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Development of biomass-derived biochar for agronomic and environmental remediation applications

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Abstract

An increasing interest in biochar application has opened many multidisciplinary research areas in science. Biochar can be produced by thermochemical conversion of organic biomass in an oxygen-deficient condition. Extensive research has been conducted on the potential of biochar for agronomic applications, such as soil fertility improvement and carbon sequestration due to its specific mineralogical composition and long-term stability in the soil. Using biochar for environmental remediation has also been recognized recently as a promising area of research for its unique physicochemical characteristics, redox potential, and adsorption capacity. However, the published works are mostly focused only on the agronomic and environmental applications with little information presented to elucidate the different mechanisms involved. This study, therefore, aims to examine the influence of controlling parameters during biochar production, such as pyrolysis temperature, residence time, and types of feedstock on the characteristics of biochar. Various mechanisms explaining the potential of biochar for the environmental and agronomic applications are discussed in detail. The challenges faced in biochar development and its field applications for agronomic and environmental remediation purposes are also highlighted. Finally, recommendations for future research are given on the development of biochar with high redox functional groups and sorption potential as well as on understanding the behavior of biochar under the natural field conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, KPK, Pakistan

    M. Waqas

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan

    Z. Asam

  3. Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    M. Rehan & I. M. I. Ismail

  4. Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan

    M. N. Anwar & A. S. Nizami

  5. Brains Institute Peshawar, Peshawar, KPK, Pakistan

    Riaz A. Khattak

  6. Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

    M. Tabatabaei

  7. Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam), Terengganu, Malaysia

    M. Tabatabaei

  8. Microbial Biotechnology Department, Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO), Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Karaj, Iran

    M. Tabatabaei

  9. Henan Province Engineering Research Center For Biomass Value-Added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    M. Tabatabaei

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  1. M. Waqas
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Waqas, M., Asam, Z., Rehan, M. et al. Development of biomass-derived biochar for agronomic and environmental remediation applications. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 11, 339–361 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-00936-2

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