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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism01:20

Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism

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Nitrogen is a very important element for life because it is a major constituent of proteins and nucleic acids. It is a macronutrient, and in nature, it is recycled from organic compounds and stored in the form of  ammonia, ammonium ions, nitrate, nitrite, or  nitrogen gas by many metabolic processes. Many of these metabolic processes are carried out only by prokaryotes.
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this...
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Related Experiment Video

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Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites
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Ammonia volatilization from composting with oxidized biochar.

Rachel Hestrin1, Akio Enders1, Johannes Lehmann1,2,3

  • 1Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.

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Adding oxidized biochar to compost significantly reduces nitrogen loss by ammonia volatilization. This biochar amendment enhances microbial activity and composting rates, improving fertilizer value.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Soil Science
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Composting animal manure and biomass creates valuable fertilizer but suffers significant nitrogen (N) loss via ammonia (NH3) volatilization.
  • Biochar, a charcoal-like substance, is explored for its potential to mitigate N loss during composting.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of biochar, specifically oxidized biochar, in improving ammonia-N retention during poultry manure and straw composting.
  • To understand the role of biochar's physiochemical properties, particularly oxidized surface functional groups, in composting performance.

Main Methods:

  • Composting experiments were conducted using poultry manure and straw with unoxidized biochar, oxidized biochar, and no biochar.
  • Nitrogen loss (NH3-N) and carbon dioxide (CO2-C) evolution were measured over 7 weeks.
  • Nitrogen content retained in biochar particles was quantified.

Main Results:

  • Composting with oxidized biochar resulted in significantly lower total N loss (142 mg N g-1) compared to unoxidized biochar (307 mg N g-1) and no biochar (51 mg N g-1).
  • Ammonia-N loss relative to CO2-C loss was 55% lower with oxidized biochar than unoxidized biochar.
  • Oxidized biochar retained more N (16.0 mg N g-1) than unoxidized biochar (6.1 mg N g-1).
  • Oxidized biochar enhanced microbial activity, doubled composting rate, and reduced NH3-N loss.

Conclusions:

  • Oxidized biochar effectively reduces ammonia volatilization during composting, improving nitrogen retention in the final fertilizer product.
  • The presence of oxidized surface functional groups on biochar is crucial for its performance in mitigating N loss and enhancing composting processes.
  • Biochar's properties significantly influence its effectiveness in composting, with implications for nutrient cycling in various ecosystems.