Designer Biochar Enhances Excess Nutrient Removal.

Agricultural runoff and sewage effluent can release excess nutrients into watersheds, harming water quality and causing harmful algal blooms. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new type of biochar by treating sawdust with flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum. This designer biochar has a much higher capacity for removing phosphorus from water compared to gypsum alone. Additionally, the nutrient-captured biochar can be used as a slow-release fertilizer, providing a potential solution for both water quality protection and nutrient reintroduction for land application. [Extracted from the article]