Steam activation of biochars facilitates kinetics and pH-resilience of sulfamethazine sorption

Purpose

Sulfamethazine (SMT) is increasingly detected in environmental matrices due to its versatile use as antibiotics. We aimed to investigate the benefits and roles of steam activation of biochars with respect to SMT sorption kinetics and equilibrium sorption.

Materials and methods

Biochars were produced from burcucumber plant and tea waste using a pyrolyzer at a temperature of 700 °C for 2 h. The biochar samples were treated with 5 mL min^?1 of steam for an additional 45 min for post-synthesis steam activation. The SMT sorption on the unmodified and steam activated biochars were compared.

Results and discussion

The time taken to reach equilibrium was significantly less for steam activated biochars (～4 h) than non-activated biochars (>24 h). Up to 98 % of SMT could be removed from aqueous solutions by steam activated biochars. The sorption kinetic behaviors were well described by the pseudo-second model and SMT sorption rates of steam activated biochars (k ₂?～?1.11–1.57 mg g^?1 min^?1) were significantly higher than that of the unmodified biochars (k ₂?～?0.04–0.11 mg g^?1 min^?1) because of increased availability of accessible porous structure with averagely larger pore diameters. Moreover, the equilibrium sorption on the unmodified biochars was significantly influenced by increasing solution pH (～30–50 % reduction) because of speciation change of SMT, whereas steam activated biochars manifested much stronger sorption resilience against pH variation (～2–4 % reduction only) because the enhanced porosity offset the effect of unfavorable electrostatic repulsion.

Conclusions

The observed features of steam activated biochars would render their applications more versatile and reliable in field throughout changeable environmental conditions.

     

Role of woody biochar and fungal-bacterial co-inoculation on enzyme activity and metal immobilization in serpentine soil

Purpose

In this study, we investigated the effect of biochar (BC) and fungal bacterial co-inoculation (FB) on soil enzymatic activity and immobilization of heavy metals in serpentine soil in Sri Lanka.

Materials and methods

A pot experiment was conducted with tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) at 1, 2.5, and 5 % (w/w) BC ratios. Polyphenol oxidase, catalase and dehydrogenase activities were determined by idometric, potassium permanganate oxidisable, and spectrophotometric methods, respectively. Heavy metal concentrations were assessed by 0.01 M CaCl₂ and sequential extraction methods.

Results and discussion

An increase in BC application reduced polyphenol oxidase, dehydrogenase, and catalase activity. The application of FB increased soil dehydrogenase activity, with the maximum activity found in 1 % BC700?+?FB treatment. Moreover, the CaCl₂ extractable metals (Ni, Mn, and Cr) in 5 % BC700 amended soil decreased by 92, 94, and 100 %, respectively, compared to the control. Sequential extraction showed that the exchangeable concentrations of Ni, Mn, and Cr decreased by 55, 70, and 80 % in 5 % BC700, respectively.

Conclusions

Results suggest that the addition of BC to serpentine soil immobilizes heavy metals and decreases soil enzymatic activities. The addition of FB to serpentine soil improves plant growth by mitigating heavy metal toxicity and enhancing soil enzymatic activities.

     

Influence of soil water content and soil amendments on trace metal release and seedling growth in serpentine soil

Journal of Soils and Sediments - This study was conducted to evaluate the synergistic effects of organic amendments and soil water status on trace metal release from serpentine soil. Two organic...     

