Abstract
Nitrogen (N) loss as ammonia (NH3) from agricultural systems is one of the major sources of atmospheric pollutants and is responsible for more than 50% of global NH3 emissions. Ammonia volatilization from animal manures may be altered by amendment with chars derived from pyrolysis (pyrochars) or hydrothermal carbonization (hydrochars) by providing exchange sites for ammonium (NH4+) or changing the pH of manure. Pyrochar and hydrochar differ in chemical and structural composition, specific surface area, and pH and therefore may affect NH3 volatilization differently. In a laboratory incubation experiment, we investigated the effect of pyrochar (pH 9.0) and hydrochar (pH 3.8) from Miscanthus on NH3 emission after addition to poultry manure and cattle slurry. We analyzed manure treatments with and without char addition and acidification and determined the effect of char addition on immobilization of manure-derived NH4+. Ammonia emission from pure poultry manure amounted 84% of the applied NH4+-N, while 67% of the applied NH4+-N was lost as NH3 from cattle slurry. Addition of pyrochar or hydrochar had no or only marginal effects on NH3 emissions except for a reduction in NH3 emissions by 19% due to hydrochar application to CS (p < 0.05), which seems to be primarily related to the char pH. Sorption of NH4+ by admixture of chars to manure was generally small: between 0.1- and 0.5-mg NH4+-N g−1 chars were sorbed. This corresponds to between 0.1 and 3.5% of the NH4+ applied, which obviously was not strong enough to reduce emissions of NH3. Overall, our results do not provide evidence that addition of pyrochar or hydrochar to cattle slurry and poultry manure is an effective measure to reduce NH3 volatilization.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asada T, Ishihara S, Yamane T, Toba A, Yamada A, Oikawa K (2002) Science of bamboo charcoal: study on carbonizing temperature of bamboo charcoal and removal capability of harmful gases. J Health Sci 48:473–479. https://doi.org/10.1248/jhs.48.473
Bandosz TJ, Petit C (2009) On the reactive adsorption of ammonia on activated carbons modified by impregnation with inorganic compounds. J Colloid Interface Sci 338:329–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2009.06.039
Bargmann I, Rillig MC, Kruse A, Greef JM, Kücke M (2014) Effects of hydrochar application on the dynamics of soluble nitrogen in soils and on plant availability. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 177:48–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201300069
Beusen AHW, Bouwman AF, Heuberger PSC, Van Drecht G, Van Der Hoek KW (2008) Bottom-up uncertainty estimates of global ammonia emissions from global agricultural production systems. Atmos Environ 42:6067–6077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.03.044
Bouwman AF, Lee DS, Asman WAH, Dentener FJ, Van Der Hoek KW, Olivier JGJ (1997) A global high-resolution emission inventory for ammonia. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 11:561–587. https://doi.org/10.1029/97GB02266
Brosse N, Dufour A, Meng X, Sun Q, Ragauskas A (2012) Miscanthus: a fast- growing crop for biofuels and chemicals production. Biofuels Bioprod Biorefin 6:580–598. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1353
Burger M, Jackson LE (2003) Microbial immobilization of ammonium and nitrate in relation to ammonification and nitrification rates in organic and conventional cropping systems. Soil Biol Biochem 35:29–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00233-X
Cantrell KB, Hunt PG, Uchimiya M, Novak JM, Ro KS (2012) Impact of pyrolysis temperature and manure source on physicochemical characteristics of biochar. Bioresour Technol 107:419–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2011.11.084
Cao XY, Ro KS, Chappell M, Li YA, Mao JD (2011) Chemical structures of swine-manure chars produced under different carbonization conditions investigated by advanced solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Energy Fuel 25:388–397. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef101342v
Cassity-Duffey K, Cabrera M, Mowrer J, Kissel D (2015) Titration and spectroscopic measurements of poultry litter pH buffering capacity. J Environ Qual 44:1283–1292. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2014.11.0463
Chen CR, Phillips IR, Condron LM, Goloran J, Xu ZH, Chan KY (2013) Impacts of greenwaste biochar on ammonia volatilisation from bauxite processing residue sand. Plant Soil 367:301–312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1468-0
Cheng CH, Lehmann J (2009) Ageing of black carbon along a temperature gradient. Chemosphere 75:1021–1027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.01.045
Chowdhury MA, de Neergaard A, Jensen LS (2014) Potential of aeration flow rate and bio-char addition to reduce greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions during manure composting. Chemosphere 97:16–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.10.030
