Influence of Feedstock and Pyrolysis Temperature of Biochar Amendments on Transport ofEscherichia coliin Saturated and Unsaturated Soil

Abstract

The effects of biochar feedstock, pyrolysis temperature, and application rate (1 and 2%) on the transport of two Escherichia coli isolates through a fine sand soil under water-saturated and partially saturated conditions were investigated in column experiments. Biochars from two feedstocks (poultry litter and pine chips) and pyrolyzed at two temperatures (350 and 700 °C) were evaluated. Both biochars pyrolyzed at 700 °C resulted in significant reductions in E. coli transport, with greater reductions observed with the pine chip biochars. For the low temperature biochars, increased transport was observed for the poultry litter biochar whereas reduced transport was observed for the pine chip biochar. In general, the effect of biochar application on E. coli transport was more pronounced in the unsaturated soils and for the 2% application rates. Large differences were also observed between the two isolates indicating that bacterial surface properties play a role in how biochar affects E. coli transport.

Soil Health, Crop Productivity, Microbial Transport, and Mine Spoil Response to Biochars

“…One mode of human exposure to these pathogens is through consumption of fecal contaminated groundwater [63,64]. Transport of microbial pathogens into ground water sources may be significantly reduced by application of biochar [9,10]. Those researchers evaluated transport of three different E. coli isolates through laboratory column that were packed with a fine sandytextured soil and then amended with poultry litter biochar produced at two different pyrolysis temperatures (350 or 700°C).…”

“…For example, Novak et al [8] reported that biochar produced from poultry litter had a negative impact on shallow ground water quality by releasing significant concentrations of dissolved phosphorus and by increasing movement of fecal bacteria through the soil [9,10]. On the other hand, biochar produced from pine chips significantly decreased movement of fecal bacteria through fine sand [9].…”

Characterization of energy carriers obtained from the pyrolysis of white ash, switchgrass and corn stover — Biochar, syngas and bio-oil

“…Biochar can be used as an activated carbon when its pore structure and surface area are appropriate [14]. In addition, biochar can act as a soil conditioner enhancing plant growth, and more importantly, retain nutrients and provide other benefits such as improvement of soil physical and biological properties [15][16][17][18][19][20][21].…”

Encapsulation Techniques for Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria

“…The incorporation of biochar into soils offers the opportunity for simultaneous application of plant beneficial microorganisms (Hale et al 2014). Biochar properties vary depending on feedstock and production methods, but many biochars have characteristics that are also conducive for use as inoculum carriers, including high internal porosity, large specific surface area, and the ability to adsorb organic compounds and microorganisms (Abit et al 2012).…”