Biochar as efficient tool for soil ammendement

Abstract

Food production generates significant amounts of waste, especially in fruits and vegetables processing industries (FVPI), where biodegradable lignocellulosic waste (LCW) represents approx. 25-30% of processed raw materials. In most cases, this type of waste is landfilled, representing unsustainable practices with significant environmental hazards. Biochar, a highly carbonaceous organic material obtained from thermochemical conversion of LCW biomass, pose significant positive characteristics with multifunctional purpose. Biochar application might remove emerging contaminants from wastewater, and its application on soils improves soil properties such as fertility leading to improved crop productivity, soil pH regulation and soil CEC improvement, as well as microbial activities enhancement. In this paper, the characterization of biochar obtained via slow pyrolysis of peach stone (PS) is done along with its possible application as a soil amendment. This preliminary investigation revealed that the properties of the biochar produced from PS are in line with those necessary to act as a suitable agent for soil amendment.