Journal Article

Biochar for agronomy, animal farming, anaerobic digestion, composting, water treatment, soil remediation, construction, energy storage, and carbon sequestration: a review

Saleem, Yasmeen, Fahim, Ramy Amer, Osman, Ahmed I, Ajlan, Abbas Abdullah, Rooney, David W, Fawzy, Samer, Elgarahy, Ahmed M, Maksoud, M. I. A. Abdel, Yousry, Mahmoud, Farghali, Mohamed, El-Azazy, Marwa

2022

Overview

In the context of climate change and the circular economy, biochar has recently found many applications in various sectors as a versatile and recycled material. Here, we review application of biochar-based for carbon sink, covering agronomy, animal farming, anaerobic digestion, composting, environmental remediation, construction, and energy storage. The ultimate storage reservoirs for biochar are soils, civil infrastructure, and landfills. Biochar-based fertilisers, which combine traditional fertilisers with biochar as a nutrient carrier, are promising in agronomy. The use of biochar as a feed additive for animals shows benefits in terms of animal growth, gut microbiota, reduced enteric methane production, egg yield, and endo-toxicant mitigation. Biochar enhances anaerobic digestion operations, primarily for biogas generation and upgrading, performance and sustainability, and the mitigation of inhibitory impurities. In composts, biochar controls the release of greenhouse gases and enhances microbial activity. Co-composted biochar improves soil properties and enhances crop productivity. Pristine and engineered biochar can also be employed for water and soil remediation to remove pollutants. In construction, biochar can be added to cement or asphalt, thus conferring structural and functional advantages. Incorporating biochar in biocomposites improves insulation, electromagnetic radiation protection and moisture control. Finally, synthesising biochar-based materials for energy storage applications requires additional functionalisation.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Agronomy / Anaerobic digestion / Anaerobic treatment / Animal growth / Asphalt / Biogas / Biological activity / Biomedical materials / Bituminous cements / Carbon / Carbon sequestration / Carbon sinks / Charcoal / Circular economy / Climate change / Composite materials / Composting / Composts / Construction / Crop production / Digestion / Electromagnetic radiation / Energy / Energy storage / Environmental cleanup / Farming / Feed additives / Fertilizers / Food additives / Gases / Greenhouse effect / Greenhouse gases / Impurities / Insulating materials / Intestinal flora / Intestinal microflora / Landfills / Microbial activity / Microbiota / Microorganisms / Mitigation / Moisture control / Moisture effects / Pollutants / Radiation protection / Recycled materials / Reservoir storage / Soil improvement / Soil pollution / Soil properties / Soil remediation / Soil water storage / Storage reservoirs / Structure-function relationships / Sustainability / Toxicants / Water treatment