Grantee Research Project Results
2022 Progress Report: Development of a Novel Bioreactor and Biochar-Sorption-Channel (B2) Treatment System to Capture and Recover Nutrients from Tile Drainage
EPA Grant Number: R840088Title: Development of a Novel Bioreactor and Biochar-Sorption-Channel (B2) Treatment System to Capture and Recover Nutrients from Tile Drainage
Investigators: Zheng, Wei , Cooke, Richard , Guzman, Jorge , Sharma, Brajendra , Oladeji, Olawale , Rajagopalan, Nandaksihore
Current Investigators: Zheng, Wei , Cooke, Richard , Guzman, Jorge , Sharma, Brajendra , Oladeji, Olawale
Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
EPA Project Officer: Ludwig-Monty, Sarah
Project Period: September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2023 (Extended to August 31, 2025)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2021 through August 31,2022
Project Amount: $999,377
RFA: Approaches to Reduce Nutrient Loadings for Harmful Algal Blooms Management (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water , Harmful Algal Blooms , Water Quality , Clean Water
Objective:
The goal of this project is to develop and scale up an innovative bioreactor and biochar-sorption-channel (B2) treatment system to effectively capture nutrients from subsurface drainage water, recycle nutrient-captured biochars as a slow-release fertilizer, and keep nutrients in the closed agricultural loop. The long-term goal of this project is to mitigate the excess nutrient loads to watersheds from agricultural fields, improve water quality, and thereby diminish the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and increase agricultural sustainability. To achieve this goal, the following special objectives will be addressed:
- Create designer biochars by pyrolysis of biomass pretreated with lime sludge and optimize the production conditions to generate a most efficient and cost-effective designer biochar to capture dissolved phosphorus (P) and ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N).
- Develop an innovative B2 nutrient treatment system by integrating refillable biochar-sorption-channels with woodchip bioreactors.
- Demonstrate and scale up the B2 nutrient treatment system to remove nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) and capture dissolved P, total P, and NH4-N from tile drainage water by conducting field trials.
- Evaluate the developed B2 nutrient treatment system by conducting a scale-up field study.
- Recover nutrients by applying nutrient-captured biochars into agricultural fields as a slow-release fertilizer to improve soil quality and crop yields.
Progress Summary:
Agricultural subsurface drainage is a widely adopted water management practice in the Midwestern U.S. However, these tile drainage systems can deliver large quantities of nutrients from agricultural fields to surrounding watersheds. Excess nutrients in watersheds could jeopardize water quality and trigger HABs. Therefore, it is critical to develop a circular nutrient system, which can not only recover lost nutrients to partially fulfill fertilizer demand, but also prevent water pollution. This project aims to develop an innovative B2 nutrient treatment system by using woodchip bioreactors to remove NO3-N and designer biochars to capture dissolved P, total P, and NH4-N from drainage water. The nutrient-captured biochars will be applied in agricultural fields as a slow-release fertilizer to recover nutrients and thus keep them in the circular nutrient system. During this reporting period, we have manufactured hundreds of kilograms of designer biochar pellets, which could efficiently capture nutrients (especially dissolved P) from contaminated water. Two field experiments have been conducted to evaluate the B2 nutrient treatment system. One field trial was conducted in the University of Illinois Farm field. The study showed that the losses of nitrate were significantly reduced after drainage water passed through the B2 nutrient treatment system. Approximately 67% of NO3-N was removed by the woodchip bioreactor and 15% was captured by the two-stage biochar-sorption channel. By contrast, the levels of both dissolved P and total P were elevated after the bioreactor treatment, which is attributed to the release of P from the fresh woodchips. Fortunately, the designer biochar can effectively capture the total P and dissolved P released from the woodchip bioreactor. The B2 nutrient treatment system was scaled up in an agricultural field located at MWRDGC Nutrient Loss Reduction Research Site. Similarly, the losses of nitrate were significantly reduced after the woodchip bioreactor treatment. The biochar-sorption-chamber captured 41~52% of total P, but only 3~22% of dissolved P. The low removal rates of designer biochar to dissolved P in the fields might be attributable to the short hydraulic retention times (HRT) of drainage water in the biochar-sorption chambers, resulting in insufficient time for precipitation reactions between dissolved P and designer biochar pellets. Thus, we will modify the treatment systems to increase HRT by using smaller sized biochar pellets, increasing designer biochar amounts, and equipping baffles in the biochar-sorption-channel. In addition, both field experiments revealed that the designer biochar could also capture NH4-N from drainage water. The adsorbed N and P nutrients on the designer biochar could be reintroduced back into agricultural fields when the spent biochar is applied into the soil, and thereby achieve a circular nutrient system.
Future Activities:
- Evaluating Designer Biochar Pellets using a Flow-through Box
- Evaluating the B2 Nutrient Treatment System in a Scale-up Commercial Field
- Recycling Nutrient-Captured Biochar as a Slow-Released Fertilizer
- Cost-Benefit Analysis of Designer Biochars for Phosphorus Capture
- Continuing Extension/Outreach Activities including press releases, workshops, publication, and field days.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 7 publications | 6 publications in selected types | All 6 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Katuwal S, Circenis S, Zhao L, Zheng W. Enhancing dissolved inorganic phosphorous capture by gypsum-incorporated biochar:Synergic performance and mechanisms. Journal of Environmental Quality 2023;52(5). |
R840088 (2022) |
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Zhou H, Margenot A, Zheng W, Wardropper C, Cusick R, Bhattarai R. Advancing circular nutrient economy to achieve benefits beyond nutrient loss reduction in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River basin. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 2023;78(4):82A-84A. |
R840088 (2022) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Circular Nutrient System, Woodchip BioreactorRelevant Websites:
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center: Circular Nutrient System for Circular Bioeconomy Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.