Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Energy Nexus
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/nexus

Sustainable approach to manage solid waste through biochar assisted

composting
Sudhanshu Behera a,b, Kundan Samal a,∗
a
School of Civil Engineering, KIIT Deemed to be University Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India
b
Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, Govt. of Odisha, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Keywords: Over the past several years, substantial studies have been conducted for the analysis of the impact of biochar
Biochar application on the composting of organic solid waste. Essentially, the environmental benefits achieved through
Composting the organic waste compositing process due to the use of biochar in it have been assessed thoroughly. This paper
Organic waste
deal with the agronomic roles of biochar utilised as a compost supplement as well as for soil improvement and
Microbial diversity
highlights the assessment of biochar benefits. Furthermore, the review also focuses on biochar’s positive effect
Greenhouse gases
on the humification process which enhances the quality and maturity of the final compost. Although biochar has
proven to have numerous potential applications, further research and in-depth analysis is required to provide
enriched understanding about its long-term effect on the environmental and the agronomical font.

1. Introduction lution and being able to spill heavy metals and eutrophic elements into
surrounding water bodies after being added to the farmland. Moreover,
With industrialization and rising global population, the volume of lower content of nitrogen of the organic waste can increase the time of
solid waste generation is increasing regularly. Up to 11 million tonnes composting or contribute to low-quality degradation [8, 9]. These short-
of solid waste will be produced worldwide by the end of the 21st cen- ages can be resolved by the application of substrates such as biochar.
tury. Massive quantities of residues and organic wastes are generated Biochar will provide an ideal environment for microorganisms be-
every day by human activities [1, 2]. Organic solid waste includes food cause of its porosity, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and absorption ca-
and vegetable waste, sludge, paper, garden waste, etc. The unreason- pacity [10]. Furthermore, in soil, biochar improves nutritional quality,
able dumping of organic waste has caused significant problems includ- facilitates soil physical properties, and thereby boosts plant production.
ing organoleptic susceptibility, land occupancy and environmental re- It also decreases plant stress and raises the crop yield, comprising those
contamination. In agriculture and other sectors, such as urban green caused by salinity and drought. Biochar also immobilises heavy met-
areas and landfill cover, the final product (fertilizer/compost) derived als present in soils and thus decreases plant uptake [11, 12]. Biochar is
from organic waste is used widely [3, 4]. also known to be a potential resource for speeding up the composting
A variety of micro-organisms is involved in composting which is a cycle and increasing final composting quality. Modification of soil by
complex bio-oxidative process that could transform biological waste into incorporating biochar has been envisaged as an alternative to mitigat-
usable end-products and reduce environmental harm [5]. It is among the ing greenhouse gas emissions from farmland, protecting degraded soils
most popular ways to recover the organic fraction of municipal solid and growing soil productivity, etc [13, 24].
waste. Composting also mitigates the amount of waste and generates The use of biochar can also influence the carbon and nitrogen cycles
humus-like compost materials that can be used as fertilizer [6, 7]. Al- during composting. The main benefits of biochar’s usage in compost-
though composting generally entails the processing of agricultural waste ing are associated with the profundity of the process, biodegradation
in natural cone-shaped windrows, it has the drawback of having low ef- of organic matter and humification, reduced GHGs and nitrogen emis-
ficiency, time-consuming, generating organic contaminants, odour pol- sions [14–16]. Various authors have shown that the mixture of biochar

Abbreviations: CEC, Cation Exchange Capacity; GHGs, Greenhouse gases; VOC, Volatile Organic Carbon; OM, Organic Matter; SWM, Solid Waste Management;
CO2 -eq t−1 , CO2 Equivalent per tonne; CFU, Colony Forming Unit; DOC, Dissolved Organic Carbon; HMRB, Heavy Metal Resistant Bacteria; OFMSW, Organic Fraction
of Municipal Solid Waste; PAHs, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.
∗
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (K. Samal).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nexus.2022.100121
Received 13 May 2022; Received in revised form 6 July 2022; Accepted 18 July 2022
Available online 20 July 2022
2772-4271/© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
S. Behera and K. Samal Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

Fig. 1. Different applications of biochar.

and compost could be even more effective than only biochar itself to in soils are added and outlined meticulously. At the end of the review,
facilitate immobilization of metal (loid) pollutants and buffer nutrient potential ideas and main findings are also addressed.
degradation in polluted soils. It plays a crucial part in composting and
in soils, such as strengthening the internal composition of composting 2. Biochar
piles or soils through their porosity (Fig. 1). It is an efficient method
which recycles organic waste by biochar use and hence it is essential Biochar is a carbonaceous substance derived from the oxygen-free
to combine the function of biochar as a compost additive with that of pyrolysis of biomass residues [21]. During pyrolysis, evaporation takes
soil modification [18]. The goal of this analysis is to offer an enriched place and biomass is transformed into char at approximately 1000°C.
understanding of the physico-chemical properties of biochar and its car- Carbon-rich biomass such as coal, crop residues or manure is used for
dinal impact on the composting cycle when co-organized with compost. this process (Fig. 2). The key factors influencing the physico-chemical
Medium-long term consequences and significant impacts of biochar used characteristics of the acquired biochar are the temperature of pyrolysis,

Fig. 2. Different processes used for biochar preparation.

2
S. Behera and K. Samal Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

Fig. 3. Properties of biochar.

feedstock, and cycle time [26, 27]. Such physico-chemical properties mixes which results in a rapid turnover of the microorganisms and con-
entail high surface area (259 - 532 m2 g−1 ), increased C content (> sequently improves the process of decomposition.
70 %), increased initial pH content (> 7) and high CEC content (10-70
cmolc kg−1 ) [30, 31]. It has a wide variety of beneficial effects when uti- 3.2. Temperature
lized as soil amendment, especially when the fertility of the soil is low.
It enhances the supply of nutrient, magnifies soil physical properties, Temperature is the most significant composting variables. It en-
increases crop production and link with specific bio-geochemical pro- hances the composting rate as well as reduces the pathogens amount in
cesses [33, 37]. Many of the effects are due to the effective physical and compost. Thermophilic period of composting has the greatest effect on
physico-chemical characteristics of biochar that associate with soil biota the conversion of organic content into compost, and the highest micro-
and nutrient dynamics such as porosity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), bial activity is observed during this period. Research by Awasthi et al.
water-retaining capacity, etc [35, 38, 39] (Fig. 3). Biochar obtained from [8] showed a longer (probably 5 to 6 days) thermophilic duration in
animal’s waste has a relatively small specific area and a comparatively comparison with the control. Chen et al. [16] and Jiang et al. [34] also
higher nutritional content than that produced from the mass of plant substantiated the fact that the incorporation of biochar causes a rapid in-
and wood [40, 41]. The surface area of the biochar extracted from var- crease in temperature and a longer thermophilic stage. Biochar assisted
ious feedstocks maintains the order: shell > straw > wood > manure composting recorded a higher temperature and a longer thermophilic
> sludge [45]. The porous structure of biomass can minimize density, period as compared to the control composting [62, 63]. The elevated
increase the aeration in the compost pile, and even provide habitats for temperature may be attributed to the biochar’s porous nature and large
micro-organisms [46, 47]. Porosity and the large surface area of biochar specific surface area, which reduces the bulk density, thus improving
impact its sorption capacity [11, 49]. Feedstock type and pyrolysis tem- pile aeration. Besides, the number of microorganisms also boosts the
perature are two major determinants of biochar characteristics which transformation and causes the amount of emitted heat to rise. The in-
include structures and surface properties, elemental composition, CEC, creased microbial activity contributes to a temporary reduction in the
pH, conductivity, capacity VOCs and redox potential [49, 50]. Never- oxygen content by microorganisms in the compost. Changes in the con-
theless, less knowledge is known on the effects of biochar as used as centration of oxygen (especially when it isn’t adequately aerated) there-
an alternative when composting organic waste. Table 1 represents the fore equate with changes in temperature within the compost [67, 72].
effect of biochar addition in composting process.
3.3. Moisture

