Heavy Metal Removal by Poultry Litter Biochar

Biochar is charcoal that is produced by pyrolysis of biomass in the absence of oxygen. Poultry litter biochar is the black solid remaining after the pyrolysis of poultry litter. During poultry production on farms, poultry litter is generated as a mixture of poultry manure, bedding materials, spilled feed, dead birds, bones, and feathers. Instead of direct application of poultry litter in the land field, pyrolysis of poultry litter enables nutrient-rich biochar production and kill any present microbes that would otherwise trigger negative environmental health effects. Poultry litter can be collected from poultry houses, stored in storage houses, converted into biochar via pyrolysis, and transported to certain low-nutrient areas with reduced volume and low transportation cost. Adsorption is a critical chemical process in the soil environment that significantly affects the mobility of contaminants in the subsurface. Once a species is absorbed, desorption is necessary prior to plant uptake, leaching, volatilization, and decomposition of contaminants. Bioavailability of pollutants is reduced by adsorption and may contribute to a lack of apparent biodegradation. The control column will contain 100% soil mix while the experimental cell will contain 1.0 %, 3.0 %, and 5.0% biochar with soil-mix by mass. The solution containing lead will be added into columns and the collected leachate will be analyzed. Sufficient number of samples will be analyzed to establish the reproducibility of the resulting data.