The DOI matches its Crossref record; 89 of the 90 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Effects of temperature and processing conditions on biochar chemical properties and their influence on soil C and N transformations
Abstract
There have been limited studies of how the pyrolysis process and activation conditions affect the chemical properties of biochar and how these properties alter soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) transformations when used as an amendment. This study compared the chemical properties of biochars produced through slow pyrolysis at 200, 400 and 600 °C, in the presence or absence of steam and CO2 activation at 800 °C. Quantitative solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and elemental analysis were used to evaluate processing condition effects on biochar chemical properties. Biochars were added at a rate of 0.75% by weight and soils were incubated for 28 d, during which soil inorganic N and CO2 and N2O emissions were determined. Thereafter, adsorption of ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−)−N were investigated further. While constituents of biochar feedstock were not altered at pyrolysis temperature of 200 °C, NMR data showed that biochars produced at 400 and 600 °C converted >82% of labile C constituents to aromatic C structures, which increased their recalcitrance. Also the later pyrolysis temperatures increased biochar cation exchange capacity (CEC) and pH, however, exposure to steam and CO2 activation decreased their CEC. Compared to unamended soil, amendment with biochar produced at 200 °C significantly increased cumulative CO2 and N2O emissions by more than 3 fold, whereas those produced at 400 °C had no effect on CO2 emissions but had a similar effect on cumulative N2O emissions. Biochar produced at 600 °C had no effect on either CO2 or N2O emissions. In contrast, activation of biochar significantly decreased cumulative CO2 emissions by 18%. Amendment with biochars produced at 400 and 600 °C and activated biochars significantly decreased soil inorganic N, which was attributed to their increased adsorptive capacity for NH4+ by 62–81%. This study highlights the importance of production conditions for designing biochars for use as amendments to sequester soil C and N, by promoting the formation of stable soil organic matter and by increasing retention of soil inorganic N. From a soil amendment perspective, this study suggests that activation of biochar did not benefit soil C and N transformations.
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“Compared to the unamended soil, amendment with biochar (produced at 200 o C and 400 o C from oak wood feedstock) significantly increased N2O emissions, but biochar produced at a higher temperature (600 o C) did not show such effect on N2O emissions (Zhang et al., 2015).”
From A review on biochar modulated soil condition improvements and nutrient dynamics concerning crop yields: Pathways to climate change mitigation and global food security (2019) · cites this paper as Zhang et al., 2015
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Mechanisms of metal sorption by biochars: Biochar characteristics and modifications
Li, H., Dong, X., da Silva, E. B., de Oliveira, L. M., Chen, Y., & Ma, L. Q. (2017) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.072 · Cited by 1,888
Biochar to improve soil fertility. A review
Ding, Y., Liu, Y., Liu, S., Li, Z., Tan, X., Huang, X., Zeng, G., Zhou, L., & Zheng, B. (2016) · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · doi:10.1007/s13593-016-0372-z · Cited by 1,144
Siedt, M., Schäffer, A., Smith, K. E. C., Nabel, M., Roß-Nickoll, M., & van Dongen, J. T. (2021) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141607 · Cited by 563
Shaheen, S. M., Niazi, N. K., Hassan, N. E. E., Bibi, I., Wang, H., Tsang, D. C. W., Ok, Y. S., Bolan, N., & Rinklebe, J. (2019) · International Materials Reviews · doi:10.1080/09506608.2018.1473096 · Cited by 527
Biochemical cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus in biochar-amended soils
Gul, S., & Whalen, J. K. (2016) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.08.001 · Cited by 519
Metadata
- Authors
- Zhang, H., Voroney, R. P., & Price, G. W.
- Affiliations
- University of Guelph (CA)
- Dalhousie University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Voroney, R.P.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Soil Biology and Biochemistry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-04
- Volume
- 83
- Pages
- 19-28
- ISSN
- 0038-0717 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1986895839
- Cited by
- 238
- References
- 90
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 21.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Soil Biology and Biochemistry (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Chinese Scholarship Council (2009635099)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Fuel Technology › Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Keywords
- biochar, pyrolysis temperature, steam activation, CO2 activation, soil carbon sequestration, soil nitrogen retention, nitrous oxide emissions, CO2 emissions, ammonium adsorption, nitrate adsorption, cation exchange capacity, aromatic carbon, soil amendment, soil mineral nitrogen, soil organic matter stability, solid-state 13C NMR
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