Characterization of biochar produced from sewage sludge and its potential use as a substrate and plant growth improver

verfasst von

Dennis S. Hansen, Ariel E. Turcios, Anna Marie Klamt, Christian Wieth, Kasper Reitzel, Mette H. Thomsen, Jutta Papenbrock

Abstract

Biochar is a product rich in carbon produced by pyrolysis of different kinds of biomass and it modifies the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. In this study, biochar, produced at different pyrolysis temperatures (590 °C, 665 °C, and 765 °C), was physico-chemically characterized. It was explored whether biochar made from sewage sludge can become an alternative solution for future water and phosphorus management in agricultural production. A pot experiment was conducted using Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis) to investigate the effect of applying different biochars to the substrate, taking into account different growth parameters and the biochemical composition of the plants, as well as the physico-chemical properties of the substrate. According to the results, pyrolysis temperature influences the content of elements in biochar and their availability to plants, with total phosphorus contents in biochar ranging from 4.6% to 4.9%. In addition, applying biochar to the substrate significantly increases the volumetric water content up to 4.5 fold more compared to the control, which indicates a promising application in drought stress conditions and, at the same time, is a source of nutrients and can help to reduce the amount of mineral fertilizer application.

Organisationseinheit(en)

Institut für Botanik

Externe Organisation(en)

Aalborg University
University of Southern Denmark
AquaGreen ApS

Typ

Artikel

Journal

Journal of Environmental Management

Band

348

ISSN

0301-4797

Publikationsdatum

15.12.2023

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Environmental engineering, Abfallwirtschaft und -entsorgung, Management, Monitoring, Politik und Recht

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 2 – Kein Hunger

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119271 (Zugang: Geschlossen)