Removal of ammonium from aqueous solutions using alkali-modified biochars

Biochars converted from agricultural residuals can effectively remove ammonium from water. This work further improved the sorption ability of biochars to aqueous ammonium through alkali modification. Three modified biochars were prepared from agricultural residuals pre-treated with NaOH solution through low-temperature (300 °C) slow pyrolysis. The modified biochars effectively removed ammonium ions from water under various conditions with relatively fast adsorption kinetics (reached equilibrium within 10 h) and extremely high adsorption capacity (>200 mg/g). The Langmuir maximum capacity of the three modified biochars were between 313.9 and 518.9 mg/g, higher than many other ammonium adsorbents. Although the sorption of ammonium onto the modified biochar was affected by pH and temperature, it was high under all of the tested conditions. Findings from this work indicated that alkali-modified biochars can be used as an alternative adsorbent for the removal of ammonium from wastewater.     

Bioaugmentation with Immobilized Microorganisms to Enhance Phytoremediation of PCB-Contaminated Soil

The aim of this study was evaluate the effect of bioaugmentation by free and immobilized strains of microbial consortium on the phytoremediation of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated soil using the Avena sativa, Brachiaria decumbens, Brassica juncea, and Medicago sativa plants. Alginate and biochar were used as carrier materials and free cells were used as the control. PCBs 44, 66, 118, 138, 153, 170, and 180 were chosen as indicator PCB congeners. After 60 days of plant growth, the concentration of each congener and the survival of the microbial inoculum were evaluated. The removal of the PCB congener was greater in B. juncea planted treatments and using biochar as a carrier material. PCB 66 was the congener with the highest removal percentage in all using biochar and alginate-immobilized microorganisms and free microorganisms, while PCB 170 had the lowest removal percentage in all treatments. The largest removal percentage for all congeners was obtained using biochar as a carrier material (7.2–30.3%) and the lowest with planted treatments using free microorganisms (2.3–6.8%). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that the microbial inoculum survived when it was immobilized using both alginate and biochar without any significant differences between treatments; however, PCB removal percentages were obtained with biochar, which demonstrated that this carrier material has a positive effect on microbial activity.     

Biochar: a potential route for recycling of phosphorus in agricultural residues

Phosphorus (P) is a finite and dwindling resource, while an enormous amount of P flows to agricultural residues with increasing agricultural production. Therefore, the recycling of P in agricultural residues is critical for P sustainability in agricultural systems, which is dominated by the route of direct land application. Biochar production from agricultural residues and its subsequent land application have been suggested as solutions for waste biomass disposal, carbon sequestration, soil amendment/remediation, and crop production promotion. However, little attention has been paid to the contrasting effects of the land application of biochar vs. agricultural residues on the recycling of P accumulated in agricultural residues. Phosphorus in agricultural residues can be retained and transformed into stable forms of P in the resulting biochar. Thus, compared to agricultural residues, biochar provides lower amounts of labile P and releases its P more slowly while providing a long‐lasting P source, and the loss potential of P from biochar is reduced by low mobility of its P, indicating that biochar‐based P recycling route could substantially promote P recycling by acting as sustainable P source and diminishing the loss of P applied to soil.     

Long‐term effect of biochar on the stabilization of recent carbon: soils with historical inputs of charcoal

This study was set up to identify the long‐term effect of biochar on soil C sequestration of recent carbon inputs. Arable fields (n = 5) were found in Belgium with charcoal‐enriched black spots (>50 m²; n = 14) dating >150 years ago from historical charcoal production mound kilns. Topsoils from these ‘black spots’ had a higher organic C concentration [3.6 ± 0.9% organic carbon (OC)] than adjacent soils outside these black spots (2.1 ± 0.2% OC). The soils had been cropped with maize for at least 12 years which provided a continuous input of C with a C isotope signature (δ¹³C) ?13.1, distinct from the δ¹³C of soil organic carbon (?27.4 ‰) and charcoal (?25.7 ‰) collected in the surrounding area. The isotope signatures in the soil revealed that maize‐derived C concentration was significantly higher in charcoal‐amended samples (‘black spots’) than in adjacent unamended ones (0.44% vs. 0.31%; P = 0.02). Topsoils were subsequently collected as a gradient across two ‘black spots’ along with corresponding adjacent soils outside these black spots and soil respiration, and physical soil fractionation was conducted. Total soil respiration (130 days) was unaffected by charcoal, but the maize‐derived C respiration per unit maize‐derived OC in soil significantly decreased about half (P < 0.02) with increasing charcoal‐derived C in soil. Maize‐derived C was proportionally present more in protected soil aggregates in the presence of charcoal. The lower specific mineralization and increased C sequestration of recent C with charcoal are attributed to a combination of physical protection, C saturation of microbial communities and, potentially, slightly higher annual primary production. Overall, this study provides evidence of the capacity of biochar to enhance C sequestration in soils through reduced C turnover on the long term.     

