Do Coffee Agroforestry Systems Always Improve Soil Carbon Stocks Deeper In The Soil?—A Case Study From Turrialba, Costa Rica, Nilovna Chatterjee, P. K. Ramachandran Nair, Vimala D. Nair, Abhishek Bhattacharjee, Elias De Melo Virginio Filho, Rheinhold G. Muschler, Martin R.A. Noponen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Shaded perennial agroforestry systems (AFS) are regarded as desirable land‐use practices that improve soil carbon sequestration. However, most studies assume a positive correlation between above ground and below ground carbon without considering the effect of past and current land management, textural variations (silt and clay percentage), and such other site‐specific factors that have a major influence on the extent of soil C sequestration. We assessed SOC stock at various depths (0–10, 10–30, 30–60, and 60–100 cm) in shaded perennial coffee (Coffea arabica L.) AFS in a 17‐ year‐old experimental field at the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, (9°53′44′′ …

Indonesia Natural Mineral For Heavy Metal Adsorption: A Review, Grandprix T. M. Kadja, Moh Mualliful Ilmi

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Indonesia has abundant mineral resources used as natural adsorbent materials for the absorption of heavy metal. Among these are natural zeolites, clay, and ashes. These natural materials showed high performance adsorption capacity with respects to their low cost and high availability. Several research reports had been published for studying the performance of the natural materials as adsorbent of several heavy metals i.e., Hg, Pb, Fe, Cd, Cr, Zn, Ni, and Cu by examining the effect of various factors, including pH, contact time, initial concentration, temperature, and dosage. Furthermore, to determine the adsorption rate, mechanism, and efficiency of natural materials in …

Study On Electro-Sorption Of Heavy Metals And Sulfamethoxazole On Activated Carbon Fibers, Wen-Jun Zhao, Bing-Xin Jia, Ya-Nan Zhang, Jiu-Nian Guan, Jiao Qu, Ying Lu

Journal of Electrochemistry

To study the optimal removal condition, adsorption mechanism and comparative analysis of the three typical cationic pollutants, i.e., Zn(II), anionic pollutant Cr(VI) and molecular pollutant sulfamethoxazole (SMX), using self-made upflowed electro-sorption device for adsorptions of above three pollutants by modified activated carbon fiber were researched. The activated carbon fiber (ACF) was modified by hydrochloric acid. The ACF morphology and structure before and after modification were characterized by SEM, BET and FTIR. The characterization results show that the modified ACF had fewer surface impurities than the modified surface and the gully is more obvious, the specific surface area was increased by …

Dictection Of Special Spoilage Organisms Of Chicken Breast In Different Storage Conditions, Zhang Li, Yin Defeng, Zhang Dawen, Luo Linguang

Food and Machinery

In order to explore the special spoilage organisms (SSO) of the chicken breast in different storage conditions, the fresh chicken breast of Ningdu Yellow chicken was used as the experimental material. Three preservation methods were used to preserve the chicken breast, including the tray aerobic packaging preservation under 4 ℃ and 25 ℃, vacuum packaging preservation under 4 ℃. The total number of colonies and TVB-N value of the chicken breast were measured during these preservation processes and their surface bacterial diversity was analyzed. The results showed that when the aerobic packaging chicken was stored for 7 days under 4 …

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 …

Environmental And Energy Assessment Of Biomass Residues To Biochar As Fuel: A Brief Review With Recommendations For Future Bioenergy Systems, Mengshan Lee, Yi-Li Lin, Pei-Te Chiueh, Walter Den

Water Resources Science and Technology Faculty Publications

This study explores the environmental and energy benefits of biomass residues, including crop residues and agricultural waste, for the production of renewable energy in the form of biochar as fuel, in order to offer recommendations for policy makers, by reviewing information regarding the key environmental issues associated with the implementation of the systems. The highest environmental benefits for biochar-to-fuel systems were most observed in reduction of global warming potentials (i.e., carbon abatement), particularly for those integrated with combined heat and power technology, or for those incorporating electricity offsets from biochar combustion and co-firing. But all of these practices come …

Anaerobic Digestion Modeling Of A High Rate Acidification Pre-Treatment Technology, Connor Pritty