3. Impact of biochar addition on physico-chemical properties of Aside from temperature, moisture is also an essential factor which
compost influence the efficacy of the composting mechanism. It is acknowledged
that the optimal moisture content ranges from 50 to 60 % during com-
3.1. Aeration posting. Moisture provides the means for the nutrient transfer in the
compost blend and also influence the gas flow in the compost pile [69,
Aeration is a critical aspect that greatly influences the efficiency of 78]. Moisture content below 60 % decelerates microbial activity and as
compost and methods of composting [51]. Biochar could be used as an a result the composting process slows down. However, relatively high
efficient bulking agent, facilitating an appropriate framework with de- moisture content means, the air space that exists in the composting sys-
creased bulk density to assist gases exchange and supply of O2 to the pile tem is filled with water, restricting the aerobic microorganisms from
inner surface [55, 56]. The large surface area and porosity of biochar supplying O2 . Inclusion of biochar has been known to modulate mois-
impact the micro aeration in the compost pile, inhibiting the growth ture content of composting mass and to improve the water-retaining
of anaerobic sites in the pile [58]. Jindo et al. [37] and Chen et al. ability of the mixture. Research conducted by Ge et al. [25] suggested
[15] suggested that the inclusion of biochar increases the particle size that soil moisture was increased when biochar was introduced in the
distribution of compost mixtures, prevents large clumps greater than 70 compost pile. In frequently irrigated and well-maintained piles, biochar
mm to form and that the portion of tiny particle fractions is between can prevent composting mixtures from drying out, due to the increased
0.25 and 2.0 mm [59, 61]. Biochar enhances the aeration in compost water retention capacity. In contrast, in piles without frequent water-

3
S. Behera and K. Samal Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

Table 1
Biochar addition on composting process.

Composting
Biochar derived period
Sl. No. Substrates from Addition rate (Days) Remarks References
-
1 Poultry manure + Rice straw Oil palm empty 20 % w/w (Dry 60 Final compost contain NO2 (Control: 366 mg/kg; Biochar [70]
fruit bunch weight basis) amended: 161 mg/kg) NO3 - (Control: 600 mg/kg; Biochar
(6000 C) amended: 137 mg/kg).
2 Wheat straw + Cow manure Wood (WB) and 12 % WB, 42 The final compost greatly suppresses gaseous pollution and [6]
Wheat straw 12 % WSB foster nutrient conservation, greatly increasing the population
(WSB) of viable bacteria.
3 Cattle manure + Maize straw Rice straw 10 % (Dry 43 Analysis of the network dynamics showed that the network of [13]
(4500 C-5000 C) weight basis) bacteria in biochar incorporated piles are more complex and
harbour more beneficial relations than those without biochar
piles.
4 Dairy manure + Corn stalk Rice 10 % 43 The relationship between NH4 + -N, temperature, diazotroph [68]
group composition and NO3 - -N was enhanced. It also modified
the main diazotrophic communities and their effect on the
transformation of nitrogen.
5 Small sticks of oak and Soft wood 4 and 10 % wt. 126 The reservoir of CaCl2 extractable nutrients was increased as [60]
maple + Freshly cut leaves and (5000 C -600 °C.) the result of enhanced moisture and nutrient quality of this
grass compost-char mixture. This also represented a decline in
extractable metals from altered soil.
6 Agricultural waste (rice straw, Rice straw (500 4-5 % 30 It increased soil pH, organic matter, organic carbon and [59]
vegetable leaves) °C) available potassium. Cd and Zn were decreased substantially,
however As and Cu were activated marginally.
7 Maize straw + Sewage sludge Willow (350°C) 4% 140 Biochar addition substantially reduced the danger of extreme [26]
soil water repellency.
8 Pig manure + Sawdust Pine leaf 10 % 50 The biochar amendment substantially improved fungal [41]
community diversity during composting, particularly under the
10 % biochar treatment.
9 Poultry manure + Wheat straw Bamboo 10 % (Dry 42 The biochar amendment lowered the C and N losses from 542.8 [7]
weight) to 148.9 % and 53.5 to 12.6 % respectively. It also encouraged
degradation of organic waste, reduced gaseous emission losses
and improved quality of finished composts.
10 Corn straw with the additives of Bamboo 5% 30 Adding phosphate and biochar could help accelerate the rise in [77]
Calcium + Bentonite + Phosphate temperature and reduce the thermophilic phase.
swine manure
11 Wheat straw + Pig manure Pig manure 6% 42 Biochar could greatly increase the abundance of the bacterial [10]
community compared to other composts, whereas control has a
comparatively smaller bacterial population
12 Pig manure Wheat straw 12 % WB, 50 Immobilization of heavy metals (Cu and Zn) was promoted due [8]
(WSB) + Wood 12 % WSB to improved adsorption. It also increased the bacterial
(WB) (500-600 community’s abundance, which facilitated decay and enhanced
°C) the standard of the final compost.
13 Organic fraction of municipal Holm oak wood _ 112 It decreased soil surface water evaporation and can have [20]
solid waste + Green waste (650 °C) significant implications for plant drought stress reduction.
14 Biosolid + Wheat straw Wheat straw _ 56 It could decrease the mobility of heavy metal resistant bacteria [11]
biomass (HMRB) in compost. Physicochemical parameters have
(500-600 °C) substantial connection with HMRB, while negatively correlated
with control.
15 Cow manure + Manure + Swine Soft wood (500 4.7 % (by wet 180 It can enhance heavy metal immobilization in a [40]
0
manure + Tree C) weight) compost-treated field. It showed long-term advantageous and
barks + Poultry + Sawdust + Zeo- synergetic effects of biochar on reducing the potential
lite + Mushroom + Rice environmental risk from heavy metal contaminated field.
husks + Granular oyster shell.
16 Sheep manure + Wheat straw Bamboo 10 % (Dry 42 It induced quick mineralization and lessen the duration of [9]
weight based) compost maturity, it had significant impact on mitigating
GHGs and conserving nutrient with C and N losses of 124.52 %
and 13.40 %, respectively.
17 Organic fraction of municipal Wood chips 1.5 %, 3 % and 84 The resulting compost had higher content of moisture and [47]
solid waste (OFMSW) consisting (550°C) 5% lower waste density with the inclusion of biochar. The greatest
straw + Grass + Sawdust + Pa- organic matter loss (62.6 %) was seen in the Organic Fraction
per + Wood. of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) without the inclusion of a
biochar
18 Wheat bran + Chopped Corn cob 7% 45 It caused a great reduction in available metals. The initial [69]
straw + Rotten (450°C) content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in
vegetables + Contaminated soil. wetland soil reduced to approximately 3.03% and 5.47 %
below control (9.47 %) in co-composting applied with
activated and fresh biochar, respectively.
19 Cattle manure + Poultry manure. Wheat straw (10 % v/v) 42 Greater thermophilic temperature and total nitrogen [52]
400°C concentrations was achieved. A prolonged thermophilic period
and a great influence on the constitution of the bacterial group
was observed as compared to control.
20 Fresh cattle manure + Rice husk Corn stalks 5 % and 2.5 % 60 The utilization of biochar can enhance the organic nitrogen [75]
(300-450 °C) (Dry weight content bioavailability and mitigate N loss during composting.
basis)
(continued on next page)

