CAREER: An Integrated Research and Education Program to Improve Environmental Sustainability with Biochar Technology

生物炭，也称为“生物质衍生的黑碳”，是生物质在氧气有限的环境中燃烧（热解）产生的木炭。最近的技术进步使人们有可能设想一个创新的环境可持续发展战略的发展，将富含碳的农业残留物（如甘蔗渣，甜菜渣，花生船体，和动物废物）转化为工程生物炭。这种可持续发展战略可以产生多种社会和环境效益：农业资源的可持续管理、水资源保护和再生利用、可持续的土壤生产力、碳中和能源生产和碳封存。该项目的总体目标是建立一个综合的研究和教育计划，重点是探索使用富碳农业残留物作为工程生物炭的饲料的环境和社会效益。 具体的研究目标是：1）创建不同类型的工程生物炭（即，未处理的生物炭、生物活化的生物炭和表面改性的生物炭）; 2）确定工程化生物炭的基本物理化学性质;和3）揭示控制污染物吸附的机制（即，具体的教育目标是：1）开发一个关于生物炭对环境可持续性的影响的新课程; 2）通过早期接触提高学生对环境可持续性的兴趣和参与;以及3）教育更多的社区关于拟议活动的环境和社会效益。

Biochar, also known as "biomass-derived black carbon", is a charcoal produced by thecombustion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment (pyrolysis). Recent technologicaladvances make it possible to envision the development of an innovative environmentalsustainability strategy to convert carbon-rich agricultural residues (e.g. sugarcane bagasses,sugar beet residues, peanut hull, and animal waste) into engineered biochars. Thissustainability strategy can produce multiple societal and environmental benefits: sustainablemanagement of agricultural resources, water conservation and reclamation, sustainable soilproductivity, carbon neutral energy production, and carbon sequestration. The overall objectiveof this project is to build an integrated research and education program focusing on exploringthe environmental and societal benefits of using carbon-rich agricultural residues as feed stocksfor 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) fromrepresentative agricultural residues; 2) Determine fundamental physicochemical properties ofthe 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 ofbiochar on environmental sustainability; 2) promote interest and participation of students inenvironmental sustainability through early exposure; and 3) educate the greater communityabout the environmental and societal benefits of the proposed activities.