Waste-derived Biochars Research Articles

Spent coffee waste-derived biochar improves physical properties, water retention, and maize (Zea mays L.) growth in sandy soil

Adding organic soil amendments can improve the physical and hydrological properties of soil, subsequently enhancing fertility for better crop production. In this study, spent Arabica and Columbian coffee wastes and their respective biochars were evaluated as soil amendments to improve the physical and hydrological properties of loamy sand soil and enhance maize (Zea mays L.) crop growth. Spent Arabica coffee (AC) and Columbian coffee (CC) wastes were collected and transformed into biochar through pyrolysis process at 550 °C with a residence time of 3 h and pyrolysis rate of 5 °C per minute. The AC and CC derived biochar were termed as ABC and CBC, respectively. The produced soil amendments were applied to soil at 0% (control), 1%, 3%, and 5% in a column setup. The moisture characteristics, including water infiltration, evaporation, and water retention, were investigated. Thereafter, the prepared amendments were applied to loamy sand soils at 0% (control), 1%, 3%, and 5% (w/w) application rates. Maize growth was then observed for a period of 30 days under greenhouse conditions. Results of the column trials showed that ABC and CBC applied at 5% reduced the cumulative water evaporation by 57%–66% and cumulative infiltration by 124%–181% compared to control. Likewise, 5% application of ABC and CBC resulted in 101 to 130% higher water retention in loamy sand soil. Results of the greenhouse experiment showed that 5% application of ABC and CBC amendments resulted in root biomass of 2.12 and 2.38 g, respectively, as compared to 0.51 g in control treatment. Similar treatments resulted in shoot biomass of 9.70 and 9.93 g respectively, as compared to 7.37 g in control. Likewise, 5% application of CBC and ABC increase plant height from 15.71 to 30.94 cm in ABC and 33.23 cm in CBC. Overall, 5% application of coffee waste-derived biochars significantly reduced water evaporation and infiltration, while increasing soil water retention and maize plant height, root biomass, and shoot biomass. Therefore, spent coffee waste-derived biochar could effectively be employed to improve physical and hydrological properties of loamy sand soils for better crop productivity.

Boosting Water Retention in Agriculture: Vine Biochar-Doped Hydrogels' Swelling and Germination Effects.

Water scarcity presents a formidable challenge to agriculture, particularly in arid, semiarid, and rainfed settings. In agricultural contexts, hydrogels serve as granular agents for water retention, undergoing considerable expansion upon water exposure. They assume versatile roles encompassing soil-water retention, the dispensation of nutrients and pesticides, seed encapsulation, erosion mitigation, and even food supplementation. This study's objective involves the examination of biochar-infused hydrogels, fashioned by incorporating vine pruning waste-derived biochars, and the assessment of swelling behaviors in various aqueous environments encompassing deionized, tap, and saline water at concentrations of 0.5-1%. Characterizations of the vine-biochars-VB and biochar-incorporated hydrogels-VBHG are executed, with particular attention to their swelling properties across diverse media. As an initial step toward appraising their agricultural relevance, these hydrogels are introduced to a germination medium featuring wheat seeds to discern potential influences on germination dynamics. The maximum swelling capacity of VBHG is recorded in deionized water, tap water at pH 7.0, tap water at pH 9.0, saline water at 0.5%, and saline water at 1%, reaching 352%, 207%, 230%, 522%, and 549%, respectively. Remarkably, the 0.5% VBHG treatment exhibits the most pronounced root elongation. The application of hydrogels in agriculture exhibits promise, particularly within drought-related contexts and potential soilless applications.

Modelling and spectroscopic investigation of 2,4-D adsorption in soil amended with pine sawdust, paunch grass and sewage sludge biochars