4
S. Behera and K. Samal Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

Table 1 (continued)

Sl. No. Substrates Biochar derived Addition rate Composting Remarks

from period References
(Days)

21 Animal waste + Wastewa- Dry biomass 40 % w/w 84 It can prolong the thermophilic period, reduce the pH, prevent [5]
ter + Sludge + Animal (300-650 °C) formation of leachate, and decrease emissions of methane,
mortalities ammonia and nitrous oxide.
22 Sawdust mixtures + Sewage Rice straw 500 (5, 10 and 20 % 11 With the increasing dosages of biochar, microbial activity [22]
sludge °C of fresh mixture started to increase, which contributed to a rise in temperature
weight) during composting.
23 Pig manure Pine leaf 10 % 50 It maximized composting capacity with substantially greater [42]
abundance of bacterial populations and eventually improved
composting quality.
24 Eicchornia Crassipes + Cow Lignocellulose 2.5 % (w/w) 20 Biochar application triggered a serious decrease in the [32]
dung + Sawdust waste moisture content during chicken manure composting.
25 Rice straw + Pig manure Wheat 5 %. 42 It increased the number of bacterial genes associated with [74]
straw + Maize amino acid synthesis, energy metabolism and carbohydrate
straw (400 °C) synthesis. It further increased the maturity and viability of the
compost product and greatly controlled the composition and
functions of the microbial population during composting phase.

ing, the opposite effect was observed where the existence of biochar shown to have the potential to reduce bioavailability and mobility of
resulted in a reduction in the moisture level. Drying of the composting heavy metals. Various studies considered the inactivation efficacy of
mixtures and the decline in microbial activity were caused by high doses biochar during composting on heavy metals. Karer et al. [38] observed
of biochar (20 %), possibly because of the increased porosity of the soil that mixtures of wood biochar and green waste compost reduced ex-
that allowed air circulation through the pile and hence the loss of water tractable Pb, Zn and Cd concentration by 86 %, 92 % and 75 %, respec-
due to intense aeration [76]. tively. Chen et al. [17] indicated that in the compost of pig manure,
Cu and Zn mobility reduced with the increase of biochar concentration.
3.4. pH Wu et al. [66] found that the inclusion of biochar improved the soil
sorption capacity and reduced the Zn bioavailability in final compost.
The pH value of compost can be enhanced by the addition of alkaline Puga et al. [50] stated that biochar application reduced the Pb, Zn and
biochar. Addition of alkaline biochar, formation of organic acids, nitro- Cd concentration by 50 %, 54 % and 56 %, respectively in mine soils
gen ammonization may be the key explanation for increasing the pH and limited the plants assimilation of these heavy metals. Research by
value of compost. Qasim et al. [51] reported that pH of biochar assisted Hua et al. [29] found that the content of bioavailable Cu decreased by
compost was marginally lower compare to the control compost, particu- 29.2 % in control, while it decreased by 44.4 % with biochar indicating
larly during the thermophilic and mesophilic stages. In the thermophilic a positive result. The concentration of Zn decreased by 12.0 % in con-
stage of the control compost, higher pH may be due to to a rise in NH3 trol, while with biochar the concentration decreased by 19.3 %. Li et al.
content. By the end of the composting phase, compost with biochar had [43] indicated that the incorporation of biochar reduced the concen-
a higher pH of 11 as compared to the control. Li et al. [43] observed that trations of bioavailable Cu and Zn by 24.8 % and 9.9 %, respectively.
the introduction of biochar and phosphate, raised the initial pH values However, not every study finding suggest such a beneficial impact of
of the composting pits, however the inclusion of bentonite did not have biochar. López-Cano et al. [46] examined that the concentration of Cu,
a significant impact on the initial pH. Application of additives also did Pb, Ni, Zn and Cr had no noticeable impact on the addition of biochar.
not have a considerable impact on pH. Therefore, it can be summarized that composting can lead to a decrease
in the bioavailability of heavy metals, as has been found in most of the
3.5. C/N ratio research done so far. Nevertheless, the efficacy of lowering the bioavail-
ability of metals is largely dependent on the usage of raw materials and
The C/N ratio significantly affects the composting cycle and the cor- properties of the biochar.
rect initial C/N ratio should be about 25:1 for aerobic composting of
organic waste. Biochar containing ample C may also be utilised to im- 3.7. Greenhouse gases (GHGs)
prove the C/N ratio of nitrogen-rich raw feedstocks. In a research con-
ducted in Woods End Research Laboratory (2000) [14], it was found Emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2 , CH4 and N2 O) decreases com-
that the introduction of biochar adds additional carbon to a combina- post’s agronomic values and causes environmental degradation. GHGs
tion of chicken manure and rice straw and thus increase the C/N value. emissions take place during either composting procedures or by the land
For all the composting process, the C/N value decreases as the com- application of compost products. Composting causes the generation of
posting progresses. In contrast, research by Jindo et al. [37] and Zhang N2 O which is a complex process, involving various microbial paths like
et al. [71] showed that the C/N value reduced in treatments with the denitrification and incomplete nitrification. A lot of studies have shown
application of biochar and even without it because of the mineraliza- that incorporation of biochar has a critical impact in regulating GHGs
tion of the substrates or the rise in total nitrogen concentration after the emission while also improving the quality of compost. Greenhouse gases
degradation of carbon. (N2 O and CH4 ) emission was decreased with biochar application by 19.0
- 27.4 % relative to control [57, 62]. Agyarko-Mintah et al. [2] reported
3.6. Heavy metals that N2 O and CH4 emissions reduced when biochar derived from green
wastes or poultry litter was used in composting. Wang et al. [62] indi-
Several heavy metals entered to the atmosphere and ecosystem di- cated that biochar diminished the concentrations of total N2 O emissions
rectly and slowly move into the food chain and affect human health. and NO2 − -N from pig manure compost, particularly at end phases. The
Heavy metals, like Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, Hg are non-biodegradable, and are researchers indicated that 3 % of biochar application lowered N2 O dis-
accumulated in the body of living organism, causing abnormalities and charge by reducing the number of denitrifying bacteria. The inclusion of
cardiovascular disorders [60, 76, 80]. Biochar application has been biochar decreased the GHGs emission by 27-32 % in cattle slurry com-

