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!

mbeliveau92@gmail.com

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