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a widely used herbicide possessing high herbicidal activity; however, it is potentially toxic to humans and quite persistent in the environment. We investigated the adsorption of 2,4-D in two pasture soils amended with pine sawdust (PSD), paunch grass (PG) and sewage sludge (SS) biochars using batch studies. The results showed that PSD biochar produced at 700 oC exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for 2,4-D among the waste-derived biochars tested, which is 200-fold greater than the control and other biochar-amended soils. In general, the sorption affinity of 2,4-D for biochar amended soils followed an order: PSD > > PG > SS. The high adsorption capacity of the PSD may be attributed to its significantly higher specific surface area of 795 m2·g-1 as compared to other soils and biochars. Moreover, the results of the physicochemical characterization showed no difference in surface oxygen functional groups among the PSD, PG and SS. These findings indicate that oxygen-containing surface functional groups have a negligible role in 2,4-D adsorption, as evident from the spectroscopic investigation, thus emphasizing the role of surface area in the 2,4-D adsorption. Lastly, pore intrusion/filling, hydrogen bonding and π-π EDA interactions are postulated to be the plausible adsorption mechanisms for 2,4-D onto biochar amended soils.

Manganese ferrite modified agricultural waste-derived biochars for copper ions adsorption

Biochar is an eco-friendly, low-cost, and carbon-rich material. This study synthesized the biochars from three agricultural wastes, pinecone, white popinac, and sugarcane bagasse, and then modified them by manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) co-precipitation. These biochars were applied as adsorbents for the removal of Cu(II) ions from water. All three different MnFe2O4-biochars have similar adsorption performances: rapid adsorption kinetics with equilibrium being reached within 5 hr of contact and significantly enhanced adsorption capacities of Cu(II) ions from water. The principal adsorption mechanisms were identified as complexation reactions, contributed by the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups by pristine biochars and by the Mn-O and Fe-O groups for all three MnFe2O4-biochars. The MnFe2O4-biochars can be reused for three cycles, with the maximum adsorption capacities of Cu(II) of the regenerated biochars declining with the loss of precipitated MnFe2O4.

Jack Bean Development in Multimetal Contaminated Soil Amended with Coffee Waste-Derived Biochars

Coffee waste-derived biochar was found to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soil, although there are few studies involving these materials. Given the large amount of waste generated in the coffee industry, this presents a relevant opportunity to contribute to the circular economy and environmental sustainability. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the application of biochars derived from coffee grounds and coffee parchment in the remediation of a Cd, Zn and Pb contaminated soil and at the development of jack beans (Canavalia ensiformis) in this area’s revegetation. The biochars were pyrolyzed at 700 °C, and the treatments were: contaminated soil (CT); contaminated soil + calcium carbonate (CaCO3); contaminated soil + 5% (weight (w)/weitght (w)) coffee ground biochar and contaminated soil + 5% (w/w) coffee parchment biochar. These treatments were incubated for 90 days, followed by the cultivation of jack beans for 60 days. Soil samples, soil solution and plants were analyzed for nutrients and heavy metals. The addition of coffee grounds and coffee parchment biochars significantly reduced the contents of heavy metals in the soil compared to the Control (32.13 and 42.95%, respectively, for Zn; 26.28 and 33.06%, respectively, for Cd and 28.63 and 29.67%, respectively, for Pb), all of which had a superior performance than the CaCO3 treatment. Thus, following the observed reduction in the soil soluble fraction of metals, its uptake by the plants was also reduced, especially limiting Cd and Pb accumulation in plant dry matter. In addition, coffee parchment biochar promoted a greater accumulation of nutrients in the shoots, i.e., for K and P (1450 and 21.5 mg pot−1, respectively, dry matter basis) compared to the control (54.4 and 9.3 mg pot−1, respectively). Therefore, coffee parchment biochar use in association with jack beans may represent a viable tool for the remediation of metal contamination concomitantly with revegetation of the contaminated area.

Comparison of the Responses of Soil Enzymes, Microbial Respiration and Plant Growth Characteristics under the Application of Agricultural and Food Waste-Derived Biochars

The conversion of bio-wastes to useful products such as biochar provide a suitable option not only to minimize the mass of wastes, but also to use the biochar as soil amendment. In the present study, food waste biochar (FWB) and agricultural waste derived biochar (AB), either alone or in combination (FWB + AB), were tested for their effects on soil microbiological characteristics (soil enzymes, soil basal as well as substrate-induced respiration), plant growth and photosynthetic parameters. Four treatments were tested: control, FWB, AB and FWB + AB. The results indicated that the application of AB significantly enhanced the plant above ground and below ground fresh and dry biomass as compared to other amendments and control (+41 to +205% compared to control). The application of FWB enhanced the quantum yield of photosystem II (QY-max, +4% compared to control) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI, +13% compared to control). Moreover, the FWB application improved the soil dehydrogenase (DHA) activity (+24% compared to control). Furthermore, the soil basal respiration was found to be increased under AB application (+46% compared to control) and the substrate-induced respirations were relatively decreased, depicting negative effects of applied biochars on substrate-induced respirations. Thus, we concluded that the differential responses of observed crop and soil attributes might be related to the biochar specific effects on soil properties.

