Article
Engineering, Environmental
Manhattan Lebrun, Romain Nandillon, Florie Miard, Gabriella S. Scippa, Sylvain Bourgerie, Domenico Morabito
Summary: Metal(loid) pollution of soils has negative effects on the environment and human health. Using phytoremediation with tolerant endemic species and applying amendments like biochar, compost, and iron sulfate can improve soil conditions and plant growth, potentially rehabilitating contaminated areas effectively.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Manhattan Lebrun, Florie Miard, Samantha Drouet, Duangjai Tungmunnithum, Domenico Morabito, Christophe Hano, Sylvain Bourgerie
Summary: Soil pollution is a global issue with metal(loid)s having toxic effects on plants, necessitating remediation. Phytoremediation, especially using flax, has been proposed due to its antioxidant systems. The adaptability of certain flax genotypes, like Angora and Baikal, to metal(loid)-induced oxidative stress makes them suitable for phytoremediation of contaminated soils.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Malcolm Coull, Benjamin Butler, Rupert Hough, Luke Beesley
Summary: Construction and demolition fines (C&D-fines) and green waste compost (GWC) were used to create technosols, which showed significantly improved plant growth compared to geogenic soil. The technosols had higher concentrations of Ca and Mg in pore waters, attributed to gypsum and calcite enrichment from C&D-fines, while GWC provided soluble K. Further assessment is needed to determine the long-term geochemical viability of technosols for wider scale applications.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yizhi Cheng, Xuan Bu, Jing Li, Zhihui Ji, Chenggang Wang, Xiao Xiao, Fenglin Li, Zhuo-hui Wu, Guanxiong Wu, Pu Jia, Jin-tian Li
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of biochar and compost on various aspects of Pb-Zn mine tailings, including physiochemical properties, heavy metal content, microbial biomass, enzyme activities, and plant growth. The combination of biochar and compost was found to be more effective than separate addition in improving soil pH, organic carbon content, nitrogen content, phosphorus availability, and potassium availability. Both biochar and compost also decreased heavy metal content in soil and plant tissues, while increasing plant biomass. These findings contribute to our understanding of the ecological functions of biochar and compost in mining soil restoration and highlight the potential benefits of organic amendments in improving mining soil quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sinazo Ajibade, Ebenezer C. Nnadozie, Chuleemas Boonthai Iwai, Suresh Ghotekar, Soon Woong Chang, Balasubramani Ravindran, Mukesh Kumar Awasthi
Summary: The co-application of biochar compost as an organic amendment has positive effects on plant growth and soil quality improvement, promoting food availability and distribution, planetary conservation, poverty alleviation, and the achievement of Sustainable Millennium Development Goals. A bibliometric analysis of research on biochar compost from 2011 to 2021 revealed a significant increase in publications, with China being the most productive country in this field. Current hotspot research focuses on the effects of biochar-compost mixture and co-composted biochar on soil remediation. Incorporating biochar and compost in soil reduces pollutant uptake by plants and increases essential nutrients for plant and soil productivity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samar Seyedsadr, Vaclav Sipek, Lukas Jacka, Michal Snehota, Luke Beesley, Michael Pohorely, Martin Kovar, Lukas Trakal
Summary: This study investigated the effects of organic amendments, particularly biochar, on the soil hydraulic properties of low-organic soils. The results showed that biochar addition significantly enhanced soil water retention and nutrient retention in both soils. This finding supports the application of mixed organic amendments to improve the water-holding capacity of drought-prone arable soils.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Yanfeng Shi, Yufei Zang, Huanhuan Yang, Xu Zhang, Jinmiao Shi, Jie Zhang, Bing Liu
Summary: Mining activities generate large amounts of mine tailings containing high concentrations of heavy metal pollutants, which can cause serious harm to soil ecosystems and human health. Phytoremediation is an effective restoration method, but the harsh conditions in tailing soil make plant survival difficult. Biochar can enhance phytoremediation by improving soil properties and future research directions are discussed in this review.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Diego Baragano, Jose Luis R. Gallego, Ruben Forjan
Summary: The study investigated the remediation of severely contaminated soil by Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn using magnesite and biochar. Both amendments significantly reduced metal availability and improved soil properties, but magnesite inhibited plant growth while biochar increased biomass production.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Ibrahim Alidou-Arzika, Manhattan Lebrun, Florie Miard, Romain Nandillon, Gulriz Baycu, Sylvain Bourgerie, Domenico Morabito
Summary: The elevated presence of metal(loid)s in the environment due to industrial and mining activities significantly impacts ecosystems and human health. The study showed that using biochar and compost as soil amendments can promote the growth of Ailanthus altissima and reduce the mobility and availability of arsenic and lead in contaminated soil.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luke Beesley, Lukas Trakal, Rupert Hough, Kerry Mitchell
