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Aim: Chicken manure is known to produce strong odors during aerobic composting, which not only pollutes the surrounding environment but also leads to the loss of valuable nutrients like nitrogen and sulfur, thus reducing the quality of the fertilizer. Methods: In this study, we explored the use of biochar combined with MgO desulfurization waste residue (MDWR) as a novel composting additive. Our approach involved conducting composting tests, characterizing the compost samples, conducting pot experiments, and examining the impact of the additives on nitrogen retention, deodorization, and compost quality. Results: Our findings revealed that the addition of biochar and MDWR significantly reduced ammonia volatilization in chicken manure compost, demonstrating a reduction rate of up to 60.12%. Additionally, the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from chicken manure compost treated with biochar and MDWR decreased by 44.63% compared to the control group. Conclusions: The composting product treated with both biochar and MDWR (CMB) exhibited a 67.7% increase in total nitrogen (TN) compared to the blank control group, surpassing the other treatment groups and showcasing the synergistic effect of these two additives on nitrogen retention. Moreover, the CMB treatment facilitated the formation of struvite crystals. Furthermore, our pot experiment results demonstrated that the CMB treatment enhanced vegetable yield and quality while reducing nitrate content. These findings highlight the significant impact of MDWR on nitrogen retention, deodorization, and compost quality enhancement, thereby indicating its promising application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe present investigation aims to study adsorption-desorption behavior of glyphosate and tricyclazole in rice straw-compost biomixtures. To enhance pesticide adsorption and performance of the bio-purification system, rice straw-compost (BM) biomixture was mixed with wheat straw biochar (WBC, 1% and 5%), and adsorption of both pesticides in control (BM) and WBCBM(1%) and WBCBM(5%) biomixtures was compared. The kinetics study suggested that the pseudo-second-order model best explained the time-dependent adsorption of both pesticides and intraparticle adsorption was not the rate-determining step. Tricyclazole was more sorbed than glyphosate in all biomixtures which can be attributed to its lower water solubility. The WBC increased the sorption of both pesticides, but the effect varied with the nature of pesticides and biochar content. The adsorption coefficient values in BM, WBCBM(1%), and WBCBM(5%) biomixtures were 26.74, 38.16, and 51.97 (glyphosate) and 38.07, 59.94, and 84.54 (tricyclazole), respectively. The adsorption data was subjected to the Freundlich, the Langmuir, and the Temkin isotherms, and among them, the Freundlich isotherm best explained pesticide adsorption behavior. Desorption results suggested that the adsorption of glyphosate was more irreversible than tricyclazole and depended upon initial pesticide concentration. This study suggested that biochar mixed rice straw-compost biomixtures can be exploited in bio-purification systems for glyphosate and tricyclazole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safeguarding the agricultural environment from pollution is one of the most critical challenges facing the world in the context of climate change. The loss of nitrogen fertilizers through agricultural runoff or volatilization in the form of nitrate or ammonia emissions is a significant contributor to pollution. This loss also represents an economic waste that may lead to increased prices of agricultural products. Therefore, finding a solution to this problem has become imperative. An experiment was conducted on wheat plants using various rates of urea coated with slow-release materials. The study aimed to assess the impact of these fertilizers on wheat growth and yield, nutrient uptake, and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE). Results demonstrated that urea fertilizers coated with slow-release materials outperformed conventional fertilizers in terms of wheat growth and yield, uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as NUtE. The most favorable outcomes were achieved using urea-formaldehyde, urea-humic, and urea-biochar fertilizers at 100% of the recommended nitrogen application rate. This resulted in economically viable grain production with high fertilizer efficiency. Based on these findings, we recommend applying either urea-formaldehyde or urea-humic at a rate of 107 kg N ha−1 to produce wheat grain and straw with enhanced NUtE. This approach can help reduce environmental pollution caused by nitrogen losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of agricultural waste is produced annually in China, and these agricultural wastes include crop residues and the manure generated from poultry and livestock farming. But there is still a considerable portion of agricultural waste that is not recycled and disposed of or directly burned. Therefore, if these agricultural wastes can be reasonably utilized, it will generate significant socio-economic and environmental benefits. Soil salinization has become one of the main threats to soil health, and agricultural waste is considered an effective tool for improving saline alkali land due to its unique properties. Utilizing agricultural waste to improve saline alkali land has advantages such as wide material sources, low cost, and low environmental risks. This article reviews the effectiveness and potential physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms of agricultural waste in improving soil health in saline alkali soils. Agricultural waste is mainly used to improve saline alkali land through a direct return to the field, burial of salt barriers, pyrolysis and carbonization into biochar, and composting, which can play a positive role in physical, chemical, and biological aspects. Finally, the problems existing in the improvement of saline alkali land with agricultural waste were discussed, and future research directions and hotspots in this field were proposed. It is believed that the improvement of ecological service functions is the key to its sustainability. This article can provide a theoretical basis for the study of agricultural waste in the improvement of saline alkali land, and help to further explore the resource utilization pathways of agricultural waste in sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline in crop yields is attributed to uneven chemical fertilization practices and poor soil fertility. From a sustainability perspective, the application of beneficial microorganisms alongside a blend of inorganic and organic fertilizers significantly influences crop productivity and food security. Concerns within the scientific community arise from the haphazard and negligent use of fertilizers. Farming communities predominantly reliant on chemical fertilizers often overlook the application of organic alternatives, leading to a gradual decline in soil organic matter and native nutrient levels, ultimately resulting in decreased crop yields. In diverse cropping systems, the amalgamation of chemical, biological, and organic sources sustains soil health, replenishes nutrients, and optimizes crop yields. Plant residues enhance soil microbial activity, expedite nutrient cycling and availability, and aid in preserving soil health through carbon sequestration. Regular utilization of plant residues and other organic materials enriches soil organic matter content, enhancing soil health and productivity. Integrating organic and chemical fertilizers presents a potential avenue to enhance maize and soybean yields in maize-wheat cropping systems, subsequently benefiting wheat crop productivity and profitability. The efficacy of specific soil nutrients can be heightened by combining organic sources with various chemical fertilization techniques. Hence, incorporating phosphorus fertilization alongside phosphorus-mobilizing and solubilizing agents (such as Trichoderma & PSB), along with the integrated management of peach waste materials including residues, compost, and biochar, is imperative for promoting crop growth, increasing seed yields, and fostering environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of okra's importance to food security in developing countries, its production is limited by low soil nutrient and health status. A screenhouse study examined soil chemical properties, okra growth and yield under complementary application of biochar, organic and inorganic fertilizer in an Ultisol. The treatments comprised 5 kg soil each amended with 5 t biochar ha−1, 5 t poultry manure compost (SPM) ha−1, urea at 56 kg N ha−1, urea (28 kg N ha−1) + 5 t biochar ha−1, 5 t ha−1 (2:1, PM: biochar) (SPMB), urea (28 kg N ha−1) + 5 t ha−1 (2:1, PM: biochar) (SPMBF2). The treatments, replicated thrice, were arranged in a completely randomized design. There were two sets of plants terminated at 50% flowering (dry matter yield (DMY) and nutrient uptake) and at 10 wk post-planting for growth and yield determination. Results revealed that soil chemical properties, okra growth and yield increased responsively to the organic amendments. The SPM, followed by SPMB and SPMBF, enhanced soil pH (0.18–0.19 unit), total N (79–100%), organic carbon (75–100%), available P (55–58%) and exchangeable cations over the control and others (p < 0.05). These treatments also increased the plant's agronomic parameters: plant height (10–19%), number of leaves, leave area (21–31%), stem girth (33–51%), DMY (59–67%), and tissue Ca, Mg and K. The SPMBF2 – treated soil had the highest fruit yield (45 g pot−1). Conclusively, sole and complementary applications of biochar and compost improved soil chemical properties, and okra growth and yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is amongst a growing suite of approaches developed to address the climate crisis by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; yet public awareness of biochar is low. In this situation, mass-media reporting plays an important role in making an issue public and in creating expectations about its risks and benefits. In British broadsheet newspapers, a promissory, future-oriented discourse on biochar has emerged that is rhetorically configured through, for example, evaluative adjectives, verbs, hyperbole, and allusions to literary and cultural