Sponsor: Sanjai Parikh, Ph.D. Land Air & Water Resources Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced through the thermal conversion of organic waste. It can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and when added to soil, biochar can improve the water holding capacity, decrease bulk density, buffer pH, and increase soil carbon sequestration. Additionally, biochar is a sorbent and can be used to remediate pollutants and recover excess nutrients. Biochar can be chemically modified to increase its adsorption capacity. We applied three different modifications to two types of biochars derived from woodchip and walnut shell feedstocks. Experiments were conducted to examine the sorption capacity of phosphate, ammonium, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The final concentrations of each supernatant were measured, and the amount of nutrients adsorbed was determined by the difference in the final and starting concentrations. This was used to create an isotherm curve to determine the maximum binding capacity of each biochar. Our data shows that iron- modified biochars were the most effective for binding nutrients. Modified biochar could be used in composting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stabilize carbon, and increase nutrient retention. The nutrient-rich biochar could then be applied to crops, simultaneously reducing nutrient pollution, improving soil health, increasing crop yields, and helping to mitigate climate change. Antioxidant Potential of Walnut Skin Tisane

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