5
S. Behera and K. Samal Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

posting. The overall GHGs emissions over the whole composting period by adsorbing readily degradable substances and aromatic moieties ob-
reduced from 183 kg of CO2 -eq t−1 in control to 63 and 50 kg of CO2 -eq tained from compost pile or biochar particles onto its surface and shield-
t−1 in poultry litter biochar and green waste biochar treatments, respec- ing them against microbial decomposition. As the process is facilitated
tively. The assessment of the impact of the implementation of biochar by the activation of the biochar during composting, which increases its
on CO2 release has yielded mixed outcome. Wang et al. [64] discovered reactivity on the surface. Ni et al. [48] suggested that a proton exchange
that inclusion of 10 % biochar reduced CO2 , N2 O and CH4 emissions pathway could adsorb humic substances into carbonaceous materials.
by more than 33.90 %, 79.51 % and 50.39 %, respectively. He et al. Jindo et al. [37] reported higher peaks of aliphatic compounds and car-
[28] stated that granulated bamboo biochar has a strong ability of mit- bohydrate in fulvic acids derived from compost modified with biochar,
igating CO2 emissions. Although, a research by Czekała et al. [19] sug- indicating the absorption of such fragile fractions into the humic com-
gested that biochar could raise the temperature of the pile, resulting in pounds. Despite the existing evidence, the biochar impact on the micro-
a rise in CO2 emissions. Various authors have recorded a substantial re- bial environment during the composting process, there is still prevails
duction in CH4 emissions, varying from approximately 8 to 80 % mainly insufficient knowledge available about the relationship between humic
when biochar was implemented at greater levels, between 8 to 27 % on substances and microorganisms.
a dry weight basis. To sum up, composting with biochar is a feasible
option to reduce GHGs emission. 3.10. Microbial activity

Biochar helps in alteration of physico-chemical properties of the

3.8. Organic matter degradation
composting pile as well as modification of microbial communities dur-
ing composting process. Microbial growth due to biochar is possible be-
Biochar’s major impact on organic matter (OM) declination is linked
cause it can control moisture content, nutrient conditions, aeration and
with its ability to increase microbial activity in the compost mixture.
compost pH. Increased airflow and moisture consistency provide an op-
The increase in the microbial growth of composting clumps causes in-
timal living environment for microorganisms in altered compost piles.
tensified degradation of the organic compounds during the procedure
Biochar also has a high nano porosity and large surface area that could
which leads to the decomposition of complex biopolymers into simpler
sustain a variety of microbial species, as well as a major effect on mi-
organic compounds. The rapid degradation leads to an increase in CO2
crobial colonisation. Liu et al. [45] showed that the incorporation of
emission which is proportional to the biochar dose [53, 58]. Because of
biochar may increase the microbial development in compost by nearly
the chemical recalcitrance of its aromatic structure, biochar is not gen-
15 % cfu/g. Jindo et al. [36] recorded a 30 to 40 % growth in primary
erally expected to go through extreme degradation during composting.
enzymatic reactions (phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase and urease) in
Wang et al. [62] observed that the final organic matter content, when
biochar-blended compost. Higher microbial activity leads to temporary
treated with zeolite, biochar, and biochar + zeolite, was 61.0 %, 63.5
decrease in the amount of oxygen in the compost because of microbial
%, and 57.4 %, respectively, which was notably lower than the control
degradation. Very low humidity contributes to a decrease in microbial
organic content (64.4 %). Liu et al. [44] demonstrated that adding 10 %
activity. Nevertheless, in another report, the significant higher dosage
(fresh weight) biochar raised temperature from 50.4 % to 86.5 % which
of biochar was negatively correlated to bacterial diversity and abun-
indicates degree of decomposition of organic substance. Sánchez-García
dance. Schnee et al. [54] stated that a holistic evaluation of biochar
et al. [53] indicated that there was an increase of degradation of OM
physico-chemical properties may contribute to making a precise esti-
due to biochar inclusion during the thermophilic process when applied
mation of microbial habitats in biochar assisted composting. Hua et al.
at 3 % (dry weight) and avoided clumps greater than 70 mm from de-
[29] observed that the number of microbes, actinomycetes and fungi,
veloping during the maturation period. A study conducted by Dias et al.
calculated by plate count, was greater in the bamboo charcoal modified
[21] stated that a higher dose of biochar (50 % in volume) with lower
compost relative to the control and similarly Jindo et al. [36] reported
temperature, recorded a 70 % loss of OM throughout the process, indi-
an increased spread of fungi in biochar amended compost. Biochar us-
cating that a large proportion of the biochar had been deteriorated. As
age, on the other hand, will also reduce the accumulation of pathogenic
per Thies and Rillig [61] and Jindo et al. [36], biochar’s CEC offers an
microorganisms during composting of organic waste. Although uncer-
adequate condition for microbes, facilitating microbial activity as well
tainties remain, the biochar implementation has changed the nature of
as degradation of organic matter. Also, Wang et al. [65] suggested that
microbial communities. Table 2 represents the different microbial com-
the implementation of biochar to manure composting greatly influences
munity in biochar assisted compost.
the proliferation of nitrifying bacteria and the oxidation of organic mat-
ter. Liu et al. [45] reported that adding 10 % (fresh weight) biochar
3.11. Nitrogen content
to the compost of chicken manure enhanced both the maturity of the
product and rate of degradation.
The incorporation of biochar as a compost admixture has a prime im-
pact on nitrogen dynamics (Fig. 4). Nitrogen losses is mitigated and ni-
3.9. Humification trogen transformation is also controlled by adding biochar during com-
posting process. Nitrogen reduction in compost due to biochar inclu-
The process of humification is vital during composting. Many authors sion are minimized because of NH4 + adsorption on the biochar surface.
demonstrated the favourable effect of biochar on the extent of humifi- If the process continues, the bioavailability of nitrogen reduces. In ad-
cation of organic compounds while composting. The enriched humifi- dition, decrease of nitrogen have a follow-up effect on GHG emissions
cation has a significant effect on the resultant compost quality and the (notably N2 O) and odour emissions (mainly NH3 ) which pose a seri-
importance of it as an organic modification. For all cases, the magnitude ous health risk to site workers. López-Cano et al. [46] observed that
of polymerization (ratio between humic and fulvic fractions) and the compost with biochar has twice the concentration of NO3 as in com-
percentage of the fraction of humic acid were increased, indicating the post without biochar. Steiner et al. [57] recorded that at 20 % biochar
positive impact of biochar on the process of humification [37]. Biochar doses, NH3 emissions were minimized to 64 % and overall nitrogen
itself could be a supply of readily extractable fractions of C which could losses were decreased up to 52 %. Biochar with manure shows more
accelerate the production of humic substances during the composting efficient enzymatic activity, so that more carbon obtained from cellu-
process. Zhang et al. [73] observed that adding biochar obtained at tem- lose breakdown can be paired with higher microbial usage of NH4 + ,
peratures between 500 to 600°C from wood promoted the concentration which subsequently reduce NH3 emissions. In one research, Awasthi
of humic and fulvic acids in compost by 15.0 - 29.6 % and 12.5 - 25.8 et al. [7] founded that the NH4 + -N content was negatively related to
%, respectively. Biochar can also support the humification mechanism the concentration of biochar.

