This technology uses specialized plants and soil treatments to remove or contain PFAS chemicals from soil and water, making cleanup safer and more effective at contaminated sites. The approach combines mobilization, stabilization, and seed selection strategies to optimize PFAS removal or containment.
A new study found that long-term biochar amendment can reshape nitrogen cycling in deep alkaline paddy soils, promoting nitrogen retention. The effect of biochar on nitrogen cycling depends on soil depth, initial soil pH, biochar aging, and changes in available carbon.
Extreme weather events like drought, flooding, and wildfires alter soil carbon inputs, microbial processes, and sequestration, with repeated drought leading to declining soil organic carbon. The review highlights the importance of protecting soil carbon for climate mitigation and sustainable agricultural productivity.
Andi Jilling is leading two USDA-funded projects to identify threats to healthy soil and protect it for farms and consumers. Her research focuses on understanding how to manage soils to support climate-resilient ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on the impacts of climate change on soil carbon and nutrient availability.
A 10-year experiment in northeastern China compared biochar and maize stover applications, finding stover increased subsurface and deep-soil carbon, while biochar built topsoil carbon. The amendments altered dissolved organic carbon properties differently, with stover-derived DOC showing stronger vertical movement.
Combining microbial biofertilizers with biochar made from waste enhances soil health, plant growth, and resilience. The co-application consistently outperforms using either treatment alone, improving nutrient-use efficiency and plant biomass.
A new review suggests that artificial intelligence could help scientists develop more precise and mechanism-guided biochar management strategies for acidic soils. Researchers should distinguish between organic and inorganic sources of alkalinity in biochar to improve predictive models.
Pharmaceutical contamination in soil and air has severe ecological impacts, affecting animal, plant, and microbial communities. The review highlights the need for interdisciplinary research to understand the dynamics of pharmaceuticals in soil and their long-term implications for ecosystem health.
A new study reveals the importance of land use in maintaining soil health, with high levels of organic matter found in private gardens and low levels in lawns. The research uses buried cotton underwear to measure soil activity and provides insights into how to promote healthy soil ecosystems.
A three-year field study found that deeper straw incorporation reduced maize ear rot and mycotoxin contamination while improving soil health and microbial communities. The study suggests that optimizing straw management strategies could turn a familiar practice into a more effective tool for soil health and food safety.
Researchers developed a synthetic community of native soil bacteria that reduces acid stress and improves nutrient cycling, leading to healthier plant growth. The microorganisms increase soil pH, promote lateral root development, and enhance nutrient availability.
Long-term straw incorporation improves soil organic carbon by activating two mechanisms: physical protection in stable aggregates and chemical stabilization via iron-organic carbon associations. Straw return strengthens soil structure, promoting longer-term carbon storage.
Researchers discovered 86% of bare surface soil samples exceeded EPA's residential soil lead hazard level, with nearly 94% exceeding screening levels. In homes without interior lead-based paint, 80% of floor dust samples exceeded safety thresholds.
The co-occurrence of biochar and microplastics in agricultural soils can alter soil carbon storage and inflate estimates of carbon sequestration. The review proposes an evidence-tiered measurement framework to accurately evaluate soil carbon storage.
Biochar's ability to retain carbon in soil is strengthened by cadmium contamination, with mechanisms including cation bridging and microbial inhibition. This unexpected interaction has implications for using biochar in contaminated agricultural soils.
A review of 30 years of biochar research reveals its potential to improve soil health, support crops, and mitigate climate change. Biochar can enhance soil pH, porosity, water availability, nutrient retention, root development, and microbial activity.
A field study in northeastern China shows that combining no-tillage management with microbial organic fertilizer can significantly increase soil organic carbon across both surface and deeper soil layers. The treatment increased soil organic carbon by up to 93.2% and maintained larger macroaggregates, which can physically enclose organi...
Professor Jun Yang, HKU engineer, wins State Natural Science Award for his groundbreaking research on soil anisotropy and its impact on geotechnical engineering. His work provides a comprehensive theoretical framework and advanced constitutive models that accurately predict soil strength and deformation.
A USC study analyzed over 6,000 soil samples and found that the L.A. fires released lead into the environment, but preexisting contamination makes it difficult to distinguish the impacts of the fires. The study also found no evidence of post-fire contamination from other metals, and lead levels can vary widely across a property.
A research team uses machine learning to regulate environmental processes, achieving precise and predictable remediation of polluted soil. This approach allows for the creation of high-performance charcoal-like substances from farm and forestry waste and polluted soil.
