential to be used as sorbents for surface …

Biochar Enhances Nitrous Oxide Reduction In Acidic But Not In Near-Neutral Ph Soil, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Jerome Lechot, Rafaela Feola Conz, Abmael Da Silva Cardoso, Johan Six

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We quantified nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes and total denitrification (N2O + N2) in an acidic (Ferralsol) and a near-neutral pH soil (Cambisol) to determine whether biochar’s alkalinization effect could be the mechanism inducing potential reductions in N2O fluxes. In Ferralsol, decreases in N2O emissions and in the N2O to N2O + N2 ratio were observed in both biochar and lime treatments. In Cambisol, neither biochar nor lime decreased N2O emissions, despite significantly increasing soil pH. The abundance and community structure of nosZ gene-bearing microorganisms indicated that gene abundances did not explain biochar effects, but a higher diversity of nosZ gene-bearing …

Production Of Singlet Oxygen (1O2) During The Photochemistry Of Aqueous Pyruvic Acid: The Effects Of Ph And Photon Flux Under Steady-State O2(Aq) Concentration, Alexis J. Eugene, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The photochemistry of pyruvic acid (PA) in aqueous atmospheric particles contributes to the production of secondary organic aerosols. This work investigates the fate of ketyl and acetyl radicals produced during the photolysis (λ ≥ 305 nm) of 5-100 mM PA under steady state [O₂(aq)] = 260 μM (1.0 ≤ pH ≤ 4.5) for photon fluxes between 1 and 10 suns. The radicals diffuse quickly into the water/air interface of microbubbles and react with dissolved O₂ to produce singlet oxygen (¹O₂^*). Furfuryl alcohol is used to trap and bracket the steady-state production of …

Plant Stimuli-Responsive Biodegradable Polymers For The Use In Timed Release Fertilizer Coatings, Spencer Heuchan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers continues to accelerate with human population growth and increases in global food requirements. Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) have been developed to improve the synchronization between nutrient supply and crop nutrient demand. However, many of the current controlled release fertilizers are coated with non-degradable polymers that contribute to accumulation of microplastics within ecosystems. This thesis describes research towards the development of a new class of fertilizer coatings using a self-immolative polymer known as poly (ethyl glyoxylate) (PEtG). PEtG itself does not have suitable properties to produce a viable coating but once blended with another degradable polyester …

Environmental Dynamics Of Dissolved Organic Matter And Dissolved Black Carbon In Fluvial Systems: Effects Of Biogeochemistry And Land Use, J. Alan Roebuck Jr.

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black carbon (BC) is an organic residue formed primarily from biomass burning (e.g., wildfires) and fossil fuel combustion. Until recently, it was understood that BC was highly recalcitrant and stabilized in soils over millennial scales. However, a fraction of the material can be solubilized and transported in fluvial systems as dissolved BC (DBC), which represents on average 10% of the global export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from rivers to coastal systems. The composition of DBC controls its reactivity, and it has been linked with a variety of in-stream processes that induce both carbon sequestration and evasion of CO₂ from …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Biodiesel Fuels From Furfuryl Alcohol And Spent Coffee Grounds, Amanda Raley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Biodiesel can be synthesized using several different triacylglycerides, alcohols, and catalysts. In this study, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) were produced from their respective alcohols and coffee oil, using either a basic (K₂CO₃) catalyst or an acidic catalyst (H₂SO₄). Fatty acid furfuryl esters (FAFurEs) were produced using commercially-purchased cooking oils (canola, olive, corn, sunflower, and peanut) with furfuryl alcohol, a basic (K₂CO₃) catalyst, a co-solvent (THF), and an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate). All samples were produced using either conventional heating methods …

Production And Composition Of Pyrogenic Dissolved Organic Matter From A Logical Series Of Laboratory-Generated Chars, Kyle W. Bostick, Andrew R. Zimmerman, Andrew S. Wozniak, Siddhartha Mitra, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Though pyrogenic carbon (pyC) has been assumed to be predominantly stable, degradation and transfers of pyC between various pools have been found to influence its cycling and longevity in the environment. Dissolution via leaching may be the main control on loss processes such as microbial or abiotic oxidation, mineral sorption, or export to aquatic systems. Yet, little is known about the controls on pyrogenic dissolved organic matter (pyDOM) generation or composition. Here, the yield and composition of pyDOM generated through batch leaching of a thermal series of oak and grass biochars, as well as several non-pyrogenic reference materials, was compared …

Surface Oxygenation Of Biochar Through Ozonization For Dramatically Enhancing Cation Exchange Capacity, Matthew D. Huff, Sarah Marshall, Haitham A. Saeed, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Background

Biochar cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a key property that is central to biochar environmental applications including the retention of soil nutrients in soil amendment and removal of certain pollutants in water-filtration applications.