Summary: This study investigates the effects of adding biochar and compost to a Zn-rich agricultural soil. The results show that this remediation method can significantly reduce zinc levels in the soil, especially when crops are present. Compared to compost, biochar is a more efficient sorbent of zinc.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shunxi Zhou, Zhixiang Jiang, Junfang Shen, Qixing Yao, Xu Yang, Xiaobin Li, Mukesh Kumar Awasthi, Zengqiang Zhang
Summary: A meta-analysis was conducted on 47 peer-reviewed publications to evaluate the effect of biochar-amended compost (BAC) on plant productivity (PP) and soil quality. The results showed that BAC application significantly increased PP, total nitrogen content, and organic matter content of the soil, while decreasing the bioavailability of cadmium, lead, and zinc. However, the bioavailability of copper increased. The study identified the increase in soil organic matter content as the key mechanism for improving PP and recommended a BAC application rate of 10 to 20 t ha-1. The findings provide significant data support and technical guidance for agricultural production, but site-specific factors should be considered when applying BAC to soils.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shixian Qian, Xuerong Zhou, Yukui Fu, Biao Song, Huchuan Yan, Zhexin Chen, Qian Sun, Haoyang Ye, Lei Qin, Cui Lai
Summary: The combined application of biochar and compost (biochar-compost) has been recognized as a highly promising method of soil improvement. This paper collects data on the effects of biochar-compost application in problem soils and provides directions for further research and application. Biochar-compost has demonstrated positive performance in mitigating organic matter mineralization, improving crop yields, and remediating contaminated soils. However, there are still challenges and prospects for the practicality and acceptability of biochar-compost in problem soil improvement.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
E. Chavez-Garcia, B. Gonzalez-Mendez, F. Molina-Freaner
Summary: Biochar is a carbon-rich material that has potential for reclamation of mine tailings in drylands. This review examines the effect of biochar production conditions and its benefits in arid and semiarid environments. The results show that biochar improves soil properties and metal retention in mine tailings, but the choice of feedstock and production conditions are important factors. Further research is needed to understand the behavior and efficiency of biochar under different conditions.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sayyeda Hira Hassan, Yassine Chafik, Marta Sena-Velez, Manhattan Lebrun, Gabriella Stefania Scippa, Sylvain Bourgerie, Dalila Trupiano, Domenico Morabito
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different rates of compost and biochar combinations on soil properties, metal(loid) mobility, and plant growth. The mixture of 20% compost and 6% biochar showed the best results in improving plant growth and arsenic uptake. These findings provide a foundation for further research on the long-term effects and potential applications of the compost-biochar combination in improving soil quality.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Junhao Qin, Xi Wang, Jidong Ying, Chuxia Lin
Summary: This study found that the application of biochar can significantly reduce the phytoavailability of heavy metals in soil and inhibit the plant uptake of cationic heavy metals, but the effectiveness of biochar may gradually weaken in acidic soils, leading to desorption of heavy metals, especially for Cu, Zn, and Pb.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruben Forjan, Alfonso Rodriguez-Vila, Emma F. Covelo
WASTE AND BIOMASS VALORIZATION
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Diego Baragano, Ruben Forjan, Lorena Welte, Jose Luis R. Gallego
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ruben Forjan, Ivan Lores, Carlos Sierra, Diego Baragano, Jose Luis R. Gallego, Ana Isabel Pelaez
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2020)
Article
Agronomy
Diego Baragano, Jose Luis R. Gallego, Gaspar Baleriola, Ruben Forjan
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diego Baragano, Ruben Forjan, Begona Fernandez, Julia Ayala, Elias Afif, Jose Luis R. Gallego
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Diego Baragano, Jose Luis R. Gallego, Ruben Forjan
Summary: The study investigated the remediation of severely contaminated soil by Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn using magnesite and biochar. Both amendments significantly reduced metal availability and improved soil properties, but magnesite inhibited plant growth while biochar increased biomass production.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
C. Boente, D. Baragano, N. Garcia-Gonzalez, R. Forjan, A. Colina, J. R. Gallego
Summary: This study presents an innovative methodology for assessing the distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in soil-polluted areas, utilizing multi-variate statistical and geostatistical algorithms, soil pollution indices, and geochemical & geomorphological/climate variables. Through comprehensive soil sampling in an area around a former As-Hg mine, factors such as Hg, As, Pb, and Sb were identified as main pollutants of concern, with their mobility influenced by climatic/geomorphological variables. The study also found that pollution from chimneys affects the entire study area, while the distribution of PTEs from spoil heaps is more associated with factors like slope and watercourses.
