• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.41-49
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• 2022

To abate the environmental burdens arising from CO₂ emissions, biochar offers a strategic means to sequester carbons due to its recalcitrant nature. Also, biochar has a great potential for the use as carbon-based adsorbent because it is a porous material. As such, developing the surface properties of biochar increases a chance to produce biochar with great adsorption performance. Given that biochar is a byproduct in biomass pyrolysis, characteristics of biochar are contingent on pyrolysis operating parameters. In this respect, this work focused on the investigation of surface properties of biochar by controlling temperature and reaction medium in pyrolysis of pine sawdust as case study. In particular, CO₂ was used as reaction medium in pyrolysis process. According to pyrolytic temperature, the surface properties of biochar were indeed developed by CO₂. The biochar engineered by CO₂ showed the improved capability on CO₂ sorption. In addition, CO₂ has an effect on energy recovery by enhancing syngas production. Thus, this study offers the functionality of CO₂ for converting biomass into engineered biochar as carbon-based adsorbent for CO₂ sorption while recovering energy as syngas.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.50-57
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: Biochar is used in various environmental fields, such as water quality and soil restoration, and affects soil fertility and nutrient cycling. Also, when crops are grown on biochar-applied soil, their characteristics may be affected. Biochar is used especially with commercial vegetable seedlings. METHODS AND RESULTS: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of biochar content in seeding mixes on early growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.), and red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Treatments consisted of a control (0: 10, ratio of biochar to seeding mixes (w/w)), 1: 9 (biochar 10%), 3: 7 (biochar 30%), 5: 5 (biochar 50%), and 7: 3 (biochar 70%). The biochar was made from risk husk and had a C/N ratio of 104. As the mixing ratio of biochar increased, pH increased whereas EC and nitrogen content decreased. The highest phosphorus content was with the treatment of 30% biochar, while there were significant increases in the weight of lettuce seedlings and concentrations of T-N, P₂O₅, K₂O, MgO, and Na with the treatments of 30% and 50% biochar. Although the weight of Chinese cabbage seedlings increased with the treatment of 10% biochar, the increase was not statistically significant. Also, there was an increase in the weight of red pepper seedlings with the treatment of 30% biochar, but the increase was not statistically significant. With increases in the biochar mixing ratio, the K₂O concentration of red pepper seedlings increased, but the concentrations of P₂O₅, CaO, MgO, and Na decreased. It was believed that this was because of absorption inhibition by calcium-phosphate formation in the seeding mixes owing to increased pH. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, adding biochar to seeding mixes is considered to be an important mean for growing healthy vegetable seedlings. More field experiments are needed to verify the effect of biochar on vegetable crop growth over the entire growing season.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.293-300
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• 2018

The removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from water using KOH-activated pine tree needle leaves biochar is considered a cost effective and efficient process. In this study, pine tree needle leaves were mixed with 0, 50, 100 and 200% (KOH weight/feedstock weight) of KOH, respectively. Then, the mixture was pyrolyzed at $500^{\circ}C$ for 6 hrs. The adsorption characteristics of 10 VOCs to the biochar were tested. The results indicated that the removal efficiency of the KOH activated biochar was highest in 100% KOH-biochar. The VOC removal efficiencies of 50% and 200% KOH activated biochar were similar and the 0% KOH activated biochar showed the lowest VOC removal. The FTIR results showed that increasing the amount of KOH seemed to enhance the formation of various functional groups, such as -OH, -C=C, -O. The adsorption strength of 10 VOCs to the KOH activated biochar seemed to be increasing by the increase of the solubility of VOCs. This may suggest that the adsorption is taking place in hydrophilic sites of the biochar surface. The KOH activated pine tree needle leaves biochar can be an effective sorbent for VOCs removal in water and 100% KOH mixing seemed to provide better sorption capacity.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.967-976
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• 2023

