Progress 03/15/17 to 03/14/21
Outputs
Target Audience:During this project period, our research was presented numerous times at scientific conferences where the audience composed of primarily of scientists. The efforts of this research have also been shared with numerous stakeholder groups, such as the California Almond Board and the California Governors Office of Planning and Research. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has been critical for the training of seven postdoctoral scholars who have conducted the majority of this research. Their responsibilities have included assisting in experimental design, execution of experiments, and data analysis. The postdoctoral scholars have been working with the project PIs to ensure these research activities are appropriately carried out. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The activities and results of this reporting period have been shared at least five times at conferences,seminars, or directly to stakeholder groups. One research paper was published in Water Research and another has been submitted to Science of the Total Environment. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The primary objectives of this project have been completed. The Parikh lab completed its studies examining the potential of biochars to immobilize phystase. The results show that enzyme loading to biochars creates strong bonds which drastically reduce the activity of the enzyme. While this does not rule out the use of this method for adding enzymes for P mineralization, it does suggest that it may only be useful as a long-term and slow-release strategy. Overall it was determined that: 1) different biochars had different enzyme loading capacities and generally a higher pyrolysis temperature led to a larger loading capacity; 2) physical adsorption was the main immobilization mechanism, instead of covalent bonding, and specific forces include the electrostatic forces and hydrophobic effects; 3) reversibility tests showed that less than 4% of the immobilized phytase leached from biochar surface after a 7-d sequential extraction; 4) the activity of immobilized phytase markedly decreased compare to the free state phytase as the former only showed <1% activity compared to the latter. Modified biochars were co-composted with poultry litter and dairy manure to create a stable biochar-compost product with high retention of phosphate and nitrates. The composting process was successful and high-quality compost was made. Experiments were then conducted growing lettuce, fertilized with these composts. The data demonstrate that co-composting the modified biochars with animal manures lead to increased lettuce growth and nutrient levels. The Pignatello group successfully developed methods to increased the anion exchange capacity (AEC) or biochars, aiming to extract anionic nutrients, such as phosphate and nitrate, from animal waste leachate. Biochar materials derived from two wood species, pine and maple, were generated via programmed heating processes. To enhance the AEC of biochars, two strategies, including coating the raw biochar with poly (dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) (polyDADMAC) and integrating magnesium ions (Mg2+) to biomass feedstock (i.e., the wood) to obtain Mg-doped biochars. Isotherms of multiple biochar samples adsorbing orthophosphate (PO43-) demonstrate that both polyDADMAC-coated and Mg-doped biochars show enhanced PO43- adsorption capability compared to non-treated biochars. At environmentally relevant concentrations, PO4-P sorption at final pHs 7.6-7.8 by the pDADMAC-treated PCMs was more than 100 times greater than that of the corresponding unmodified PCMs. PO4-P sorption by the pDADMAC-treated biochars was further enhanced by post-pyrolysis hot air oxidation of the raw biochars, which enlarges pores and introduces acidic groups that can act as additional anchoring sites for pDADMAC strands. Sorption to the pDADMAC-treated softwood and maple biochars is comparable with sorption to the corresponding Mg-doped biochars . The pDADMAC-coated carbons bind PO4-P principally by ion exchange, while the Mg-doped biochars bind PO4-P principally by complexation with Mg. Susceptibility to competition from other relevant anions (Cl-, NO3-, HCO3-/CO32-, SO42-) and extracts of poultry or dairy manure was of a similar magnitude for the two types of modified softwood biochars. Sorption to the pDADMAC-treated biochars appears to be more reversible than to the Mg-doped biochars using stepwise extraction with 18.2 MΩ?cm water. pDADMAC-treated biochars show some advantages for use in trapping and recycling phosphate from animal wastes.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Zhang, M., G. Song, D.L. Gelardi, L. Huang, E. Khan, O. Maaek, S.J. Parikh, Y.S. Ok. 2020.Evaluating biochar and its modifications for the removal of ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate in water. Water Research. 186:116303.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Li, C Z. Wang, S. Bakshi, N. Pignatello, S.J. Parikh. Evaluation of select biochars and clays as supports for phytase to increase the fertilizer potential of animal wastes. Science of the Total Environment.
