Occurrence, formation and environmental fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in biochars

Expanding the Analytical Window for Biochar Speciation: Molecular Comparison of Solvent Extraction and Water-Soluble Fractions of Biochar by FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry

“…10 Several studies characterized the toxicity and molecular composition of watersoluble biochar compounds derived from biochar derived from different feeds and pyrolysis temperatures and show wide variability in dissolved organic and inorganic compositions that inhibit aquatic organism growth. 2 Importantly, these studies highlight the need for biochar materials to be free of toxic compounds. 6,11 Environmental impact of widespread biochar application includes the potential for introducing PAHs and other contamination to soils.…”

“…Biochar produced from plant and biomass materials (e.g., grass, agricultural, and forest residues) decomposed at high temperatures is a complex, highly porous, carbon-rich material that has shown potential to increase the water-holding capacity of soils and increase soil cation exchange capacity and plant nutrient-absorbing ability. Additionally, biochar application in agricultural practices has numerous advantages, including improving soil quality, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, increasing crop productivity, and augmentation of soil carbon storage. − Biochar derived from different organic materials has potential use in remediation and restoration of trace element-, organic pollutant-, and crude oil-contaminated soils . Substantial research on biochar as a soil amendment to reduce adverse trace element impacts on plant and human health has increased in recent years due to the capacity of biochar to influence trace element biogeochemical cycling or by functioning as a sorbent for environmental contamination remediation. , Plant uptake on trace elements depends on both soil and biochar properties, and studies have evaluated the potential of biochar to diminish human health hazards due to consuming trace element-contaminated food.…”

“…Below 300 °C, small PAHs are formed, and three or four ring structures form between 300 and 600 °C. − Above 500 °C, larger PAHs are formed through a free radical pathway followed by pyrosynthesis . Several studies characterized the toxicity and molecular composition of water-soluble biochar compounds derived from biochar derived from different feeds and pyrolysis temperatures and show wide variability in dissolved organic and inorganic compositions that inhibit aquatic organism growth . Importantly, these studies highlight the need for biochar materials to be free of toxic compounds. , …”

Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Soybean Cultivation Fertilized with Biochar from Various Utility Plants

“…Processing waste organic matter into biochar before introducing it into the soil is an effective method of stabilizing carbon compounds and increasing the level of sequestration of this element in soil organic matter [52,53]. The problem pointed out by, e.g., [54,55] could be biochar contamination with heavy metals or polyunsaturated aromatic hydrocarbons. The results of the calculations show a significant differentiation in the total GHG emissions converted into CO 2 eq for the adopted system boundary.…”

Insight into biomass feedstock on formation of biochar-bound environmentally persistent free radicals under different pyrolysis temperatures

“…[1][2][3] PFRs are found in many environmental matrices such as atmospheric particulate matter, y ash, and biochar, which are generally generated from combustion and thermal processing of organic materials, so PFRs in environmental matrices are called environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). [1][2][3][4] Free radicals contain one or more unpaired electrons, which results in high chemical reactivity. So EPFRs can induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide radical (O 2 c À ) and hydroxyl radical (cOH), commonly associated with aging, cell damage, and possibly some diseases.…”