The aftermath of surface mining is a wasteland deprived of vegetation, soil structure and biodiversity. The unearthed overburden material is nutrient deprived and can only support the growth of invasive weeds such as Lantana camera which often cause allelopathy. The aim of the study is to prepare biochar from these noxious weeds and use it as an amendment for the mine spoil reclamation. Lantana biochar (LB) was prepared and applied to mine spoil, and Zea mays L. growth on biochar amended mine spoil was monitored for three months. Biochar application in a coal mine spoil using LB is comparatively de novo approach for reclamation practitioners. LB was prepared at varying temperature (250, 350 and 450℃) and residence times (30, 45 and 60 min) and characterized. After characterization, the most recalcitrant biochar at 450℃ for 60 min was chosen for application for the study. A pot trial was conducted to study the effect of LB at 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 g kg −1 dosage on the yield of Zea mays and mine spoil properties. Significant ameliorative effects were observed with increase in organic carbon content (2.9 times), cation exchange capacity (2 times), water holding capacity (0.13 times) and decrease in bulk density (0.5 times) in the mine spoil. The seedling vigour index and germination also increased significantly (p < .05) at 30 g kg −1 biochar treatment compared to control. The study concluded that LB has the potential to remediate coal mine spoils and promote revegetation in degraded land.
The United Nations (UN) launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2015 to be achieved by 2030 for a sustainable future for all. These SDG provide a blueprint for a global plan of action, global peace and social‐economic and environmental justice. Coal mining activities disturb the basic ecosystem and biodiversity of the land. The mining industry, being a temporary user of land, provides ample opportunities to reclaim mine degraded areas to help achieve the 17 SDG of the UN. Our current study aims to broaden understanding, explore and establish links between biochar‐based coal mine restoration and the SDG, and, whenever possible, identify knowledge gaps and research needs. The SDG linked biochar‐based mine restoration can be broadly divided into mitigation and enhancement roles, which can be further classified into direct, moderate and indirect activities. It has been observed that climate action (SDG 13), life on land (SDG 15) and affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) were benefited by biochar‐based restoration. Biochar application improves the physico‐chemical, biological and nutritional properties of the impoverished mine spoil and promotes plant growth. Biochar application reduces the bulk density by 3%–31%, increases the porosity by 14%–64%, pH 1.4–2.5 times and aggregates stability by 3%–226% along with improvements of plant nutrient (NPK). The study showed tremendous opportunities for using biochar‐based coal mine restoration to help achieve each of the SDG.
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