Engineering Commons^™

Developing Biosensors As Monitoring Tools To Assess The Performance Of Biochar Amended Contaminated Soil, Bastian Saputra, Stephen Rolfe, Steve Thornton

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

The application of biochar as a soil amendment is an emerging technique for low-cost remediation of contaminated soil. The high porosity and large surface area of biochar make it suitable for adsorption of contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Adsorption reduces the bio-availability of contaminants to soil microorganisms thus potentially increasing soil function and productivity. Many different biochars are available which differ in key properties such as contaminant adsorption and stability. To assess biochar performance as a soil amendment we will develop bacterial biosensors to measure contaminant bioavailability and toxicity at a cellular level. Biosensors …

The Effects Of Biochar As A Soil Amendment On Soil Quality And Plant Growth, Ok-Youn Yu

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biochar is a stable form of recalcitrant carbon created by heating biomass in a low or no oxygen environment. When used as a soil amendment, biochar forms a dynamic substrate which provides numerous benefits, including increasing nutrient availability, increasing soil water retention, improving crop yield, and sequestering carbon for hundreds to thousands of years. However, biochar's effectiveness largely depends on the biomass feedstock and the soil to which it is applied. Individual biochars made from different feedstocks perform differently against each other, and the magnitudes of their effects can be dependent on many factors within the soil. Testing different feedstocks …

Biochar From Gasification In Cultivated Soils And Riparian Buffer Zones: Chemical Characterization, Ivano Vassura, Elisa Venturini, Alessandro G. Rombolà, Daniele Fabbri, Cristian Torri, Marco Errani, Roberto Reggiani

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

During rain events, pollutants in agricultural soils can be transported from fields to surface and/or groundwater resulting in contamination of streams and rivers. Researchers and farmers must work together to find solutions to ensure the preservation of crop production without jeopardizing water quality or the health of the ecosystem. Establishment of riparian zones may reduce the effects of diffuse discharges of pollutants into waterways. The addition of biochar to soils, particularly in a riparian zones, can reduce the mobility of contaminants and improve removal efficiency due its sorptive capacity.

Please click on the file below for full content of the …

Characterization Of Biochar Pore Structure With X-Ray Tomography, Jari Hyväluoma, Jaakko Heikkinen, Sampo Kulju, Markus Hannula, Hanne Wikberg, Anssi Källi, Kimmo Rasa

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biochar use as soil amendment can influence both physical and chemical properties of soil. The effects of biochar depend on the raw material from which biochar is derived as well as on the used processing technology and process conditions. One commonly highlighted benefit of biochar application is improved water retention properties of soil. Biochar may affect water retention in direct or direct way. In direct mechanism water is stored and held in the biochar pores while in indirect mechanisms biochar contributes to the soil structural development (aggregation).

Please click on the file below for full content of the abstract.