Abstract
Biochar is traditionally made from clean lignocellulosic or waste materials that create no competition for land use. In this paper, the suitability of alternative feedstocks of agricultural and urban origins are explored. A range of biochars was produced from holm oak and a selection of organic wastes, such as greenhouse wastes, greenwastes, a cellulosic urban waste, municipal press cake and pig manure. They were characterized and assessed for their potential agricultural use. The physicochemical properties of biochars were mainly driven by the characteristics of feedstocks and the pyrolysis temperature. The use of pre-treated lignocellulosic residues led to biochars with a high concentration of ash, macro and micronutrients, whereas raw lignocellulosic residues produced biochars with characteristics similar to traditional wood biochars. All biochars were found to be suitable for agricultural use according to the international standards for the use of biochars as soil amendments, with the exception of a biochar from urban origin, which presented high levels of Cr and Pb. The use of these biochars as soil amendments requires a thorough agronomical evaluation to assess their impact on soil biogeochemical cycles and plant growth.
Highlights
The recent EU action plan for circular economy sets clear targets for the reduction of waste and establishes an ambitious, but reliable, long-term strategy for waste management and recycling [1]
The selection was based mainly on their origin, as well as the different concentrations of organic matter and their lignocellulosic composition: Holm oak prunings (Oak) (Oak) pruning is a forestry waste used as a model of typical lignocellulosic biomass that is free of any potentially hazardous elements
Greenhouse Waste (GH) is an agricultural waste constituted of a mixture of horticultural crop residues, mainly from pepper (Capsicum annum) and aubergine (Solanum melongena), grown in a greenhouse in TECNOVA (Almería, Spain)
Summary
The recent EU action plan for circular economy sets clear targets for the reduction of waste and establishes an ambitious, but reliable, long-term strategy for waste management and recycling [1]. Appropriate management of organic waste can help mitigate climate change by decreasing gas emission from landfills and indirectly reducing other transport and energy efforts from poor waste management [3]. The new circular economy business model adopted by the EU [1] enforces its members to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste disposed of in landfills, including agricultural residues, and household, commercial and industrial waste. The pyrolysis of organic waste for biochar and bioenergy co-production has gained considerable interest worldwide as an alternative recycling option
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