symbols that confer a sense of mystique. Biochar is promoted as an almost magical fix, based on its ability to soak up and store carbon, improve soil health, increase crops yields, and reduce pollutants. Conversely, some of the possible negative aspects of biochar are couched in the form of sarcasm and parody, while others are made invisible. This sets biochar up as a moral good that the public ought to accept, rather than opening up a public debate about its risks and benefits. Engaging in a fine-grained rhetorical analysis of the way promises about biochar are constructed expands the methodological and empirical repertoire of the sociology of expectations and, in future, can be applied to the analysis of other emerging climate change technologies, especially those relating to carbon removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high irrigation water demand of coconut trees in semiarid regions makes rational use crucial for crop sustainability. Additionally, it produces residues that could improve the soil water holding capacity. This research aimed to evaluate the application of coconut shell biochar to an irrigated dwarf green coconut palm orchard. The study was carried out from January 2019 to December 2021 at Campo Experimental do Curu, Paraipaba, Brazil, belonging to Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical. The experiment consisted of a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications and included the application of 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 g of biochar per kg of soil, equivalent to 0.0 kg, 0.5 kg, 1.0 kg, 2.0 kg or 4.0 kg of biochar per plant, respectively. The following biometric variables were evaluated: number of leaves per plant (NL), plant height (PH), number of leaflets per leaf (LFT), canopy diameter (CD) and fruit production: number of bunches per plant (NB), number of fruits per plant (NF), volume of coconut water per fruit (CWF) and total soluble solids (TSS) (°Brix), as well as the daily soil moisture average. The results showed beneficial effects on the number of leaves per plant, fruits per plant, soil moisture and irrigation water productivity in terms of liters per fruit, liters per coconut water and fruits per cubic meter (m3) applied with ideal biochar doses estimated to be 1.40 kg, 1.72 kg, 1.79 kg, 1.56 kg, 1.48 and 1.68 kg of biochar per plant, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agro-waste derived valuable products are prime interest for effective management of toxic heavy metals (THMs). The present study investigated the efficacy of biochars (BCs) on immobilization of THMs (Cr, Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni and Cd), bioaccumulation and health risk. Agro-wastes derived BCs including wheat straw biochar (WSB), orange peel biochar (OPB), rice husk biochar (RHB) and their composite biochar (CB) were applied in industrial contaminated soil (ICS) at 1% and 3% amendments rates. All the BCs significantly decreased the bioavailable THMs and significantly (p < 0.001) reduced bioaccumulation at 3% application with highest efficiency for CB followed by OPB, WSB and RHB as compared to control treatment. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF), concentration index (CI) and ecological risk were decreased with all BCs. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) of all THMs were <1, except Cd, while carcer risk (CR) and total cancer risk index (TCRI) were decreased through all BCs. The overall results depicted that CB at 3% application rate showed higher efficacy to reduce significantly (p < 0.001) the THMs uptake and reduced health risk. Hence, the present study suggests that the composite of BCs prepared from agro-wastes is eco-friendly amendment to reduce THMs in ICS and minimize its subsequent uptake in vegetables. Novelty statement: The present study has a scientific research scope, based on reduction of bioavailability and bioaccumulation of toxic heavy metals (THMs) by the addition of biochars derived from agro-wastes and their composite biochar (CB), thereby decreasing the potential health risk. Limited study has been conducted, especially on the impact of CB in THMs-contaminated soil. This study could fill the scientific research gap and provides useful information for mitigation of THMs present in contaminated soil, which could be followed by the Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and farmers in degraded lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study shows how the presence of metal-impregnated biochar influences the kinetics of the catalytic conversion of waste motor oil (WMO) into a diesel-like fuel (DLF). First, the initial metal concentration in the wet impregnation process was optimized, showing that high metal concentrations tend to clog the biochar pores, reducing the reaction's conversion and speed. Zinc and calcium showed higher kinetic constants at the optimized conditions than nickel, while the yield- and selectivity-to-liquid products were unaffected. Then, a reduction method was developed for impregnating metal particles of calcium oxide to enhance the metal dispersion at the biochar surface. This material showed the best performance in the reaction due to the presence of small particles instead of metal agglomerates. An increase of about 280% in the kinetic constant at 420 °C and a much lower activation energy (246 kJ mol−1) compared to the thermal cracking (308 kJ mol−1) was obtained. Finally, the DLF from the best catalytic system was analyzed. Interestingly, the fuel showed similar rheological properties to commercial diesel with a similar hydrocarbon distribution but with the presence of smaller hydrocarbon chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nNOVELTY STATEMENTThe peel of Hylocereus undatus was employed in the preparation of biochar and firstly applied for tetracycline removal from aqueous solution. Based on different characterization techniques, the material was found to possess a variety of surface functional groups on a porous structure and a pH point of zero charge (pHpzc) of 9.3. Adsorption of tetracycline (TC) was conducted under varying conditions, revealing significant effects of carbonization temperature, solution pH, adsorbent dose, ionic strength, contact time and initial concentration of TC on the biochar adsorption capacity. Kinetic data on TC adsorption were best described using the Elovich kinetic model, with an initial adsorption rate of 167.3 mg g−1 min−1. Isotherm data on adsorption of the desired biochar showed the best fit with the Temkin isotherm model, followed by the Langmuir model, displaying maximum adsorption capacity at 12.4 mg g−1. The electrostatic interactions between the charged biochar surfaces and certain fractions of TC were proposed as the major mechanism, together with H-bonding, pore-filling effect and π–π interaction. This study demonstrates great potential of H. undatus peel as a starting material to prepare an effective and reusable adsorbent in the removal of TC.Literature is available on a large number of plant-based biochar adsorbents for the removal of antibiotics. However, to the best of our knowledge, no report has been published on applying biochar derived from Hylocereus undatus peel for antibiotics removal. This type of fruit peel is available in massive amounts in Vietnam and is considered as an agricultural solid waste. Therefore, to fill the gap in the literature and to converse this leftover waste into a value-added byproduct, we chose this study to prepare H. undatus peel-derived biochar for the elimination of TC in an aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qatar's population has been rapidly increasing in recent years, and the country's long-term vision, QNV 2030, aims to sustain this growth by transforming the country into a sustainable state. One aspect of this vision is to convert waste into value-added products, which will reduce the environmental and spatial burden associated with waste in Qatar, while contributing to a circular economy. This study describes methods for producing biochar and activated carbon (AC) from gas-to-liquids derived biosolids, cardboard waste and mixed samples using pyrolysis and activation techniques. The characterisation of products revealed that the yield of biochar samples was higher than AC, and that the pH of the biochar samples was more alkaline than the feed samples due to metals after pyrolysis and reduced acid surface functional groups. Proximate analysis of samples showed lowered moisture and enhanced ash in feeds upon pyrolysis and activation due to increased temperature with reduced volatile content. AC application to water treatment is considered a potential benefit due to the increased surface area, pore volume and magnetic properties based on the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis also showed increased –CO3/O–C = O and potassium in the ACs as a result of potassium carbonate activation. The study proposes various applications that can support a circular economy, but future studies should investigate actual applications and potential health and environmental effects and evaluate the feasibility and environmental impact of production methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic ammonia oxidation process has the advantages of energy and cost reduction, therefore, it has been considered as one of the main alternatives to conventional biological denitrification process in recent years. Biochar has been applied in the anammox process for nitrogen removal efficiency. But, due to its extracellular electron transfer capacity and abundance of redox-specific functional groups, which served as extracellular electron acceptor to anaerobically oxidize NH4+ is still controversy. In this study, the anaerobic ammonia oxidation was investigated when biochar was used as electron acceptor in the wastewater. According to the optimal process variables determined in the batch tests, when the influent NH4+-N concentration in the anaerobic ammonia oxidation reaction was 30–50 mg/L and the biochar dosing was at 10 g/L, it showed some promotion in the long-term experiments. The anaerobic ammonia oxidation process with biochar as the electron acceptor reached more than 60% NH4+-N removal efficiency in the system, and the ΔNO3--N/ΔNH4+-N ratio reached 0.19 which tended to the theoretical value. After 20 days, the voltage in the system keeps fluctuating about 4 mV, indicated that the functional bacteria using