Efficiency of biochar for reducing mobility of inorganic contaminants

Anthropogenic activities have produced numerous sites with extensive contamination close to residential areas. Several physicochemical and biological remediation methods exist for remediation of metal contaminated soils and lands, such as soil washing, soil flushing, phytoremediation, and electrokinetics. Biochar (biologically derived charcoal) is produced by pyrolysis of biomasses under low oxygen conditions, and it can be applied for recycling organic waste in soils. The main objectives of the present study were to determine the possible use of biochar from forest ersidues (Populus nigra) in order to achieve a stabilization of inorganic contaminants by adsorption processes. Adsorption of …

Influenza della temperatura di pirolisi e del tempo di residenza sulle proprietà fisico-chimiche del biochar prodotto da pollina

La pollina è tradizionalmente utilizzata in agricoltura come fertilizzante organico grazie al suo alto contenuto in nutrienti immediatamente disponibili per le piante (principalmente azoto, potassio e fosforo). Nonostante i vantaggi apportati alle colture, l’eccessivo uso della pollina come ammendante del suolo può causare gravi problemi ambientali, tra cui rischi per la salute umana e lisciviazione di nitrati o altri inquinanti nelle acquee sotterranee. Per diminuire i rischi legati al suo utilizzo, una soluzione alternativa potrebbe essere il ri-utilizzo energetico della pollina tramite la sua conversione in biochar. Il biochar è una sostanza carboniosa derivante dalla pirolisi di qualsia…

EFFECT OF METALS ON THE DYNAMICS OF WATER AT THE BIOCHAR SOLID-LIQUID INTERFACE

Previous studies revealed that water molecules are hooked to biochar surfaces through unconventional hydrogen bonds (De Pasquale et al., 2012; Conte et al., 2013). Next question to answer is how metals can affect water mobility as they are adsorbed on biochar surface. To this aim, an orchard pruning char obtained by pyrolysis at 500°C was treated with solutions of Cu(II), Cr(VI) and Cu(II)+Cr(VI). Two different types of water can be recognized in BC. Namely, a fast relaxing water (T1 = 99 ms) is differentiated by a slow relaxing one (T 1= 233 ms). The former is made by molecules interacting with biochar surface through formation of the unconventional Hbonds previously identified (De Pasqual…

Struttura di popolazione di Haliotis tuberculata in aree soggette a diversi livelli di protezione.

CHARACTERIZATION OF CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF BIOCHAR FOR ENERGY PURPOSES AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

Biochar production processes as well as its various applications provide numerous benefits to both environment and economy (Lehmann et al., 2006; Basu, 2010). However, understanding the physicochemical structure of this valuable product has to be improved in order to be able to obtain the aforementioned benefits and to avoid environmental costs. In this study, chicken or poultry manure (PM) was chosen as feedstock for biochar preparation. This biomass is traditionally used by farmers as an effective organic fertilizer (Chan et al., 2008). Indeed, it is considered a valuable source for readily available plant nutrients, such as N, P, K and other micronutrients (Huang et al., 2011). Notwithst…

USE OF BIOCHAR FOR INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS REMEDIATION

Anthropogenic activities alter the natural flow of materials and introduce novel chemicals into the environment thereby causing serious soil and water pollution Indeed, many industries produce aqueous effluents containing toxic substances, especially heavy metals The presence of these contaminants in the environment is a great issue because of their toxicity and bioaccumulation ability which affect human life and the environment Various physicochemical and biological techniques have been used to remove the heavy metals from waste waters, including chemical precipitation, ion exchange, chemical coagulation, electrolytic methods, membrane processes, and adsorption Biochar is a carbonaceous ma…

EFFECTS ON SEED GERMINATION OF DIFFERENT BIOCHARS FROM INDUSTRIAL THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

Char or biochar is a type of charcoal obtained from gasification/pyrolysis of biomasses. Instead of burning standing biomass from cleared forest, the resource is charred. The result is a highly porous, carbon-rich solid residue, really similar in appearance to the coal produced by natural burning. First considered an industrial waste, in recent years, the interest in this material has grown enormously given its ability to improve physical, chemical, biological and mechanical properties of soils, when used as amendment. However, its effects are highly variable depending onits chemical-physical properties which in turn depend greatly on the starting feedstock. The present study reports about …