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Through the application of a computerized model (BioWin), anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of source separated organics (SSO) and a high rate acidification technology (pretreatment) for a conventional wastewater treatment plant was reviewed. Through this combined approach of high rate acidification, and co-digestion techniques it was found that the experimental modeling scenarios offered increases when compared to the existing base scenario production levels. With the addition of the high rate acidification technology and application of source separated organics the maximum increases in biogas production came when an OLR of 5.24 kg-COD/m³/day and 97g COD/L/d was experimentally modeled. It is therefore, recommended that …

Design Of Efficient Carbon-Based Adsorbents For The Removal Of Organic And Inorganic Water Contaminants, Sayedeh Soroosh Mortazavian Dehkordi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Granular activated carbon (AC) and biochar (BC) are two carbon-based adsorbents commonly used for water and wastewater treatment. However, these adsorbents have drawbacks that suppress their aqueous contaminants removal efficiency. Their major disadvantages are that AC has low selectivity and reusability potential, and BC has a hydrophobic nature.

The scope of this dissertation is to enhance the performance of commonly-used carbon-based adsorbents for the removal of organic and inorganic water contaminants and to understand the interactive mechanism of contaminants’ ions/molecules with adsorbents. Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and trichloroethylene (TCE) are two types of inorganic and organic water contaminants, respectively, which are …

Evaluating Effects Of Southern Yellow Pine Biochar And Wood Vinegar On Poultry Litter, Maryam Mohammadi-Aragh

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to investigate nutrient retention, intI1 prevalence, and compost maturity rates for poultry litter co-composted with 5, 10, and 20% southern yellow pine biochar and with or without 2% wood vinegar (WV). Samples were collected at 0, 57, and 112 days to measure nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N, P, K) concentrations, microbial counts, pH, moisture content, carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio, and intI1 abundance. Composts were aerated once a week and the temperature was also recorded once a week. There was sufficient rainfall so no additional water was added. The results showed that N and …

Parks, Recreation, And Opportunities: A Case Study Of East Bay Regional Park District's Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation Strategies, Brett Walsh

Experience Industry Management

In the face of a global climate emergency, community parks & recreation and land management agencies are beginning to adopt a critical role in the fight against climate change. This study gathered information on efforts around the world and created a case study guide to examine the climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies of East Bay Regional Park District in the San Francisco Bay Area of California in the United States. The study was conducted in hopes of shedding light on how small agencies can be proactive and contribute to larger efforts, creating greater regional impacts.

Measuring Lead Concentrations Of Vacant Lots In The Tree Street Neighborhood Of Lewiston, Me, Adam Gardner, Erin O'Farrell, Julian Cook

Community Engaged Research Reports

High levels of lead contamination have detrimental health implications for communities, with the most profound impacts of lead poisoning affecting young children. The City of Lewiston, Maine, is home to a disproportionate amount of reported lead poisoning cases as compared to the rest of the state. Within Lewiston, the downtown “Tree Street” neighborhood contains 72% of all reported lead-poisoning cases in the city, signifying a need to identify the source(s) of lead exposure and minimize the impact of lead contamination on Tree Street residents. In collaboration with Healthy Neighborhoods, we identified 19 vacant lots in the Tree Street neighborhood to …

A Survey Of Soil Properties Affecting Vegetation Establishment Along Nebraska Highways, Shad D. Mills

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Vegetation along roadsides is important to prevent soil erosion, provide habitat and filter water running off the road. Along some highways in Nebraska vegetation does not readily establish and persist. It is thought that sodium and bulk density issues are the driving factor behind the lack of vegetation. After a construction project, the shoulder is seeded into the compacted soil, and salts can accumulate in the soil due to deicing agents being used during the winter. The purpose of our study was to determine if the bulk density and sodium are the driving factors of the vegetation cover. We also …

Biochar As A Means Of Water Purification In Haiti, Caolan Keenan

Honors Projects

Our research set out to determine if biochar, a compound made by burning organic plant matter in a low oxygen environment, would be a suitable means of removing E. coli populations from contaminated water collected from the Grand River in Allendale, MI using simple materials to construct a filter that could be constructed and used in Haiti. Previous research has shown biochar to be effective at trapping bacteria and other contaminants in the porous surface and by binding other non organic contaminants. We constructed multiple iterations of these filters using gravel, sand, and biochar and ran three live tests with …