Chun Y, Sheng G, Chiou CT, Xing B (2004) Compositions and sorptive properties of crop residue-derived chars. Environ Sci Technol 38:4649–4655. https://doi.org/10.1021/es035034w
Commission of the European Communities (2005) Communication from the commission to the council and the European Parliament—thematic strategy on air pollution. URL: http://www.central2013.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Downloads/Document_Centre/OP_Resources/03_Thematic_strategy_on_air_pollution_com_en.pdf
Dai XR, Blanes-Vidal V (2013) Emissions of ammonia, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide from swine wastewater during and after acidification treatment: effect of pH, mixing and aeration. J Environ Manag 115:147–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.11.019
Ding Y, Liu Y-X, Wu W-X, Shi D-Z, Yang M, Zhong Z-K (2010) Evaluation of biochar effects on nitrogen retention and leaching in multi-layered soil columns. Water Air Soil Pollut 213:47–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0366-4
Doydora SA, Cabrera ML, Das KC, Gaskin JW, Sonon LS, Miller WP (2011) Release of nitrogen and phosphorus from poultry litter amended with acidified biochar. Int J Environ Res Public Health 8:1491–1502. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph8051491
Eibisch N, Helfrich M, Don A, Mikutta R, Kruse A, Ellerbrock R, Flessa H (2013) Properties and degradability of hydrothermal carbonization products. J Environ Qual 42:1565–1573. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2013.02.0045
Eibisch N, Schroll R, Fuß R, Mikutta R, Helfrich M, Flessa H (2015) Pyrochars and hydrochars differently alter the sorption of the herbicide isoproturon in an agricultural soil. Chemosphere 119:155–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.05.059
Erisman JW, Bleeker A, Hensen A, Vermeulen A (2008) Agricultural air quality in Europe and the future perspectives. Atmos Environ 42:3209–3217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.04.004
Fenn LB, Matocha JE, Wu E (1981) A comparison of calcium carbonate precipitation and pH depression on calcium-reduced ammonia loss from surface-applied urea. Soil Sci Soc Am J 45:1128–1131. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1981.03615995004500060023x
Ferguson RB, Kissel DE, Koelliker JK, Basel W (1984) Ammonia volatilization from surface-applied urea: effect of hydrogen ion buffering capacity. Soil Sci Soc Am J 48:578–582. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1984.03615995004800030022x
Glaser B, Lehmann J, Zech W (2002) Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal—a review. Biol Fertil Soil 35:219–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-002-0466-4
Gronwald M, Don A, Tiemeyer B, Helfrich M (2015) Effects of fresh and aged chars from pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization on nutrient sorption in agricultural soils. Soil 1:475–489. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-475-2015
Hale SE, Alling V, Martinsen V, Mulder J, Breedveld GD, Cornelissen G (2013) The sorption and desorption of phosphate-P, ammonium-N and nitrate-N in cacao shell and corn cob biochars. Chemosphere 91:1612–1619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.12.057
Holm S (1979) A Simple sequentially rejective multiple test procedure. Scand J Stat 6:65–70. https://doi.org/10.2307/4615733
Horlacher D, Marschner H (1990) Schätzrahmen zur Beurteilung von Ammoniakverlusten nach Ausbringung von Rinderflüssigmist. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 153:107–115. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.19901530209
Huang T, Gao B, Hu X-K, Lu X, Well R, Christie P, Bakken LR, Ju X-T (2014) Ammonia-oxidation as an engine to generate nitrous oxide in an intensively managed calcareous Fluvo-aquic soil. Sci Rep 4 doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep03950
Jordan G, Predotova M, Ingold M, Goenster S, Dietz H, Joergensen RG, Buerkert A (2015) Effects of activated charcoal and tannin added to compost and to soil on carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and ammonia volatilization. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 178:218–228. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201400233
Juang TC, Wang MK, Chen HJ, Tan CC (2001) Ammonium fixation by surface soils and clays. Soil Sci 166:345–352. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-200105000-00005
Kai P, Pedersen P, Jensen JE, Hansen MN, Sommer SG (2008) A whole-farm assessment of the efficacy of slurry acidification in reducing ammonia emissions. Eur J Agron 28:148–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2007.06.004
Karaca S, Gurses A, Ejder M, Acikyildiz M (2004) Kinetic modeling of liquid-phase adsorption of phosphate on dolomite. J Colloid Interface Sci 277:257–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2004.04.042
