Phosphorus-Binding Biochar Helps Prevent Nutrient Pollution

Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign created a custom form of biochar designed to capture phosphorus from farm runoff to prevent waterway pollution. They created “designer” biochar with significantly higher phosphorus-binding capacity than regular biochar by slowly burning pellets made from waste sawdust and lime sludge, a byproduct of drinking water treatment. The pellets were then used in field testing in which phosphorus-contaminated water from sub-surface drainage pipes flowed through them. Biochar pellets measuring 1 cm were able to remove 38 to 41% of the phosphorus from the water. The phosphorus-laden pellets can then be spread onto fields, where the captured nutrient is slowly released over time.
Related ATTRA topic area: Biochar