The synthesis of manufactured soils converts waste materials to value-added products, alleviating pressures on both waste disposal infrastructure and topsoils. For manufactured soils to be effective media for plant growth, they must retain and store plant-available nutrients, including nitrogen. In this study, biochar applications were tested for their ability to retain nitrogen in a soil manufactured from waste materials. A biochar, produced from horticultural green waste, was added to a manufactured soil at 2, 5 and 10 % (by weight), then maintained at 15 °C and irrigated with water (0.84 mL m d) over 6 weeks. Total dissolved nitrogen concentrations in soil leachate decreased by 25.2, 30.6 and 44.0 % at biochar concentrations of 2, 5 and 10 %, respectively. Biochar also changed the proportions of each nitrogen-fraction in collected samples. Three mechanisms for biochar-induced nitrogen retention were possible: i) increased cation and anion exchange capacity of the substrate; ii) retention of molecules within the biochar pore spaces; iii) immobilisation of nitrogen through microbial utilisation of labile carbon further supported by increased soil moisture content, surface area, and pH. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations in leachate were reduced (-34.7 %, -28.9 %, and -16.7 %) in the substrate with 2, 5 and 10 % biochar additions, respectively. Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis data showed increased microbial metabolic activity with biochar application (14.7 ± 0.5, 25.4 ± 5.3, 27.0 ± 0.1, 46.1 ± 6.1 µg FL g h for applications at 0, 2, 5, and 10 %, respectively), linking biochar addition to enhanced microbial activity. These data highlight the potential for biochar to suppress the long-term turnover of SOM and promote carbon sequestration, and a long-term sustainable growth substrate provided by the reuse of waste materials diverted from landfill.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.116 | DOI Listing |
Acta Pharm
December 2024
University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Department of Pharmacognosy 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Biowaste produced in urban parks is composed of large masses of organic matter that is only occasionally used economically. In this work, extracts of six plants widely distributed in urban parks in Central Europe (, , , , , and ), prepared using 10 % and 50 % ethanol, were screened for their antidiabetic and related properties. HPLC and UV-Vis analysis revealed the presence of caffeic acid, quercetin, luteolin, and apigenin derivatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScience
January 2025
Center for Bioinspired Science and Technology, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang University, Hangzhou, China.
Thermoelectrics have been limited by the scarcity of their constituent elements, especially telluride. The earth-abundant, wide-bandgap ( ≈ 46 ) tin sulfide (SnS) has shown promising performance in its crystal form. We improved the thermoelectric efficiency in SnS crystals by promoting the convergence of energy and momentum of four valance bands, termed quadruple-band synglisis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
January 2025
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
In landfill leachates containing complex dissolved organic matter (DOM), the link between individual DOM constituents and their inherent oxidizability is unclear. Here, we resolved the molecular signatures of DOM oxidized by OH/O using FT-ICR MS, thereby elucidating their oxidizability and resistance in concentrated leachates. The comprehensive gradual fragmentation of complex leachate DOM was then revealed through a modified machine-learning framework based on 43 key pathways during ozonation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChem Commun (Camb)
January 2025
Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Geological Carbon Storage and Low Carbon Utilization of Resources, Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid Wastes, National Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
The shuttling effect of polysulfides in lithium-sulfur batteries seriously affects their performance. Herein, NiFeO derived from natural hematite is coated on a PP separator (NFO@PP), which can effectively block the shuttling of polysulfides and has strong adsorption and catalytic capabilities. The NFO@PP cell has an initial capacity of up to 1258.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRSC Adv
January 2025
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University Mansoura 35516 Egypt +201000166374.
In this study, stems and leaves of the papaya plant were employed to prepare a high-quality porous adsorbent carbonization and chemical activation using phosphoric acid. This adsorbent demonstrates superior adsorption capabilities for the efficient removal of hazardous alizarin red s (ARS) and methylene blue (MB) dyes. Thus, it contributes to waste reduction and promotes sustainable practices in environmental remediation, aligning with global efforts to develop sustainable materials that address water pollution while supporting circular economy principles.
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