biochar as the electron acceptor gradually dominated the system. In addition, the abundance of norank_f__norank_o__SBR1031 in the Chloroflexi phylum has increased significantly at 29.92%, while the abundance of the major genus Candidatus_Kuenenia in AnAOB has decreased slightly at 11.47%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nNOVELTY STATEMENTCadmium (Cd) contamination poses a significant threat to plants and human, as it can easily accumulate in plant tissues, leading to biochemical and physiological disorders. There is a growing interest in using biochar to mitigate the absorption of heavy metals by rice plants. This study tested peach biochar (PB) and its various levels of applications to evaluate the promising level for Cd remediation in contaminated soil. The application of PB3 had a significant impact on Cd mitigation, with extractable Cd (AB-DTPA) in soil decreasing from 66 mg kg−1 to 18 mg kg−1. Cd content in shoots decreased from 2.5 mg kg−1 to 0.9 mg kg−1, and in grains decreased from 1.1 mg kg−1 to 0.5 mg kg−1. Moreover, the PB treatment led to increased rice yield, from 4.9 to 10 g pot−1, and biological yield, from 4 to 20 g pot−1. The soil also showed improved organic matter content, increasing from 0.4% to 0.7%, and enhanced levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), by increases from 2.1 g pot−1 to 5 g pot−1, 58 mg kg−1 to 83 mg kg−1, and 40 mg kg−1 to 63 mg kg−1, respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential of PB in mitigating Cd contamination in soil and reducing its uptake by rice plants.Heavy metals are the major environmental challenges that have the potential to significantly impact agricultural productivity, ecosystem health, and human well-being. PB emerges as a sustainable shield against Cd pollution. Harnessing the power of PB, a promising solution to safeguard soils from Cd contamination. Transforming waste into wealth and recycling of plant nutrient, PB remarkable ability to mitigate Cd heavy metal hazard and enhance soil fertility and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal Cr(VI) and organic BPA have posed harmful risks to human health, aquatic organisms and the ecosystem. In this work, Chitosan/bone/bamboo biochar beads (CS-AMCM) were synthesized by co-pyrolysis and in situ precipitation method. These microbeads featured a particle size of approximately 1 ± 0.2 mm and were rich in oxygen/nitrogen functional groups. CS-AMCM was characterized using XRD, Zeta potential, FTIR, etc. Experiments showed that adsorption processes of CS-AMCM on Cr(VI) and BPA fitted well to Langmuir model, with theoretical maximum capacities of 343.61 mg/g and 140.30 mg/g, respectively. Pore filling, electrostatic attraction, redox, complexation and ion exchange were the main mechanisms for Cr(VI), whereas for BPA, the intermolecular force (hydrogen bond) and pore filling were involved. CS-AMCM with adsorbed Cr(VI) demonstrated effective activation in producing ·OH and ·O2 from H2O2, which degraded BPA and Cr(VI) with the removal rates of 99.2% and 98.2%, respectively. CS-AMCM offers the advantages of low-cost, large adsorption capacity, high catalytic degradation efficiency, and favorable recycling in treating Cr(VI) and BPA mixed wastewater, which shows great potential in treating heavy metal and organic matter mixed pollution wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to explore how phosphoric acid-modified rice husk biochar (PBC) affects the growth and concentrations of essential and non-essential elements in two crops: lettuce as the primary crop and arugula as the secondary crop. The treatments consisted of a no P fertilized control and 250 mg P kg−1 sourced either from PBC, triple super phosphate (TSP) or phosphoric acid (PA). When subjected to phosphorus (P) sources, both lettuce and arugula exhibited a noteworthy rise in their dry weights compared to the control plants. PBC treatments significantly increased P concentration in both plants. Although the PBC treatment decreased lettuce nitrogen (N) concentration, it had no impact on arugula N concentration. Phosphorus treatments resulted in a decrease in lettuce K concentration, whereas it increased in arugula. Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) concentrations in both plants were not affected by P sources. The zinc (Zn) concentrations of the plants notably decreased with P treatments. Moreover, P treatments led to a reduction in manganese (Mn) concentration specifically in arugula. PBC significantly increased the silicon (Si) concentrations of lettuce plants. The application of PA significantly increased the vanadium (V) concentration in arugula. Phosphoric acid treatments resulted in an increase in the plant bromine (Br) concentrations. To conclude, PBC may serve as an alternative P source, potentially being as effective as or even more effective than other P sources in influencing plant nutrition, without causing an undesirable elevation of non-essential elements in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retention and degradation of co-applied atrazine and fipronil was studied in laboratory constructed bio-augmented biobeds containing rice straw-compost (BM) and compost replaced with 10% rice husk ash [RHABM(10%)] or 1% wheat straw biochar [WBCBM(1%)] biomixtures. Atrazine (5000 µg, 50% WP) and fipronil (5000 µg, 0.3 G) were co-applied in 100 mL water. After 30 days, 7.31, 4.65, and 11.21 µg g−1 atrazine and 21.59, 7.41, and 37.20 µg g−1 fipronil remained undegraded in the top 3–4 cm of BM, RHABM(10%), WBCBM(1%) biobeds, respectively, suggesting that degradation of both pesticides significantly varied (p < 0.05) among the three biobeds. After 60 days 94.5%–98.3% of initially applied atrazine and 80.3%–86.9% fipronil degradation was observed. Hydroxyatrazine and sulphone were detected as the metabolites of atrazine and fipronil, respectively. Out of 5000 µg of initially applied pesticides, BM, RHABM(10%), and WBCBM(1%) biobeds accounted for 95.2%, 93.1%, and 95.2% of atrazine + hydroxyatrazine and 62.8%, 67.0%, and 71.5% of fipronil + sulphone degradation, respectively. Maximum amounts of recovered atrazine (68.8%–81.1%) and fipronil (89.8%–94.6%) were retained in the 0–5 cm sections of the biobeds. No significant effect of co-applied atrazine + fipronil was evident on the microbial parameters. This study suggested that RHA/WBC-mixed rice straw-compost biomixtures can be exploited for the detoxification of these pesticides in bio-purification systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, four distinct composite samples (Samples A, B, C, and D) were fabricated using varying compositions of biochar, rice bran, coconut coir, and epoxy matrix. Sample A, serving as the baseline with 90% epoxy and 10% biochar, exhibited moderate mechanical properties. Sample B, with 80% epoxy and 20% biochar, demonstrated significantly higher tensile and flexural modulus values, indicative of improved stiffness. Sample C, incorporating 10% rice bran alongside 80% epoxy and 10% biochar, displayed reduced mechanical properties compared to Sample B, potentially due to the lower strength of rice bran particles. Sample D, comprising 80% epoxy, 10% biochar, and 5% coconut coir, demonstrated weaker tensile properties but higher flexural modulus, suggesting enhanced resistance to bending forces. Mechanical testing, water absorption analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and SEM imaging provided comprehensive insights into the mechanical and chemical characteristics of the composites, underscoring their potential for diverse applications in sustainable materials development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study explored the elimination of petroleum from river water using matrix-bound composites of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) decorated on biochar with immobilized hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (HCB) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP) at 10%v/v pollution levels. The beads containing biochar and IONPs (BCNP) showed better pollutant removal than those with biochar alone (BC). The treatment with beads containing biochar, IONPs, HCB and MAP had the highest removal efficiency for TPH (98.5%) and PAH (93.7%) and the lowest biodegradation half-lives. The removal efficiency for TPH and PAH was greater in the treatment microcosms than in the controls with significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between the two groups. TPH and PAH elimination levels differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) between systems with the BC bead and those with the BCNP beads. The study revealed a steady increase in the abundance of the total cultivable heterotrophic bacteria and cultivable hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria in the treatment microcosms after an initial decline, with strong negative correlation between bacterial abundance and TPH and PAH concentrations based on r values (0.5 − 1.0) and shared variances obtained. Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Klebsiella pneumoniae dominated as the drivers of the bioremediation process while organic acids and esters (25.0%) and ketones (14.3%) were the main biodegradation metabolite groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using carbon-based materials (CBMs) to facilitate phytoremediation shows great promise for simultaneously enhancing the restoration efficiency of contaminated soil and reducing carbon dioxide in the context of global warming, which is still in the exploring and attempting phase. In addition to direct degradation or alteration of pollutant bioavailability, CBMs can enhance phytoremediation by alleviating plant nutrient deprivation and oxidative stress, as well as by modulating soil microbial communities and root secretions. Photosynthetic carbon fixation predominantly affects both phytoremediation efficiency and carbon cycle turnover in terrestrial ecosystems. In this regard, CBMs have extremely positive properties in facilitating plant carbon capture, with intrinsic mechanisms including (1) promoting photosynthetic pigment synthesis and acting as artificial built-in antennae to improve photon capture efficiency, (2) accelerating the photosynthetic electron transport rate in photosystems, (3) improving the Calvin cycle, and (4) maintaining the structural integrity of chloroplasts. Besides, as an ultra-stable type of CBM derived from waste biomass, biochar can preserve the native biomass carbon in the soil environment for decades and attenuate the rhizosphere priming effect by influencing the structure of rhizosphere soil aggregates and microbial communities, thus retarding the native soil organic carbon efflux. This review critically elaborates on the mechanisms by which CBMs assist in improving the efficiency of phytoremediation and their positive effects on the plant-root soil carbon balance. Additionally, a simple full-life cycle analysis encompassing cost analysis as well as ecological, economic, and social benefits is concluded to evaluate the feasibility and sustainability of CBMs-phytoremediation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid digestate (LD) obtained from the anaerobic digestion of mixed organic waste was characterised and tested on the fungi Pleurotus eryngii, Irpex lacteus and Trametes versicolor. Aqueous mixtures of LD at doses of 0.5, 1 and 2% (v/v) were tested directly or after interaction with 5% (w/v) biochar (BC-LD) and/or 100 mg L−1 soil humic acid (HA-BC-LD and HA-LD). Total luminescence (TL) analysis of LD showed the presence of fluorophores typical of scarcely aromatic matter, while the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum evidenced absorption bands typical of labile and non-condensed material. Some spectroscopic variations of the LD sample were observed after its interaction with the other materials. All LD treatments markedly promoted hyphal extension of P. eryngii whose growth rate increased up to 38% at the highest LD dose. The LD alone had no influence on the other fungi, whose growth was stimulated by some combinations of LD with the other materials. In facts, the growth rate of I. lacteus increased in BC-LD 1 and BC-LD 2 (P ≤ 0.05) and in all treatments with HA (up to 6% in HA-LD 2, P ≤ 0.01), while the growth of T. versicolor was promoted by HA-BC-LD 2 treatment (P ≤ 0.05) and slightly inhibited by all BC-LD combinations (up to 7% by BC-LD 1, P ≤ 0.05). The overall results obtained encourage the addition of LD to the soil and suggest a possible use of this material as substrate ingredient for the cultivation of edible mushrooms such as P. eryngii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fourier Transform Infrared technique was utilized to measure the infrared spectra of bone and dung chars at ambient temperature. The spectra of the investigated char samples showed some notable similarities, suggesting that the compounds have functional groups which display bands at similar wavenumbers in IR spectrum. Additionally, correlations between the chars and the terra preta soils were found. This implies that the investigated biochars and the terra preta soils share comparable characteristics. Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy showed the existence of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and oxygen in the bone char which are classified as macronutrients. In addition, the bone char contained two micronutrients (nickel and chlorine) and one non-essential nutrient (sodium). The dung char was constituted with all the macronutrients found in the bone char and in addition it had traces of sulfur which is also a macronutrient. Iron, manganese and chlorine were present in the dung char as micronutrients. There was also the presence of sodium and aluminum which are classified as non-essential nutrients. Zinc which is also fundamental in soil fertility was detected using Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy in all the chars. Both the samples are alkaline with pHs ranging between 9 and 11. The results of this research will be useful in determining which biochars are best suited for production of synthetic fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is widely used as a good soil amendment, while knowledge of modified biochar application in tea garden soils contaminated by fluoride (F) and cadmium (Cd) is insufficient. The tea seedling (Camellia sinensis L.) growth assay was performed to evaluate interaction of soil Cd and F and the improving effect of aluminum trichloride-modified corn stalk biochar (Al-BC) on their speciation, phytoaccumulation and phytotoxicity. Results showed that soil F speciation ratio sequence was as follows: residual > exchangeable > organic-bound > water-soluble > Fe/Mn oxide-bound. Soil exchangeable Cd was the largest Cd speciation (>35.6%), probably due to the low pH values in the acid tea gardens. Root F contents showed a strong significant relationship with soluble F contents (r = 0.92, P <.01) and similarly root Cd highly connected with exchangeable Cd (r = 0.86, P <.01). Seedling height, fresh and dry weight, root surface area, length, and photosynthetic pigment showed different sensitivities to F or Cd oxidative stress and toxicity effects, and only root F contents significantly inversely correlated with them (r = 0.74–0.80, P <.01). The interaction of Cd and F, could influence their speciation distribution and antagonized each other in root accumulation. Meanwhile, joint simulation models showed that antagonistic effects were observed in the F and Cd mixture soils for most cases at Enshi. Biochar application reduced bioavailable F and Cd contents, and thus decreased F and Cd accumulation in tea roots and obviously alleviated toxicity effects. For instance, biochar application significantly reduced root F contents, which had 33.2% to 62.2% declines at Enshi and 39.7% to 77.2% declines at Huanggang. Meanwhile, the soil properties were improved as biochar added, with an increase in soil pH, EC, CEC and organic matter. Overall, Al-modified biochar was beneficial environmental materials for reducing both F and Cd bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industries generate hazardous dye wastewater, posing significant threats to public health and the environment. Removing dyes before discharge is crucial. The ongoing study primarily focused on synthesizing, applying, and understanding the mechanism of green nano-biochar composites. These composites, including zinc oxide/biochar, copper oxide/biochar, magnesium oxide/biochar, and manganese oxide/biochar, are designed to effectively remove Actas Pink-2B (Direct Red-31) in conjunction with constructed wetlands. Constructed wetland maintained pH 6.0–7.9. At the 10th week, the copper oxide/biochar treatment demonstrated the highest removal efficiency of total suspended solids (72%), dissolved oxygen (7.2 mg/L), and total dissolved solids (79.90%), followed by other biochar composites. The maximum removal efficiency for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color was observed at a retention time of 60 days. The electrical conductivity also followed the same order, with a decrease observed up to the 8th week before becoming constant. A comprehensive statistical analysis was conducted, encompassing various techniques including variance analysis, regression analysis, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis. The rate of color and COD removal followed a second-order and first-order kinetics, respectively. A significant negative relationship was observed between dissolved oxygen and COD. The study indicates that employing biochar composites in constructed wetlands improves textile dye removal efficiency. The novelty of this study is the selection of Cymbopogon as a proper plant for phytoremediation of dye along with green metal oxide coated biochar. These were selected due to their good ability to remove organic pollutant. This study demonstrates the uptake and degradation processes of persistent dye in constructed wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disposal of industrial effluents containing cadmium and copper ions is a significant environmental concern. This study aims to address this issue by evaluating the adsorption capacity of adsorbents derived from residual biomass from second-generation ethanol production. The objective is to effectively remove cadmium and copper ions from aqueous solutions. The biochar utilized in the study was characterized as microporous and exhibited characteristic bands associated with carboxyls and hydroxyls. The pHPZC (point of zero charge) was determined to be 8.0. The kinetic study revealed that the PSO (pseudo-second-order) model provided the best fit, indicating that the adsorption rate depends on the amount of solute adsorbed onto the adsorbent's surface. In the equilibrium study, it was observed that adsorption occurred in a monolayer, as evidenced by the superior fit of the Langmuir model. Furthermore, the equilibrium experimental data for the bicomponent system was more accurately represented by the empirical models of Extended Freundlich and Modified Redlich-Peterson. These findings demonstrate the potential of biochar derived from the residue of second-generation ethanol production, a novel application, in effectively removing cadmium and copper ions from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, in view of the poor adsorption capacity of sludge-based biochar, a sludge-based biochar adsorbent co-modified with hydrochloric acid and polypyrrole (PPy/SBC-HCl) was prepared and used to remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. Its characterization of SEM, EDS, BET, XRD, FT-IR, and XPS show that the removal mechanism of Cr(VI) by PPy/SBC-HCl includes electrostatic adsorption, ion exchange, reduction, and complexation. The removal efficiency of Cr(VI) by PPy/SBC-HCl decreases with the increase of pH. The coexisting cations Ca2+ and Mg2+ have a slight negative effect on it, while the oxoacid anions have a great negative effect on it. The adsorption of Cr(VI) by PPy/SBC-HCl is a spontaneous endothermic process, which conforms to the pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic model and the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity is 97.37 mg g−1 at pH 2.0 and temperature 298 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of appropriate organic amendments as the carriers of bacterial consortium may improve the remediation efficiency of HMs-polluted soil. A greenhouse experiment was designed and carried out to investigate the capability of biochar, and activated carbon prepared from ostrich manure and almond husk as the carriers of bacterial inoculants in the phytoremediation of a calcareous soil polluted with Pb, Ni, Cd and Zn by maize. Results showed that the application of biochar and activated carbon prepared from ostrich manure increased root (78–129%) and shoot (72.3–272%) dry weight, as compared to the control. The values of metal accumulation in both maize root and shoot were in the order of Cd>Zn>Ni>Pb. While biochar and activated carbon prepared from ostrich manure significantly increased both root and shoot metals uptake, those prepared from almond husk drastically decreased the uptake of some metals. The foremost mechanism involved in the phytoremediation of Cd, Ni and Pb was phytostabilization while that of Zn was due to the phytoextraction. Results of the present study demonstrated the effectiveness of ostrich manure-derived biochar and activated carbon as an efficient treatment in the phytoremediation of multi-metal-polluted soils and the mitigation of HMs phytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in water bodies is of growing concern as they pose potential toxicity to wildlife and humans. Since the removal of these compounds via conventional wastewater treatment plants is typically not efficient, advanced processes such as oxidation and adsorption are considered alternatives. In this review study, ozonation combined with adsorption filtration systems is evaluated for the removal of pharmaceuticals and their transformation products from municipal wastewater effluents. Ozonation has a large capacity for the removal of pharmaceuticals from municipal wastewater; however, potential toxic transformation products can be created which require a post-treatment step to mitigate the adverse effects in recipient waters. Various sorption methods have been investigated as post-treatment, with activated carbon being addressed as the most common one. Other sorption technologies such as ion exchange, biochar, constructed wetlands, and biofiltration were also evaluated in this review article. Biochar was considered to have great potential as a promising alternative adsorbent which is known as a more sustainable material. The combination of ozonation with the adsorption method enables the limitations of each single treatment to be reduced and allows the treatment train to become more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass pyrolysis is a sustainable process for generating biochar from agricultural waste, though it is generally energy-intensive and time-consuming. To address this issue, the researchers gathered data from published literature on various biomass types and employed ensemble methods (LSBoost) and supervised machine learning (Gaussian process regression) to construct predictive models. The results reveal that both models can predict well, with excellent correlations between expected and actual values. In comparison to the LSBoost model (0.9783 for training and 0.9879 for testing), the Gaussian process regression (GPR) model had higher R values for training (0.9883) and testing (0.9969). Likewise, the R2 values during training (0.9767) and testing (0.9938) were greater in the case of the GPR model than for the LSBoost model (0.9571 for training). Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) revealed that both models captured the data precisely. However, the GPR model outperformed the LSBoost model in both during training as well as model test stages, providing higher (0.9766 for training and 0.9933 for testing) values. The GPR model outperforms the others due to superior correlation, improved variability capture, and lower errors. These findings offer useful insights for sustainable biomass utilization and provide valuable insights for optimizing pyrolysis operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the removal of RhB from water by furfural residue (FR) biochar was prepared by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and citric acid (CA) modification and named this biochar as CHFR (C refers to citric acid, H refers to hydrothermal carbonization and FR is furfural residue). The CHFR were characterized by SEM, FT-IR and XPS, and CHFR was investigated by the effects of initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH, and contact time on the removal of RhB, and the experimental data were analyzed using the adsorption isotherm models, the adsorption kinetic models and thermodynamics, et al. The results showed that CHFR has strong adsorption performance, and the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of RhB was 39.46 mg·g−1 under the reaction conditions of pH3, the dosage of 1.5 g·L−1, and 120 min contact time, with a removal efficiency close to 100%. the adsorption of RhB by CHFR is spontaneous and endothermic, which is consistent with the Freundlich adsorption, and the isotherm model fits well with the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption rate could still be as high as 92.74% after five regenerations, therefore, CHFR is an environmentally friendly and efficient adsorbent with excellent adsorption regeneration performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe study provides significant advances in the production and evaluation of biochar (BC) and activated carbon (AC) through the use of different precursors and conditions. It has been shown how the pore size distribution, surface area, and chemical functional groups of various materials affect their capacity to adsorb arsenic (As). Nanoporous carbonaceous materials (nP-CMs) have become the focus of great attention from researchers due to their excellent porous properties. These materials are expected to be used in a variety of new industrial applications that utilize ordered nanospace structures. They have excellent physicochemical properties and are inexpensive and environmentally friendly (low density, low thermal conductivity, nanoporous with large surface area, three-dimensional network structure, etc.). Numerous studies have examined the use of nP-CMs as an adsorbent in the removal of As by improving properties including biocompatibility, stability, charge density, functionality, surface area, etc. An extensive summary of the removal of As(III) and As(V) using nano BC/AC made from different plant wastes was included in this paper. The potential interaction processes between As and nP-CMs were addressed. nBC/AC modified with different metals or metal oxides are one of the most often used modifiers for As removal. The potential of nanoporous BC and AC to remove As from aquatic environments is discussed, which has been carefully analyzed in both recent and earlier findings. This review article emphasizes how critical it is to support research initiatives, increase public awareness, and encourage interdisciplinary cooperation in order to solve the environmental concerns related to As. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modifying biochar with nano-nutrients is one of the most effective methods in improving the efficiency of biochar in reducing the adverse effects of environmental stresses such as salinity on plant growth and productivity. The possible effects of solid biochar, nano-silicon dioxide enriched biochar, nano-calcium carbonate enriched biochar, and combined application of these enriched biochars on physiological performance of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) were evaluated under different levels of salt stress (non-saline, 6 and 12 dSm−1). Salt stress increased sodium content, reactive oxygen species generation, and antioxidant enzymes activity, but decreased potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, silicon, photosynthetic pigments, leaf water content, and seed yield (by about 36%) of safflower plants. The addition of biochar forms to the saline soil improved growth (up to 24.6%) and seed yield (up to 37%) of safflower by reducing sodium accumulation (by about 32%) and ROS generation and enhancing nutrient uptake, photosynthetic pigments, and water contents of leaves. The combined forms of enriched biochars were the best treatment on reducing salt stress effects on safflower plants. Therefore, application of enriched biochars has a high potential to reduce the harmful effects of salt stress on plants. Enriching biochar with calcium and silicon nanoparticles is a practical method to improve the ability of biochar to adsorb and immobilize harmful elements such as sodium in the rhizosphere. This enrichment enhanced safflower plant growth and physiological efficiency under salt stress by reducing sodium absorption and increasing the availability of beneficial nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of various levels of salinity and biochar on the growth and biochemical traits of Catharanthus roseus L., a medicinal plant, a factorial experiment with three levels of biochar (0, 2, and 4%) and four levels of salinity (0, 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 mg/kg soil) was conducted in pots under greenhouse conditions, in three replications, 36 pots, and 6 plants/plot. Salinity reduced the vegetative and reproductive growth and Ca and K uptake, and chlorophyll content of the plants, and increased the Na+, Cl−, electrolyte leakage, and antioxidant enzyme (SOD, CAT, GPX) activities. Biochar improved all the vegetative and reproductive growth and biochemical traits of Catharanthus roseus L. and enhanced soil fertility. The application of biochar at the rate of 2% at all four levels of NaCl reduced the activity of antioxidants and decreased electrolyte leakage, reflecting the alleviation of salinity effects and the retention of cell health for survival. The application of biochar 2% was more effective than biochar 4% in alleviating salinity stress. Therefore, by using 2% biochar, it is possible to improve saline soils (soils containing 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg NaCl) and grow periwinkle ornamental-medicinal plant in it. The plants showed acceptable performance at salinity levels of 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg with biochar 2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinity caused a widespread detrimental issue that hinders productivity in agriculture and ecological sustainability, while waste-derived soil amendments like biochar have drawn attention for their capacity to act as a mitigating agent, by enhancing the physical and chemical features of soil, and contributing to the recovery of agricultural waste resources. However, the information concerning biochar and salinity which affect the physicochemical characteristics of soils, crop physiology, and growth is limited. To investigate whether biochar mitigates the salinity stress on wheat crop seedlings, we grow them with salinity stress (120 