Title: Physicochemical characterisation of soil amendments derived from residual materials and their effects on soil fertility

Authors: Zahra Derakhshan-Nejad; Myung Chae Jung

Addresses: Department of Earth System Science, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, South Korea ' Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul, 143-747, South Korea

Abstract: This study was conducted to characterise physicochemical properties of residual materials (i.e., rice husk, RRH; rice husk biochar, RHB; maple leaf, RML; maple leaf biochar, MLB; red mud, R.M; and steel slag, S.S) to guarantee the right identification for applying them as soil amendments. In addition, the influence of amendments on soil water holding capacity (WHC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC), as critical factors for soil fertility, was examined. Pyrolysis of RRH and RML at 550°C caused an increase in specific surface area (SSA), aromatic carbon rings and pH of the resultant biochars RHB and MLB. Strong negative zeta potential (ZP) values for RRH, RML and biochars were observed. However, R.M and S.S showed both negative and positive values for ZP depending on the pH condition. Applying RHB, MLB, R.M and S.S as soil amendments for a contaminated site showed promising results to increase soil CEC, WHC and metals immobilisation.

Keywords: soil remediation; rice husk; maple leaf; biochar; red mud; steel slag; environmental pollution; soil amendments; soil fertility; metal(loid)s immobilisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2018.099464

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2018 Vol.64 No.4, pp.310 - 327

Accepted: 16 Nov 2018
Published online: 06 May 2019 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article