Biochars with a high affinity for phosphorus (P) are promising soil amendments for reducing P in agricultural runoff. Poultry litter (PL) is an abundant biochar feedstock. However, PL-derived biochars are typically high in soluble P and therefore require chemical modification to become effective P sorbents. This study investigated the effect of magnesium (Mg) activation on extractable P (EP) and P sorption capacities of PL-derived biochars. Biochar was produced at 500–900 °C from PL activated with 0–1 M Mg. Three differentially aged PL feedstocks were evaluated (1-, 3–5-, and 7–9-year-old) has context menu. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Padilla, J.T., D. Watts, J. Novak, V. Cerven, J. Ippolito, A.A. Szogi, and M. Johnson. Magnesium activation affects the properties and phosphate sorption capacity of poultry litter biochar. Biochar. Springer Nature, New York, NY, USA, 5: 64, (2023).

[4:05 PM] Reed, Coral Biochars with high phosphate (P) contents are promising amendments to remediate metal-contaminated soils due to their ability to form stable metal-P precipitates. However, their performance is usually assessed at a single pH. This study investigated the sorption of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Ni by poultry litter (PL) biochar across a pH range using sorption edge, isotherm, and kinetics experiments. Metal sorption was strongly pH-dependent with increased sorption at higher pH. The affinity of the PL biochar for the metals decreased in the order of Pb>>Cu>Zn>Cd>Ni. In all cases, ≤21% of the sorbed metals were exchangeable, indicating that stable metal-biochar associations were formed. Sorption kinetics experiments demonstrated that reaction rates were slower at pH 4.5 than 6.5 for Pb, Cu, and Cd whereas those for Zn and Ni were unaffected by pH. The results suggested that metal-P precipitation was favored for Cu, Cd, and Zn at pH≥5.5, or Pb at any pH. This indicates that PL-derived biochars can be effective amendments for contaminated soils given that the soils are not too acidic. Experimental data were described using a pH-dependent Freundlich-type isotherm and its kinetic analog. Sorption edges and isotherms were reasonably described for Pb, Zn, Cd, and Ni (r2≥0.83). Kinetics data were best described using model parameters obtained from sorption edge experiments due to similarities between the input metal concentrations. This modeling approach has superior descriptive capabilities than traditional empirical approaches while maintaining relative simplicity. Moreover, pH-dependent equilibrium and kinetic sorption can be described using a single set of parameters. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Padilla, J.T., D. Watts, A.A. Szogi, and M. Johnson. Evaluation of a pH- and time-dependent model for the sorption of heavy metal cations by poultry litter-derived biochar. CHEMOSPHERE. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 347: 140688, (2024).

[4:05 PM] Reed, Coral Biochars with high phosphate (P) contents are promising amendments to remediate metal-contaminated soils due to their ability to form stable metal-P precipitates. However, their performance is usually assessed at a single pH. This study investigated the sorption of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Ni by poultry litter (PL) biochar across a pH range using sorption edge, isotherm, and kinetics experiments. Metal sorption was strongly pH-dependent with increased sorption at higher pH. The affinity of the PL biochar for the metals decreased in the order of Pb>>Cu>Zn>Cd>Ni. In all cases, ≤21% of the sorbed metals were exchangeable, indicating that stable metal-biochar associations were formed. Sorption kinetics experiments demonstrated that reaction rates were slower at pH 4.5 than 6.5 for Pb, Cu, and Cd whereas those for Zn and Ni were unaffected by pH. The results suggested that metal-P precipitation was favored for Cu, Cd, and Zn at pH≥5.5, or Pb at any pH. This indicates that PL-derived biochars can be effective amendments for contaminated soils given that the soils are not too acidic. Experimental data were described using a pH-dependent Freundlich-type isotherm and its kinetic analog. Sorption edges and isotherms were reasonably described for Pb, Zn, Cd, and Ni (r2≥0.83). Kinetics data were best described using model parameters obtained from sorption edge experiments due to similarities between the input metal concentrations. This modeling approach has superior descriptive capabilities than traditional empirical approaches while maintaining relative simplicity. Moreover, pH-dependent equilibrium and kinetic sorption can be described using a single set of parameters. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Padilla, J.T., D. Watts, A.A. Szogi, and M. Johnson. Evaluation of a pH- and time-dependent model for the sorption of heavy metal cations by poultry litter-derived biochar. CHEMOSPHERE. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 347: 140688, (2024).

A two-phased bench-scale study was conducted to evaluate various sorbents for possible use as chemical stabilizing agents, along with cement solidification, for possible use in an in-situ solidification/stabilization (immobilization) treatment process for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contaminated soils. The first phase involved sorption experiments for six selected PFAS compounds diluted in a water solution, using five selected sorbents: granular activated carbon (GAC), activated carbon-clay blend, modified clay, biochar, iron (Fe)-amended biochar, and Ottawa sand as a control media. The second phase involved chemical stabilization treatment (via sorption), using the most effective sorbent identified in the first phase, followed by solidification of two soils from PFAS-contaminated sites. Physical solidification was achieved by adding cement as a binding agent. Results from the first phase (sorption experiments) indicated that GAC was slightly more successful than the other sorbents in sorption performance for a 3,000 µg/L solution containing a mixture of the six selected PFAS analytes (500 µg/L concentration each of shorter- and longer-chain alkyl acids), and was the only sorbent used in the second phase of this study. While the GAC, activated carbon-clay blend, and modified clay sorbents showed similar sorption performance for the longer chain analytes tested, both the activated carbon-clay blend and modified clay, exhibited slightly less sorptive capacity than GAC for the shorter-chain alkyl acids. Immobilization effectiveness was evaluated by soil leachability testing using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 1312, Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) on the samples collected from two PFAS-contaminated sites. For the majority of the PFAS soil analytes, the addition of GAC sorbent (chemical stabilization) substantially reduced the leachability of PFAS compounds from the contaminated soil samples, and the addition of cement as a physical binding agent (solidification) further decreased leachability for a few of the PFAS compounds. Overall immobilization of PFAS analytes that were detectable in the leachate from two PFAS contaminated soils ranged from 87.1% to 99.9%. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider that the laboratory testing results presented here may have application to further pilot or limited field-scale studies within a broader suite of PFAS-contaminated site treatment options that are currently available for treating PFAS contaminated soils. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Barth, E., J. McKernan, D. Bless, and K. Dasu. Investigation of an immobilization process for PFAS contaminated soils. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 296: 113069, (2021).