mM), and biochar (20 tons ha−1), and its interactive effects. The soil properties of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil organic matter (SOM), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and soil available phosphorus (SAP) decreased in the saline soil by 36.71%, 46.97%, 26.31%, and 15.00%, while biochar treatment increased SOC, DOC, and SAP contents by 7.42%, 31.57%, and 15.00%, respectively. On the other hand, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) contents decreased in all the treatments compared to the control. The root growth traits, SPAD values, leaf nitrogen, photosynthetic parameters, antioxidant enzymes, and reactive oxygen species decreased in the saline treatment while increasing in the biochar and interactive treatment. Thus, these activities resulted in higher leaves and root biomass in the biochar treatment alone and interactive treatment of salinity and biochar. According to principal component analysis, redundancy analysis, and the mantel test, using biochar in conjunction with salinity treatment was found to be more effective than salinity treatment alone. The results of this study suggest that biochar can be used as a sustainable agricultural technique and a means of mitigation agent by lowering soil salinity while increasing the biomass of crops. Biochar improves the physical and nutritional quality of soil and plant function. Salinity stress declined the physiological activities and biomass of the crop. Biochar mitigates the salinity stress in soil and enhances the plant functioning. Exposure to both treatments enhances the antioxidant enzyme activity and biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the improvement of bioremediation of textile dye Reactive Red 195 using agro-industrial waste, groundnut oil cake (GNOC) obtained after oil-pressing. The treatment of GNOC with 1 N H2SO4 had resulted in physiochemical changes on the insoluble porous adsorbent, which improved their adsorption efficiency. The dye removal efficiency increased from 55% to 94% on acidification of GNOC. The raw groundnut oil cake (RGNOC) and acid-treated groundnut oil cake (AGNOC) were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and zeta potential. The rate and efficiency of dye adsorption were examined using adsorption kinetics and isotherm models. The results confirm that acid-treated GNOC eliminates impurities, alter the surface functional groups, and significantly increase porous surface areas of RGNOC. The investigation of key factors such as contact time, initial concentration of dye, static/agitation impact, particle size, and adsorbent dose had significantly influenced adsorption capacity of GNOC. Adsorption of dye fits best into the Langmuir model and equilibrium data of dye on AGNOC was explained by psuedo-second-order reaction with maximum adsorption capacity of 12.65 mg/g. This emphasis AGNOC has a very excellent potential to remove the textile dye Reactive Red dye from industrial effluent. This study reports the primary investigation exploring the application of groundnut oil cake (RGNOC) and its acid-modified (AGNOC) version for the bioremediation of industrially used textile dye Reactive Red 195 (RR195). The core objective of this study is to use a low-cost biosorbent to remove RR195 dye from effluent that pose risk to the health and environment. This study analyses the adsorption capacity of RGNOC and its acid-modified version AGNOC to treat contaminated water and the influencing parameters. AGNOC adsorption potential for RR195 dye sequestration was shown to be higher compared to RGNOC. Acidification of the adsorbent is simple, cost expensive, and more efficient alternate approaches to scale up for industrial application. As a result, an attempt has been made to add a new adsorbent to the database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is a high-carbon-content organic compound that has potential applications in the field of energy storage and conversion. It can be produced from a variety of biomass feedstocks such as plant-based, animal-based, and municipal waste at different pyrolysis conditions. However, it is difficult to produce biochar on a large scale if the relationship between the type of biomass, operating conditions, and biochar properties is not understood well. Hence, the use of machine learning-based data analysis is necessary to find the relationship between biochar production parameters and feedstock properties with biochar energy properties. In this work, a rough set-based machine learning (RSML) approach has been applied to generate decision rules and classify biochar properties. The conditional attributes were biomass properties (volatile matter, fixed carbon, ash content, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen) and pyrolysis conditions (operating temperature, heating rate residence time), while the decision attributes considered were yield, carbon content, and higher heating values. The rules generated were tested against a set of validation data and evaluated for their scientific coherency. Based on the decision rules generated, biomass with ash content of 11–14 wt%, volatile matter of 60–62 wt% and carbon content of 42–45.3 wt% can generate biochar with promising yield, carbon content and higher heating value via a pyrolysis process at an operating temperature of 425°C–475°C. This work provided the optimal biomass feedstock properties and pyrolysis conditions for biochar production with high mass and energy yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, dispersive micro-solid phase extraction technique was developed for the purpose of extracting and preconcentrating organochlorine pesticide residues in juice samples before their separation and quantitative analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A sorbent composed of a silica-supported Fe2O3-modified khat leftover biochar nanocomposite (SiO2-Fe2O3-KLBNC) was implemented in the process. To improve the dispersion of the sorbent in the solution, vortex mixer was employed. Experimental parameters influencing the performance of the method were optimized, and the optimal conditions were established. With these conditions, linear dynamic ranges ranged from 0.003 to 100.0 ng/mL were achieved, with a correlation coefficient (r2) ≥ 0.9981. The limits of detection and quantification, determined by signal-to-noise ratios of 3 and 10, respectively, were found to be in the ranges of 0.001–0.006 ng/mL and 0.003–0.020 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-day precision, values ranging from 0.3–4.8% and 1.7–5.2% were obtained, respectively. The matrix-matched extraction recoveries demonstrated favorable outcomes, falling within the range of 83.4–108.3%. The utilization of khat leftover as an adsorbent in contemporary sample preparation methodologies offers a cost-effective alternative to the currently available, yet expensive, adsorbents. This renders it economically viable, particularly in resource-constrained regions, and is anticipated to witness widespread adoption in the coming future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research introduces an innovative approach to developing carbon-negative Ultra-High-Performance fiber-reinforced Concrete (UHPC) by incorporating substantial quantities of biochar, both as a binder and as an aggregate, replacing up to 25% by weight of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and quartz sand (QS). The study examines the impact of biochar on cement hydration processes, microstructure evolution, and various other performance metrics in the modified UHPC. Samples were formulated with 3% double-hooked steel fibers and biochar quantities ranging from 5 to 25% by weight as substitutes for OPC and QS. The investigation included assessments of changes in rheological properties, strength metrics, long-term shrinkage, resistance to sulfate attacks, freeze-thaw durability, microstructure analysis, and a cost-benefit evaluation. Test results indicated that biochar-incorporated samples exhibited up to a 20% increase in heat evolution by the end of the seventh day and plastic energy at 28 days that rose to 32.14% as compared to control samples in 20% biochar-augmented versions. Shrinkage reduction varied between 58 and 69% at 210 days for samples with 20% biochar. Specifically, the mix containing 20% biochar (G2-M5-BC-20) significantly improved the 90-day compressive and flexural strength by 8.9 and 9.3%, and 30.6 and 36.8%, respectively, while further inclusion of biochar showed no marked enhancement in performance metrics. The G2-M5-BC-20 mix also demonstrated excellent resistance to sulfate attacks and freeze-thaw cycles, exhibiting the least mass loss and highest residual compressive strength. An initial cost-benefit revealed that biochar-enhanced UHPC could offer compelling financial benefits. Given its mechanical behavior, potential for harmful CO2 emissions, and economic viability, the G2-M5-BC-20 mix emerged as the most promising formulation, potentially generating an overall profit of $36 per cubic meter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While renewable energy sources are getting high interest, amounts of biogas plants have visible increases. In addition to energy, these facilities also produce a nutrient-rich organic material called digestate, which can be utilized as a crop fertilizer. Scientific research on digestate usage has increased with the new environmental protection laws for direct discharges, particularly after the 2000s. The nutrient composition of digestate provides a variable range of applications, rendering it a valuable commodity. In this study, the energy production capacity of Turkey and Poland from biogas power plants are compared, and the case study was used to estimate the amount of digestate produced for both countries. Two recovery technologies, such as organomineral fertilizer production and an innovative technology of super-heated steam torrefaction to produce valuable products and energy from digestate, were presented with their energy potentials. The outcomes of the case study indicate that harnessing digestate as an energy source holds the capability to make a 3.64% to 4.26% contribution to the overall energy consumption of Turkey and Poland through torrefied biochar energy. As per the results derived from the fertilizer case study, the application of digested biomass as a source of organomineral fertilizer holds the capacity to yield approximately 16,142,806 