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. A. Geleto, R. Forjan, E. Arco-Lazaro, E. F. Covelo, P. Marcet, B. Cerqueira
Summary: This study investigated the sorption capacity of biochars for Pb2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+, revealing the significant impact of biomass type and pyrolysis temperature on their performance. Evergreen oak biochar showed the best sorption efficiency among the different types studied.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diego Baragano, Jose Luis R. Gallego, Ruben Forjan
Summary: The study used mining waste and biomass waste to remediate contaminated soil, finding that the sole application of mining waste can immobilize metals but inhibit plant growth, while combining it with sludge compost rich in nitrogen and phosphorus yields better results. Biochar can reduce metal availability, but inhibits plant growth.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
D. Baragano, R. Forjan, N. Alvarez, J. R. Gallego, A. Gonzalez
Summary: Zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) show promise in soil remediation, but their effects on plants are not extensively studied. In this research, the impact of nZVI and organic fertilizer on Medicago sativa were investigated, and it was found that nZVI immobilized arsenic in the soil and increased mercury accumulation in the plant while reducing oxidative stress. Additionally, the fertilizer mobilized arsenic, but when combined with nZVI, the accumulation of arsenic was mitigated, suggesting that simultaneous amendments have potential in soil stabilization and phytomanagement of As/Hg-polluted soils.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Beatriz Cerqueira, Emma F. Covelo, Sandra Rua-Diaz, Purificacion Marcet, Ruben Forjan, Jose Luis R. Gallego, Lukas Trakal, Luke Beesley
Summary: The addition of vermicomposts can improve the growth of ryegrass and reduce the concentrations of copper and arsenic in contaminated mine soil. However, biochar is more effective in reducing copper mobility compared to vermicompost, while the impact of vermicompost on arsenic mobility is more significant.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jose Luis R. Gallego, Veronica Pena-Alvarez, Luis M. Lara, Diego Baragano, Ruben Forjan, Arturo Colina, Alexander Prosenkov, Ana Isabel Pelaez
Summary: An innovative approach combining metagenomic profiling of microbial communities and GC-MS & Pyrolysis-GC-MS fingerprinting methods was used to assess biodegradation in contaminated soil from the Burgan oil field in Kuwait. The results indicated that sludge compost enhanced organic matter content but did not directly contribute to bioremediation.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sandra Rua-Diaz, Ruben Forjan, Manoel Lago-Vila, Beatriz Cerqueira, Elena Arco-Lazaro, Purificacion Marcet, Diego Baragano, Jose Luis R. Gallego, Emma F. Covelo
Summary: Biochar is a promising material for remediating polluted soils, with properties depending on feedstock and pyrolysis temperature. In this study, biochar produced from corncob at different temperatures was tested for its capacity to remediate Cu- and As-contaminated mining soil. The biochar exhibited higher surface area with increasing pyrolysis temperature, but also contained high molecular weight PAHs at the maximum temperature, posing potential ecotoxicological risks. The application of biochar to the soil partially immobilized Cu, especially when using biochar obtained at 500°C, due to its structure and pH and organic matter content increase. However, all three types of biochar led to an insignificant increase in soluble As fraction. Overall, biochar produced at 500°C outperformed the other two products in terms of soil recovery, considering its lower PAH content, higher Cu immobilization ratio, and negligible increase in As availability. The data on Cu and As availability were confirmed using two extraction methodologies, suggesting the operational approach can be used in other soil remediation actions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alicia Fernandez-Brana, Lorena Salgado, Jose Luis R. Gallego, Elias Afif, Carlos Boente, Ruben Forjan
Summary: This study evaluated the phytoremediation potential of three spontaneous plant species for the recovery of an urban brownfield. The results showed that the selected species are suitable for phytostabilization strategies in areas with high concentrations of contaminants, whereas they could be used for phytoextraction only in soils with low or moderate levels of pollution.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Om Prakash Kumar, Amiya S. Naik, P. Gopinathan, T. Subramani, Vishvajeet Singh, Prakash K. Singh, Uma K. Shukla, Arun Prabhu
Summary: This study characterizes lignite samples from Kapurdi, Giral, and Sonari mines in Rajasthan's Barmer Basin using petrographic and geochemical techniques. The results provide insights into the geochemical properties, hydrocarbon potential, depositional environment, and paleo-climatic conditions of these lignite deposits. The study finds high volatile matter and sulfur concentrations in the Barmer lignite deposits, as well as indications of a wet environment during organic material decomposition. The findings have implications for understanding the coalification profile and hydrocarbon source rock potential in the region.
JOURNAL OF GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION
(2024)
Review
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ashkan Jahandari, Behnam Abbasnejad
Summary: The assessment of heavy metal concentrations in agricultural soil is important for crop safety and quality, as well as potential risks to human health. This review analyzed published data on seven heavy metals in Iranian farmland soils and found that nickel and cadmium exceeded permissible levels. Arsenic showed significant contamination in multiple provinces, while lead and cadmium were highly contaminated in Fars province. Overall, the contamination levels of heavy metals in Iranian agricultural soils were relatively low.
JOURNAL OF GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Imran Ud Din, Said Muhammad, Shah Faisal, Inayat ur Rehman, Wajid Ali
Summary: The presence of heavy metal contamination in coal mines and surrounding environments in the Hangu and Kurram districts poses potential risks to the environment and human health.
JOURNAL OF GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Douglas Almeida Silveira, Paola Ferreira Barbosa, Cassiano Costa e Castro, Guilherme Ferreira da Silva, Joseneusa Brilhante Rodrigues
Summary: This study analyzed apatite grains from the Angico dos Dias Carbonatite Complex region in Brazil using an electron probe microanalyzer. The results showed that the apatite grains had characteristics of metacarbonatitic lithotypes and some had undergone substitution processes. Statistical analysis helped identify the sources of the apatite grains and confirmed the presence of carbonatitic bodies in the area.
JOURNAL OF GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION
(2024)