A model for mechanistic and system assessments of biochar effects on soils and crops and trade‐offs

We developed a biochar model within the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) software that integrates biochar knowledge and enables simulation of biochar effects within cropping systems. The model has algorithms that mechanistically connect biochar to soil organic carbon (SOC), soil water, bulk density (BD), pH, cation exchange capacity, and organic and mineral nitrogen. Soil moisture (SW)–temperature–nitrogen limitations on the rate of biochar decomposition were included as well as biochar‐induced priming effect on SOC mineralization. The model has 10 parameters that capture the diversity of biochar types, 15 parameters that address biochar‐soil interactions and 4 constants. The range of values and their sensitivity is reported. The biochar model was connected to APSIM's maize and wheat crop models to investigate long‐term (30 years) biochar effects on US maize and Australia wheat in various soils. Results from this sensitivity analysis showed that the effect of biochar was the largest in a sandy soil (Australian wheat) and the smallest in clay loam soil (US maize). On average across cropping systems and soils the order of sensitivity and the magnitude of the response of biochar to various soil‐plant processes was (from high to low): SOC (11% to 86%) > N₂O emissions (?10% to 43%43%) > plant available water content (0.6% to 12.9%) > BD (?6.5% to ?1.7%) > pH (?0.8% to 6.3%) > net N mineralization (?19% to 10%) > CO₂ emissions (?2.0% to 4.3%) > water filled pore space (?3.7% to 3.4%) > grain yield (?3.3% to 1.8%) > biomass (?1.6% to 1.4%). Our analysis showed that biochar has a larger impact on environmental outcomes rather than agricultural production. The mechanistic model has the potential to optimize biochar application strategies to enhance environmental and agronomic outcomes but more work is needed to fill knowledge gaps identified in this work.     

Forest soil respiration and exoenzyme activity in western North America following thinning,residue removal for biofuel production,and compensatory soil amendments

Cellulosic biofuel from forest thinning operations is a potential renewable energy source in regions with overstocked forests such as those in western United States. However, it is possible that biomass removal can deplete nutrients from soil, which can alter soil respiration (R_s) and exoenzyme properties, and potentially impact tree growth. This study evaluates the impact of biomass removal on R_s and exoenzyme properties and the capacity of soil amendments to counteract any potential effects. At two study locations, we created four post‐thinning biomass retention levels: full biomass removal (0×), full biomass retention (1×), double biomass retention (2×), and a no‐thin treatment. Four soil amendment treatments were applied to each biomass retention level: N fertilizer (F), biochar (B), fertilizer plus biochar (FB), and an untreated control (C). We evaluated treatment effects on R_s and activity of four exoenzymes to represent C‐cycling, N‐release, and P‐release processes. Biomass retention levels had no effect on R_s (p = .42) or exoenzyme activities (p > .29). Variation in exoenzyme activity was explained by location, season, soil organic matter, soil moisture content, and temperature. Variation in R_s was explained by the same variables, in addition to C‐cycling exoenzyme activity and soil pH. Soil amendments had no effect on exoenzyme activities (p > .49), and no main effect on R_s (p = .48), though amendments influenced R_s differently at each location (p = .02). Short‐term findings suggest small‐diameter biomass removal for cellulosic biofuel production will not impact R_s and exoenzyme properties, and paired with our tree growth study, provide evidence that biofuel systems are a feasible renewable energy source in the western North America.     