Results

This study reports an innovative biochar-ozonization process that dramatically increases the CEC value of biochars by a factor of 2. The ozonized biochars also show great improvement on adsorption of methylene blue by as much as a factor of about 5. In this study, biochar samples treated with and without ozone were analyzed by means of pH and CEC assays, water field capacity measurement, elemental …

Pine Needle Pyrolysis: Bio-Waste Into Biofuel, Alexandra Fuentes

Honors Theses

This project explores the alternate uses of biomass. In particular it focuses on pine needles as a source for biofuels. Pine needles are of interest because in certain Mountain communities they are collected and removed from residential properties. By removing the pine needles, communities create a “defensible space” to prevent wild fires from destroying homes and property. These needles are often placed in regional landfills. The South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling Services alone has more than 4,340 tons of pine needles dumped at their facility annually. This large amount of biomass can be a potential energy source.

The focus of …

C.V. - Wojciech Budzianowski, Wojciech M. Budzianowski

Wojciech Budzianowski

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Specific Phosphate Sorption Mechanisms Of Unaltered And Altered Biochar, Kathryn D. Szerlag

Masters Theses

Biochar has been shown to act as an effective sorbent for many organic and inorganic contaminants (including phosphate) and can help to improve the quality of our fresh water resources by preventing eutrophication. Most of the high efficiency biochar phosphate-adsorbent feedstocks are modified with chemical pretreatment, phytoremediation or anaerobic digestion to accumulate desired elements. The main objectives of this project were to first engineer magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) altered biochar by chemical pretreatment followed by pyrolysis at either 350 or 550°C and evaluate their phosphate adsorption rate and potential as compared to their unaltered counterparts. Determination of surface physiochemical …

Possible Sources And Impacts Of Biochar Water Extractable Organic Compounds On Aquatic Microorganisms, Cameron Russell Smith

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Smokeless biomass pyrolysis with application of biochar as a soil amendment could be a significant approach for carbon sequestration to possibly control climate change for energy and environmental sustainability. If biochar were to be utilized as a soil amendment and a carbon sequestration agent at Gt C scales, the release of potentially toxic compounds into soils and associated hydrological systems, through soil rainwater runoff and leaching, might have negative consequences, in both agro-ecosystems and aquatic environmental systems. Therefore, the main focus of this dissertation was to study the sources and chemical composition of biochar water extractable (soluble) organic compounds and …

Removal Of Perfluorooctanoic Acid From Water Using Primitive, Conventional And Novel Carbonaceous Sorbent Materials, Christopher K. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), like perfluorooctanoic acid, have been used for the last 50 years in a wide variety of industrial processes and consumer-based products, including polymer additives, lubricants, fire retardants and suppressants, pesticides, and surfactants (Buck et al. 2015). The Department of Defense (DoD) has used PFAS-based Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) at fire training facilities and aircraft hangars. AFFF has contaminated approximately 600 sites classified as fire training facilities with PFAS (Huang, 2013).

This study focused on testing the most likely carbonaceous adsorbent compounds to remediate PFAS-contaminated sites on Air Force installations. Batch tests were performed to determine the …

The Biogeochemistry Of Elemental Sulfur Contaminated Soils: Insights Into Effective Remediation, Michael Ryan Mctee

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Soil contamination that results from elemental sulfur (S⁰) deposition is a new occurrence. Elemental sulfur is stockpiled as a byproduct from the oil and gas industry and is deposited by biodegradable trap and skeet targets at shooting ranges. Chemolithotrophs and mixotrophs can oxidize S⁰ to H₂SO₄. Consequently, in areas where excess S⁰ is deposited or stockpiled, soils can acidify to pH values observed with acid mine drainage.

I studied S⁰ contamination at a former sporting clay range. For seven years, the range used biodegradable trap and skeet targets that contained S …

Effects Of Activated Carbon Surface Chemistry Modification On The Adsorption Of Mercury From Aqueous Solution, Emily K. Faulconer

Publications

Mercury (Hg), a naturally occurring element, is toxic and can lead to negative health impacts for humans and ecosystems. Activated carbon adsorption is effective in treating Hg-laden aqueous effluent for safe discharge. Two modifications of commercially available activated carbon were investigated: iron impregnation to allow for magnetic sorbent recapture and wet chemical oxidation to enhance aqueous Hg capture. The modified carbons were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, XRD, pHpzc, vibrating sample magnetometry, elemental analysis, and total acidity titration. The 3:1 C:Fe magnetic powdered activated carbon (MPAC) retained a high surface area of 790 m2 /g and was 95% magnetically recoverable, with …

Energy Densification Via Hydrothermal Carbonization, Keri Noack

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

A process called hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), also known as wet torrefaction involves treatment of raw biomass in hot, pressurized water. HTC of woody biomass has been shown to significantly increase the energy density of the feedstock, producing a biochar, similar to coal, having up to 40% higher calorific energy content. Feedstocks investigated include Tahoe chips, Pinion/Juniper chips, Rice hulls, and Corn Stover pellets pre-treated at 215 °C, 255 °C, and 295 °C. Chemical analyses were conducted on the gaseous, aqueous, and solid HTC products. Energy contents of the solid biochar products were measured by calorimetry, and mass balances were determined.