6
S. Behera and K. Samal Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

Table 2
Diversity of microbial community in biochar assisted composting.

Sl. No Microbial community References

1 Rhodopseudomonas, Bradyrhizobium, Azospira, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes were diazotroph community structure [66]
and they affect nitrogen transformation.
2 Psychrobacter, Thermopolyspora and Thermobifida in cattle manure and maize straw mixture while Thermomonospora, [13]
Streptomyces and Corynebacterium in cattle manure with 10 % biochar addition were major bacterial genera influencing
NH4 + -N, NO3 - -N and total nitrogen (TN) conversion respectively during composting.
3 Halomonas, Pusillimonas and Pseudofulvimonas were the nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. [70]
4 Pseudoxanthomonas and Rhodopseudomonas were the key diazotrophic communities affecting NH4 + -N transformation in [68]
control and biochar compost, respectively.
5 Basidiomycota, Ascomycota and Mucoromycota were the most three abundant 34 phyla in all the treatments, while [41]
Heterobasidion, Pezoloma, Mucor, Geastrum, Talaromyces and Cystofilobasidium were the richness genera.
6 The main phyla identify in each treatment were Chloroflexi, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, however, T78, Pseudomonas, [11]
Urebacillus and Acinetobacter were most common genera in the whole treatment.
7 Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, were the dominant phyla during the process and both biochar addition primarily [74]
increased the abundance of Actinobacteria phylum, especially genus Saccharomonospora.
8 Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidete were four most abundant phyla of all the treatments. [42]
9 Nitriliruptoraceae and Bacillaceae abundances increased in the poultry manure after biochar treatment, and Alcaligenaceae, [52]
Rhodispirillaceae and Xanthomonadaceae were more abundant in the cattle manure.
10 The dominate phyla of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were accounted to 31.36 %, 34.79 % and 33.85 % and the [23]
superior genera were Dysgonomonas (16.55 %), Empedobater (9.39 %), Atopostipes (13.42 %), Tissierella (8.25 %),
Marinimicrobium (14.45 %) and Pseudomonas (9 %).

Fig. 4. Effect of biochar on nitrogen emission.

4. Biochar characteristics during the composting process verse case, biochar contributes constituents to the composted content.
There are, however, two variations to this principle. Khan et al. [39] also
In addition to the impact of the biochar on the characteristics of reported the Cu, Mo, Mn, Zn moved from the compost to the biochar
the compost or manure material, biochar itself goes through certain al- given the fact that they were larger in the composition of the manure
terations while composting. To date, very few research have been per- relative to the biochar. It has also been found that there is a reduction
formed on the transition of biochar compositions during composting. in biochar’s specific surface area during composting process. Kammann
Hua et al. [29] showed an improvement in the abundance of acidic et al. [79] (2015) studied regarding NO3 − absorption on biochar surface
functional groups, in particular, carboxyl groups in biochar during the during biochar assisted composting. NO3 − was extracted from biochars
composting of sewage sludge. These groups can form NH4 + complexes with the method of electro-ultrafiltration and sequential leaching. The
and retained in the compost instead of releasing as gases and depletion results indicated much better retention of NO3 − on the surface or within
by leaching thereby increasing the fertilizing ability of the compost. In the composted biochar. The total concentration of mineral nitrogen on
another study, Khan et al. [39] noticed that there was a rise in nitro- biochar surface (biochar assisted compost) was more in compared to
gen components of the biochar during composting with pine softwood nitrogen in normal biochar. In biochar assisted composting, retention
sawdust and chicken manure. It was due to deposition of NH3 , NH4 + of K and Ca ions on biochar surface was more by 183 % and 63%, re-
and NO3 − on the surface of the biochar. Apart from nitrogen, P, Ca, K, spectively. Borchard et al. [81] reported that sorption capacity of SO4 2−
Mg, B and S were also accumulated on the biochar surface all through on biochar decreased after utilization in composting process. That was
composting. Deposition on the surface of biochar happens when con- probably related with the blocking of sorption sites by DOC sorbing onto
stituents concentration are higher in medium than in biochar. In the re- the biochar.

