Application of biochar on mine tailings: Effects and perspectives for land reclamation
TL;DR: The changes promoted by the biochar seem to be in favor of its use on mine wastes to help the establishment of a green cover in a phytostabilization process.
About: This article is published in Chemosphere.The article was published on 2011-05-01. It has received 438 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Tailings & Biochar.
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TL;DR: Specific mechanisms of contaminant-biochar retention and release over time and the environmental impact of biochar amendments on soil organisms remain somewhat unclear but must be investigated to ensure that the management of environmental pollution coincides with ecological sustainability.
1,289 citations
Cites background from "Application of biochar on mine tail..."
...Fellet et al. (2011) amended mine tailings with 0e10% orchard prune derived biochar, finding that, as well as increasing pH and CEC, biochar reduced bioavailable (DTPAextractable) concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn....
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...(Fellet et al., 2011)...
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TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the preparation, characterization, modification, and especially environmental application of biochar, based on more than 200 papers published in recent 10 year, to provide an overview of Biochar with a particular on its environmental application.
1,017 citations
TL;DR: An overview on the impact of biochar on the environmental fate and mobility of heavy metals and organic pollutants in contaminated soils and its implication for remediation of contaminated soils is provided.
Abstract: Soil contamination with heavy metals and organic pollutants has increasingly become a serious global environmental issue in recent years. Considerable efforts have been made to remediate contaminated soils. Biochar has a large surface area, and high capacity to adsorb heavy metals and organic pollutants. Biochar can potentially be used to reduce the bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals and organic pollutants in soils through adsorption and other physicochemical reactions. Biochar is typically an alkaline material which can increase soil pH and contribute to stabilization of heavy metals. Application of biochar for remediation of contaminated soils may provide a new solution to the soil pollution problem. This paper provides an overview on the impact of biochar on the environmental fate and mobility of heavy metals and organic pollutants in contaminated soils and its implication for remediation of contaminated soils. Further research directions are identified to ensure a safe and sustainable use of biochar as a soil amendment for remediation of contaminated soils.
661 citations
Cites background from "Application of biochar on mine tail..."
...Orchard prune residue 500 °C Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn Significant reduction of the bioavailable Cd, Pb, and Zn, with Cd showing the greatest reduction; an increase in the pH, CEC, and water-holding capacity Fellet et al. (2011)...
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...Fellet et al. (2011) evaluated the potential of application of biochar to ameliorate the heavy metal toxicity in the mine tailings....
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TL;DR: The application of biochar for in situ metal immobilization can be feasible provided soil pH is monitored over time, and the time required to reach a hazardous pH can be predicted to be longer after biochar application.
568 citations
Additional excerpts
...The contaminated soil was mixed with 1%, 5% and 10% (w/w) of biochar, proportions that are identical to those of Fellet et al. (2011). Biochar treatments were compared to the untreated soil (control)....
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TL;DR: In this article, a selection of organic wastes with different characteristics (e.g., rice husk (RH), rice straw (RS), wood chips of apple tree (Malus pumila) (AB), and oak tree (Quercus serrata) (OB)) were pyrolyzed at different temperatures (400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 °C) in order to optimize the physicochemical properties of biochar as a soil amendment.
Abstract: . Biochar is widely recognized as an efficient tool for carbon sequestration and soil fertility. The understanding of its chemical and physical properties, which are strongly related to the type of the initial material used and pyrolysis conditions, is crucial to identify the most suitable application of biochar in soil. A selection of organic wastes with different characteristics (e.g., rice husk (RH), rice straw (RS), wood chips of apple tree (Malus pumila) (AB), and oak tree (Quercus serrata) (OB)) were pyrolyzed at different temperatures (400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 °C) in order to optimize the physicochemical properties of biochar as a soil amendment. Low-temperature pyrolysis produced high biochar yields; in contrast, high-temperature pyrolysis led to biochars with a high C content, large surface area, and high adsorption characteristics. Biochar obtained at 600 °C leads to a high recalcitrant character, whereas that obtained at 400 °C retains volatile and easily labile compounds. The biochar obtained from rice materials (RH and RS) showed a high yield and unique chemical properties because of the incorporation of silica elements into its chemical structure. The biochar obtained from wood materials (AB and OB) showed high carbon content and a high absorption character.
543 citations
Cites background from "Application of biochar on mine tail..."
...Although several studies have been recently proposed the use of biochar derived from orchard prune residues as a soil amendment (Fellet et al., 2011; Alburquerque et al., 2013), reports on the evaluation of the pyrolysis process on this feedstock are scarce....
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References
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6,011 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed the available information about the physical and chemical properties of charcoal as affected by different combustion procedures, and the effects of its application in agricultural fields on nutrient retention and crop production.