tons and 9,648,142 tons of fertilizer for Turkey and Poland, correspondingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar application is considered a potential approach to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from the agricultural sector and improving soil physicochemical properties. Thus, we conducted a field experiment to examine the efficacy of biochar application rates in combination with water management practices on soil methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and carbon increment in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). Rice husk biochar (RB) and Melaleuca biochar (MB) were incorporated in the topsoil (0–20 cm) at 5 and 10 Mg ha−1, followed by the water management regimes of continuous flooding (CF) and an alternative wetting and drying (AWD). The results identified that biochar application rates and water management measures were major factors in decreasing CH4 and N2O emissions. Compared with the conventional practice, the RB and MB amendment in the rice fields under CF practices reduced 12.9–21.3% of total GHGs (tGHGs), while biochar incorporation under the AWD management practice reduced from 22.3% to 30.5% tGHGs. Compared to CF treatments, biochar amendment concerning the AWD regime lowered from 25.4% to 31.6% tGHGs. Increasing biochar from 5 to 10 Mg ha−1 did not reduce tGHGs considerably. We identified that biochar application significantly increased grain yields from 12.8% to 20.6% under the CF management practice, while the percentage varied from 2.5% to 3.8% for the AWD practice. Similarly, higher grain yields were achieved from 4.9% to 13.7% by applying AWD compared to the CF treatments. Our findings showed that although higher biochar application rates could reduce the tGHGs, the difference in biochar types and water management applications in connection with the tGHGs was neglectable. Incorporating biochar enhanced soil bulk density and porosity under AWD and CF practices. Going forward in further studies, we recommend a long-term biochar application in the VMD's low-lying paddy fields with a broader range of biochar rates under different soil types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amending soil with different materials is gaining acceptance as an effective and inexpensive technique for reclamation of salt-affected soils. The main idea of this study was to investigate the effects of biochar, compost of municipal solid waste and different water salinities level on soil physical quality (SDexter) and soil productivity index (SPI). The treatments were as followed: Control: Soil without biochar or compost and irrigated with tap water, S1: Soil without biochar or compost and irrigated with saline water (EC = 4.5 dS m−1), S2: Soil without biochar or compost and irrigated with saline water (EC = 9 dS m−1), B: Soil amended with 1.5%w/w biochar and irrigated with tap water, B+S1: Soil amended with 1.5%w/w biochar and irrigated with saline water (EC = 4.5 dS m−1), B+S2: Soil amended with 1.5%w/w biochar and irrigated with saline water (EC = 9 dS m−1), C: Soil amended with 1.5%w/w compost and irrigated with tap water, C+S1: Soil amended with 1.5%w/w compost and irrigated with saline water (EC = 4.5 dS m−1), C+S2: Soil amended with 1.5%w/w compost and irrigated with saline water (EC = 9 dS m−1). Soil water characteristic curve (SWCC), Field capacity (FC), Plant wilting point (PWP), Plant available water (PAW), Dexter's index of soil physical quality (SDexter) and SPI were examined in a greenhouse experiment. The SPI was calculated by integrating the effects of six soil quality indices: plant available water, organic matter (OM), Electrical conductivity (EC), pH, Bulk density (BD) and Root weighting factor (RF) for all treatments were calculated. The results showed that the B treatment had a slightly higher effect on SWCC. The applied B and C treatments caused insignificant increase in PAW relative to the control. In addition, application of biochar or compost to soil significantly increased the SDexter. The application of C treatment had insignificantly higher value of SDexter compared to other treatments. Compared with the control, SPI was significantly higher for the B and C treatments. Overall, the application of biochar/compost minimized the destructive effects of saline irrigation water and improved the quality of the salt-affected fine-textured soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar-based fertilizers (BBFs) agronomic performance depends on its nutrient pools, electrical conductivity (EC) and pH, conventionally assessed by laboratory classical wet methods that are non-environmentally friendly, time-consuming, and costly. However, the nutrient pools and properties of BBFs can be predicted by partial least square regression (PLS) based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Thus, we aimed to use PLS regression based on FTIR analysis to predict the pH, EC and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) pools in BBFs produced by different routes. Sixteen BBFs were produced by mixing, previously or after the pyrolysis process of low-grade phosphate acidulated with different inorganic acids (sulfuric, hydrochloric and nitric acids), addition or no different sources of Mg (magnesium chloride and serpentinite). PLS models based on the normalized FTIR dataset in BBFs are considered good when R2 during calibration and cross-validation phases are higher than 0.81, values founded in our study to prediction of pH, EC, total, and mineral N, total P, and P soluble in water, citric acid, formic acid, and neutral ammonium citrate, and total K of BBFs. Besides, the difference between R2 of calibration and cross-validation lower than 0.2 founded indicated no overfitting. Furthermore, the PLS models had high prediction capacity (R2 of prediction higher than 0.55) and high accuracy (R2 to y-randomization <0.50). Thus, PLS regression models based on the normalized FTIR dataset in BBFs were models characterized by the good performance, robustness, and nonrandom able to predict the nutrient pools, pH, and EC in BBFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the contemporary world, in order to deal with the existing problems of ecological debilitation and global warming and owing to the dire need to fulfill the rising necessities for sustainable energy, biochar could be a promising solution. Attributable to the astounding features of biochar, including higher capacitance (≤1600 F/g) and surface area (≤340 m2/g), greater energy density (≤26 GJ/Ton), and porosity (≤9 µm), they can be utilized in the energy storage domain. This review presents a comprehensive overview of conventional biochar production techniques encompassing pyrolysis and gasification along with an emphasis on biochar and their applications as efficient materials for sustainable energy storage in the near future. The beneficial characteristics of biochar over other carbonaceous substances (activated carbon, graphene) have been highlighted here. The applications of biochar and their composites for use in zinc-air batteries, thermochemical storage, magnetic concentration cells, lithium-ion batteries, green energy storage systems, and supercapacitors are analytically scrutinized in this review. Furthermore, all the challenges associated with the practical utilization of this methodology, with a road map leading to future prospects that can be implemented in the near future for the scalability of these projects have been emphasized here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinity is a major challenge in agriculture, particularly in calcareous soils with high calcium carbonate levels. Biochar, produced from biomass pyrolysis, is being considered as a potential solution for mitigating salinity effects. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted using calcareous soil from a saline field to investigate the effects of sugarcane biochar applied at different rates (0.0%, 2.0%, and 5.0%) on soil properties and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth. Results showed that both Low Rate (2.0% biochar) and High Rate (5.0% biochar) treatments significantly improved soil pH, reduced electrical conductivity (EC), and increased soil organic matter (SOM) content. Plant growth indicators such as plant height, stem diameter, and leaf chlorophyll content also showed significant improvement with biochar application. High Rate had more pronounced effects compared to Low Rate. The analysis confirmed the significant effects of biochar on soil properties and plant growth, indicating its potential as a beneficial soil amendment. Sugarcane biochar has the potential to mitigate salinity stress and enhance crop productivity in calcareous soils. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of sugarcane biochar application and its interactions with other soil management practices in different crop systems. These findings highlight the promising role of biochar as a sustainable approach for mitigating salinity stress in agriculture and improving soil quality for crop production. The study's findings highlight the potential industrial applications of sugarcane biochar in addressing soil salinity issues prevalent in calcareous soils, particularly in agriculture. The research underscores the positive impact of biochar on soil attributes, plant growth, and nutrient availability. With its ability to improve soil pH, reduce salinity, increase soil organic matter, and enhance plant growth, sugarcane biochar emerges as a promising soil amendment for agricultural use. This presents an opportunity for industries involved in sustainable agriculture, soil management, and crop enhancement to explore the integration of biochar into their practices. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need for further research and field trials to optimize biochar application rates, assess economic feasibility, and ensure environmental sustainability. The insights gained from this study offer a pathway for industrial stakeholders to explore biochar's role in enhancing soil quality, promoting plant growth, and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need to find eco-friendly methods for preventing toxic heavy metals from subsuming into food chain due to their deadly impact on plants and animals. A study was employed to investigate cadmium adsorption efficiency of biowastes and their derived products. The bio-wastes included apple pomace and sawdust based vermicompost, later converted to biochar. The study elucidated the impact of changing pH, initial concentration and contact time on cadmium adsorption efficiency of biowastes. Among different adsorbents, the biochars efficiently removed Cd (II) and attained equilibrium at a faster rate. The equilibrium data best fitted to Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm. Among different adsorbents, maximum adsorption (qmax) (35.075 mg g−1) from Langmuir adsorption isotherm was reported for vermicompost derived from 100% sawdust. Among biochars highest qmax (3.0 mg g−1) was reported for biochar obtained from 100% apple pomace. All adsorption systems were exothermic, with AT values ranging from 0.05–0.75 J/mol at pH 8 and 0.118–0.485 J/mol at pH 2. The pseudo-second order kinetic model was best fit at all concentrations implying chemisorption of Cd2+ ions by bioabsorbents. The adsorption could complete in optimum time frame required for industrial application for treating contaminated water at large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