Kastner JR, Miller J, Das KC (2009) Pyrolysis conditions and ozone oxidation effects on ammonia adsorption in biomass generated chars. J Hazard Mater 164:1420–1427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.09.051
Keiluweit M, Nico PS, Johnson MG, Kleber M (2010) Dynamic molecular structure of plant biomass-derived black carbon (biochar). Environ Sci Technol 44:1247–1253. https://doi.org/10.1021/es9031419
Kithome M, Paul JW, Bomke AA (1999) Reducing nitrogen losses during simulated composting of poultry manure using adsorbents or chemical amendments. J Environ Qual 28:194–201. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1999.00472425002800010023x
Laird D, Fleming P, Wang BQ, Horton R, Karlen D (2010) Biochar impact on nutrient leaching from a Midwestern agricultural soil. Geoderma 158:436–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.05.012
Lehmann J (2007) Bio-energy in the black. Front Ecol Environ 5:381–387. https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2007)5[381:BITB]2.0.CO;2
Lehmann J, Joseph S (2009) Biochar for environmental management: science and technology. Earthscan, London
Lehmann J, Gaunt J, Rondon M (2006) Bio-char sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems—a review. Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Chang 11:403–427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-005-9006-5
Libra JA, Ro KS, Kammann C, Funke A, Berge ND, Neubauer Y, Titirici MM, Fühner C, Bens O, Kern J, Emmerich KH (2011) Hydrothermal carbonization of biomass residuals: a comparative review of the chemistry, processes and applications of wet and dry pyrolysis. Biofuels 2:71–106. https://doi.org/10.4155/bfs.10.81
Malińska K, Zabochnicka-Świątek M, Dach J (2014) Effects of biochar amendment on ammonia emission during composting of sewage sludge. Ecol Eng 71:474–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2014.07.012
Martins O, Dewes T (1992) Loss of nitrogenous compounds during composting of animal wastes. Bioresour Technol 42:103–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/0960-8524(92)90068-9
Mitchell CC, Tu S (2006) Nutrient accumulation and movement from poultry litter. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70:2146–2153. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2004.0234
Pacholski A, Cai GX, Nieder R, Richter J, Fan XH, Zhu ZL, Roelcke M (2006) Calibration of a simple method for determining ammonia volatilization in the field—comparative measurements in Henan Province, China. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 74:259–273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-006-9003-4
Petersen SO, Andersen AJ, Eriksen J (2012) Effects of cattle slurry acidification on ammonia and methane evolution during storage. J Environ Qual 41:88–94. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2011.0184
Pinheiro J, Bates D (2000) Mixed-effects models in S and S-PLUS vol 1. Springer, New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/b98882
Pinheiro J, Bates D, Saikat D, Sarkar D (2015) nlme: linear and nonlinear mixed effects models R package version 31-122
Rachhpalsingh, Nye PH (1986) A model of ammonia volatilization from applied urea. 2. Experimental testing. J Soil Sci 37:21–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1986.tb00003.x
RCoreTeam (2017) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna
Roelcke M, Han Y, Li SX, Richter J (1996) Laboratory measurements and simulations of ammonia volatilization from urea applied to calcareous Chinese loess soils. Plant Soil 181:123–129. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00011298
Sarkhot DV, Berhe AA, Ghezzehei TA (2012) Impact of biochar enriched with dairy manure effluent on carbon and nitrogen dynamics. J Environ Qual 41:1107–1114. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2011.0123
Schimmelpfennig S, Glaser B (2012) One step forward toward characterization: some important material properties to distinguish biochars. J Environl Qual 41:1001–1013. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2011.0146
Schimmelpfennig S, Müller C, Grünhage L, Koch C, Kammann C (2014) Biochar, hydrochar and uncarbonized feedstock application to permanent grassland—effects on greenhouse gas emissions and plant growth. Agric Ecosyst Environ 191:39–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2014.03.027
Sommer SG, Husted S (1995a) The chemical buffer system in raw and digested animal slurry. J Agric Sci 124:45–53. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859600071239
Sommer SG, Husted S (1995b) A simple model of pH in slurry. J Agric Sci 124:447–453. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859600073408
Sommer SG, Clough TJ, Balaine N, Hafner SD, Cameron KC (2017) Transformation of organic matter and the emissions of methane and ammonia during storage of liquid manure as affected by acidification. J Environ Qual 46:514–521. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2016.10.0409
