Arsenic sorption on zero-valent iron-biochar complexes.

Arsenic (As) is toxic to human and is often found in drinking water in India and Bangladesh, due to the natural abundance of arsenides ores. Different removal procedures such as precipitation, sorption, ion exchange and membrane separation have been employed for removal of As from contaminated drinking water (CDW), however, there is a critical need for low-cost economically viable biochar modification methods which can enhance As sorption. Here we studied the effectiveness of zero-valent iron (ZVI)-biochar complexes produced by high temperature pyrolysis of biomass and magnetite for removing As from CDW.

Real-time sensing of soil nitrate concentration in the parts per million range while the soil is in motion.

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) is a term used to describe non-nitrogen gas (non-N2) forms of nitrogen (N) in the biosphere. It causes major pollution problems when it occurs in excess, and it has many sources, including fertilizers used in production agriculture. Currently there is no on-the-go soil nitrate sensor that could guide the application of the optimal amount of fertilizer, which often varies significantly within a field.