title: Biochar from Pyrolysis of Biosolids for Nutrient Adsorption and Turfgrass Cultivation.
abstract: At water resource recovery facilities, nutrient removal is often required and energy recovery is an ever-increasing goal. Pyrolysis may be a sustainable process for handling wastewater biosolids because energy can be recovered in the py-gas and py-oil. Additionally, the biochar produced has value as a soil conditioner. The objective of this work was to determine if biochar could be used to adsorb ammonia from biosolids filtrate and subsequently be applied as a soil conditioner to improve grass growth. The maximum carrying capacity of base modified biochar for NH3-N was 5.3 mg/g. Biochar containing adsorbed ammonium and potassium was applied to laboratory planters simulating golf course putting greens to cultivate Kentucky bluegrass. Planters that contained nutrient-laden biochar proliferated at a statistically higher rate than planters that contained biosolids, unmodified biochar, peat, or no additive. Nutrient-laden biochar performed as well as commercial inorganic fertilizer with no statistical difference in growth rates. Biochar from digested biosolids successfully immobilized NH3-N from wastewater and served as a beneficial soil amendment. This process offers a means to recover and recycle nutrients from water resource recovery facilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, USA.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McNamara
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Zitomer
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000032:analysis*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development*; D062611:Solid Waste; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D062611:Solid Waste; C540010:biochar; D002606:Charcoal; D000641:Ammonia