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics modify as they age in soil, but these changes have little effect on how they interact with various organic contaminants. The study suggests the soil itself, not the plastic, remains the main factor influencing the environmental fate of these chemicals.
Researchers found that water erosion increases microbial conversion of soil carbon to CO2, favoring decomposition of recalcitrant substrates. In contrast, deeper SOC remains more effectively protected within mineral-organic complexes and aggregates.
A new study reveals that forest structure, tree species evenness, and terrain slope jointly influence how carbon is divided among living vegetation, forest litter, and soil. The research found that soil contained the largest share of total carbon in most locations, while vegetation stored more carbon than soil in several plots.
A study analyzing Chinese and global soil metagenomes found substantial declines in antimicrobial resistance genes after China implemented its AMR control plan. The research suggests a close association between soil resistomes and antimicrobial use patterns across human and animal sectors.
Biochar's performance in soil depends on its feedstock, production conditions, interactions with microorganisms, and aging processes. Practical measurements are needed to assess its functionality.
Research by CSU scientists found that soil organic carbon benefits crops the most during moderate water supply conditions, not extreme drought. Increasing soil organic carbon makes crops more stable and resilient from year to year.
Combined exposure to copper and glyphosate causes stronger stress responses in earthworms than individual contaminants. Biochar reduces these effects, improving soil habitability and reducing earthworm response to contamination.
A global analysis of 932 observations shows that biochar delivers stronger carbon gains in nitrogen-poor soils and follows different carbon storage pathways depending on soil fertility. Biochar effectiveness varies greatly from one field to another, with the amount of nitrogen already present in soil controlling how much carbon it stores.
New research reveals biochar's reactive chemistry can slow soil organic carbon decomposition by suppressing enzymes, particularly in acidic soils. The protective effect varies among different soils, with some biochars increasing carbon dioxide emissions.
A new catalog centralizes publicly available soil moisture content datasets, streamlining data discovery and comparison. The UB-SMDC portal provides a unified platform for researchers to efficiently access and analyze global soil moisture data.
A new study found that soil acidity, nutrient conditions, and microbial function significantly impact nitrous oxide emissions. Fluvo-aquic soil consistently produced the lowest proportion of nitrous oxide, while red soil displayed limited denitrification potential due to its acidic conditions.
A new study published in Biochar shows that combining green manure with biochar can improve soil quality, support maize yield, and reduce dependence on nitrogen fertilizer. The research found that soil microbial diversity emerged as a central driver of improved soil quality.
Scientists from Stellenbosch University have isolated a new species of soil bacterium, Dedyshia acidiphilia, from the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. The discovery provides significant advances in understanding rare bacterial species contributing to soil health and nutrient cycles.
The online forum will synthesize evidence from 30 years of biochar research on its interactions with soil and plants. Biochar can increase phosphorus availability, reduce plant uptake of heavy metals, build soil organic carbon, lower non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions and improve crop yields.
A new study reveals how biochar can directly suppress destructive soil-borne pathogens like Ralstonia solanacearum, while helping rebuild a richer and more stable soil bacterial community. Biochar's reactive oxygen species profile changes with pyrolysis temperature, making it a powerful tool for precision agriculture.
A new study published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes shows that changing soil water levels can disrupt the balance between two key steps of nitrification, a central process in the soil nitrogen cycle. Soil moisture and nitrogen availability jointly control the microbial 'handoff' in agricultural soil nitrogen cycling.
Researchers used solar radiation to enhance hydrochar, a carbon-rich material derived from biomass, to create a more effective soil amendment. The study found that aged hydrochars delivered impressive results, increasing soil organic carbon content by up to 110% and enhancing beneficial microbial taxa.
Biochar improves soil physical and chemical properties by increasing water retention, enhancing soil aggregation, raising organic matter content, and regulating pH and nutrient availability. Biochar also reduces allelopathic autotoxicity and supports healthier plant development by adsorbing or degrading harmful compounds.
A new study reveals that biochar increases soil organic carbon more efficiently than straw by guiding microbes towards stable carbon formation. Biochar promotes a slower but more stable carbon pathway, reducing native soil carbon mineralization.
Researchers found that rice stink bugs acquire beneficial symbiotic bacteria from soil and that high soil pH suppresses acquisition. The study reveals that mildly acidic soils facilitate the establishment of symbiosis, providing a potential tool for environmentally sustainable pest control strategies.
