Biochar Aging: Mechanisms, Physicochemical Changes, Assessment, And Implications for Field Applications
Abstract
Biochar has triggered a black gold rush in environmental studies as a carbon-rich material with well-developed porous structure and tunable functionality. While much attention has been placed on its apparent ability to store carbon in the ground, immobilize soil pollutants, and improve soil fertility, its temporally evolving in situ performance in these roles must not be overlooked. After field application, various environmental factors, such as temperature variations, precipitation events and microbial activities, can lead to its fragmentation, dissolution, and oxidation, thus causing drastic changes to the physicochemical properties. Direct monitoring of biochar-amended soils can provide good evidence of its temporal evolution, but this requires long-term field trials. Various artificial aging methods, such as chemical oxidation, wet–dry cycling and mineral modification, have therefore been designed to mimic natural aging mechanisms. Here we evaluate the science of biochar aging, critically summarize aging-induced changes to biochar properties, and offer a state-of-the-art for artificial aging simulation approaches. In addition, the implications of biochar aging are also considered regarding its potential development and deployment as a soil amendment. We suggest that for improved simulation and prediction, artificial aging methods must shift from qualitative to quantitative approaches. Furthermore, artificial preaging may serve to synthesize engineered biochars for green and sustainable environmental applications.
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Biochar itself contains certain proportions of labile carbon that can be easily metabolized by soil microorganisms.
“Firstly, biochar itself contains certain proportions of labile carbon (i.e., aliphatic moieties) that can be easily metabolized by soil microorganisms (Wang et al. 2020f; Zhong et al. 2020).”
From Role of biochar toward carbon neutrality (2023) · cites this paper as Wang et al. 2020f
Biochar as an organic fertilizer delivers necessary inorganic nutrients to plants via dissolution of its ash components.
“Firstly, it delivers necessary inorganic nutrients to plants via dissolution of its ash components (Silber et al. 2010; Wang et al. 2020f).”
From Role of biochar toward carbon neutrality (2023) · cites this paper as Wang et al. 2020f
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- Authors
- Wang, L., O’Connor, D., Rinklebe, J., Ok, Y. S., Tsang, D. C. W., Shen, Z., & Hou, D.
- Affiliations
- Tsinghua University (CN)
- University of Wuppertal , , Pauluskirchstraße 7 , , ,
- Korea University (KR)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Hou, Deyi
- ORCID
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2020-11-03
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 23
- Pages
- 14797-14814
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W3094746761
- Cited by
- 655
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 149 · 2025: 133 · 2024: 107 · 2023: 108 · 2022: 100 · 2021: 57 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 44.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Royal Agricultural University Repository (Royal Agricultural University) (acceptedVersion)
- Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2018YFC1801300)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
- Keywords
- biochar aging, artificial aging, chemical oxidation, wet-dry cycling, mineral modification, soil amendment, carbon sequestration, soil fertility, engineered biochar
- MeSH terms
- Carbon, Charcoal, Soil, Soil Pollutants
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