The use of biochar as a soil amendment for agricultural purposes in various cultures has been around for centuries, perhaps millennia. This study seeks to advance this practice by investigating the use of engineered biochar, by chemical impregnation, as a means of optimizing the nutrient retaining properties of soil. As a potentially major source of nutrients are found in wastewater, the biochar is also checked for its viability of pre-loading said char with nutrients, by first using it as a means to clean wastewater. First biochar (BC) is used to produce activated carbon (AC) and comparisons are made between the BC and AC in their ability to remove organics from wastewater, then the biochar is chemically modified with three chemicals, Ferrous sulfate Heptahydrate (Copperas), Calcium Chloride (Ice Bite), and Aluminum Potassium Sulfate Dodecahydrate (Alum), and tested for nutrient (orthophosphate and nitrate) sorption. The biochar failed in its unaltered form of removing organics (COD) from wastewater, actually adding COD into the solution. Only when the char was turned into activated carbon did it express the ability to remove COD. The chemically modified chars showed promise in their ability to adsorb nutrients (phosphate and nitrate) from solution (wastewater), as well as enhance the retention of said nutrients (particularly phosphate) within a sandy soil. The biochar amendments also significantly increased the water holding capacity of the sandy soil, regardless of BC type, by no less than 10%. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester 2018. / July 12, 2018. / Includes bibliographical references. / Hafiz Ahmad, Professor Directing Thesis; Gang Chen, Committee Member; Youneng Tang, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_647193 |
| Contributors | Brown, Douglas Lane (author), Ahmad, Hafiz (professor directing thesis), Chen, Gang, 1969- (committee member), Tang, Youneng (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), FAMU-FSU College of Engineering (degree granting college), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, master thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (98 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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