A Review of the Removal of Dyestuffs from Effluents onto Biochar

The study provides a review of various applications of biomass-derived biochars, waste-derived biochars, and modified biochars as adsorbent materials for removing dyestuff from process effluents. Processing significant amounts of dye effluent discharges into receiving waters can supply major benefits to countries which are affected by the water crisis and anticipated future stress in many areas in the world. When compared to most conventional adsorbents, biochars can provide an economically attractive solution. In comparison to many other textile effluent treatment processes, adsorption technology provides an economic, easily managed, and highly effective treatment option. Several tabulated data values are provided that summarize the main characteristics of various biochar adsorbents according to their ability to remove dyestuffs from wastewaters.

Microbial Abundance of Waste Derived Biochar Incubated Acid Soil in Bangladesh

Due to climate change biochar is recently recommended as a control approach to increase crop productivity and global warming reduction. As biochar application changes the soil pH towards alkalinity, this effects acid soils nutrient cycles the same as microbial abundance. This research was conducted to investigate the microbial abundance as affected by waste-derived biochar application in two different rates on acidic soil of Bangladesh. Slow pyrolyzed (500±50ºC) different waste-derived biochars viz. sewage sludge, sugarcane bagasse, potato peels, water hyacinth, and organic waste were applied at 10 tons ha-1 and 15 tons ha-1 on the acidic soil. An in-vitro incubation study was conducted on experimental soil applying all the biochar to understand how nutrient availability and carbon dynamics affect the microbial abundance of the acid soil. The incubation study was divided into two stages: submerged condition (up to 60 days) followed by a dry condition (61 to 120 days) and biochars were applied in two different rates such as 10 and 15 tons ha-1. The viable count of bacteria significantly (P<0.05) increased with the variation of incubation periods and soil moisture content, although the rates did not make any difference. The beneficial Rhizobium spp. bacteria count ranged from 4.21 to 6.47 log CFU/g; Azotobacter spp. count ranged from 2.33 to 5.60 log CFU/g and Phosphate Solubilizing Bacterial count ranged from 2.30 to 3.74 log CFU/g. However, no sign of coliform bacteria or Escherichia coli was found in any sample, but also none of the biochar amended soil samples possessed Pseudomonas spp. and Trichoderma spp. In outcome, the waste-derived biochars treatments showed an insignificant impact on microbial parameters over the first 2 months after biochar incorporation which progressively increased with the course of time and the presence of oxygen.

Agricultural waste-derived biochars from co-hydrothermal gasification of rice husk and chicken manure and their adsorption performance for dimethoate

This study aimed to combine energy utilisation of agricultural wastes with the dimethoate (DT) adsorption from agricultural wastewater via hydrogen and biochar production using co-hydrothermal gasification (CHTG). The gasification behaviour after CHTG of five ratios of rice husk (RH) and chicken manure (CM) and the corresponding adsorption performance of biochars on DT were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the feedstock of 3RH+ 1CM achieved the maximum gas yield and hydrogen gasification efficiency (HGE), and the highest adsorption capacity of the derived biochars was 3.57 mg g−1. Surface characterisation and elemental analysis showed that the biochar derived under different C/N ratios varied considerably. The results of the isotherm and kinetic simulation showed that the Langmuir model and pseudo-first-order model best fitted the experimental data. The superior performance of agricultural waste-derived biochars (AWB) over five cycles of regeneration and adsorption indicated that AWB is a green and stable adsorption material for farmland tailwater. In addition, the degradation pathway of DT during hydrothermal gasification (HTG) regeneration of the spent adsorbent was comprehensively discussed. The CHTG treatment enhanced the yield of gaseous products from RH and CM and produced AWBs with high adsorption capacities for DT. This provides a green and efficient technology for resource utilisation of agricultural waste and treatment of agricultural wastewater using pesticide residues.

