Researchers have developed a biochar catalyst that can actively break down antibiotics, achieving high removal efficiency in wastewater treatment. By controlling the nitrogen-to-boron ratio, the material's surface structure and active sites can be optimized for efficient degradation.
Research found that small particles from activated carbon and biochar can transport particle-bound pollutants after filtration, affecting water treatment performance. Dissolved contaminants may be overlooked when particles are removed, leading to incomplete contaminant transport assessment.
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.
Researchers developed lightweight carbon aerogels with CoNi components that deliver wide electromagnetic-wave attenuation at low density and low filler loading. The aerogels also exhibit thermal insulation, limiting heat transfer and maintaining a stable surface temperature even at high temperatures.
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.
Researchers developed millimeter-scale magnetic carbon beads that accelerate the breakdown of sulfamethoxazole, a widely used antibiotic, with rapid oxidation and low pollution. The beads activate peroxymonosulfate while reducing metal leaching and enabling catalyst recovery, making them a promising solution for wastewater treatment.
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.
Researchers found that dissolved black carbon's electron-shuttle ability depends on both redox activity and diffusivity, which can alter microbial metabolism and contaminant transformation rates. Higher-temperature DBC exhibited greater electron-shuttle ability and faster apparent diffusion.
Hainan Island's food system experienced significant carbon emissions growth from 1952 to 2020, primarily driven by fertilizer-related emissions, tropical crop cultivation, and aquaculture. Integrated interventions, such as technological optimization and structural transition, could potentially lead to net sequestration by 2060, with a ...
NEW HORIZON PRESS LIMITED participated in ACS Fall 2026, connecting with researchers and scholars to introduce its academic journals and publishing initiatives. The meeting highlighted advances in chemistry, materials science, and environmental science, with a focus on sustainability and interdisciplinary research.
Researchers have found that nano-biochar can rapidly transform silver ions into silver nanoparticles under alkaline conditions, with superoxide radicals playing a key role in the process. The study also showed that the structure of nano-biochar and pH conditions can control metal transformations in water.
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.
A new membrane combines food waste-derived biochar, graphene, and a phase change material to store thermal energy, improve heat transfer, and manage moisture. The membrane exhibits high thermal conductivity and water vapor permeability, making it suitable for energy recovery ventilation and smart building systems.
A new review reveals that biochar can act as an electron bridge, tripling electron transfer capacity in ammonia-removing microbes and boosting wastewater treatment efficiency. Biochar production can be tuned to enhance electron transfer, and emerging technologies may further reduce energy footprint.
A review examines how lignin, a natural aromatic polymer, can support fertilizers, crop protection, soil improvement, and biodegradable farm materials. Lignin's unique structure-property-performance relationships make it suitable for various agricultural applications.
Researchers found that biochar produced from malt spent rootlets can sharply increase E. coli retention in sand, offering a potential route to cleaner water and productive reuse of brewery waste. Adding more biochar changes how bacteria are retained, shifting from physical trapping to direct attachment.
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.
Researchers have developed a zinc single-atom photocatalyst that degrades emerging contaminants and produces hydrogen peroxide through oxygen reduction. The catalyst, combined with pollutant degradation, offers a resource-recovering wastewater treatment strategy.
Biochar researchers explore how changing reactor atmospheres can tailor materials for carbon storage, pollution control, and industrial applications. Alternative gases like CO2, steam, and ammonia can shape the production process and resulting materials.
Local policies in China's 'Livestock-Free Zones' successfully reduced local carbon emissions, but this achievement was overshadowed by a significantly larger 'policy leakage' effect. A study found that for every unit of carbon reduced locally, approximately 3.14 units of carbon emissions were displaced to neighboring regions.
A five-year field study reveals that biochar-amended green roof modules consistently exhibit significantly greater methane uptake than controls across all seasons. Biochar's influence on substrate moisture and water vapor flux enhances methane absorption by creating favorable aerobic microsites for methane-oxidizing microbes.
New research reveals altitude-dependent carbon storage mechanisms in diverse forest ecosystems. High-altitude conifer forests excel at storing carbon in biomass, while lower-elevation mixed broadleaf forests stabilize soil carbon. Effective forest management requires altitude-specific approaches to conserve biomass and enhance soil org...