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Progress 03/15/19 to 03/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:During the current reporting period our research was presented numerous times at scientific conferences where the audience composed of primarily of scientists. The efforts of this research have also been shared with numerous stakeholder groups, such as the California Almond Board and the California Governors Office of Planning and Research. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has been critical for the training of six postdoctoral scholars who have conducted the majority of this research. Their responsibilities have included assisting in experimental design, execution of experiments, and data analysis. The postdoctoral scholars have been working with the project PIs to ensure these research activities are appropriately carried out. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The activities and results of this reporting period have been shared at least five times at conferences,seminars, or directly to stakeholder groups. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the coming year we will complete the analysis of the plant growth experiments and do a complete analysis of all the data. A draft of the enzyme work is near complete and will be submitted for publication soon. From the continued analysis we aim to write and submit an addition two papers in the next year.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Parikh lab completed its studies examining the potential of biochars to immobilize phystase. The results show that enzyme loading to biochars creates strong bonds which drastically reduce the activity of the enzyme. While this does not rule out the use of this method for adding enzymes for P mineralization, it does suggest that it may only be useful as a long-term and slow-release strategy. Overall it was determined that: 1) different biochars had different enzyme loading capacities and generally a higher pyrolysis temperature led to a larger loading capacity; 2) physical adsorption was the main immobilization mechanism, instead of covalent bonding, and specific forces include the electrostatic forces and hydrophobic effects; 3) reversibility tests showed that less than 4% of the immobilized phytase leached from biochar surface after a 7-d sequential extraction; 4) the activity of immobilized phytase markedly decreased compare to the free state phytase as the former only showed <1% activity compared to the latter. Modified biochars (provided by the Pignatello) group were co-composted with poultry litter and dairy manure to create a stable biochar-compost product with high retention of phosphate and nitrates. The composting process was successful and high quality compost was made. Experiments were then conducted growing lettuce, fertilized with these composts. Preliminary data reveal that the modified biochars provided more favorable conditions for plant growh. The Pignatello group has completed most of its work to improve the anion exchange capacity (AEC), aiming to extract anionic nutrients, such as phosphate and nitrate, from animal waste leachate. Biochar materials derived from two wood species, pine and maple, were generated via programmed heating processes. To enhance the AEC of biochars, two strategies, including coating the raw biochar with poly (dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) (polyDADMAC) and integrating magnesium ions (Mg2+) to biomass feedstock (i.e., the wood) to obtain Mg-doped biochars. Isotherms of multiple biochar samples adsorbing orthophosphate (PO43-) demonstrate that both polyDADMAC-coated and Mg-doped biochars show enhanced PO43- adsorption capability compared to non-treated biochars. At environmentally relevant concentrations, PO4-P sorption at final pHs 7.6-7.8 by the pDADMAC-treated PCMs was more than 100 times greater than that of the corresponding unmodified PCMs. PO4-P sorption by the pDADMAC-treated biochars was further enhanced by post-pyrolysis hot air oxidation of the raw biochars, which enlarges pores and introduces acidic groups that can act as additional anchoring sites for pDADMAC strands. Sorption to the pDADMAC-treated softwood and maple biochars is comparable with sorption to the corresponding Mg-doped biochars . The pDADMAC-coated carbons bind PO4-P principally by ion exchange, while the Mg-doped biochars bind PO4-P principally by complexation with Mg. Susceptibility to competition from other relevant anions (Cl-, NO3-, HCO3-/CO32-, SO42-) and extracts of poultry or dairy manure was of a similar magnitude for the two types of modified softwood biochars. Sorption to the pDADMAC-treated biochars appears to be more reversible than to the Mg-doped biochars using stepwise extraction with 18.2 MΩ?cm water. pDADMAC-treated biochars show some advantages for use in trapping and recycling phosphate from animal wastes.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Keynote lecture, J.J. Pignatello Interactions of organic compounds with pyrogenic carbonaceous materials of importance in agriculture and environmental management , at the International Workshop on Organic Pollutants in Agro-Environments (IWOPAE), at Nanjing Agricultural University, China, October 12-15, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
J.J. Pignatello, Yi Yang, Santanu Bakshi, Zhengyang Wang, Jingjing Yang, Hsin-se Hsieh, Feng Xiao, Some ways to modify chars for enhanced binding of certain organic and inorganic contaminants at the Soil Science Society Meeting in San Antonio, TX, November 10-13, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Keynote lecture, J.J. Pignatello Some properties of wood-derived chars important for their interactions with organic compounds, at the 11th International Symposium on Environmental Geochemistry at Peking University, Beijing, China, August 7-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Parikh, S.J. Evaluating biochar for agriculture and environmental applications. China Agricultural University. September 9, 2019 (Invited).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Parikh, S.J. Adventures in biochar! Departmental Seminar, UC Merced. April 4, 2019 (Invited).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Wang, Z., S. Bakshi, C. Li, S.J. Parikh, H.Hsieh, and J.J. Pignatello. 2019. Modification of pyrogenic carbonaceous materials for phosphate sorption through binding of a cationic polymer.
