epa gro presentation
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EPA GRO Soil Quality Research Internship
By Mary Beliveau
Who am I?Seton Hall University, class of 2014International Relations,
Environmental studies concentration
Spring 2013- Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management
Redwood Ntl’ Forest, CA Bald Hill, Corvallis,
San Francisco, CA
Smith Rocks, OR
Crater Lake, OR
Mckenzie river, OR
Eugene, OR
Smith Rocks, OR
Personal MotivationInterest in:
◦Biofuels◦Rural
development◦Sustainable
agricultural practices
◦Soil remediation
Why biochar?“Biochar is a charcoal which can be
applied to soil for both agricultural and environmental gains” (International Biochar Initiative)
Importance:◦Soil amendment
Agricultural profitability◦Carbon sequestration
>10,000 years◦Soil remediation◦Surface and ground water protection
The history of biocharAmazon basin
◦Terra Preta- Biochar + human/animal waste, green manure, hunting & fishing remains, and Ca
Islands of Japan◦Haigoe- human
waste + rice husk biochar/biochar powder= planting on wheat/other crops
Ongoing ProjectsCharcoal separationBiochar production: Time vs.
Temp studySoil-Biochar-Plant Study
Charcoal SeparationPurpose:
◦ To understand what gives soil charcoal its stability Natural carbon used as a
model for engineering biochar for the purpose of long-term C sequestration
◦ Chemical Properties Age Elemental Chemistry Surface Chemistry Extent of aromaticity
ResultsField Site Forest Type Horizon Depth (cm) Rep 14C age
Cascade Head Douglas-fir AB 30 - 56 2 4135
Cascade Head Douglas-fir AB 30 - 56 3 11605
Cascade Head Sitka Spruce Bw1 38 - 58 1 1365
Cascade Head Alder BA 33 - 71 1 7315
Moose Mounatin Douglas-fir Bw1 44 - 73 1 2425
Moose Mounatin Douglas-fir Bw1 44 - 73 2 2135
Toad Road Douglas-fir Bw1 42 - 83 1 7610
Time vs. Temperature
What the literature says:◦ “Increasing the charring temperature only
shortened the time required to produce a spectrum of completely charred material”
◦ “During the charring process at a given temperature, the carbon and oxygen content decrease with time”- Also O/C ratio increases
◦ “During the early stages of charring, aliphatic carbon is both lost to volatilization and converted to solid phase fused-ring aromatic carbons. With longer duration of charring, aromatic carbon is also lost”
Purpose of the studyHow does time and temperature
effect the properties of biochar◦Does biochar made at a lower
temperature for a longer period of time contain the same properties as biochar made at higher temperatures?
Feedstocks300°C 500°C 700°C
1 hour 8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
24 hours 8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
72 hours 8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
120 hours 8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
168 hours 8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
8 feedstocks
Results: Yield300°C 500°
C700°C
1h 45.04 31.88 28.35
24h 30.54 13.90 10.82
72h 8.13 5.90 6.23
120h
Miscanthus: Percent Yield 300°C 500°C 700°C
1h 44.38 35.52 30.79
24h 38.56 25.01 23.05
72h 11.15 8.47 2.63
120h7.46
300°C 500°C 700°C
1h 49.47 33.07 29.23
24h 38.04 22.48 22.61
72h 21.15 4.06 3.38
120h 5.49
Hazelnut Shells: Percent Yield
300°C 500°C 700°C
1h 43.27 31.20 26.93
24h 33.60 10.87 9.38
72h 20.38 2.81 3.01
120h
Oregon White Oak: Percent Yield
Douglas Fir: Percent Yield
Results: Yield
1h 24h 72h 120h0
1020304050
Hazelnut Shells: Yield
300°C500°C700°C
Perc
enta
ge Y
ield
(%
)
1h 24h 72h 120h0
20
40
60
Oregon White Oak: Yield
300°C500°C700°C
Perc
enta
ge Y
ield
(%
)
1h 24h 72h0
1020304050Miscanthus: Yield
300°C500°C700°C
Perc
enta
ge Y
ield
(%
)
1h 24h 72h0
1020304050Douglas Fir: Yield
300°C500°C700°C
Perc
enta
ge Y
ield
(%
)
Results: CharacterizationProximate
Carbon◦Volatile Carbon◦Fixed Carbon◦Ash Content
FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer)
Soil-Biochar-Plant Study
Can biochar improve fertility and crop production, sequester carbon and be protective of water quality?
BiocharsFeedstock 350 °C Biochar 500 °C Biochar 700 °C Biochar
Pelletized Pine Chips (PC) Yes Yes Yes
Pelletized Poultry Litter (PL) Yes Yes Yes
Pelletized Swine Solids (SS) Yes Yes Yes
Pelletized Switchgrass (SG) Yes Yes Yes
Pelletized Blend of50% Pine Chips and 50%
Poultry Litter(50 PC:50PL)
Yes Yes Yes
Pelletized Blend of80% Pine Chips and 20%
Poultry Litter(80 PC:20PL)
Yes Yes Yes
CropsCorn- agricultural cropSoybean- agricultural cropCarrot- directly consumed cropLettuce- directly consumed crop
The Soils: Norfolk and Coxville
Sandy, coastal plain soilsHave been used in agricultural production for over 100 years
Low soil C contentLow water holding capacity
Low fertility
Understanding our soilsWater holding propertiesHow to measure soil moisture
contentPlant seeding and germination
protocols◦Germination problems: soil saturation
and anoxia Norfolk soil:
Watering from below Mist bench watering Hand watering with misting nozzle
Preparation: Weighing the soil
2 soils * 19 biochars (18 biochars and 1 control) * 4 crops * 6 trials = 912 pots
1% biochar by weight◦ Equivalent to 20 metric tons
of biochar per hectareCorn and soybean- 900g soil
& 9.00g biocharCarrot and lettuce- 450g soil
& 4.50g biochar
The Study 60 days Measure germination
rates Quantify plant growth Measure soil chemistry Measure soil leachate
chemistry Quantify above- and
belowground plant yields
Measure plant chemistry
Quantify PAHs in plants and leachates
Characterize the surface chemistry of post-study biochar
Question: Do plants promote the oxidation of the biochar?
How the Internship has helped meInterest in researchLearned the many factors that go
into implementing a single project◦Organizational skills
Hands-on experience with scientific processes◦Soil chemistry
Understanding the “science beyond the policy”◦The process from Start Finish!
ReferencesPyrolysis for Biochar Purposes: A Review to
Establish Current Knowledge Gaps and Research Needs, Manya, 2012, Environmental Science and Technology
Biochar Application to Soil Paul Blackwell, Glen Riethmuller and Mike Collins, Biochar for Environmental Management, 2010, (pg 207-226)
Effect of formation conditions on biochars: Compositional and structural properties of cullulose, lignin, and pine biochars, David W. Rutherford, Robert L. Wershar, Colleen E. Rostad, Charlene N. Kelly, May 2012