DINAMICA DELL’ACQUA SULLA SUPERFICIE DI UN BIOSSIDO DI TITANIO NANOSTRUTTURATO SINTETIZZATO IN LABORATORIO

Un campione biossido di titanio sintetizzato in laboratorio è stato ottenuto mediante idrolisi di TiCl4 in acqua deionizzata (rapporto in volume 1:10) a temperatura ambiente. Dopo 12 h di agitazione la soluzione trasparente è stata portata all’ebollizione per 0.5 h per ottenere la sospensione finale. La sospensione è stata quindi seccata alla temperatura di 50°C per ottenere il catalizzatore in polvere. Successivamente, la polvere così ottenuta è stata lavata e centrifugata diverse volte allo scopo di ridurre fino a valori trascurabili la concentrazione di ioni cloruro nell’acqua di lavaggio. Il catalizzatore così ottenuto è stato denominato HP0.5 (Home Prepared bollito per 0.5 h) [1]. Un g…

Regeneration of cellulose by water addition to phosphoric acid/cellulose mixture

In the last years, phosphoric acid has been increasingly considered as a simple and economic solvent for cellulose pretreatment before its degradation to glucose. Cellulose swells in 71–80% phosphoric acid solutions, whereas at higher H3PO4 concentrations dissolution appears to occur. In addition, it is reported that regenerated cellulose is more easily fermentable to bioethanol. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism for cellulose regeneration following treatment with phosphoric acid at room temperature. CPMAS 13C NMR spectra revealed a downfield shift of the 13C NMR signals from the regenerated cellulose as compared to the crystalline one. CPMAS 31P NMR spectroscopy s…

Manuale tecnico applicativo Progetto: “Innova Uva Mazzarone I.U.M.

Variazioni temporali della struttura di taglia in popolazioni sfruttate di Haliotis tuberculata (Mollusca Gastropoda) nel Golfo di Sferracavallo (PA)

This study aims at evaluating the differences in size structure of population of H. tuberculata in the Gulf of Sferracavallo (northern Sicily) which experienced the co-occurrence of high exploitation and decrease of eutrophic conditions during the eighties and early nineties. Comparison of size structure showed significant differences between length frequency distributions of 1970-75s and 2002-2005, being the latter formed by smaller size green ormer.

EVALUATION OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANT REMOVAL FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS USING PYROLIZED CHICKEN MANURE, CONIFER AND POPLAR WOOD AS ADSORBENT

Anthropogenic activities alter the natural flow of materials and introduce novel chemicals into the environment thereby causing serious soil and water pollution. Indeed, many industries produce aqueous effluents containing toxic substances, especially heavymetals. The presence of these contaminants in the environment is a great issue because of their toxicityand bioaccumulation ability which affect human life and the environment. Various physicochemical and biological techniques have been used to remove the heavy metals from waste waters, including chemical precipitation, ion exchange, chemical coagulation, electrolytic methods, membrane processes, and adsorption. Biochar is a carbonaceous …

BIOCHAR SURFACE PROPERTIES THROUGH APPLICATION OF AN INNOVATIVE NMR TECHNIQUE: FAST FIELD CYCLING RELAXOMETRY

Biochar is a carbonaceous material obtained by pyrolysis of biomass feedstocks. It is applied to soils in order to improve fertility and mitigate greenhouse-gases emissions. In fact, from the one hand, biochar changes physical-chemical soil properties, thereby affecting soil fertility. From the other hand, biochar is resistant to chemical and biochemical degradation. For this reason, its use allows carbon sequestration in soils and consequent reduction of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Here, dynamics of water at the liquid-solid interface of water saturated biochars is discussed. Results revealed that water dynamics is affected by the nature of biochar parent biomasses. Moreover, biochar…

Biotossine nei Mitili: Effetti dell’Acido Domoico sull’attività colinesterasica in Tapes philippinarum, Venus gallina e Glycimeris glycimeris (Lamellibranchia, Mollusca)

L’acido domoico (AD) è una biotossina che si accumula principalmente in animali che filtrano acque contaminate da diatomee dei generi Nitzschia e Pseudo-nitschia. L’incremento delle fioriture di diatomee ed i conseguenti casi di intossicazione per ingestione di molluschi contaminati sono fenomeni che da più di un decennio si manifestano anche in Italia, rappresentando motivo di seria preoccupazione per la salute pubblica e per l’economia dell’industria ittica. L’acido domoico è il responsabile dell’“Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning” (ASP), i cui sintomi si manifestano sia a livello gastrointestinale che neurologico. Le proprietà neurotossiche dell'acido domoico sono dovute alla sua azione agonis…

Struttura di popolazione di Haliotis tuberculata in aree soggette a diversi livelli di protezione

This study aims at evaluating the current status of H. tuberculata stocks in exploited areas of western Sicily. The density of the green ormer was slightly greater in unexploited areas although differences between harvested and not harvested areas was not statistically significant. Moreover, analyses showed that length frequencies varied between harvested and not harvested areas.