7
S. Behera and K. Samal Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

5. Future perspective References

The variety of substrates and the possibilities for co-composting with [1] G Agegnehu, AK Srivastava, MI Bird, The role of biochar and biochar-compost in
improving soil quality and crop performance: A review, Agric., Ecosyst. Environ.,
biochar encouraged the solid waste management (SWM) through com- Appl. Soil Ecol. 119 (2017) 156–170.
posting process. Many studies have been conducted in which some re- [2] E Agyarko-Mintah, A Cowie, BP Singh, S Joseph, L Van Zwieten, A Cowi, S Harde,
sults show positive trend and some are contradictory. R Smillie, Biochar increases nitrogen retention and lowers greenhouse gas emissions
when added to composting poultry litter, Waste Manage 61 (2017) 138–149.
Few issues and viewpoints have been outlined below which will help [3] E Agyarko-Mintah, A Cowie, L Van Zwieten, BP Singh, R Smillie, S Harden, F For-
in driving future study: nasier, Biochar lowers ammonia emission and improves nitrogen retention in poultry
litter composting, Waste Manage. 61 (2017) 129–137.
ü The effect of different biochar derived from various materials and [4] K. Samal, A.R. Mohan, N. Chaudhary, S. Moulick, Application of vermitechnology
its effect in composting process are still not evident. In this area, in waste management: a review on mechanism and performance, J. Environ. Chem.
comparative studies have been lacking till now. Eng. 7 (5) (2019) 103392, doi:10.1016/j.jece.2019.103392.
[5] N Akdeniz, A systematic review of biochar use in animal waste composting, Waste
ü The ideal dose of biochar to assure better composting and at the Manage. 88 (2019) 291–300.
same time, the immobilization of toxins and elimination of toxicity [6] MK Awasthi, Y Duan, SK Awasthi, T Liu, Z Zhang, Effect of biochar and bacterial in-
is also debatable. oculum additions on cow dung composting, Bioresour. Technol. 297 (2020) 122407.
[7] MK Awasthi, Y Duan, SK Awasthi, T Liu, Z Zhang, Influence of bamboo biochar
ü Promoting the inclusion of biochar in the form of an additive in the on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen loss during poultry manure
composting industry requires a cost-benefit analysis. composting, Bioresour. Technol. 303 (2020) 122952.
ü Researchers must assess if the substantial advantages of biochar- [8] MK Awasthi, Y Duan, SK Awasthi, T Liu, H Chen, A Pandey, MJ Taherzadeh, Emerg-
ing applications of biochar: Improving pig manure composting and attenuation of
modified composting can balance the cost of biochar supplementa- heavy metal mobility in mature compost, J. Hazard. Mater. 389 (2020) 122116.
tion into conventional composting systems. [9] MK Awasthi, Y Duan, SK Awasthi, T Liu, Z Zhang, SH Kim, A Pandey, Effect of
ü The relationship between biochar and different microorganisms and biochar on emission, maturity and bacterial dynamics during sheep manure com-
positing, Renew. Energ. 152 (2020) 421–429.
its association with major composting processes (humidification,
[10] MK Awasthi, Y Duan, T Liu, SK Awasthi, Z Zhang, Relevance of biochar to influence
greenhouse gas emissions, biodegradation and more) remains a cru- the bacterial succession during pig manure composting, Bioresour. Technol. 304
cial area of study. (2020) 122962.
[11] SK Awasthi, T Liu, MK Awasthi, Z Zhang, Evaluation of biochar amendment on heavy
ü The impact of the pesticide addition in biochar-amended soils re-
metal resistant bacteria abundance in biosolids compost, Bioresour. Technol. (2020)
mains questionable, and thus more attention must be exerted in this 123114.
field of study. [12] L Beesley, E Moreno-Jiménez, JL Gomez-Eyles, E Harris, B Robinson, T Sizmur, A
ü Detection of non-biochar carbon compounds consumed on the sur- review of biochars’ potential role in the remediation, revegetation and restoration
of contaminated soils, Environ. Pollut. 159 (12) (2011) 3269–3282.
face of biochar would be useful in the explanation of biochar as- [13] A Bello, Y Han, H Zhu, L Deng, W Yang, Q Meng, X Jiang, Microbial community
sociation with crucial methods like humidification, greenhouse gas composition, co-occurrence network pattern and nitrogen transformation genera re-
emission and volatile compounds. sponse to biochar addition in cattle manure-maize straw composting, Sci. Total En-
viron. (2020) 137759.
ü Until now, most experiments have been carried out on a pilot scale. [14] Brinton WF (2000) Compost quality standards and guidelines. Final Report by Woods
However, laboratory experiments are minimal, it is unclear if the End Research Laboratories for the New York State Association of Recyclers.
different effects of biochar inclusion on composting can be achieved [15] HY Chen, MK Awasthi, T Liu, JC Zhao, XN Ren, MJ Wang, YM Duan, SK Awasthi,
ZQ Zhang, Influence of clay as additive on greenhouse gases emission and matu-
in wide range experiments. Hence, validating those advantages ob- rity evaluation during chicken manure composting, Bioresour. Technol. 266 (2018)
served from pilot-scale studies large-scale experiments is required. 82–88.
Field-relevant findings are needed to provide valuable information [16] W Chen, X Liao, Y Wu, JB Liang, J Mi, J Huang, H Zhang, Y Wu, Z Qiao, X Li,
Y Wang, Effects of different types of biochar on methane and ammonia mitigation
to facilitate the future design and deployment of green infrastructure
during layer manure composting, Waste Manage. 61 (2017) 506–515.
in sustainable urban planning. [17] Y-X Chen, X-D Huang, Z-Y Han, X Huang, B Hu, D-Z Shi, W-X Wu, Effects of bamboo
charcoal and bamboo vinegar on nitrogen conservation and heavy metals immobility
6. Conclusion during pig manure composting, Chemosphere 78 (2010) 1177–1181.
[18] L Cui, J Yan, Y Yang, L Li, G Quan, C Ding, A Chang, Influence of biochar on microbial
activities of heavy metals contaminated paddy fields, BioResources 8 (4) (2013)
The inclusion of biochar with different substrates and organic solid 5536–5548.
waste during composting could be a viable way to enhance the proper- [19] W Czekała, K Malińska, R Cáceres, D Janczak, J Dach, A Lewicki, Co-composting of
ties of compost. In biochar assisted composting various advantages may poultry manure mixtures amended with biochar–The effect of biochar on tempera-
ture and C-CO2 emission, Bioresour. Technol. 200 (2016) 921–927.
acquired like acceleration of attainment of compost maturity, increase [20] J Debode, N Ebrahimi, T D’Hose, P Cremelie, N Viaene, B Vandecasteele, Has com-
in pH of compost, reduction in nutrient losses, increase in nitrification post with biochar added during the process added value over biochar or compost to
efficiency, production of stable humic-like compounds, immobilization increase disease suppression? Agric., Ecosyst. Environ. Appl. Soil Ecol. 153 (2020)
103571.
of heavy metals and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, [21] BO Dias, CA Silva, FS Higashikawa, A Roig, MA Sánchez-Monedero, Use of biochar
much more investigation is necessary to uphold the understanding of as bulking agent for the composting of poultry manure: Effect on organic matter
biochar’s mechanism on composting, and to investigate the relationship degradation and humification, Bioresour. Technol. 101 (2010) 1239–1246.
[22] J Du, Y Zhang, M Qu, Y Yin, K Fan, B Hu, C Ma, Effects of biochar on the micro-
between the gardening pile, biochar, micro-organisms, and composting bial activity and community structure during sewage sludge composting, Bioresour.
procedures both on the large and pilot scale. Furthermore, a cost-benefit Technol. 272 (2019) 171–179.
study and long-term risk analyses will further help to support and justify [23] Y Duan, SK Awasthi, T Liu, S Verma, Q Wang, H Chen, MK Awasthi, Positive impact
of biochar alone and combined with bacterial consortium amendment on improve-
the use of the biochar in the compost industry.
ment of bacterial community during cow manure composting, Bioresour. Technol.
280 (2019) 79–87.
Declaration of Competing Interests [24] K. Samal, S. Kar, S. Trivedi, S. Upadhyay, Assessing the impact of vegetation cover-
age ratio in a floating water treatment bed of Pistia stratiotes, SN Appl. Sci. 3 (2021)
1–8, doi:10.1007/s42452-020-04139-2.
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
[25] X. Ge, Y Cao, B Zhou, X Wang, Z Yang, MH Li, Biochar addition increases subsurface
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence soil microbial biomass but has limited effects on soil CO2 emissions in subtropi-
the work reported in this paper. cal moso bamboo plantations, Agric., Ecosyst. Environ. Appl. Soil Ecol. 142 (2019)
155–165.
[26] T Głąb, A Żabiński, U Sadowska, K Gondek, M Kopeć, M Mierzwa-Hersztek, J Stanek–
Acknowledgment
Tarkowska, Fertilization effects of compost produced from maize, sewage sludge and
biochar on soil water retention and chemical properties, Soil Tillage Res. 197 (2020)
The authors express their gratitude to the School of Civil Engineer- 104493.
ing, KIIT Deemed to be University and for providing necessary facilities [27] XX Guo, HT Liu, J Zhang, The role of biochar in organic waste composting and soil
improvement: a review, Waste Manage. 102 (2020) 884–899.
to carry out this work.