Stoichiometric carbocatalysis via epoxide-like C−S−O configuration on sulfur-doped biochar for environmental remediation

Heteroatom doping is a promising technique to enhance biochar for effective environmental remediation. However, development of electroactive heteroatom-doped biochars, e.g., sulfur-doped biochar, has been hindered due to complex nature of non-stoichiometric biomass-derived carbon and changeable electrochemical state of dopants. Herein, we produced a series of wood waste-derived biochars with customized levels of minerals and redox-active moieties, aiming to unravel the crucial factors for sulfur doping. Calcium (Ca) in biochar was found to preferentially coordinate with sulfur to form inactive inorganic sulfur minerals (i.e., CaSO4 and CaS) with inferior catalytic reactivity. After diminishing the inherent Ca minerals beforehand, we could introduce surface phenoxyl-type radicals (C−O•) and vacancy defects on the biochar to develop an electrophilic C−S−O bonding configuration, which guaranteed a high affinity towards peroxymonosulfate (PMS, 2.08 mM g−1, 30 min) and efficient removal of bisphenol A (BPA, 91.1%, 30 min). Scavenging experiments and in-situ Raman analyses indicated that the epoxide-like C−S−O structure induced nucleophilic addition of PMS to generate surface-bound singlet oxygen (1O2, major) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH, minor) through a preservative and stoichiometric interfacial reaction. Overall, the proposed approach overcomes the major hurdles in science-informed fabrication of sulfur-doped biochar and advances its development for environmental remediation.

EFFECT OF FOUR BIOCHAR TYPES AND INORGANIC PHOSPHATE FERTILIZER ON GROWTH AND NODULATION OF SOYBEAN (GLYCINE MAX (L.) MOENCH)

There is a compelling need to explore the use of biochar as a sustainable alternative to the use of chemical or mineral fertilizer amendment in the contexts of soybean cropping system in Sub-Sahara Africa. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of poultry manure biochar (PB), swine dung biochar (DB), maize cob biochar (MB), saw dust biochar (SB) and inorganic phosphate fertilizer (single supper phosphate) applied singly on the growth and nodulation of soybean in Minna, southern Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria. The biochars were applied at four levels of 0, 5, 10, and 15 t ha-1 while single supper phosphate (SSP) was applied at 30 kg P ha-1. The experimental design was a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The results showed that soybean plant parameters of height, number of leaves, number and dry weight of nodules, shoot, root and total dry biomass increased in all treatments that received animal waste biochars (PB & DB) over the non-treated control (0 t ha-1) except the plant root length and shoot/root ratio. However, the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05) only at the higher application level of 10 t ha-1. Plant-based biochars (MB & SB) were less beneficial to soybean plant, and their influence on soybean parameters did not differ significantly from non-treated control. Soybean plant also responded positively to the application of SSP but was significantly better than the control only for plant height. The results showed that animal waste-derived biochars were more beneficial to soybean plant in terms of nodulation and growth than the plant-based biochars and SSP fertilizer. Evidence that soyabean growth, biomass accumulation and nodulation benefit more from amending soil medium planted to soyabean with manure based biochars applied at 10 tons ha-1 compared to the plant-based biochar showed that, manure base biochars are more suitable as soil amendments for legumes like soyabean that require more P and less amount of N in their nutrition.

Cadmium and lead adsorption and desorption by coffee waste-derived biochars

Biochar derived from coffee waste has been reported as a promising material for heavy metal sorption. However, if the intended use is environmental remediation, knowing the extent to which desorption may occur is critical. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of spent coffee ground (SCG) and coffee parchment (CP) biochars pyrolyzed at 700 °C under laboratory conditions, in the sorption of Cd and Pb from aqueous solutions, in a pH range from 2 to 10, and their retention after an induced desorption process with a 2.9 pH acetic acid solution. Both biochars were alkaline, and the initial pH of the solution had a large effect on the sorption capacity of SCG but a small effect on the sorption capacity of CP. The Pb sorption capacity was higher for CP (18.6 mg·g–1) than for SCG (11.4 mg·g–1), while both biochars had low Cd retention capacities (1.18 mg·g–1). Coffee parchment also showed the highest Pb retention (30% to 87%), while for Cd there was no difference between CP and SCG biochars. Our results showed that metal precipitation was the main mechanism for metal immobilization and CP biochar proved to be more reliable than SCG, mainly for Pb, due to its higher sorption capacity and lower metal release by desorption than SCG. These characteristics are particularly important for the use of biochar in environmental remediation. Besides that, the biochar production represents an eco-friendly destination for these feedstocks, contributing to the circular economy.

