Statistics for Spatial Data.

Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water: a review.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides access to information on a variety of topics related to the environment and strives to inform citizens of health risks. The EPA also has an extensive library network that consists of 26 libraries throughout the United States, which provide access to a plethora of information to EPA employees, scientists, and researchers. The EPA implemented a reorganization project to digitize their materials so they would be more accessible to a wider range of users, but this plan was drastically accelerated when the EPA was threatened with a budget cut. It chose to close and reduce the hours and services of some of their libraries. As a result, the agency was accused of denying users the “right to know” by making information unavailable, not providing an adequate strategic plan, and discarding vital materials. This case study explores the background of the digitization project, the practices implemented, and the critiques of the project.

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The Environmental Protection Agency

The science of the total environment

Organic and inorganic contaminants removal from water with biochar, a renewable, low cost and sustainable adsorbent--a critical review.

Biochar (BC) produced from agricultural crop residues has proven effective in sorbing organic contaminants. This study evaluated the ability of dairy-manure derived biochar to sorb heavy metal Pb and organic contaminant atrazine. Two biochar samples were prepared by heating dairy manure at low temperature of 200 degrees C (BC200) and 350 degrees C (BC350). The untreated manure (BC25) and a commercial activated C (AC) were included as controls. Sorption of Pb by biochar followed a dual Langmuir-Langmuir model, attributing to Pb precipitation (84-87%) and surface sorption (13-16%). Chemical speciation, X-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy indicated that Pb was precipitated as beta-Pb9(PO4)6 in BC25 and BC200 treatment, and as Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2 in BC350. Lead sorption by AC obeyed a single Langmuir model, attributing mainly to surface sorption probably via coordination of Pb d-electron to C==C (pi-electron) and --0--Pb bonds. The biochar was 6 times more effective in Pb sorption than AC, with BC200 being the most effective (up to 680 mmol Pb kg(-1)). The biochar also effectively sorbed atrazine where atrazine was partitioned into its organic phase, whereas atrazine uptake by AC occurred via surface sorption. When Pb and atrazine coexisted, little competition occurred between the two for sorption on biochar, while strong competition was observed on AC. Results from this study indicated that dairy manure can be converted into value-added biochar as effective sorbent for metal and/or organic contaminants.

Dairy-manure derived biochar effectively sorbs lead and atrazine.

Properties of dairy-manure-derived biochar pertinent to its potential use in remediation

Surface chemistry variations among a series of laboratory-produced biochars

https://people.clas.ufl.edu/azimmer/files/Publication-pdf/Wang15_Removal-of-arsenic-by-magnetic-biocharand-hematite.pdf

Removal of arsenic by magnetic biochar prepared from pinewood and natural hematite

Biochar produced from waste biomass is increasingly being recognized as a green, cost-effective amendment for environmental remediation. This work was to determine the ability of biochar to immobilize heavy metal Pb and organic pesticide atrazine in contaminated soils. Biochar prepared from dairy manure was incubated with contaminated soils at rates of 0, 2.5, and 5.0% by weight for 210 d. A commercial activated carbon (AC) was included as a comparison. The AC was effective in immobilizing atrazine, but was ineffective for Pb. However, biochar was effective in immobilizing both atrazine and Pb and the effectiveness was enhanced with increasing incubation time and biochar rates. After 210 d, soils treated with the highest rate of 5.0% biochar showed more than 57% and 66% reduction in Pb and atrazine concentrations in 0.01 M CaCl(2) extraction, respectively. Lead and atrazine concentrations in the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure solutions were reduced by 70-89% and 53-77%, respectively. Uptake of Pb and atrazine by earthworms (Eisenia fetida) was reduced by up to 79% and 73%. Phosphorus originally contained in biochar reacted with soil Pb to form insoluble hydroxypyromorphite Pb(5)(PO(4))(3)(OH), as determined by X-ray diffraction, which was presumably responsible for soil Pb immobilization, whereas atrazine stabilization may result from its adsorption by biochar demonstrated by the significant exponential decrease of extractable atrazine with increasing organic C in biochar (r(2) > 0.97, p < 0.05). The results highlighted the potential of dairy-manure biochar as a unique amendment for immobilization of both heavy metal and organic contaminants in cocontaminated soils.

Willie G. Harris

Papers

Dairy-manure derived biochar effectively sorbs lead and atrazine.

Properties of dairy-manure-derived biochar pertinent to its potential use in remediation

Surface chemistry variations among a series of laboratory-produced biochars

Removal of arsenic by magnetic biochar prepared from pinewood and natural hematite

Simultaneous Immobilization of Lead and Atrazine in Contaminated Soils Using Dairy-Manure Biochar