生物质炭添加对喀斯特地区坡耕地黄壤水分入渗过程的影响

为探究生物质炭添加对喀斯特地区土壤水分入渗特性的影响,本研究以坡耕地黄壤为对象,采用室内土柱模拟的方法,研究不同添加量(质量分数为0、1%和2%)和不同粒径(粒径大小为<0.25、0.25～1和>1 mm)生物质炭添加下土壤水分累计入渗量、入渗速率及湿润锋进程的变化特征,并对入渗过程进行模拟。结果表明: 在定容重条件下,添加生物质炭后土壤的入渗过程明显受到抑制,添加生物质炭土壤的累计入渗量和入渗速率显著低于未添加生物质炭土壤,生物质炭添加量为1%和2%土壤的累计入渗量和入渗速率无显著差异。不同粒径生物质炭添加下,土壤累计入渗量从大到小依次表现为<0.25、0.25～1和>1 mm。与CK相比,当添加量为1%时,土壤300 min累计入渗量分别下降20.9%、35.2%和45.0%;当添加量为2%时,分别下降21.5%、37.5%和44.2%,说明大粒径生物质炭对土壤入渗的抑制作用显著强于小粒径生物质炭。土壤湿润锋进程对不同含量和不同粒径生物质炭添加的响应趋势与累计入渗量的变化趋势基本一致。Horton和Kostiakov模型能够用于模拟本研究中的土壤水分入渗过程,Horton模型拟合精度高,R²最大(0.91～0.98),均方根误差(RMSE)最小(0.14～0.21),而Kostiakov模型拟合得到的初始入渗速率更接近实测结果。研究结果可为生物质炭的合理施用提供科学依据,也可为喀斯特坡耕地土壤改良和水土保持提供有益参考。     

生物炭施用对桂北桉树人工林土壤酶活性的影响

为探究土壤酶活性对生物炭输入的响应特征，以及为合理应用桉树枝条生物炭提供理论参考，该研究基于桂北桉树人工林田间试验，以桉树人工林采伐剩余物枝条为原料，在500℃条件下厌氧制备生物炭，施用质量分数分别为0(CK)、0.5%(T1)、1%(T2)、2%(T3)、4%(T4)和6%(T5)的桉树枝条生物炭，输入1 a后，分析了不同处理下土壤酶活性的变化特征。结果表明：(1)沿着土层垂直深度，土壤酶含量减小。(2)各土层脲酶、过氧化氢酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶和脱氢酶的含量随生物炭施用量的增加而增大，在生物炭施用量为6%时含量最高。(3)酸性磷酸酶、蔗糖酶、亮氨酸氨基肽酶和纤维二糖苷酶的含量随着生物炭施用量的增加呈现先增加后减少的趋势，其中酸性磷酸酶和亮氨酸氨基肽酶在生物炭施用量为2%时含量最高，蔗糖酶和纤维二糖苷酶则在生物炭施用量4%时含量最高。总体上，桉树枝条生物炭施用不同程度地提高了桉树人工林的土壤酶活性。该研究结果可为林业废弃物制备生物炭资源化利用途径及其在桉树人工林的应用提供科学依据。     

Termites Improve the Horizontal Movement of Carbonized Particles: A Step towards Sustainable Utilization of Biochar

Soil amendments containing carbonized materials increase the soil carbon reservoir, influence plant productivity, and, ultimately, help to clean the environment. There is data on the effect of such additions on soil physicochemical properties or plant growth, but few studies have focused on how these carbonized materials are distributed by termite species in the soil ecosystem. It is the first comprehensive study of the transportation of biochar (BC) by termite species under tropical environmental conditions in Pakistan. The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis that if termite species I) were involved in the distribution of biochar particles II) if yes, then how far these particles were transported during the study period (10 days) and III) check their preference between the enriched BC (EBC) and non-enriched BC. BC was enriched with the cattle slurry after its pyrolysis in the study. The results showed that EBC particles were significantly more widely distributed than non-enriched BC particles, but both types of BC were transported more than 4 cm (ring 4) within 10 days (at the end of the experiment). The current study also revealed that EBC was easily attached to the setae, cuticle, and legs of termites, implying that it could potentially be transported over a greater distance. Furthermore, transportation of EBC over larger distances indicated a potential preference of termite species between the EBC and BC particles. During the study, however, the preference among the termite species was also observed. Under the prevailing study conditions, the Coptotermes heimi and Heteroterme indicola species transported the EBC further than Microtermes obesi and Odontotermes obesus. These findings revealed that transportation preferences were observed among the four termite species. In conclusion, the current study found that termites were involved in the distribution of BC particles, with a preference for EBC and that these have the potential to transport BC particles more than 4 cm within 10 days. Furthermore, two species Coptotermes heimi and Heteroterme indicola may be more suitable candidates for EBC transpiration in Pakistani soils. It was necessary to conduct additional research into the effect of temperature on the transportation process.