Biochar is emerging as a promising substance for achieving carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation. It can absorb several nutrients via ion bonding on its surface functional groups, resulting in slow dissociation of the bonds. Biochar, like organic fertilizers, contributes to sustainable nutrient management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of nutrient-coated biochar amendments on leafy vegetables production and soil fertility. The nutrient-coated biochar was produced by soaking rice husk biochar in a nutrient solution containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus, and potassium for 24 hours. Nutrient-coated biochar and organic fertilizers were applied to soil at a rate of 120 kg·N·ha^-1. The growth components of the leafy vegetables showed that nutrient-coated biochar led to the highest fresh weight (FW) of both lettuce and kale (i.e., 146.67 and 93.54 g·plant^-1 FW, respectively). As a result, nutrient-coated biochar amendments led to superior yield compared to the control treatment and organic fertilization. The elemental composition of leafy vegetables revealed that soil amended with nutrient-coated biochar resulted in higher nutrient contents, which was attributed to the high nutrient contents supplied by the rice husk biochar. Soil amendment with nutrient-coated biochar positively enhanced the soil fertility compared to amendment with organic fertilizer. Therefore, nutrient-coated biochar is a promising substance for enhancing agronomic performance of leafy vegetables and improving soil fertility.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2011

Application of biochar to soils is proposed as a significant, long-term, sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems. In addition to reducing emissions and increasing the sequestration of carbon, production of biochar and its application to soils will contribute improve soil quality and crop productivity. Objectives were i) to evaluate biochar productivity from crop residues using a low-cost field scale mobile pyrolyzer and ii) to evaluate characteristics of feedstocks and biochars from locally collected crop residues. Pyrolysis experiments were performed in a reactor operated at $400-500^{\circ}C$ for 3-4 hours using biomass samples of post-harvest residues of corn (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium spp.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Feedstocks differed, but average conversion to biochar was 23%. Carbon content of biomass feedstock and biochar samples were 445 g $kg^{-1}$ and 597 g $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Total carbon content of biochar samples was 34% higher than its feedstock samples. Significant increases were found in P, K, Ca, Mg, and micro-nutrients contents between feedstock and biochar samples. Biochar from corn stems and rice hulls can sequester by 60% and 49% of the initial carbon input into biochar respectively when biochar is incorporated into the soils. Pyrolysis conversion of corn and rice residues sequestered significant amounts of carbon as biochar which has further environmental and production benefits when applied to soils. Field experiment with crop residue biochar will be investigated the stability of biochars to show long-term carbon sequestration and environmental influences to the cropping systems.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.359-365
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• 2017

Biochar has the ability to mitigate climate change, improve crop productivity, and adsorb various contaminants. The aim of this work was to confirm the effect of biochar as a soil amendment on growth of Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis) using a pot experiment. Biochar was produced from residual-wood burnt at a pyrolytic temperature of $400^{\circ}C$ and consisted of 51.6 % carbon (C) by mass. The biochar was added to the soil at 0, 1, 3, and 5% by weight, which represent about 0, 18, 54, and $90t\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. The Chinese cabbage was grown for 49 days in a glasshouse in pots filled with sandy loam soil. Experimental results showed that the residual-wood biochar used for the experiment was slightly alkaline (pH 7.5). The fresh weights of Chinese cabbage were 86.22 g, 84.1 g, 63.23 g and 70.87 g, respectively, for biochar applications at 0, 18, 54, and $90t\;ha^{-1}$. Compared with the control (i.e., no biochar), biochar application increased soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC). Addition of biochar (54 and $90t\;ha^{-1}$) to sandy loam soil had no effect on growth of Chinese cabbage. This might be due to excessive increase of soil pH from the biochar application, leading to reduced availability of plant nutrients. Based on these results, the authors conclude that an excessive addition of biochar may have negative effects on the healthy growth of Chinese cabbage.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.1049-1056
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• 2020

