| | Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by pyrolysis of organic feedstocks such as municipal, agricultural, and forestry wastes. It has a high surface area, which enhances soil aggregation, water holding capacity, and [[organic matter| organic carbon content]]. However, biochar properties and effectiveness for pollutant sorption depends on feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. <ref name=Iqbal>Iqbal H, Garcia-Perez M, Flury M. Effect of biochar on leaching of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from compost in bioretention systems. Science of the Total Environment. 2015;521-522: 37-45. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.060</ref> | | Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by pyrolysis of organic feedstocks such as municipal, agricultural, and forestry wastes. It has a high surface area, which enhances soil aggregation, water holding capacity, and [[organic matter| organic carbon content]]. However, biochar properties and effectiveness for pollutant sorption depends on feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. <ref name=Iqbal>Iqbal H, Garcia-Perez M, Flury M. Effect of biochar on leaching of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from compost in bioretention systems. Science of the Total Environment. 2015;521-522: 37-45. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.060</ref> |
| − | Ongoing biochar research at the British Columbia Institute of Technology is testing the response of native plants to various soil/biochar mixes to be used in rain gardens, the hydraulic properties of biochar/soil mixtures in rain gardens, the comparison of biochar with different physico-chemical characteristics in chemical contaminants removal efficacy, and the potential leaching of contaminants from spent biochar after use <ref>https://commons.bcit.ca/nbs/rain-gardens-bioretention-cells/</ref>. | + | Ongoing biochar research at the British Columbia Institute of Technology is testing the response of native plants to various soil/biochar mixes to be used in rain gardens and the comparison of biochar with different physico-chemical characteristics in chemical contaminants removal efficacy <ref>https://commons.bcit.ca/nbs/rain-gardens-bioretention-cells/</ref>. |