Biochar, also known as "biomass-derived black carbon", is a charcoal produced by the combustion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment (pyrolysis). Recent technological advances make it possible to envision the development of an innovative environmental sustainability strategy to convert carbon-rich agricultural residues (e.g. sugarcane bagasses, sugar beet residues, peanut hull, and animal waste) into engineered biochars. This sustainability strategy can produce multiple societal and environmental benefits: sustainable management of agricultural resources, water conservation and reclamation, sustainable soil productivity, carbon neutral energy production, and carbon sequestration. The overall objective of this project is to build an integrated research and education program focusing on exploring the environmental and societal benefits of using carbon-rich agricultural residues as feed stocks for engineered biochars. The specific research objectives are to: 1) Create different types of engineered biochars (i.e., untreated biochar, biologically activated biochar, and surface-modified biochar) from representative agricultural residues; 2) Determine fundamental physicochemical properties of the engineered biochars; and 3) Unveil mechanisms governing the sorption of contaminants (i.e., nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals) to the engineered biochars. The specific educational objectives are to: 1) develop a new course on the impact of biochar on environmental sustainability; 2) promote interest and participation of students in environmental sustainability through early exposure; and 3) educate the greater community about the environmental and societal benefits of the proposed activities.
