Comparative study of pyrochar and hydrochar on peanut seedling growth in a coastal salt-affected soil of Yellow River Delta, China.

Biochar (i.e., pyrochar and hydrochar) application is a promising strategy to improve soil quality and productivity. However, the comparison of biochars with different carbonization methods and feedstocks for the plant growth in the coastal salt-affected soil remains limited. In this study, a 30-day microcosmic experiment was conducted to compare the effects of pyrochars and hydrochars derived from reed straw (RPC and RHC) and cow manure (CPC and CHC) on the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seedling growth in a coastal salt-affected soil of Yellow River Delta, China. The results showed that RPC, CHC and CPC significantly elevated fresh shoot weight by 67.77%-89.37%, whereas the RHC amendment showed little effect. The malondialdehyde contents in peanut seedling leaves were significantly declined by 25.28%-35.51% with pyrochar and hydrochar amendments, which might be associated with the enhanced proline contents and K/Na ratios. The stimulation of certain phytohormones (i.e., indole-3-acetic acid, zeatin riboside, gibberellic acid 3) in peanut seedlings with pyrochar and hydrochar amendments might be attributed to the growth enhancement. RPC, CPC and CHC improved the soil properties and fertility such as cation-exchange capacity (CEC), total nitrogen, and available potassium and water holding capacity (WHC) of the coastal salt-affected soil. However, RHC not only significantly decreased soil CEC and WHC, but also increased soil exchangeable sodium percentage. The abundances of soil beneficial bacteria, such as f_Gemmatimonadacea, Sphingomonas, Blastococcus and Lysobacter were enhanced by RPC, CHC and CPC amendments, which were mainly associated with the increased WHC and CEC. Fungal community was less sensitive to pyrochar and hydrochar amendments than bacterial community according to the relative abundance and diversity, and beneficial fungi, such as Oidiodendron and Sarocladium were enriched in the CHC soil. Overall, the application of RPC, CHC and CPC showed greater potentials for the enhancement of peanut growth in a coastal salt-affected soil.

Effect of biochar and hydrochar from cow manure and reed straw on lettuce growth in an acidified soil.

Soil acidification has become a major environmental and economic concern worldwide. Char materials (e.g biochar, hydrochar) have attracted considerable attention as soil amendments to restore degraded soil. However, the comparative study of biochar and hydrochar on plant growth in acidified soil is limited. In this study, a microcosmic experiment was used to compare the effect of biochar and hydrochar from cow manure (CBC, CHC) and reed straw (RBC, RHC) on the growth of lettuce in the acidified soil. CBC and RHC significantly increased and decreased the biomass of lettuce by 18.7% and 32.5% in the acidified soil, respectively. The increase of the lettuce growth by CBC primarily attributed to the enhancement of soil properties (SOM and pH) and soil nutrient content (Olsen-P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe and Mn). Moreover, CBC enhanced the microbial activity and complexity and increased the abundance of beneficial genera like Gemmatimonas, Ramlibacter and Haliangium, which improved soil health and might indirectly benefited the lettuce growth. Our findings highlighted the priority of char materials feedstock and preparation technology for remediating the acidified soil.

Preparation and characterization of biochar derived from co-pyrolysis of Enteromorpha prolifera and corn straw and its potential as a soil amendment.

Single biomass feedstock approach may not meet the requirements for developing biochar with desired characteristics for use as soil amendment. In this study, biochars were prepared by co-pyrolysis of nutrients-rich Enteromorpha prolifera and lignocellulose-rich corn straw (CPECs) at different mass ratios (3:7, 1:1, and 7:3). CPECs presented higher water-soluble N/P contents than corn straw biochar, and exhibited larger surface area, low Na content, and slower nutrient release rate than Enteromorpha prolifera biochar. The modification in physicochemical and properties of CPECs enhanced its potential application as a soil amendment. A pot experiment showed that CPECs derived from co-pyrolysis of appropriate ratios of Enteromorpha prolifera and corn straw (1:1, 7:3) significantly increased the biomass of cherry tomato plant by 64.05%, 40.03% and 81.88%, 55.25%, when compared with corn straw biochar and Enteromorpha prolifera biochar, respectively. The positive effects of CPECs were primarily attributed to improved soil properties (e.g., water holding capacity, soil organic matter, pH, soil nutrients content) and increased total N/P uptake by plants. The results of this work provided potentials of developing "designer" biochars to meet the multiple soil requirements by co-pyrolysis.

