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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #309560
Title: Effects of biochar amendment on chloropicrin adsorption and degradation in soil

Author
item LIU, PENGFEI - Southwest Research Institute
item WANG, QIUXIA - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item YAN, DONGDONG - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item FANG, WENSHENG - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item MAO, LIANGANG - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item Wang, Dong
item LI, YUAN - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item OUYANG, CANBIN - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item GUO, MEIXIA - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item CAO, AOCHENG - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences

Submitted to: Energies
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/18/2016
Publication Date: 10/26/2016
Citation: Liu, P., Wang, Q., Yan, D., Fang, W., Mao, L., Wang, D., Li, Y., Ouyang, C., Guo, M., Cao, A. 2016. Effects of biochar amendment on chloropicrin adsorption and degradation in soil. Energies. 9(11):869. doi: 10.3390/en9110869.

Interpretive Summary: Biochar is a carbon-rich and porous material produced by heating organic materials under limited oxygen. Laboratory experiments were carried out to characterize physical and chemical properties of biochars produced under different temperatures and their reactions with a soil fumigant chemical chloropicrin. Results showed that biochar produced at higher temperatures exhibited greater porosity and stronger ability to degrade chloropicrin. The findings can be used to guide selection of biochar as a soil amendment for mitigating negative environmental impact of soil fumigation.

Technical Abstract: Application of biochar in agricultural soil can improve soil properties. The characteristics of biochar vary with pyrolysis temperature. Chloropicrin (CP) is an effective fumigant for controlling soil-borne diseases. We investigated the characteristics of biochars prepared at 300°C, 500°C and 700°C and evaluated the potential influence of biochar amendment at rates of 0, 1, 5, and 100% in sterilized and unsterilized soil on CP degradation. The specific surface area, pore volume, and micropores dramatically increased with increased pyrolytic temperature. The degradation rate constants (k) of CP increased when adding biochar to soil, and the k increased as amendment rate and pyrolysis temperature increased. The results indicate that biochar could accelerate CP degradation, and some chemical reactions occurred between CP and biochar. The findings from the present study will be useful for determining the use of biochar in soil fumigation with CP.