Assessing Amendment Treatments For Sodic Soil Reclamation In Arid Land Environments, Sandra Udy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Plugged and abandoned well pads throughout the Uintah Basin face reclamation challenges due to factors including a harsh climate, invasive species, and high salt loads. Finding ways to alleviate soil sodicity could improve soil reclamation success. Gypsum, sulfur, activated carbon, and Biochar are being applied to improve soil parameters negatively impacted by sodicity, but the direct impact of these amendments on Uintah Basin soils is still largely unknown. The aim of this study was two-fold. (1) Evaluate the effectiveness of gypsum, sulfuric acid, Biochar, activated carbon, and combinations of these amendments in reducing the impact of soil sodicity of the …

Development Of Fertilizer Coatings From Polyglyoxylate-Polyester Blends Responsive To Root-Driven Ph Change., Spencer M Heuchan, Bo Fan, Jessica J Kowalski, Elizabeth R Gillies, Hugh A L Henry

Chemistry Publications

Many current controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) are coated with nonbiodegradable polymers that can contribute to microplastic pollution. Here, coatings of self-immolative poly(ethyl glyoxylate) (PEtG) capped with a carbamate and blended with polycaprolactone (PCL) or poly(l-lactic acid) (PLA) were evaluated. They were designed to depolymerize and release fertilizers in the vicinity of plant roots, where the pH is lower than that in the surrounding environment. PEtG/PCL coatings exhibited significant temperature and pH effects, requiring 18 days at pH 5 and 30 °C, compared to 77 days at pH 7 and 22 °C, to reach 15% mass loss. Plant roots were also effective …

Effect Of Biosurfactant And Biochar On Ecosystem Functions And Oil Remediation In Crude Oil Contaminated Wetland Soils, Zhuo Wei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Decontamination of oil spill from coastal wetland soils requires a delicate approach. Remediation strategies using biochar, biosurfactant, and nutrient additions have been proposed. However, there is little information on application of these with combination for treatment of crude oil-contaminated wetland soil. Therefore, incubation studies were carried out to investigate the impact of biochar and rhamnolipid (RL) biosurfactant along with nitrogen (N) application on petroleum hydrocarbon degradation in a Louisiana coastal saline marsh and their impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Additionally, the toxicity of crude oil as well as remediation materials on coastal wetland ecosystem were assessed at three levels: …

Using Poultry Litter Ash As A Fertilizer Source For Bermudagrass (Cynodon Dactylon) Establishment And Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantation, Crystal L. Vance

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Lower solubility of P in poultry litter ash (PLA) than conventional phosphorus (P) fertilizers such as triple superphosphate (TSP) may reduce P losses in drainage and runoff; however, lower P solubility may reduce its efficacy as a P source. A laboratory experiment was conducted to examine the effect of acidity on P release and the effect of different combustion temperatures on P solubility as a prerequisite to the following studies. The first research objective was to determine the effect of soil pH on the efficiency of PLA relative to TSP for establishment of common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) and …

Effect Of Foliar Spray Application Of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles On Quantitative, Nutritional, And Physiological Parameters Of Foxtail Millet (Setaria Italica L.) Under Field Conditions, Marek Kolenčík, Dávid Ernst, Matej Komár, Martin Šebesta, Martin Urík, Edmund Dobročka, Ivan Černý, Ramakanth Illa, Raghavendra Kanike, Qian Yu, Huan Feng, Denisa Orlová, Gabriela Kratošová

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

It has been shown that the foliar application of inorganic nano-materials on cereal plants during their growth cycle enhances the rate of plant productivity by providing a micro-nutrient source. We therefore studied the effects of foliarly applied ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on Setaria italica L. foxtail millet’s quantitative, nutritional, and physiological parameters. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the ZnO NPs have an average particle size under 20 nm and dominant spherically shaped morphology. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry then confirmed ZnO NP homogeneity, and X-ray diffraction verified their high crystalline and wurtzite-structure symmetry. Although plant height, thousand grain weight, and grain …