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Progress 03/15/18 to 03/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:During the current reporting period our research was presented numerous times at scientific conferences where the audience composed of primarily of scientists. The efforts of this research have also been shared with numerous stakeholder groups, such as the California Almond Board and the California Governors Office of Planning and Research. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has been critical for the training of three postdoctoral scholars who have conducted the majority of this research. Their responsibilities have included assisting in experimental design, execution of experiments, and data analysis. The postdoctoral scholars have been working with the project PIs to ensure these research activities are appropriately carried out. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The activities and results of this reporting period have been shared at least eight times at conferences,seminars, or directly to stakeholder groups - such as the Almond Board of California and the California Governors Office of Planning and Research. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the coming year we will: 1) refine our approach for increasing nitrate and phosphate retention on biochar surfaces; 2) determine the long-term activity of phosphatase enzymes bound to biochrs; 3) complete the writing of two manuscripts and submit them for publication in peer-reviewed journals; 4) test tailored biochar mixtures for efficacy in nutrient retention and utilization after co-composting with dairy and chicken manures; and 5) evaluate nutrient use efficiency of the co-composted biochar manure mixtures on plant growth.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Parikh lab focused on immobilizing phytase, which mineralizes a main class of organic phosphorus, onto nine different biochars as an enzyme preservation mechanism. Both covalent grafting and physical sorption were used as the immobilization methods and conditions were optimized to maximize the enzyme loading capacity and enzyme activity while minimize the leaching of enzymes. It is found that: 1) different biochars had different enzyme loading capacities and generally a higher pyrolysis temperature led to a larger loading capacity; 2) physical adsorption was the main immobilization mechanism, instead of covalent bonding, and specific forces include the electrostatic forces and hydrophobic effects; 3) reversibility tests showed that less than 4% of the immobilized phytase leached from biochar surface after a 7-d sequential extraction; 4) the activity of immobilized phytase markedly decreased compare to the free state phytase as the former only showed <1% activity compared to the latter. The drastic enzyme activity decrease, however, was less likely caused by enzyme denaturation through sorption; instead, it might be caused by the lower accessibility of the substrates towards the enzyme. The Pignatello group so far has been focusing on developing biochars with high anionic exchange capacity (AEC), aiming to extract anionic nutrients, such as phosphate and nitrate, from animal waste leachate. Biochar materials derived from two wood species, pine and maple, were generated via programmed heating processes. To enhance the AEC of biochars, two strategies, including coating the raw biochar with poly (dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) (polyDADMAC) and integrating magnesium ions (Mg2+) to biomass feedstock (i.e., the wood) to obtain Mg-doped biochars. Isotherms of multiple biochar samples adsorbing orthophosphate (PO43-) demonstrate that both polyDADMAC-coated and Mg-doped biochars show enhanced PO43- adsorption capability compared to non-treated biochars.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Parikh, S.J. Explorations into the Biochar Frontier. Environmental Studies Departmental Seminar. University of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA. April 2, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Pignatello, J.J. Roles of Biochars and Other Carbons in Agricultural and Environmental Management. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Seminar Series, January 17, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Pignatello, J.J. Roles of Pyrogenic Carbon Materials in the Fate, Bioavailability, and Management of Pollutants. Biology Department, University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT; March 28, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Pignatello, J.J., S. Bakshi, C. Li, S.J. Parikh, and H. Hsieh. Biochars Tailored to Remove Nutrients from Animal Wastes. Soil Science Society of America International Soils Meeting in San Diego, CA, January 8, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Bakshi, S. and J.J. Pignatello. Oxyanion sorption onto treated biochar surfaces. Division of Environmental Chemistry, American Chemical Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA; March 19, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Parikh, S.J., C. Li, S. Bakshi, and J.J. Pignatello. Development of novel applications of animal wastes and biochar for nutrient capture and subsequent fertilizer value. USDA-NIFA Project Director's Meeting, Newark, DE. Oct. 1-3, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Parikh, S.J. and D. Gelardi. 2018. Deciphering Biochars for Agronomic and Environmental Applications. Agronomy Society of America Annual Meeting. Baltimore, MD. November 4-7, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li. C S. Bakshi, J.J. Pignatello. The feasibility of immobilizing phytase onto biochars as an enzyme preservation strategy to increase the fertilizer value of animal wastes. Soil Science Society of America International Soils Meeting in San Diego, CA, January 8, 2019.
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Progress 03/15/17 to 03/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period our efforts have been directed on producing biochars and conducting experiments to modify biochars for enhanced sorption of phosphate and phospatase enzymes. During the current reporting period our research was presented at one conference in 2018 where the audience composed of primarily of scientists. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has been critical for the training of two postdoctoral scholars who have conducted the majority of this research. Their responsibilities have included assisting in experimental design, execution of experiments, and data analysis. The postdoctoral scholars have been working with the project PIs to ensure these research activities are appropriately carried out. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from all aspects of the project were presented to relevant audiences at the USDA NIFA Project Directors' Meeting in January 2018. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Methods for altering biochars for nutrient retention and phystase immobilization will be refined. We will test tailored biochar mixtures for efficacy in nutrient retention and utilization after co-composting with dairy and chicken manures. We will evaluate nutrient use efficiency of the co-composted biochar manure mixtures on plant growth.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Preparation and characterization of biochars made from different biomass feedstocks. Development of methods for increased cation exchange capacity via grafted functional groups and cation incorporation Development of methods for production of biochars with immobilized phytase.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Pignatello, J.J., C. Li, S. Bakshi, and S.J. Parikh. 2018. Development of novel applications of animal wastes and biochar for nutrient capture and subsequent fertilizer value. Project Directors Annual Meeting for AFRI Water for Agriculture, AFRI Foundational-Biology Natural Resources and Environment (BNRE), National Integrated Water Quality (NIWQP), and NSF/NIFA Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC) Programs. January 29-31. Washington, DC.
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