Ultrafine dust causes asthma and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases when inhaled. Ammonia (NH3) plays a big role in ultrafine dust formation in the atmosphere by reacting with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) emitted from various sources. The agricultural sector is the single largest contributor of NH3, with the vast majority of emissions ensuing from fertilizers and livestock sector. Interest in using biochar to attenuate these NH3 emissions has grown. This experiment was conducted to study the effects of using rice hull biochar pyrolyzed at three different temperatures of 250℃ (BP 4.6, biochar pH 4.6), 350℃ (BP 6.8), and 450℃ (BP 10.3) on the emission of ammonia from soil fertilized with urea. The emissions of NH3 initially increased as the experiment progressed but decreased after peaking at the 84th hour. The amount of emitted NH3 was lower in soil with biochar amendments than in that without biochar. Emissions amongst biochar-amended soils were lowest for the BP 6.8 treatment, followed in an ascending order by BP 10.3 and BP 4.6. Since BP 6.8 biochar with neutral pH resulted in the lowest amount of NH3 emitted, it can be concluded that biochar's pH has an effect on the emissions of NH3. The results of this study, therefore, indicate that biochar can abate NH3 emissions and that a neutral pH biochar is more effective at reducing gaseous emissions than either alkaline or acidic biochar.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.351-355
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• 2014

In recent years, biochar has received much attention as soil amendment, enhancing soil fertility and reducing toxicity of heavy metals with its large specific surface area and high pH. Biochar has also the effect of alleviating global warming by carbon sequestration from recycling organic wastes by pyrolysis. However, scattering of fine particles of biochar is a hindrance to expand its use from human health point-of-view. Alginate, a natural polymer without toxicity, has been used for capsulation and hydrogel fabrication due to its cross-linking nature with calcium ion. In this study, the method of cross-linkage between alginate and calcium ion was employed for making dust-free biochar bead. Then an equilibrium adsorption experiment was performed for verifying the adsorption effect of biochar bead on heavy metals (cadmium, copper, lead, arsenic, and zinc). Results showed that biochar bead had effects on adsorbing heavy metals, especially lead, except arsenic.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.219-230
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: Biochar is a solid material converted from agricultural biomass such as crop residues and pruning branch through pyrolysis under limited oxygen supply. Biochar consists of non-degradable carbon (C) double bonds and aromatic ring that are not readily broken down by microbial degradation in the soils. Due to the recalcitrancy of C in biochar, biochar application to the soils is of help in enhancing soil carbon sequestration in arable lands that might be a strategy of agricultural sector to mitigate climate change. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were collected from studies on the effect of biochar application on soil C content conducted in East Asian countries including China, Japan and Korea under different experimental conditions (incubation, column, pot, and field). The magnitude of soil C storage was positively correlated (p < 0.001) with biochar application rate under field conditions, reflecting accumulation of recalcitrant black C in the biochar. However, The changes in soil C contents per C input from biochar (% per t/ha) were 6.80 in field condition, and 12.58 in laboratory condition. The magnitude of increment of soil C was lower in field than in laboratory conditions due to potential loss of C through weathering of biochar under field conditions. Biochar production condition also affected soil C increment; more C increment was found with biochar produced at a high temperature (over 450℃). CONCLUSION: This review suggests that biochar application is a potential measures of C sequestration in agricultural soils. However, as the increment of soil C biochar was affected by biochar types, further studies are necessary to find better biochar types for enhanced soil C storage.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2017

Cotton is the major fiber crop in Pakistan that accounts for 2% of total national gross domestic product (GDP). After picking of cotton, the dry stalks are major organic waste that has no fate except burning to cook food in villages. Present research focuses use of cotton stalks as feedstock for biochar production, its characterization and effects on soil characteristics. Dry cotton stalks collected from agricultural field of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan were combusted under anaerobic conditions at $450^{\circ}C$. The physicochemical analysis of biochar and cotton stalks show higher values of % total carbon, phosphorus and potassium concentrations in biochar as compared to cotton stalks. The concentration of nitrogen was decreased in biochar. Similarly biochar had greater values of fixed carbon that suggest its role for carbon sequestration and as a soil amendment. The fourier transformation infrared spectroscopic spectra (FTIR) of cotton stalks and biochar exposed more acidic groups in biochar as compared to cotton stalks. The newly developed functional groups in biochar have vital role in increasing surface properties, cation exchange capacity, and water holding capacity, and are responsible for heavy metal remediation in contaminated soil. In a further test, results show increase in the water holding capacity and nutrient retention by a sandy soil amended with biochar. It is concluded that cotton stalks can be effectively used to prepare biochar.