A two-phased bench-scale study was conducted to evaluate various sorbents for possible use as chemical stabilizing agents, along with cement solidification, for possible use in an in-situ solidification/stabilization (immobilization) treatment process for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contaminated soils. The first phase involved sorption experiments for six selected PFAS compounds diluted in a water solution, using five selected sorbents: granular activated carbon (GAC), activated carbon-clay blend, modified clay, biochar, iron (Fe)-amended biochar, and Ottawa sand as a control media. The second phase involved chemical stabilization treatment (via sorption), using the most effective sorbent identified in the first phase, followed by solidification of two soils from PFAS-contaminated sites. Physical solidification was achieved by adding cement as a binding agent. Results from the first phase (sorption experiments) indicated that GAC was slightly more successful than the other sorbents in sorption performance for a 3,000 µg/L solution containing a mixture of the six selected PFAS analytes (500 µg/L concentration each of shorter- and longer-chain alkyl acids), and was the only sorbent used in the second phase of this study. While the GAC, activated carbon-clay blend, and modified clay sorbents showed similar sorption performance for the longer chain analytes tested, both the activated carbon-clay blend and modified clay, exhibited slightly less sorptive capacity than GAC for the shorter-chain alkyl acids. Immobilization effectiveness was evaluated by soil leachability testing using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 1312, Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) on the samples collected from two PFAS-contaminated sites. For the majority of the PFAS soil analytes, the addition of GAC sorbent (chemical stabilization) substantially reduced the leachability of PFAS compounds from the contaminated soil samples, and the addition of cement as a physical binding agent (solidification) further decreased leachability for a few of the PFAS compounds. Overall immobilization of PFAS analytes that were detectable in the leachate from two PFAS contaminated soils ranged from 87.1% to 99.9%. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider that the laboratory testing results presented here may have application to further pilot or limited field-scale studies within a broader suite of PFAS-contaminated site treatment options that are currently available for treating PFAS contaminated soils. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Barth, E., J. McKernan, D. Bless, and K. Dasu. Investigation of an immobilization process for PFAS contaminated soils. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 296: 113069, (2021).

This file presents physicochemical properties of soils, house dusts, PCBs, and the bioaccessibility values calculated from the analysis of PCBs in the soils, house dusts, and synthetic digestive fluids. Bioaccessibility values were calculated using the ratio of the analyte in the sediment relative to that in the digestive fluids. The first tab in the excel spreadsheet is the data dictionary and contains the meta data (column headings and fields). The second tab contains the soil/dust/PCB physicochemical properties and the associated bioaccessibility values. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Shen, H., W. Li, S. Graham, and J. Starr. The role of soil and house dust physicochemical properties in determining the post ingestion bioaccessibility of sorbed polychlorinated biphenyls. CHEMOSPHERE. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 217: 1-8, (2019).

This file presents physicochemical properties of soils, house dusts, PCBs, and the bioaccessibility values calculated from the analysis of PCBs in the soils, house dusts, and synthetic digestive fluids. Bioaccessibility values were calculated using the ratio of the analyte in the sediment relative to that in the digestive fluids. The first tab in the excel spreadsheet is the data dictionary and contains the meta data (column headings and fields). The second tab contains the soil/dust/PCB physicochemical properties and the associated bioaccessibility values. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Shen, H., W. Li, S. Graham, and J. Starr. The role of soil and house dust physicochemical properties in determining the post ingestion bioaccessibility of sorbed polychlorinated biphenyls. CHEMOSPHERE. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 217: 1-8, (2019).

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing SPARROW models (SPAtially Related Regressions On Watershed Attributes) to assess the transport of contaminants (e.g., nutrients) through the Pacific drainages of the United States (the Columbia River basin; the coastal drainages of Washington, Oregon, and California; the Klamath River basin; the Central Valley of California, and the west slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains). SPARROW relates instream water quality measurements to spatially referenced characteristics of watersheds, including contaminant sources and the factors influencing terrestrial and aquatic transport. Cattle manure applied to grazing land is a potential source of nutrients delivered to streams.The spatial data set “Application of manure phosphorus generated at cattle animal feeding operations to nearby farmland within the Pacific drainages of the United States (2012)” represents an estimate of the amount of cattle manure phosphorus generated at animal feeding operations (such as dairies and feedlots) in 2012 that was applied to nearby farmland around those facilities. This data set was created by estimating the total amount of manure phosphorus that was not exported to market in 2012 within each county and disaggregating that amount to the pasture and cultivated land around each AFO based on the number of cattle housed there in 2012.