Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1080/03650340.2017.1387779
Document accepted manuscript
Title (Primary) Labile water soluble components govern the short-term microbial decay of hydrochar from sewage sludge
Author Breulmann, M.; Kuka, K.; van Afferden, M.; Buscot, F.; Fühner, C.; Müller, R.; Schulz, E.
Source Titel Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science
Year 2018
Department BOOEK; UBZ; iDiv; BOSYS
Volume 64
Issue 6
Page From 873
Page To 880
Language englisch
Keywords biochar; carbon sequestration; ccb model; hydrochar; respiration; sewage sludge
UFZ wide themes RU1
Abstract Due to higher proportions of labile carbon (C) compounds the suitability of biochar produced by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) for C sequestration is questionable. We hypothesized that pre-treatment with water would reduce the biological decay of hydrochar from sewage sludge. Unwashed and washed feedstock and hydrochar were incubated in a short-term experiment. The kinetics of the biological decomposition of the materials was calculated on the basis of a double exponential model and the C sequestration potential using the CANDY Carbon Balance (CCB) model. Biological decomposition of the carbonized materials was governed by the percentage of labile C compounds. Mean residence time of a fast (MRTfast) and slow decay pool (MRTslow) of unwashed hydrochars varied clearly (MRTfast: 0.8 – 5.0 months and the MRTslow: 5.0 – 18.6 months). The pre-treatment with water removed labile hydrochar C and reduced the biological accessibility. MRTfast and MRTslow was increased by intensive washings (MRTfast: 5.0 – 7.4 months and the MRTslow: 14.9 months). High synthesis coefficients suggest that hydrochar C was humified and transferred into stabilized SOC. The results clearly show that once adsorbed components were eliminated, and as compared to pyrolysed biochar hydrochar from sewage sludge may also be useful for soil C sequestration.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=19292
Breulmann, M., Kuka, K., van Afferden, M., Buscot, F., Fühner, C., Müller, R., Schulz, E. (2018):
Labile water soluble components govern the short-term microbial decay of hydrochar from sewage sludge
Arch. Agron. Soil Sci. 64 (6), 873 - 880 10.1080/03650340.2017.1387779