Rotating Heater Pyrolyzer (Rhp): A New Pyrolysis Technology For Biochar Production, Ariel Porat

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Biochar provides an effective and inexpensive carbon sequestration technology to combat climate change. It is formed through a process known as pyrolysis; where biomass is thermally decomposed in the absence of oxygen. In this study, a new pyrolysis reactor called the Rotating Heater Pyrolyzer (RHP) was designed and built for biochar production. RHP derived biochar properties were compared to biochars produced with a standard batch pyrolysis reactor (Pyrolytic Shaker Reactor (PSR)) to determine RHP performance. Using several biochar characterization techniques, the soil amendment potential of two solid anaerobic digestate feedstocks were investigated. Woodchip RHP derived biochar processed between 2-3 hrs …

Hazardous Fuels Reduction Using Flame Cap Biochar Kilns, Darren Mcavoy, Megan Dettenmaier

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes a do-it-yourself technique for making small-batch biochar. The Utah Biomass Resources Group has demonstrated this method for reducing hazardous forest fuels, protects soils, and creates biochar using simple, low-cost materials.

Biochar As A Filler In Mixed Matrix Materials: Synthesis, Characterization, And Applications, Jeremy Lewis, Mark Miller, Jake Crumb, Maram A. Q. Al-Sayaghi, Chris Buelke, Austin Tesser, Ali Alshami

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

The use of mixed-matrix materials (MMM) has become a major topic of research in recent years, due to unique properties achieved in these composites. In this work, biochar from sunflower seed hull pyrolysis and biochar/polysulfone (PSF) MMMs were produced and characterized. The optimal pyrolysis temperature for biochar production was determined to be 500 °C. The resulting biochar properties were an iodine number of 203 mg/g and a pore volume of 0.595 mL/g. In MMM fabrication, the use 4% ethanol as nonsolvent in the wet phase inversion process increased the glass transition temperature by 8 °C, indicating improved biochar/PSF interaction. The …

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 …

Development Of A Tunable Platform For The Study Of Geomacromolecular Matrices Using Controlled Radical Polymerization, Arjun Pandey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Soil is an important environmental component, and the study of soil processes have many practical implications such as improvement in agriculture, mitigation of climate change etc. The widespread use of Agricultural Chemicals (ACs) in modern agriculture has resulted in adverse effects in environment and human health mostly through contamination into food and water sources. Study of fate, bioavailability, and transport of ACs involves molecular level understanding of their interactions with soil. This can be challenging due to complex and heterogeneous nature of soil. One common approach used is the correlation of macroscopic properties of soil, (e.g. sorption) with empirical parameters …

Technology Perspectives And Innovative Scenarios Applied In The Amazon Region, Emílio Arruda José Montero Filho, Cristiana Fernandes De Muylder, Airton Cardoso Cançado, Ruby Roy Dholakia, Angela Paladino

College of Business Faculty Publications

This paper aims to summarize the technology perspectives and innovative scenarios applied in the Amazon region. A call for papers for the Special Issue yielded four accepted articles that serve as the source for the summary. All these articles focus on specific cases in the Legal Amazon region and provide empirical evidence supported by theories and relevant literature. All the articles emphasized the need for investment in the form of networks for development and innovation. A descriptive, qualitative approach using the bibliometric software WordStat 8® identified the words most frequently used in the four papers included this special issue. The …

Leaching Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) From Sewage Sludge-Derived Biochar, Xiaoyang Chen, Lisitai Yang, Satish C.B. Myneni, Yang Deng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a family of persistent organic pollutants with various negative health effects, are inherently formed during biochar pyrolysis. However, the knowledge regarding the leaching potentials and mechanisms of PAHs remains limited for biochar implementation to soil. In this study we evaluated the leaching behaviors of PAHs from sewage sludge-derived biochar pyrolyzed at different temperatures (300–700 °C) using the protocol of Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) with deionized water. Leachate concentrations of sixteen U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PAHs increased with the increasing pyrolysis temperature, exhibiting an opposite pyrolytic temperature dependence with their concentrations in biochar. The total leachate …

