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Effectiveness Use of Olive Mill Wastewaters as Impregnator Agent for the Production of Biochars from Cypress Sawdust: Chemical Charcterization and Effects on a Plant Growth
Abstract
Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a major by-product of olive oil industry. More than 10 million m³ of OMW are generated annually in the Mediterranean region.
It is an undeniable fact that modern human civilization is proliferating at the cost of irrevocable damage to the primary natural resources, i.e., land, water, and air. Among these, land is one of the most crucial components as it sustains all the terrestrial life-forms. Sadly, reckless anthropogenic activities are deteriorating the soil quality at an alarming rate. Thus, soil remediation is demanding immediate attention of the scientific community. Though various conventional techniques have been developed for soil remediation, their inefficiency impels the researchers to probe for more effective and greener pathways. In that respect, biomass-based hybrid materials prove to have a huge application potential, since these engineered materials exhibit superior properties, such as high chemical resistance, large surface area, high porosity, and greater sorption capacity. Considering the significance and growing awareness of the concerned domain in the recent years, this chapter attempts to provide an overview of the synthesis and applications of various biomass-based materials for effective soil remediation. In conclusion, future prospects and the associated challenges have also been highlighted.
Rapid turnover of organic matter leads to a low efficiency of organic fertilizers applied to increase and sequester C in soils of the humid tropics. Charcoal was reported to be responsible for high soil organic matter contents and soil fertility of anthropogenic soils (Terra Preta) found in central Amazonia. Therefore, we reviewed the available information about the physical and chemical properties of charcoal as affected by different combustion procedures, and the effects of its application in agricultural fields on nutrient retention and crop production. Higher nutrient retention and nutrient availability were found after charcoal additions to soil, related to higher exchange capacity, surface area and direct nutrient additions. Higher charring temperatures generally improved exchange properties and surface area of the charcoal. Additionally, charcoal is relatively recalcitrant and can therefore be used as a long-term sink for atmospheric CO, Several aspects of a charcoal management system remain unclear, such as the role of microorganisms in oxidizing charcoal surfaces and releasing nutrients and the possibilities to improve charcoal properties during production under field conditions. Several research needs were identified, such as field testing of charcoal production in tropical agroecosystems, the investigation of surface properties of the carbonized materials in the soil environment, and the evaluation of the agronomic and economic effectiveness of soil management with charcoal.
Pressing problem and an energy solution
- L A Merino
Slash-and-char-a feasible alternative for soil fertility management in the central Amazon
- J Lehmann
- Jp Da Silva Jr
- M Rondon
- Ms Cravo
- J Greenwood
- T Nehls
- C Steiner
- B Glaser