8
S. Behera and K. Samal Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100121

[28] X He, H Yin, L Han, R Cui, C Fang, G Huang, Effects of biochar size and type [55] Y Shen, L Ren, G Li, T Chen, R Guo, Influence of aeration on CH4 , N2 O and NH3 emis-
on gaseous emissions during pig manure/wheat straw aerobic composting: Insights sions during aerobic composting of a chicken manure and high C/N waste mixture,
into multivariate-microscale characterization and microbial mechanism, Bioresour. Waste Manage. 31 (2011) 33–38.
Technol. 271 (2019) 375–382. [56] K. Samal, S. Mahapatra, M.H. Ali, K. Samal, Pharmaceutical wastewater as Emerg-
[29] L Hua, W Wu, Y Liu, MB McBride, Y Chen, Reduction of nitrogen loss and Cu and ing Contaminants (EC): Treatment technologies, impact on environment and human
Zn mobility during sludge composting with bamboo charcoal amendment, Environ. health, Energy Nexus 6 (2022) 100076, doi:10.1016/j.nexus.2022.100076.
Sci. Pollut. Res. 16 (2008) 1–9. [57] C Steiner, KC Das, N Melear, D Lakly, Reducing nitrogen loss during poultry litter
[30] K. Samal, R. Bandyopadhyay, R.R. Dash, Biological treatment of contaminants of composting using biochar, J. Environ. Qual. 39 (4) (2010) 1236–1242.
emerging concern in wastewater: a review, J. Hazard. Tox. Radioact. Wast. 26 (2022) [58] C Steiner, N Melear, K Harris, KC Das, Biochar as bulking agent for poultry litter
04022002, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)HZ.2153-5515.0000685. composting, Carbon Manag. 2 (3) (2011) 227–230.
[31] H Iqbal, M Garcia-Perez, M Flury, Effect of biochar on leaching of organic carbon, [59] J Tang, L Zhang, J Zhang, L Ren, Y Zhou, Y Zheng, L Luo, Y Yang, H Huang, A Chen,
nitrogen, and phosphorus from compost in bioretention systems, Sci. Total Environ. Physicochemical features, metal availability and enzyme activity in heavy met-
521 (2015) 37–45. al-polluted soil remediated by biochar and compost, Sci. Total Environ. 701 (2020)
[32] MS Jain, R Jambhulkar, AS Kalamdhad, Biochar amendment for batch composting 134751.
of nitrogen rich organic waste: Effect on degradation kinetics, composting physics [60] M Teodoro, L Trakal, BN Gallagher, P Šimek, P Soudek, M Pohořelý, L Beesley,
and nutritional properties, Bioresour. Technol. 253 (2018) 204–213. L Jačka, M Kovář, S Seyedsadr, D Mohan, Application of co-composted biochar sig-
[33] Mahapatra, S., Ali, M.H., Samal, K., (2022). Assessment of compost maturity-stability nificantly improved plant-growth relevant physical/chemical properties of a metal
indices and recent development of composting bin. Energy Nexus, 6, 100062. contaminated soil, Chemosphere 242 (2020) 125255.
doi:10.1016/j.nexus.2022.100062 [61] JE Thies, MC. Rillig, Characteristics of biochar: biological properties. Biochar for
[34] J Jiang, Y Huang, X Liu, H Huang, The effects of apple pomace, bentonite and cal- environmental management, Sci. Technol. 1 (2009) 85–105.
cium superphosphate on swine manure aerobic composting, Waste Manage. 34 (9) [62] C Wang, H Lu, D Dong, H Deng, PJ Strong, H Wang, W Wu, Insight into the effects
(2014) 1595–1602. of biochar on manure composting: evidence supporting the relationship between
[35] K. Samal, Y. Naushin, K. Priya, Challenges in the implementation of Phyto Fuel N2 O emission and denitrifying community, Environ. Sci. Technol. 47 (13) (2013)
System (PFS) for wastewater treatment and harnessing bio-energy, J. Environ. Chem. 7341–7349.
Eng. 8 (2020) 104388, doi:10.1016/j.jece.2020.104388. [63] K. Samal, R.R. Dash, Modelling of pollutants removal in Integrated Vermifilter
[36] K Jindo, MA Sánchez-Monedero, T Hernández, C García, T Furukawa, K Matsumoto, (IVmF) using response surface methodology, Clean. Eng. Technol. 100060 (2021),
T Sonoki, F Bastida, Biochar influences the microbial community structure dur- doi:10.1016/j.clet.2021.100060.
ing manure composting with agricultural wastes, Sci. Total Environ. 416 (2012) [64] Q Wang, MK Awasthi, X Ren, J Zhao, R Li, Z Wang, M Wang, H Chen, Z Zhang,
476–481. Combining biochar, zeolite and wood vinegar for composting of pig manure: the
[37] K Jindo, T Sonoki, K Matsumoto, L Canellas, A Roig, MA Sanchez-Monedero, Influ- effect on greenhouse gas emission and nitrogen conservation, Waste Manage. 74
ence of biochar addition on the humic substances of composting manures, Waste (2018) 221–230.
Manage. 49 (2016) 545–552. [65] X Wang, H Cui, J Shi, X Zhao, Y Zhao, Z. Wei, Relationship between bacterial di-
[38] Karer J, Zehetner F, Dunst G, Fessl J, Wagner M, Puschenreiter M, Soja G (2018) versity and environmental parameters during composting of different raw materials,
Immobilisation of metals in a contaminated soil with biochar-compost mixtures and Bioresour. Technol. 198 (2015) 395–402.
inorganic additives: 2-year greenhouse and field experiments.Environ. Sci. Pollut. [66] P Wu, PX Cui, GD Fang, Y Wang, SQ Wang, DM Zhou, W Zhang, YJ Wang, Biochar
Res. 25(3), 2506-2516. decreased the bioavailability of Zn to rice and wheat grains: insights from micro-
[39] N Khan, I Clark, MA Sánchez-Monedero, S Shea, S Meier, F Qi, N Bolan, Physical and scopic to macroscopic scales, Sci. Total Environ. 621 (2018) 160–167.
chemical properties of biochars co-composted with biowastes and incubated with a [67] K. Samal, R.R. Dash, P. Bhunia, Treatment of wastewater by vermifiltration inte-
chicken litter compost, Chemosphere 142 (2016) 14–23. grated with macrophyte filter: a review, J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 5 (2017) 2274–2289,
[40] MH Lee, SJ Han, YK Lee, IA Ike, YS Ok, J Hur, Enhancing copper binding property doi:10.1016/j.jece.2017.04.026.
of compost-derived humic substances by biochar amendment: Further insight from [68] X Wu, Y Sun, L Deng, Q Meng, X Jiang, A Bello, S Sheng, Y Han, H Zhu, X Xu, Insight
two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy, J. Hazard. Mater. 390 (2020) 121128. to key diazotrophic community during composting of dairy manure with biochar and
