Biochar affects the spatial distribution of eutectic soil - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Biochar affects the spatial distribution of eutectic soil microorganisms in petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil www.usask.ca

100:9:1 C TPH :N:P www.usask.ca Chang et al., 2010 .

Biochar  Organic biomass that is pyrolyzed to produce a carbon-rich char • Source of nutrients • Habitat for microorganisms • Alter abiotic factors (texture, pH, WHC, CEC, etc.) www.usask.ca

Control 300 A Bonemeal Laboratory 250 F2-PHC (mg kg -1 ) Study #1 200 150 100  Incubated at -5 ° C 50 for 90 days B 700 F3-PHC (mg kg -1 )  Bonemeal biochar 600 increased F3-PHC 500 degradation 400 www.usask.ca 0 30 60 90 Days

Laboratory Study #2 300 Day 0 Day 90 250  Incubated at -5 ° C F3-PHC (mg kg -1 ) 200 for 90 days 150 100 **  Only bonemeal 50 biochar increased F3-PHC degradation Control Fishmeal Bonemeal Wood www.usask.ca Treatment

Hypothesis  Bonemeal biochar has ideal properties for PHC remediation in northern landfarms.  In short-term studies, biochar influences the physical, chemical and biological Charosphere properties of the soil charosphere. www.usask.ca Biochar particle

Experimental Design A) Biochar (6%) B) Charosphere soil (0.7%) A C B C) Bulk soil (93.3%) www.usask.ca

Treatments Control i) Fishmeal biochar ii) iii) Bonemeal biochar 3.8 cm iv) Wood biochar 6.4 cm Replicated 5x and incubated at -5 ° C for 90 days www.usask.ca

Biochar Properties Amendments Amendment Property Fishmeal Bonemeal Wood pH 9.0 8.5 8.9 Surface area (m 2 g -1 ) 7.1 147 78 Pore volume (cm 3 g -1 ) 0.025 0.382 0.006 Pore size (nm) 13 9.8 2.2 CEC † (cmol c kg -1 ) 54 57 7 †CEC = cation exchange capacity www.usask.ca

13 C-Phenanthrene Mineralization Unlabelled Microbial decomposition of PHE 13 C 12 C = − 24 Labelled Microbial decomposition of enriched PHE 13 C 12 C = 670 www.usask.ca

13 C-phenanthrene mineralization (%) normalized to bulk soil 1 2 3 1 2 3 Bulk Soil Charosphere Biochar C o n t r o l F i s h m e a l Treatment B o n e m e a l ** W o o d www.usask.ca

Functional Gene Abundance Napthalene dioxygenase nahAc O O Catechol 2,3 dioxygenase OH OH + O 2 O O www.usask.ca OH C2,3O HO

log 10 (copies C2,3O g -1 ) log 10 (copies nahAc g -1 ) normalized to bulk soil normalized to bulk soil 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 Bulk Soil Bulk Soil Charosphere Biochar C Charosphere Biochar o n t r o l F i s h m e a l Treatment B o n e C h i p W o o d www.usask.ca

Extractable Nitrate Biochar 100 Charosphere normalized to bulk soil -1 )] - [log 10 (µg g 10 Bulk Soil 1 NO 3 0.1 l l l d o a a o r e e t o m m n W o h e C s n i o F B www.usask.ca Treatment

Summary  Bonemeal biochar particles directly influence mineralization and functional gene abundance in the charosphere.  Surface area and pore volume are important for microbial activity and PHC-degradation.  Bone-derived biochars supply nitrate, but diffusion into the charosphere was not evident. www.usask.ca

Further analysis  Microbial community structure • Next-gen sequencing  Total PHC-degrading population • MPN 3-  pH and extractable PO 4 www.usask.ca

Questions? www.usask.ca