A new Illinois study found that desiccation cracks in dry soil accelerate moisture loss through evapotranspiration, making the soil even drier. The research team simulated heat wave conditions and tracked the evolution of cracks to understand their impact on hydrological variables.
BIOCHAR has achieved a 2025 Impact Factor of 15.1, ranking No. 1 worldwide in Soil Science for five consecutive years and 11th among 395 journals in Environmental Sciences. The journal publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications in fields like agronomy, environmental science, and materials science.
A new 8-year field study found that biochar's benefits in improving soil fertility and nutrient availability were short-lived, lasting only 3-5 years. Biochar application rates can affect its persistence, with moderate rates offering the best balance between effectiveness and duration.
Researchers found that nanozeolite-coupled biochar fertilizer reduced soil-derived carbon dioxide emissions by 11-18% compared to conventional phosphorus fertilizer. The biochar-based fertilizer also reduced the Q10 value, indicating a decrease in soil carbon decomposition under warming.
A new study reveals that biochar reshapes microbial activity over time, transforming dissolved organic matter into more stable carbon pools. Long-term effects were increasingly controlled by soil microbes, suggesting a key role in durable soil carbon sequestration.
A new study reveals that mountainous landscapes can store significantly more carbon in the soil than previously believed. Researchers found that soils in landslides can be up to 5 meters deep and contain twice as much carbon as predicted by previous global models.
A new study reveals that biochar can regulate antibiotic movement in structured soils, helping reduce contamination risks. By shifting transport into the slower soil matrix, biochar reduces pollutant export and increases retention.
A new study found that soil fungi play a key role in supporting carbon retention and improving fertility in nutrient-poor urban soils. Biochar and compost increased soil carbon and nitrogen storage most strongly in these soils, with amendment effects up to 14.4 times greater than those observed in nutrient-rich soils.
New degradable sensors developed by Lancaster University researchers track biological activity in soil using a biodegradable substrate nibbled on by microbes. This technology offers insights into soil's response to climate events and storage of carbon, providing a better understanding of soil health and microbial processes.
The 23rd World Congress of Soil Science, held in Nanjing from June 8-12, marked the first time this premier global event was hosted in China. Experts discussed urgent challenges like soil health, food security, climate change, and biodiversity conservation.
A five-year field study reveals that biochar reshapes soil chemistry, microbes, viruses, and metabolites to support healthier agricultural ecosystems. Biochar improves soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity, and nutrient availability while reducing metal bioavailability.
Researchers found that acid-modified and alkaline biochars helped reduce stress from saline-alkali soil, improving soil conditions and supporting alfalfa performance. Alkaline biochar promoted biomass growth, while acid-modified biochar improved soil chemistry and root defense in highly alkaline soils.
Researchers found that biogas slurry enhances soil fertility and increases active carbon levels by up to 13.4% compared to conventional chemical fertilizer topdressing. The treatment also promotes cooperative microbial interactions, supporting nutrient cycling and climate change mitigation.
A new study found that biochar can lower the temperature sensitivity of nitrous oxide emissions in agricultural soil but increase it in forest soil. Researchers tested different soils and biochar treatments and found that temperature was the dominant driver of nitrous oxide emissions, while biochar acted as a secondary modulator.
A new study reveals how combining crop straw with biochar may help soils build humic substances that are both chemically active and structurally persistent. The research found that straw and biochar do more than just add carbon to soil, reorganizing the molecular building blocks of humic acid.
A three-year field study shows that pairing biochar with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can improve soil health, nutrient supply, microbial diversity, and maize productivity. The treatment also increased soil water content, porosity, organic carbon, available phosphorus, and enzyme activity.
A new iron-modified biochar catalyst activates natural oxygen and iron cycling in farmland soil, breaking down sulfamethoxazole at a 4.2-fold increase under laboratory conditions. The material also achieved strong pollutant removal, with degradation reaching 81.2% under favorable soil moisture conditions.
Long-term biochar study reveals that topsoil benefits from biochar's effect on microbial necromass carbon, with significant increase in fungal necromass carbon. In contrast, subsoil shows reduced microbial necromass carbon due to lower nitrogen availability and increased microbial nutrient mining.
A new study found that rice straw biochar applied at moderate levels improved several colony behaviors linked to soil health in ants. Ants showed stronger habitat preference, built larger nests, and maintained more effective social recognition. However, high doses of biochar were detrimental, causing ant survival to drop sharply.
A new spatially explicit population model for springtails in soil simulates dynamic environmental conditions, linking development and reproduction to temperature and moisture. The model provides a realistic assessment of ecosystem health under changing environments.