Biochar decreased enantioselective uptake of chiral pesticide metalaxyl by lettuce and shifted bacterial community in agricultural soil.

A 35-day microcosmic experiment was conducted with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and two metalaxyl (MET) enantiomers (R-MET and S-MET) to understand the roles of biochar in the enantioselective fate of chiral pesticides in soil-plant ecosystems. Wood waste-derived biochar (WBC) amendment effectively decreased the shoot concentrations of R-MET/S-MET and their metabolites R-MET/S-MET acid by 57.7-86.3% and 13.3-32.5%, respectively. The reduced uptake was mainly attributed to the decreased bioavailability of R-MET and S-MET. A lower fraction of R-MET was accumulated by the lettuce in the WBC-amended soils relative to the control, suggesting a decrease in the enantioselective uptake of the chiral pesticide MET in the presence of biochar. Regardless of the WBC amendment, no enantiomerization of MET or MET acid occurred. The application of WBC stimulated soil bacterial diversity, shifted the bacterial community, and enhanced the abundance of pesticide degrading bacteria (e.g., Luteimonas, Methylophilus, and Hydrogenophaga), which were responsible for the enantioselective degradation of MET in the soil. This work expands our understanding of the enantioselective fate of chiral pesticides in the biochar-amended soil ecosystems. These findings can be used to develop biochar-based technologies to remediate soils contaminated with these chiral pesticides to ensure food safety.

Biochar and fertilizer improved the growth and quality of the ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.) shoots in a coastal soil of Yellow River Delta, China.

Coastal soil is an important land reserve that may be used to alleviate the shortage of cultivated land; however, this soil is stressed by saline conditions and nutrient deficiency. Biochar offers the potential to reclaim coastal soil, but the response of plant growth to biochar addition in salt-affected soil is species-dependent. In this study, the response of ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.), an economically valuable halophyte that grows in the coastal soil of the Yellow River Delta, to wood chip biochar (WBC) either alone or in combination with chemical fertilizer was investigated using a 90-day pot experiment. The WBC enhanced the growth of ice plants in the coastal soil, but combining it with chemical fertilizer did not increase its effect. The nutritional quality of the plants was improved by the addition of WBC, regardless of whether chemical fertilizer was applied; moreover, WBC amendment enhanced photosynthesis and reduced the oxidative stress of the plants. The ameliorated soil properties (e.g., soil organic matter and water holding capacity) and increased contents of available macronutrients (e.g., P and K) and micronutrients (e.g., Mg, Mn, B and Zn) resulting from soil amendment with WBC may have contributed to the enhanced growth and quality of the ice plants. Additionally, in soil modified with WBC, an increased abundance of beneficial taxa (e.g., Erythrobacter, Sphingomonas and Lysobacter) and a shift in the microbial community may also have helped to improve the growth and quality of the ice plants. The results of our study provide useful information for developing a biochar-based technology to use in combination with valuable halophytes to reclaim degraded coastal soil and enhance food security.

Biochar reduced Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) uptake and dissipation of thiamethoxam in an agricultural soil.

Information about the effect of biochar on the environmental fate of pesticide thiamethoxam (THI) in soil-vegetable ecosystems is limited. Therefore, the influence of a wood-derived biochar produced at 450 °C (BC450) on the uptake of THI by Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and its dissipation in soil was investigated using a 42-day pot experiment. BC450 addition decreased THI uptake and its metabolite clothianidin (CLO) by 22.8 % and 37.6 %, respectively. However, the half-life of THI in soil rose from 89.4-120 days, indicating that BC450 increased soil THI's persistence. The decreased bioavailability and increased persistence of THI resulted mainly from the higher sorption capacity of BC450 to THI and CLO, which, in turn, enhanced the soil sorption capacity. Consequently, the application of BC450 increased the soil microbial diversity and altered the structure of the microbial community. Although the abundance of Actinobacteria associated with the biodegradation of THI, increased the persistence of THI in the BC450-amended soil, mainly due to the decrease in bioavailable THI. Our findings provide valuable information about the effect of biochar on the fate of THI and its metabolites in agricultural soil and will help to guide the practical application of biochar to remediate soils contaminated with neonicotinoid pesticides.