Researchers found that chitosan-functionalized biochar reduced plant-available arsenic by 21.1% and lowered arsenic concentrations in rice grains by 43.1%. The modified biochar continued to reduce arsenic accumulation after six months of natural aging, supporting healthier root development.
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 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.
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.
A two-year field study shows that biochar-derived from rice straw improves soil health and crop resilience to saline-sodic stress. Biochar enhances nitrogen metabolism, increases yield, and reduces oxidative stress, making it a promising strategy for sustainable rice production in salt-affected regions.
Researchers have developed a biochar adsorbent that combines physical and chemical interactions to capture tetracycline molecules. The material showed high tetracycline adsorption capacity and good resistance to coexisting ions, suggesting potential for repeated operation.
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.
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 suggests that pairing iron and manganese modified biochar with carefully chosen irrigation strategies can reduce cadmium and mercury buildup in rice. FMBC helped stabilize both metals while reshaping microbial processes to control methylmercury formation.
A study from Huazhong Agricultural University sheds light on the intricate processes of microbial activity and geological structures beneath our feet. The team's work illustrates how bacterial EPS contributes to SOM persistence, a process crucial for maintaining soil health and securing long-term carbon storage.
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.
Researchers have devised a sustainable approach to convert coal tailings into a highly effective adsorbent that captures ammonia and neutralizes hazardous metals, offering a cost-effective solution for sustainable farming. The material demonstrated remarkable adsorption capabilities, achieving an ammonia adsorption capacity of 56.80 mg...
Researchers developed a waste-to-resource strategy using agricultural biomass to break down polyethylene microplastics. Walnut shell-derived biochar improved the photodegradation of TiO2, reducing microplastic particles by 70 micrometers in 40 hours.
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.
A new review compares conventional and microwave-assisted pyrolysis, showing how microwave heating can tailor biochar for removing metals, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics. Microwave-derived biochars often show higher surface area, stronger mesoporosity, and greater retention of oxygen-containing functional groups.
A new study uses biochar-doped hydrogel to turn sunlight into vapor more efficiently, improving water transport and reducing heat loss. The hybrid material achieved a surface temperature of 41.1 °C and an evaporation rate 1.87 times higher than that of the control hydrogel.
Researchers found that both free water and bound water slowed the intensity of pyrolysis reactions and increased biochar yield. A biomass water content of around 30% may offer a practical balance for pyrolysis, balancing biochar yield and energy demand.
A new study shows that liquid biochar mineral complex fertilizers can substantially improve pasture yield, nutrient balance and farm-level economic returns. The nitrogen-enriched formulation delivered the strongest performance, increasing pasture yield by 42.20 t ha⁻¹.
Hydrothermal carbonization byproduct water may support crop production and nutrient recovery, with potential for circular bioeconomy systems. Proper characterization and application can unlock benefits, but safety and management challenges must be addressed.
A new process-based model predicts how biochar affects crop yields, soil carbon, and greenhouse gas emissions. The DLEM-Ag-Biochar model performed well against field observations, capturing patterns in agricultural systems across different environmental and management conditions.
Researchers discovered graphitized biochar, which facilitates electron transfer between microbes and iron minerals, producing more hydroxyl radicals. This process accelerates sulfamethoxazole degradation by up to 57.2% and enhances overall soil remediation.
A new study develops a HZSM-5 coated biochar catalyst that turns wet torrefied Chlorella microalgae into valuable aromatic hydrocarbons. The process achieves high aromatic selectivity and reduces unwanted compounds, making it a promising strategy for upgrading nitrogen-rich biomass.
A two-year study found that pairing moderate drainage with biochar may reduce methane and carbon dioxide losses from agricultural peat soils. Biochar treatment reduced cumulative carbon dioxide emissions by up to 52%, while maintaining soil carbon stores.
A two-year field experiment in subtropical China shows that combining nitrogen transformation inhibitors with biochar can reduce harmful nitrogen gas emissions while supporting tea productivity. The treatment combining biochar and dual inhibitors also increased tea yield by 6.7% and plant nitrogen uptake by 14.4%.
A comprehensive analysis reveals that biochar application generally increases soil organic carbon stocks, with significant regional variations observed. Microbial trophic strategies play a key role in regulating carbon gains, shifting from copiotrophic to oligotrophic taxa over time.
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.
A new study reveals how iron minerals trigger the release of potent greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide from paddy soils during flooding. Microbial communities then drive further decomposition, leading to a net decrease in overall carbon stability.