Sørensen P (1998) Carbon mineralization, nitrogen immobilization and pH change in soil after adding volatile fatty acids. Eur J Soil Sci 49:457–462. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2389.1998.4930457.x
Spokas KA, Novak JM, Venterea RT (2012) Biochar’s role as an alternative N-fertilizer: ammonia capture. Plant Soil 350:35–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0930-8
Steiner C, Das KC, Melear N, Lakly D (2010) Reducing nitrogen loss during poultry litter composting using biochar. J Environ Qual 39:1236–1242. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2009.0337
Stephenson AH, McCaskey TA, Ruffin BG (1990) A survey of broiler litter composition and potential value as a nutrient resource. Biol Wastes 34:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7483(90)90139-J
Subedi R, Kammann C, Pelissetti S, Taupe N, Bertora C, Monaco S, Grignani C (2015) Does soil amended with biochar and hydrochar reduce ammonia emissions following the application of pig slurry? Eur J Soil Sci 66:1044–1053. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12302
Taghizadeh-Toosi A, Clough TJ, Condron LM, Sherlock RR, Anderson CR, Craigie RA (2011) Biochar incorporation into pasture soil suppresses in situ nitrous oxide emissions from ruminant urine patches. J Environ Qual 40:468–476. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2010.0419
Taghizadeh-Toosi A, Clough TJ, Sherlock RR, Condron LM (2012) Biochar adsorbed ammonia is bioavailable. Plant Soil 350:57–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0870-3
Titirici M-M, Thomas A, Antonietti M (2007) Back in the black: hydrothermal carbonization of plant material as an efficient chemical process to treat the CO2 problem? New J Chem 31:787–789. https://doi.org/10.1039/b616045j
Van Zwieten L, Kimber S, Morris S, Chan KY, Downie A, Rust J, Joseph S, Cowie A (2010) Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility. Plant Soil 327:235–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-0050-x
Wang LL, Guo Y, Zhu Y, Li Y, Qu Y, Rong C, Ma X, Wang Z (2010) A new route for preparation of hydrochars from rice husk. Bioresour Technol 101:9807–9810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2010.07.031
Webb J, Pain B, Bittman S, Morgan J (2010) The impacts of manure application methods on emissions of ammonia, nitrous oxide and on crop response—a review. Agric Ecosyst Environ 137:39–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2010.01.001
Wood SN (2004) Stable and efficient multiple smoothing parameter estimation for generalized additive models. J Am Statist Assoc 99:673–686. https://doi.org/10.1198/016214504000000980
Wood SN (2011) Fast stable restricted maximum likelihood and marginal likelihood estimation of semiparametric generalized linear models. J R Stat Soc Ser B (Stat Methodol) 73:3–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9868.2010.00749.x
Wrage N, Velthof GL, van Beusichem ML, Oenema O (2001) Role of nitrifier denitrification in the production of nitrous oxide. Soil Biol Biochem 33:1723–1732. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(01)00096-7
Yao Y, Gao B, Zhang M, Inyang M, Zimmerman AR (2012) Effect of biochar amendment on sorption and leaching of nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate in a sandy soil. Chemosphere 89:1467–1471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.06.002
Zimmermann AR, Gao B, Ahn M-Y (2011) Positive and negative carbon mineralization priming effects among a variety of biochar-amended soils. Soil Biol Biochem 43:1169–1179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.02.005
Acknowledgements
We thank Frank Hegewald and Dagmar Wenderoth for taking NH3 samples and for support on construction of the incubation system; Regina Lausch and Silke Weiss for sample preparation; Ute Tambor, Sabine Wathsack, and Monika Zerbian for laboratory analyses and Stefan Burkart for technical instructions and support. We thank the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute of Animal Nutrition (Braunschweig, Germany) and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry (Celle, Germany) for providing the manures.
Funding
This project was financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG-Research Training Group 1397 “Regulation of soil organic matter and nutrient turnover in organic agriculture,” University of Kassel).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 17 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gronwald, M., Helfrich, M., Don, A. et al. Application of hydrochar and pyrochar to manure is not effective for mitigation of ammonia emissions from cattle slurry and poultry manure. Biol Fertil Soils 54, 451–465 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-018-1273-x
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-018-1273-x