Effect of Biochar on the Enantioselective Soil Dissipation and Lettuce Uptake and Translocation of the Chiral Pesticide Metalaxyl in Contaminated Soil.

Enantioselectivity is usually ignored when assessing potential biochar-based methods of redressing pesticide contamination of soils. In this study, the effect of woodchip biochar (WBC) on the enantioselective dissipation of metalaxyl in soil and its uptake and translocation by lettuce were investigated. S-metalaxyl (T1/2 = 29.8 days) dissipated more quickly than R-metalaxyl (T1/2 = 36.4 days) in unamended soil. The addition of WBC to the soil decreased the dissipation rate and the enantioselectivity of metalaxyl. Metalaxyl distribution showed opposing enantioselectivity in lettuce, with roots and shoots showing preferences for R-metalaxyl and S-metalaxyl, respectively. Enrichment with WBC decreased the concentrations of metalaxyl and metalaxyl acid enantiomers in lettuce and reduced the ability of the shoots to transport the highly toxic R-metalaxyl from roots. This is the first study to provide evidence that amending soil with biochar affects the enantioselective uptake and translocation of a chiral pesticide.

Rapid removal of triazine pesticides by P doped biochar and the adsorption mechanism.

Biochar is an adsorbent widely used to remove contaminants from polluted water. A series of biochar from corn straw, corncob and corn starch was prepared through one-step pyrolysis. The biochar was characterized, and the capacity for triazine pesticide (TRZ) removal from water was compared. P doped biochar from corn straw (CSWP) was able to remove six TRZs (>96%) from water after shaking five times. The removal was more rapid than that by four other commonly used adsorbents. The physicochemical properties of CSWP were characterized systematically, and carboxyl and metaphosphates on CSWP were found to provide adsorption sites. The experimental data were best fitted by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich model. Adsorption equilibrium of atrazine on CSWP occurred within 20 min, and the maximum adsorption capacity reached up to 79.6 mg g-1 at 25 °C. The adsorption mechanism of CSWP for atrazine includes Van der Waals' forces, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions and pore filling. CSWP can be reused at least five times and shows strong potential as a candidate for the rapid and efficient removal of TRZs.

Mesoporous activated carbon from starch for superior rapid pesticides removal.

Pesticides contamination of water has caused considerable concern due to the potential hazard to human health. For the first time, mesoporous activated carbon from starch (ACS) was applied to remove pesticides from water. ACS could remove 11 pesticides rapidly (shake five times). The adsorption rates of ACS (>80%) for the 11 pesticides were higher than those of other adsorbents, including commercial activated carbon (AC), graphitised carbon black (GCB), C18, and primary secondary amine adsorbent (PSA). The mechanisms of the adsorption process for pyraclostrobin were also investigated. The pseudo-second-order model could better describe the adsorption for pyraclostrobin (R2 = 0.99950). Langmuir model gave the best fit for the isotherm data (R2 = 0.99899). Our findings demonstrate that oxygen-containing functional groups, N atom and π-bonding network of benzene promoted the adsorption. The adsorption efficiency of the ACS for 11 pesticides was still over 80% after five cycles.

A carbonised sieve-like corn straw cellulose-graphene oxide composite for organophosphorus pesticide removal.

The development of efficient adsorbents for the removal of organophosphorus pesticides from water is a major challenge. In this work, we prepared an activated carbon derived from sieve-like cellulose/graphene oxide composites (ACCE/G) for the removal of several organophosphorus pesticides. We employed corn straw to produce a sieve-like cellulose-graphene oxide composite (CCE/G); then, by treating CCE/G with potassium hydroxide at high temperatures, the efficient adsorbent ACCE/G was prepared. The adsorption capacity of ACCE/G is higher than those of other sorbents, including a multi-wall carbon nanotube, graphitised carbon black, activated carbon, C18, and primary secondary amine adsorbent. The ACCE/G structure has been fully characterised via scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. The maximum adsorption capacity of ACCE/G is 152.5 mg g-1 for chlorpyrifos. The mechanism, the thermodynamic properties, and the kinetics of the adsorption process have been investigated as well. Our findings demonstrate that the adsorption mechanism depends on the electron-donating abilities of the S and P atoms. Moreover, the Langmuir model gives the best fit for the isotherm data, and the adsorption efficiency of the ACCE/G is still over 80% after eight times of recycling, making ACCE/G a valuable candidate for the removal of OPPs.