Importance of pyrolysis temperature and pressure in the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wood waste-derived biochars

Biochar addition to soil can lead to potential environmental risks due to its content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Until now, previous research focused on assessing the influence of pyrolysis peak temperature and feedstock on the formation and evolution of PAHs. Nevertheless, the effects of other important process parameters —such as pressure, gas residence time, and type of carrier gas— have not been comprehensively explored. To fill this gap, a 2-level full factorial design of experiments was conducted to assess the influence of the above-mentioned parameters on the pyrolysis behavior of an untreated wood waste as well as the properties of resulting biochars, including their PAHs contents. Results showed that the highest production of PAHs was reached at lower peak temperatures, whereas an increase in temperature led to a substantial reduction of the final PAHs content. An increased pressure also resulted in a marked decrease in PAHs, probably as a consequence of the higher carrier gas flow rates used under pressurized conditions, which could inhibit the generation of PAHs by condensation and polymerization. The outstanding results obtained from the phytotoxicity assessment for three plant species (barley, watercress, and basil) suggest that PAHs were not the major responsible for the observed short-term phytotoxic effects of biochars, since a considerable part of the phytotoxic compounds in biochar can be removed by a simple water washing step.

Immobilization of cadmium and lead using phosphorus-rich animal-derived and iron-modified plant-derived biochars under dynamic redox conditions in a paddy soil

Functionalized biochar has gained extensive interests as a sustainable amendment for an effective remediation of paddy soils contaminated with heavy metals (HMs). We examined the efficiency of pig carcass-derived biochar (P-rich biochar, total P=8.3%) and pristine (raw biochar, total Fe=0.76%) and Fe-modified (Fe-rich biochar, total Fe=5.5%) green waste-derived biochars for the immobilization of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in a paddy soil under pre-defined redox conditions (Eh, from -400 to+300mV). Average concentrations (μg L-1) of dissolved Cd increased under reducing conditions up to 10.9 in the control soil, and decreased under oxidizing conditions to below the detection limit (LDL=2.7) in the raw and Fe-rich biochar treated soils. Application of the raw biochar decreased the concentrations of dissolved Cd by 43-59% under Eh≤-100mV, compared to the non-treated control, which was more effective than the Fe-rich biochar (31-59%) and the P-rich biochar (8-19%). The immobilization of Cd under low Eh might be due to its precipitation with sulfide (S2-), whereas its immobilization under high Eh might be due to the associated increase of pH. Concentrations (μg L-1) of Pb ranged from 29.4 to 198.2 under reducing conditions, and decreased to LDL (12.5) under oxidizing conditions. The P-rich biochar was more effective in immobilizing Pb than the raw and Fe-rich biochars, particularly under Eh≤0mV (55-82%), which might be due to the retention of Pb by phosphates. The raw and Fe-rich biochars immobilized Pb under low Eh (≤ -300mV), but both biochars, particularly the Fe-rich biochar mobilized Pb under Eh higher than -200mV, especially at+100mV, due to the decrease of pH at this point (pH=6.0 to 6.5). These results improved our understanding of using P-rich and Fe-rich functionalized biochars for the immobilization of Cd and Pb in a paddy soil under stepwise redox changes. The amendment of P-rich pig carcass-derived biochar to paddy soils could be a promising approach for mitigating the risk of Pb for human health and the environment. The raw and Fe-rich green waste-derived biochars can be used for immobilizing Cd and mitigating its risk in paddy soils under both reducing and oxidizing conditions.

