Land Application of Biosolids-Derived Biochar in Australia: A Review
Article
Sinha, Payel, Marchuk, Serhiy, Harris, Peter, Antille, Diogenes L. and McCabe, Bernadette K.. 2023. "Land Application of Biosolids-Derived Biochar in Australia: A Review." Sustainability. 15 (14). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410909
Article Title | Land Application of Biosolids-Derived Biochar in Australia: A Review |
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ERA Journal ID | 41498 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Sinha, Payel, Marchuk, Serhiy, Harris, Peter, Antille, Diogenes L. and McCabe, Bernadette K. |
Journal Title | Sustainability |
Journal Citation | 15 (14) |
Article Number | 10909 |
Number of Pages | 29 |
Year | 2023 |
Publisher | MDPI AG |
Place of Publication | Switzerland |
ISSN | 2071-1050 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410909 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/14/10909 |
Abstract | Thermal treatment in Australia is gaining interest due to legislative changes, waste reduction goals, and the need to address contaminants’ risks in biosolids used for agriculture. The resulting biochar product has the potential to be beneficially recycled as a soil amendment. On-farm management practices were reviewed to identify barriers that need to be overcome to increase recycling and examine the role of pyrolysis and gasification in effectively improving the quality and safety of biochar intended for land application. Key findings revealed the following: (1) thermal treatment can effectively eliminate persistent organic pollutants, microplastics, and pathogens, and (2) more than 90% of the total heavy metals content in biosolids may become immobilized when these are converted to biochar, thus reducing their bioavailability following land application. While the reported research on the short-term effects of biosolids-derived biochar suggests promising agronomic results, there is a dearth of information on long-term effects. Other knowledge gaps include the optimization of land application rates, understanding of the rate of breakdown, and the fate of contaminants in soil and water, including heavy metal mobility and redistribution in the environment by processes such as erosion and runoff following land application. An improved understanding of nutrients and contaminants dynamics in soils receiving biosolids-derived biochar is a pre-requisite for their safe use in Australian agriculture, and therefore, it is highlighted as a priority area for future research. © 2023 by the authors. |
Keywords | Australian agriculture; heavy metals; microplastics; organic pollutants; pyrolysis and gasification; sewage slu; soil amendment |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 300202. Agricultural land management |
Byline Affiliations | Centre for Agricultural Engineering |
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia |
Permalink -
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/z26x3/land-application-of-biosolids-derived-biochar-in-australia-a-review
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