Abstract: Rapid turnover of organic matter leads to a low efficiency of organic fertilizers applied to increase and sequester C in soils of the humid tropics. Charcoal was reported to be responsible for high soil organic matter contents and soil fertility of anthropogenic soils (Terra Preta) found in central Amazonia. Therefore, we reviewed the available information about the physical and chemical properties of charcoal as affected by different combustion procedures, and the effects of its application in agricultural fields on nutrient retention and crop production. Higher nutrient retention and nutrient availability were found after charcoal additions to soil, related to higher exchange capacity, surface area and direct nutrient additions. Higher charring temperatures generally improved exchange properties and surface area of the charcoal. Additionally, charcoal is relatively recalcitrant and can therefore be used as a long-term sink for atmospheric CO2. Several aspects of a charcoal management system remain unclear, such as the role of microorganisms in oxidizing charcoal surfaces and releasing nutrients and the possibilities to improve charcoal properties during production under field conditions. Several research needs were identified, such as field testing of charcoal production in tropical agroecosystems, the investigation of surface properties of the carbonized materials in the soil environment, and the evaluation of the agronomic and economic effectiveness of soil management with charcoal.
2,514 citations
"Application of biochar on mine tail..." refers background in this paper
...According to the authors, BC is a soil conditioner that enhances plant growth by supplying and retaining nutrients and by providing other services such as improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil (Glaser et al., 2002; Lehmann et al., 2003)....
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...A similar influence was observed after the application of charcoal, which increased the pH and decreased the Al saturation of acid soils (Glaser et al., 2001; Glaser et al., 2002)....
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...Such long persistence in these soils was revealed by C dating observations (Glaser et al., 2002)....
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01 Jan 1986
1,968 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the source of the higher surface charge of BC compared with non-BC by mapping crosssectional areas of BC particles with diameters of 10 to 50 mm for C forms.
Abstract: Black Carbon (BC) may significantly affect nutrient retention and play a key role in a wide range of biogeochemical processes in soils, especially for nutrient cycling. Anthrosols from the Brazilian Amazon (ages between 600 and 8700 yr BP) with high contents of biomassderived BC had greater potential cation exchange capacity (CEC measured at pH 7) per unit organic C than adjacent soils with low BC contents.Synchrotron-based near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy coupled with scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) techniques explained the source of the higher surface charge of BC compared with non-BC by mapping crosssectional areas of BC particles with diameters of 10 to 50 mm for C forms. The largest cross-sectional areas consisted of highly aromatic or only slightly oxidized organic C most likely originating from the BC itself with a characteristic peak at 286.1 eV, which could not be found in humic substance extracts, bacteria or fungi. Oxidation significantly increased from the core of BC particles to their surfaces as shown by the ratio of carboxyl-C/aromatic-C. Spotted and non-continuous distribution patterns of highly oxidized C functional groups with distinctly different chemical signatures on BC particle surfaces (peak shift at 286.1 eV to a higher energy of 286.7 eV) indicated that non-BC may be adsorbed on the surfaces of BC particles creating highly oxidized surface. As a consequence of both oxidation of the BC particles themselves and adsorption of organic matter to BC surfaces, the charge density (potential CEC per unit surface area) was greater in BC-rich Anthrosols than adjacent soils. Additionally, a high specific surface area was attributable to the presence of BC, which may contribute to the high CEC found in soils that are rich in BC.
1,932 citations
"Application of biochar on mine tail..." refers result in this paper
...In agreement with the literature (Liang et al., 2006; Inyang et al., 2010; Jones et al., 2010), the CEC increased in the substrates after the application of BC....
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TL;DR: In the first experiment, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) was planted in pots, while in the second experiment lysimeters were used to quantify water and nutrient leaching from soil cropped to rice (Oryza sativa L) as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Soil fertility and leaching losses of nutrients were compared between a Fimic Anthrosol and a Xanthic Ferralsol from Central Amazonia The Anthrosol was a relict soil from pre-Columbian settlements with high organic C containing large proportions of black carbon It was further tested whether charcoal additions among other organic and inorganic applications could produce similarly fertile soils as these archaeological Anthrosols In the first experiment, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) was planted in pots, while in the second experiment lysimeters were used to quantify water and nutrient leaching from soil cropped to rice (Oryza sativa L) The Anthrosol showed significantly higher P, Ca, Mn, and Zn availability than the Ferralsol increasing biomass production of both cowpea and rice by 38–45% without fertilization (P<005) The soil N contents were also higher in the Anthrosol but the wide C-to-N ratios due to high soil C contents led to immobilization of N Despite the generally high nutrient availability, nutrient leaching was minimal in the Anthrosol, providing an explanation for their sustainable fertility However, when inorganic nutrients were applied to the Anthrosol, nutrient leaching exceeded the one found in the fertilized Ferralsol Charcoal additions significantly increased plant growth and nutrition While N availability in the Ferralsol decreased similar to the Anthrosol, uptake of P, K, Ca, Zn, and Cu by the plants increased with higher charcoal additions Leaching of applied fertilizer N was significantly reduced by charcoal, and Ca and Mg leaching was delayed In both the Ferralsol with added charcoal and the Anthrosol, nutrient availability was elevated with the exception of N while nutrient leaching was comparatively low
1,848 citations
"Application of biochar on mine tail..." refers background in this paper
...According to the authors, BC is a soil conditioner that enhances plant growth by supplying and retaining nutrients and by providing other services such as improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil (Glaser et al., 2002; Lehmann et al., 2003)....
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