Sorption of diethyl phthalate and cadmium by pig carcass and green waste-derived biochars under single and binary systems

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs) often coexist in contaminated soils. Their co-existence may affect the mutual sorption behavior, and thereby influence their bioavailability and fate in soils. To our best knowledge, the impacts of plant-and animal-derived biochar on the competitive sorption-desorption of PTEs and PAEs in soils with different organic carbon content have not been studied up to date. Therefore, in this study, batch sorption-desorption experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of biochars derived from pig carcass and Platanus orientalis branches on the mono- and competitive sorption of cadmium (Cd2+) and diethyl phthalate (DEP) in soils with high (HS) and low (LS) organic carbon content. The DEP sorption was well described by Freundlich isotherm model, while Cd2+ sorption fitted better with the Langmuir isotherm model. Application of both biochars enhanced soil sorption of DEP, which increased as the application doses increased. The HS showed a stronger affinity to both DEP and Cd2+ than the LS. In the LS, the pig carcass biochar (PB) addition was more effective to increase the sorption capacity of Cd2+ and DEP and to reduce their desorption than woody biochar (WB) treatments. Moreover, the co-existing of Cd2+ could reduce the sorption of DEP, especially in the LS. The presence of DEP enhanced Cd2+ sorption in LS treated by both biochars, but the sorption of Cd2+ was suppressed with DEP addition in the PB-amended HS. In conclusion, the soil sorption capacity of DEP and Cd2+ was affected by biochar type, application dose and soil organic carbon content. The reciprocal effect between DEP and Cd2+ was also a crucial factor influencing their sorption/desorption by biochar. Therefore, PB and WB, especially PB, can be used for metal/DEP immobilization due to enhanced sorption. This approach is applicable for future remediation of soils contaminated by PTEs and PAEs.

Biocomposites from Organic Solid Wastes Derived Biochars: A Review.

The replacement of natural fiber with biochars to prepare biocomposites has attracted widespread attention recently. Biochar has unique properties, including the porous structure, large specific surface area, high thermal stability, good conductivity, renewable and abundant feedstock source, and environmental friendliness, which provide excellent properties, environmental benefits, and low production costs for biochar-based composites. Biocomposites from organic solid waste-derived biochars show good prospects worldwide in terms of positive social, environmental, and economic impacts. This paper reviews current biochars, elucidates the effects of biochars on the characteristics and performance of biochar composites, and points out the challenges and future development prospects of biochar composites.

Kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the adsorption of Cu2+ ions from aqueous solution by using agricultural waste-derived biochars

AbstractIn this study, it was aimed to investigate the adsorption properties of the biochars obtained by pyrolysis of hazelnut and walnut shells for removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions. The characterization of raw biomasses and also biochars were performed using TGA-DTG, FT-IR, BET, SEM, partial and elemental analysis techniques. The optimum conditions were determined by investigating the effect of adsorption parameters (initial concentration, temperature, adsorbent amount, pH, contact time and mixing speed) for efficient removal of copper ions from aqueous solution by batch adsorption experiments carried out under different conditions. The highest adsorption efficiencies were recorded as 82 and 86% respectively for hazelnut and walnut shell biochars at pH 4, Co = 15 ppm, adsorbent dosage = 3 g/L and mixing speed = 600 rpm. Experimental results showed that the adsorption efficiency for copper ions increased with the increase of temperature (T = 45 °C) in studies only using biochar obtained from hazelnut shell. While the time of equilibrium in the aqueous solution containing copper ions was determined to be 75 min for walnut shell char, this duration was 30 min for hazelnut shell char. The experimental results were investigated in terms of Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models. Together with the calculated thermodynamic parameters, the adsorption mechanism was explained. In order to determine the kinetic model of the adsorption process, the experimental data were applied to pseudo first-order, pseudo second-order and intra-particle diffusion models, and the model constants were investigated.

Ammonia and phosphorus removal from agricultural runoff using cash crop waste-derived biochars