Co-Digestion Of Food Waste And Thickened Waste Activated Sludge: Microbial Communities And Inhibition Control Using Biochar, Mariam Abdulazeez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The effect of food waste (FW) co-digestion with wastewater biosolids (WWB) on microbial communities was investigated through running thirteen lab-scale digesters for 100 days at different operational conditions i.e. organic loading rates (2 and 4 kgCOD/m³·day), feed types (WWB and FW), and FW content (10%, 90%, 100%). Methanosarcina in FW digesters in contrast to Methanosaeta in WWB, Compared with mono-digestion of WWB, FW co-digestion enhanced biogas production by 13% and COD degradation rates by up to 101%. Among fermentative bacteria/acetogens, Syntrophomonas was the dominant genus in FW digesters in contrast to the dominance of Clostridium in WWB digesters. …

Immobilization Of Heavy Metal In Contaminated Mine Technosols Using Biochar: A Phytomanagement Strategy, Domenico Morabito, Manhattan Lebrun, Romain Nandillon, Florie Miard, Nour Hattab Hambli, Simon Chevolleau, Melissa Simiele, Sylvain Bourgerie

Bio-Char II: Production, Characterization and Applications

Soil contamination by metal(loid)s is one of the most important environmental problem. It leads to loss

of environment biodiversity and soil functions and can have harmful effects on human health. Therefore,

contaminated soils could be remediated, using phytomanagement. Indeed, plant growth will improve soil

conditions while accumulating metal(loid)s and modifying their mobility. However, due to the poor

fertility and high metal(loid)s levels of these soils, amendments, like biochar, has to be applied.

Phytomanagement is a technique for rehabilitating these soils and reducing the spread of pollutants. To this end, it is advisable to stabilize the mobility of pollutants in the …

Biochar And Organic Matter Co-Composting: A Critical Review, David Chiaramonti, David Casini, Tommaso Barsali, Yuri Herreras Yambanis, Javi Prieto Ruiz

Bio-Char II: Production, Characterization and Applications

The H2020 BIO4A project aims at producing and deploying Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) at large scale in Europe. A major oil refinery, owned and operated by Total based on Axen’s technology, will run in non-segregated full jet-mode, targeting the production of 5 kt of ASTM-certified bio-based HEFA jet fuel. The produced SAF will then be used in commercial passenger flights: the demonstration activities will be complemented by market and policy analysis. While this part of BIO4A represent the industrial component of the project, the issue of developing additional alternative routes for supplying sustainable lipids to the HVO process represents the …

Adsorption Of Pb2+ On Magnetic Modified Hemp Biochar Prepared Using Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis, Muhammad T. Afzal, Patrick Godwin, Huining Xiao

Bio-Char II: Production, Characterization and Applications

Magnetic modified hemp biochar with an aim of high adsorption capacity and rapid adsorption rate was prepared by two simple steps using microwave pyrolyzed biochar. This was investigated as a potential green adsorbent for lead remediation from wastewater in a batch-mode experiment. The 150 – 300 µm biochar particles obtained from microwave-assisted pyrolysis of 1.5 kg hemp biomass batch at an average temperature of 600˚C were first impregnated with H₂O₂ and then magnetized by mixing aqueous biochar suspensions with aqueous Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ solutions. The composition, morphology and surface chemistries of this magnetic biochar was examined …

Comparative Analysis Of Low Nitrogen Emissions Fertilizers Based On Activated Carbon From Residual Materials, Javier Pallarés Ranz, Javier Pallarés Ranz, Maite López-Franco Jiménez

Bio-Char II: Production, Characterization and Applications

Nitrate leaching and ammonia volatilization are the main pathways of nitrogen loss in agriculture. New environmentally friendly fertilizers have been investigated in recent years in order to reduce nitrogen losses and associated impacts [1]. One suggested solution has been to incorporate biochar as soil amendment, since its effects on nitrogen retention and soil fertility are well known [2, 3]. Fertilizer production from activated biocarbon is the researched line explored in this work. Biochar has been produced from two different raw materials, residual biomass and coal mine residues. Both have been produced through a physical activation process in an externally heated …