\nHIGHLIGHTSBiochar is a soil amendment made from organic waste pyrolysis that has the potential to enhance crop growth and reduce soil contamination. A recent study examined the effects of biochar application on rice plant growth, yield, biomass, and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) contamination in soil. The study included four treatments: control, biochar (2.0% and 4.0% addition), TPH (4.0%, 6.0%, and 8.0%), and biochar+TPH. Results showed that biochar application was effective in mitigating the negative effects of TPH contamination on soil-physiochemical properties, increasing soil pH, organic matter, and available nutrients. Additionally, biochar application significantly increased rice plant height compared to the control and mitigated the negative impact of TPH on rice plant height in TPH-contaminated soil. Biochar application at 4.0% and 6.0% resulted in higher grain yield and biomass than the control group under all TPH contamination levels, with 6.0% being the most effective. Overall, the study highlights the potential of biochar as a sustainable approach for crop production in contaminated areas. However, further research is required to understand the underlying mechanisms, sustainability, and long-term effects of biochar application in agricultural systems. SBB has the potential to mitigate the negative effects of TPH contamination on soil properties.SBB can increase soil pH, organic matter, and available nutrients, making it a valuable tool for soil remediation.SBB reduces TPH removal from contaminated soil, possibly due to adsorption or soil property modifications.SBB has a positive effect on rice height, mitigating the negative impact of TPH contamination.Higher levels of SBB result in taller rice plants, and lower levels of TPH result in taller rice plants.SBB application at 4.0% and 6.0% improves grain yield and biomass across all TPH contamination levels.SBB has promising potential as a sustainable strategy for managing contaminated soils for crop production.SBB has the potential to mitigate the negative effects of TPH contamination on soil properties.SBB can increase soil pH, organic matter, and available nutrients, making it a valuable tool for soil remediation.SBB reduces TPH removal from contaminated soil, possibly due to adsorption or soil property modifications.SBB has a positive effect on rice height, mitigating the negative impact of TPH contamination.Higher levels of SBB result in taller rice plants, and lower levels of TPH result in taller rice plants.SBB application at 4.0% and 6.0% improves grain yield and biomass across all TPH contamination levels.SBB has promising potential as a sustainable strategy for managing contaminated soils for crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative speciation of metals and their variability over time is a critical concept in environmental soil chemistry. Chromium is a heavy metal that has negative effects on the environment and human health. There have been several attempts to study the behavior of chromium in soils and its removal from soil. However, there is relatively little knowledge about the immobilization of chromium and its chemical speciation in contaminated and uncontaminated soils when different organic amendments are applied. A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on the speciation of chromium in contaminated and uncontaminated soils. Four organic amendments were used: farmyard manure (FYM), rice straw compost (RSC), vermicompost (VC), and biochar (BC). Each of them was applied at 1% to contaminated as well as uncontaminated soils. In both the amended and unamended soils, chromate (CrO42-), bichromate (HCrO4−), and calcium chromate (CaCrO4) in soil-water system followed the order CrO42-> HCrO4−> CaCrO4. The application of FYM, RSC, VC, and BC significantly decreased the CrO42- and CaCrO4 in the soil-water system of both soils. However, only the application of BC affected the HCrO4− contaminated soils. In both soils, HCrO4− exists as the predominant chromium species in the pH range of 2.0 to 6.25. At pH 6.25, CrO42- and HCrO4− each contribute 50% of the total dissolved chromium in soil solution. CrO42- dominated in the system as the pH increased from 6.25 till 8.0. The maximum concentration of CrO42- was at pH 8.0. At pH <3.0, CrO3SO42- contributes less than 10%. Overall, organic amendments decreased the concentration of Cr species in both soils. However, the decrease in concentration was highly dependent on the nature of the amendment applied. Therefore, organic amendments can be exploited to remediate chromium-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandy and acidic soil conditions are the major factors limiting the production of some vegetable crops in acidic soils. This study aims to examine the effect of various amendments on the growth, yield and mineral nutrients uptake of stem amaranth. Two pot experiments were conducted separately in two generic soils. Six treatments viz. T0 = control (without amendment), T1= lime, T2 = lime + wetland bottom sediment, T3 = lime + vermicompost, T4 = lime + rice straw biochar (RSB) and T5 = RSB were used for both experiments following CRD with four replications. Results revealed that plant heights (45.96 and 50.33 cm) of amaranth grown in alluvial and hill soils, respectively, were the highest in T4 treatment. Similarly, treatment T4 showed the highest fresh (118.53 and 116.11 g pot−1, respectively) and dry biomasses (16.98 and 19.54 g pot−1, respectively) for both soils. For both soils, treatment T4 resulted better nutrient uptake of N, P, K, S, Zn, Fe and Mn by edible stem, while non-amended soil gave the lowest result at all parameters. Analytical values of post-harvest soils indicated that T4 and/or T5 treatments resulted in an improvement in soil pH, organic carbon, total N, exchangeable K and extractable P, S and Zn. Treatment T3 showed elevated concentrations of extractable soils Fe and Mn. The amendment RSB combined with lime can be preferably used in strong acidic soils for cultivation of stem amaranth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phaseolus vulgaris is one of the most widely consumed legumes across the globe. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, fiber, bioactive compounds, and mineral contents. Occurrences of drought under changing climate have posed a challenge to the quality and quantity of the crop yield. Our study, taking Phaseolus vulgaris as a test legume, reports that as a soil amendment, biochar and farmyard manure mitigated drought-induced damage in the plant. The experiment was set up in a greenhouse with 1 m2 blocks together arranged in factorial randomized block design. Water withdrawal was done for 15 days in either vegetative or reproductive stage of the crop to simulate drought conditions. Biochar or Farmyard manure was applied at the rate of 10t ha−1 as soil amendment and each treatment was replicated thrice. Higher photosynthesis (up to 23% and 16%, respectively), leaf protein (41% and 30%, respectively), grain protein (4% and 19%, correspondingly), and in-vitro protein digestibility (60% and 254%, respectively) were noted under application of both the amendments. Grain quality in terms of protein content, in-vitro protein digestibility, and protein fractions of Phaseolus vulgaris was improved under drought due to the addition of biochar and farmyard manure. However, the application of those amendments at the rate of 10t ha−1, especially farmyard manure, had a negative impact on the antinutritional factor (phytic acid) and mineral bioavailability. Between the two amendments studied, farmyard manure proved to be more efficient in promoting the overall grain quality of P. vulgaris, but its inimical effects must be concorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity is a major environmental problem that adversely affects plant growth by increasing soil osmotic pressure and disrupting plant nutrition. Using organic amendments is a viable tool for reducing physiological and morphological effects of excessive soil salinity on plants. To show the impacts of tea waste, compost and biochar on nutrient status and growth parameters of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) raised in salinity conditions, this study has employed factorial CRD with two treatments involving soil salinity (2.5 and 8 dS m−1) and organic materials (spent tea waste (STW), spent tea waste compost (STWC) and spent tea waste biochar (STWB)) at 0 and 3% w/w in three replications. As soil salinity increased from 2.5 to 8 dS m−1, fresh weight and dry matter production decreased by 31.5% and 30.4%, respectively. Phosphorous and potassium concentrations in plant tissue also decreased significantly due to the increase in salinity. Organic amendments (except STW) due to their physicochemical properties increased the nutrients uptake and growth parameters of the plant. Compared to other amendments, biochar reduced salinity effects on plant growth more effectively, which is possibly due to its high nutrient adsorbing and water holding capacity. In saline conditions, the highest potassium to sodium ratio belonged to the biochar treatment, which was 3.22 and 2.78 times greater than spent tea waste and compost, respectively. Therefore, it was preferred to change the spent tea waste into biochar before being used as soil amendment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]