[41] J Li, H Bao, W Xing, J Yang, R Liu, X Wang, F Wu, Succession of fungal dynamics its role in nitrogen transformation, Waste Manage. 105 (2020) 190–197.
and their influence on physicochemical parameters during pig manure composting [69] S Ye, G Zeng, H Wu, J Liang, C Zhang, J Dai, W Xiong, B Song, S Wu, J Yu, The
employing with pine leaf biochar, Bioresour. Technol. 297 (2020) 122377. effects of activated biochar addition on remediation efficiency of co-composting with
[42] J Li, W Xing, H Bao, J Wang, X Tong, H Zhang, F Wu, Impact of pine leaf biochar contaminated wetland soil, Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 140 (2019) 278–285.
amendment on bacterial dynamics and correlation of environmental factors during [70] MH Zainudin, NA Mustapha, T Maeda, N Ramli, K Sakai, M Hassan, Biochar en-
pig manure composting, Bioresour. Technol. 293 (2019) 122031. hanced the nitrifying and denitrifying bacterial communities during the composting
[43] R Li, Q Wang, Z Zhang, G Zhang, Z Li, L Wang, J Zheng, Nutrient transformation of poultry manure and rice straw, Waste Manage. 106 (2020) 240–249.
during aerobic composting of pig manure with biochar prepared at different tem- [71] D Zhang, M Yan, Y Niu, X Liu, L van Zwieten, D Chen, R Bian, K Cheng, L Li, S Joseph,
peratures, Environ. Technol. 36 (2015) 815–826. J Zheng, Is current biochar research addressing global soil constraints for sustainable
[44] H Liu, L Wang, M Lei, Positive impact of biochar amendment on thermal balance agriculture? Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 226 (2016) 25–32.
during swine manure composting at relatively low ambient temperature, Bioresour. [72] J Zhang, F Lü, C Luo, L Shao, P He, The use of biochar-amended composting to
Technol. 273 (2019) 25–33. improve the humification and degradation of sewage sludge, Bioresour. Technol.
[45] N Liu, J Zhou, L Han, S Ma, X Sun, G Huang, Role and multi-scale characterization 168 (2014) 252–258.
of bamboo biochar during poultry manure aerobic composting, Bioresour. Technol. [73] L Zhang, X Sun, Changes in physical, chemical, and microbiological properties dur-
241 (2017) 190–199. ing the two-stage co-composting of green waste with spent mushroom compost and
[46] I López-Cano, A Roig, ML Cayuela, JA Alburquerque, MA Sánchez-Monedero, biochar, Bioresour. Technol. 171 (2014) 274–284.
Biochar improves N cycling during composting of olive mill wastes and sheep ma- [74] G Zhou, X Xu, X Qiu, J Zhang, Biochar influences the succession of microbial com-
nure, Waste Manage. 49 (2016) 553–559. munities and the metabolic functions during rice straw composting with pig manure,
[47] M Malinowski, K Wolny-Koładka, MD Vaverková, Effect of biochar addition on Bioresour. Technol. 272 (2019) 10–18.
the OFMSW composting process under real conditions, Waste Manage. 84 (2019) [75] L Zhu, H Yang, Y Zhao, K Kang, Y Liu, P He, Z Wu, Z. Wei, Biochar combined with
364–372. montmorillonite amendments increase bioavailable organic nitrogen and reduce ni-
[48] J Ni, JJ Pignatello, B Xing, Adsorption of aromatic carboxylate ions to black carbon trogen loss during composting, Bioresour. Technol. 294 (2019) 122224.
(Biochar) is accompanied by proton exchange with water, Environ. Sci. Technol. 45 [76] S Bashir, A Salam, M Rehman, S Khan, AB Gulshan, J Iqbal, M Shaaban, S Mehmood,
(2011) 9240–9248. A Zahra, H Hu, Effective role of biochar, zeolite and steel slag on leaching behavior
[49] CO Onwosi, VC Igbokwe, JN Odimba, IE Eke, MO Nwankwoala, IN Iroh, LI Ezeogu, of Cd and its fractionations in soil column study, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.
Composting technology in waste stabilization: on the methods, challenges and future 102 (4) (2019) 567–572.
prospects, J. Environ. Manage. 190 (2017) 140–157. [77] H Li, T Zhang, DC Tsang, G Li, Effects of external additives: Biochar, bentonite,
[50] AP Puga, CA Abreu, LC Melo, L Beesley, Biochar application to a contaminated soil phosphate, on co-composting for swine manure and corn straw, Chemosphere 248
reduces the availability and plant uptake of zinc, lead and cadmium, J. Environ. (2020) 125927.
Manage. 159 (2015) 86–93. [78] K Samal, S Moulick, BG Mohapatra, S Samanta, S Sasidharan, B Prakash, S Sarangi,
[51] W Qasim, MH Lee, BE Moon, FG Okyere, F Khan, M Nafees, HT Kim, Composting of Design of faecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) and availability of its treatment tech-
chicken manure with a mixture of sawdust and wood shavings under forced aeration nologies, Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100092.
in a closed reactor system, Int. J. Recycl. Org. Waste Agric. 7 (2018) 261–267. [79] CI Kammann, HP Schmidt, N Messerschmidt, S Linsel, D Steffens, C Müller,
[52] X Qiu, G Zhou, J Zhang, W Wang, Microbial community responses to biochar ad- HW Koyro, P Conte, J Stephen, Plant growth improvement mediated by nitrate cap-
dition when a green waste and manure mix are composted: A molecular ecological ture in co-composted biochar, Sci. Rep. 5 (2015) 11080.
network analysis, Bioresour. Technol. 273 (2019) 666–671. [80] N Yasmin, M Jamuda, AK Panda, K Samal, JK Nayak, Emission of greenhouse gases
[53] M Sánchez-García, JA Alburquerque, MA Sánchez-Monedero, A Roig, ML Cayuela, (GHGs) during composting and vermicomposting: Measurement, mitigation, and
Biochar accelerates organic matter degradation and enhances N mineralisation dur- perspectives, Energy Nexus 7 (2022) 100092.
ing composting of poultry manure without a relevant impact on gas emissions, Biore- [81] N Borchard, K Prost, T Kautz, A Moeller, J Siemens, Sorption of copper (II) and
sour. Technol. 192 (2015) 272–279. sulphate to different biochars before and after composting with farmyard manure,
[54] LS Schnee, S Knauth, S Hapca, W Otten, T Eickhorst, Analysis of physical pore space Eur. J. Soil Sci. 63 (2012) 399–409.
characteristics of two pyrolytic biochars and potential as microhabitat, Plant Soil
408 (1-2) (2016) 357–368.