Adsorption of biochars (BC) produced from cash crop residuals is an economical and practical technology for removing nutrients from agricultural runoff. In this study, BC made of orange tree trunks and tea tree twigs from the Laoguanhe Basin were produced and modified by aluminum chloride (Al-modified) and ferric sulfate solutions (Fe-modified) under various pyrolysis temperatures (200°C–600°C) and residence times (2–5 h). All produced and modified BC were further analyzed for their abilities to adsorb ammonia and phosphorus with initial concentrations of 10–40 mg/L and 4–12 mg/L, respectively. Fe-modified Tea Tree BC 2h/400°C showed the highest phosphorus adsorption capacity of 0.56 mg/g. Al-modified Orange Tree BC 3h/500°C showed the best performance for ammonia removal with an adsorption capacity of 1.72 mg/g. FTIR characterization showed that P = O bonds were formed after the adsorption of phosphorus by modified BC, N-H bonds were formed after ammonia adsorption. XPS analysis revealed that the key process of ammonia adsorption was the ion exchange between K+ and NH4+. Phosphorus adsorption was related to oxidation and interaction between PO43 and Fe3+. According to XRD results, ammonia was found in the form of potassium amide, while phosphorus was found in the form of iron hydrogen phosphates. The sorption isotherms showed that the Freundlich equation fits better for phosphorus adsorption, while the Langmuir equation fits better for ammonia adsorption. The simulated runoff infiltration experiment showed that 97.3% of ammonia was removed by Al-modified Orange tree BC 3h/500°C, and 92.9% of phosphorus was removed by Fe-modified Tea tree BC 2h/400°C.

Adsorption characteristics and mechanism of Pb(II) by agricultural waste-derived biochars produced from a pilot-scale pyrolysis system

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of removing Pb2+ by pilot-scale fluidized bed biochar, and then to put forward an industrial-scale fluidized bed pyrolysis progress of cogeneration of biochar and high-temperature gas. Corn stalk biochars (CSBs) were prepared at 400–600 °C, in which the maximum Pb2+adsorption capacity (Qm) of CSB450 is 49.70 mg⋅g−1 at the optimal condition. Adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics were determined, and Pb2+-loaded biochar was analyzed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS). Ion exchange, complexation and mineral precipitation together contributed to Pb2+ adsorption on CSBs. For high-temperature CSBs with fewer oxygen functional groups (OFGs) and stronger aromatization, Pb2+ adsorption by ion exchange and functional group complexation was reduced. The mineral precipitationwas formed during the adsorption process. Using the pilot-scale fluidized bed in this study, the carbon yield per year would achieve 31.79 t, and about 1.58 t of Pb2+ would be adsorbed according to the adsorption capacity at the pyrolytic temperature of 450 °C.The results are beneficial to screen for effective biochar as a cost-effective industrial adsorbent to remove Pb2+ in contaminated water.

Effects of Different Biochars on Wheat Growth Parameters, Yield and Soil Fertility Status in a Silty Clay Loam Soil.

The conversion of organic wastes into biochar via the pyrolysis technique could be used to produce soil amendments useful as a source of plant nutrients. In this study, we investigated the effects of fruit peels and milk tea waste-derived biochars on wheat growth, yield, root traits, soil enzyme activities and nutrient status. Eight amendment treatments were tested: no amendment (CK), chemical fertilizer (CF), banana peel biochar 1% (BB1 + CF), banana peel biochar 2% (BB2 + CF), orange peel biochar 1% (OB1 + CF), orange peel biochar 2% (OB2 + CF), milk tea waste biochar 1% (TB1 + CF) and milk tea waste biochar 2% (TB2 + CF). The results indicated that chlorophyll values, plant height, grain yield, dry weight of shoot and root were significantly (p < 0.05) increased for the TB2 + CF treatment as compared to other treatments. Similarly, higher contents of nutrients in grains, shoots and roots were observed for TB2 + CF: N (61.3, 23.3 and 7.6 g kg−1), P (9.2, 10.4 and 8.3 g kg−1) and K (9.1, 34.8 and 4.4 g kg−1). Compared to CK, the total root length (41.1%), surface area (56.5%), root volume (54.2%) and diameter (78.4%) were the greatest for TB2 + CF, followed by BB2 + CF, OB2 + CF, TB1 + CF, BB1 + CF, OB1 + CF and CF, respectively. However, BB + CF and OB + CF treatments increased β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase, but not urease activity, as compared to the TB + CF amendment, while all enzyme activity decreased with the increased biochar levels. We concluded that the conversion of fruit peels and milk tea waste into biochar products contribute the benefits of environmental and economic issues, and should be tested as soil amendments combined with chemical fertilizers for the improvement of wheat growth and grain yield as well as soil fertility status under field conditions.