Tannery waste-derived biochar as a carrier of micronutrients essential to plants

Abstract

The leather tannery industry generates about 33 Mt/year of solid waste with different properties, turning its management into a challenge. One of the valorization methods of tannery wastes is the production of biochar by pyrolysis of leather scratches. Biochar's sorption properties and its high nitrogen content (10%) make it suitable for its application as a soil conditioner or carrier of microelements for fertilizers. The paper presents an innovative spray method to enrich biochar with cationic micronutrients: Cu, Mn, Zn. Enriched biochar contained 1095 mg/kg Cu(II), 1334 mg/kg Mn(II) and 1205 mg/kg Zn(II). The high bioavailability of nutrients and the effectiveness of the new fertilizer were demonstrated in extraction in vitro tests - the analysis of leachability of elements to water and bioavailability of micro-nutrients. The functional properties of enriched biochar were examined in vivo (germination, pot) tests. A high biomass increase (approximately 10%) was observed compared to the group fertilized with a commercial product. The proposed solution benefits the environment in that it is made from alternative resources from which innovative fertilizers are produced according to the circular economy concept.