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{{alert|This page is an edit and testing page use by the wiki authors.  It is not a content page for the Manual. Information on this page may not be accurate and should not be used as guidance in managing stormwater.|alert-danger}}
 
{{alert|This page is an edit and testing page use by the wiki authors.  It is not a content page for the Manual. Information on this page may not be accurate and should not be used as guidance in managing stormwater.|alert-danger}}
  
[[File:Fir trucks being washed on a driveway.PNG|right|thumb|600 px|alt=This image shows fire trucks being washed on a driveway=3>Fire trucks being washed on a driveway</font size>]]
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=Biochar=
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==Overview and description==
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Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that’s made by burning organic material from biomass in a controlled process called pyrolysis. Biomass waste materials appropriate for biochar production include crop residues (both field residues and processing residues such as nut shells, fruit pits, bagasse, etc), as well as yard, food and forestry wastes, and animal manures. Clean feedstocks with 10 to 20 percent moisture and high lignin content must be used. Examples are field residues and woody biomass. Using contaminated feedstocks, including feedstocks from railway embankments or contaminated land, can introduce toxins into the soil, drastically increase soil pH and/or inhibit plants from absorbing minerals. The most common contaminants are heavy metals—including cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, zinc, mercury, nickel and arsenic, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).
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Biochar is black, highly porous, lightweight, fine-grained and has a large surface area. Approximately 70 percent of its composition is carbon. The remaining percentage consists of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen among other elements. Biochar’s chemical composition varies depending on the feedstocks used to make it and methods used to heat it.
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Biochar benefits for soil may include the following.
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*enhancing soil structure
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*increasing water retention and aggregation
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*decreasing acidity
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*reducing nitrous oxide emissions
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*improving porosity
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*regulating nitrogen leaching
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*improving electrical conductivity
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*improving microbial properties
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Biochar is also found to be beneficial for composting, since it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and prevents the loss of nutrients in the compost material. It also promotes microbial activity, which in turn accelerates the composting process. Plus, it helps reduce the compost’s ammonia losses, bulk density and odor.
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==References==
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*[https://regenerationinternational.org/2018/05/16/what-is-biochar/ Regeneration International]
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*[https://rodaleinstitute.org/blog/whats-biochar-how-to-stabilize-carbon-in-your-soil/ WHAT’S BIOCHAR? HOW TO STABILIZE CARBON IN YOUR SOIL]
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*[https://biochar-international.org/biochar-feedstocks/ Biochar feedstocks]
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Revision as of 21:12, 13 November 2019

Warning: This page is an edit and testing page use by the wiki authors. It is not a content page for the Manual. Information on this page may not be accurate and should not be used as guidance in managing stormwater.

Biochar

Overview and description

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that’s made by burning organic material from biomass in a controlled process called pyrolysis. Biomass waste materials appropriate for biochar production include crop residues (both field residues and processing residues such as nut shells, fruit pits, bagasse, etc), as well as yard, food and forestry wastes, and animal manures. Clean feedstocks with 10 to 20 percent moisture and high lignin content must be used. Examples are field residues and woody biomass. Using contaminated feedstocks, including feedstocks from railway embankments or contaminated land, can introduce toxins into the soil, drastically increase soil pH and/or inhibit plants from absorbing minerals. The most common contaminants are heavy metals—including cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, zinc, mercury, nickel and arsenic, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Biochar is black, highly porous, lightweight, fine-grained and has a large surface area. Approximately 70 percent of its composition is carbon. The remaining percentage consists of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen among other elements. Biochar’s chemical composition varies depending on the feedstocks used to make it and methods used to heat it.

Biochar benefits for soil may include the following.

  • enhancing soil structure
  • increasing water retention and aggregation
  • decreasing acidity
  • reducing nitrous oxide emissions
  • improving porosity
  • regulating nitrogen leaching
  • improving electrical conductivity
  • improving microbial properties

Biochar is also found to be beneficial for composting, since it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and prevents the loss of nutrients in the compost material. It also promotes microbial activity, which in turn accelerates the composting process. Plus, it helps reduce the compost’s ammonia losses, bulk density and odor.



References