Aging effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on phosphorus fractionation in a calcareous sandy loam soil

In most arid and semiarid soils, naturally occurring phosphorus(P) is a major yield-limiting plant nutrient. In this study, to investigate the effects of organic(OP) and inorganic P(IP) sources on P fractionation, a calcareous sandy loam alkaline soil was fertilized with OP and IP fertilizers at low(80 mg P kg~(-1) soil) and high(160 mg P kg~(-1) soil) application rates. Three combinations of OP and IP(i.e., 75% OP + 25% IP, 50% OP + 50% IP, and 25% OP + 75% IP) were applied at low and high application rates,respectively, followed by soil aging for 21 d. Soil samples were collected after 1, 2, 3, 7, and 21 d and subjected to sequential extraction to analyze soluble and exchangeable, Fe-and Al-bound, Ca-bound, and residual P fractions. The soluble and exchangeable P fraction significantly increased up to 24.3%, whereas the Ca-bound fraction decreased up to 40.7% in the soils receiving 75% OP + 25% IP and 50% OP + 50% IP, respectively, compared with the control(receiving no P fertilizer). However, the transformation of P fractions was influenced by aging time. Addition of P sources caused instant changes in different P fractions, which then tended to decline with aging time. Change in soil p H was the limiting factor in controlling P availability. At high application rate, the OP source significantly increased soil P availability compared with the IP source with soil aging. Depending on P fractionation, a proper combination of OP and IP fertilizers, as long-term slow and instant P-releasing sources for plant uptake, respectively, may be a sustainable strategy to meet crop P requirements in the arid and semiarid soils.     

Technological innovation for soil/sediment remediation

Journal of Soils and Sediments -     

Soil Enzyme Activities in Waste Biochar Amended Multi-Metal Contaminated Soil; Effect of Different Pyrolysis Temperatures and Application Rates

Woody biochars derived by pyrolyzing Gliricidia sepium at 300°C and 500°C and a waste byproduct of same biomass from a bioenergy industry (BC700) were tested for their effect on soil enzymes activities and available form of heavy metals in multi-metals contaminated soil. Pot experiments were conducted during 6 weeks with tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) at biochar application rates, 1, 2.5, and 5% (w/w). A reduction in polyphenol oxidase with biochars produced at increasing pyrolysis temperature compared to the control whereas the maximum activity of dehydrogenase and catalase was observed in 1% BC500 and 2.5% BC300, respectively. Soil available form of Ni, Mn, and Cr were reduced by 55, 70% and 80% in 5% BC700 amended soil, respectively. The highest geometric mean of enzyme activities was observed in 2.5% BC300 treatment. Overall the application of high dosages of high temperature derived biochar masks/deteriorates soil enzyme activities but immobilizes bioavailable heavy metals and reduces toxicity.     

Bioenergy-derived waste biochar for reducing mobility,bioavailability, and phytotoxicity of chromium in anthropized tannery soil

Purpose

This study was aimed to investigate the potential of biochar (BC), a waste byproduct of a bioenegy industry, Sri Lanka, as a soil amendment to immobilize and reduce the phytotoxicity of Cr in tannery waste-polluted soil (TWS).

Materials and methods

The TWS and bioenergy waste BC were characterized for physio-chemical parameters. A pot experiment was conducted by adding three BC application rates, 1, 2.5, and 5 % (w/w) to investigate the immobilizing capacity and bioaccumulation of chromium (Cr) in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum L.). Soils and plants were digested via microwave digestion and analyzed for total Cr. Further, sequential extraction was conducted to assess the fractionation of Cr before and after the application of bioenergy waste BC on TWS.

Results and discussion

The total Cr concentration in TWS was 12,285 mg/kg. The biomass of tomato plants grown in the 5 % BC amendment doubled compared to the biomass in BC-unamended soil. Bioaccumulation of Cr in plants grown in 5 % BC-amended TWS showed a decrease by 97 % compared to that of the BC-unamended soil. The CaCl₂ extractability of Cr indicated that the bioavailability of Cr in the 5 % BC amendment has decreased by 68 % compared to the control. Sequentially extracted Cr in the exchangeable fraction decreased by 98 % in the 5 % BC amendment.

Conclusions

Pore diffusion, and adsorption via π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions were the primary mechanisms to be involved in the Cr retention in BC. Results suggested that the addition of BC to TWS reduces the mobility, bioavailability, and phytotoxicity of Cr in tomato plants.