Evaluation of the lipid fraction of pyrochars organic matter in the aspect of negative effects on soil

Abstract

The evaluation of the possible negative effect of pyrochars on soils based on the analysis of the content of lipid fraction and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of organic matter was evaluated. Eight species of pyrochar were obtained from the crop and wood residues (linden, willow, corn, millet) by two pyrolysis regimes: low-temperature pyrolysis (<400°C) and high-temperature pyrolysis (400–600°C). The largest amount of lipid fraction (from 0.54 to 2.78%) and PAHs were found in pyrochars obtained at a low pyrolysis temperature. The total content of PAHs in the studied samples ranged from 8.49 to 603.21 μg/kg. According to the PAHs content, pyrochar was the most adverse for application to the soil, obtained from the residues of millet of low-temperature pyrolysis, however, at a high pyrolysis temperature, the safest product with the lowest PAHs concentration and a significant amount of lipid fraction was formed. Using an incubation experiment by measuring substrate-induced respiration in soil-pyrochar mixtures, it was shown that the application of this meliorant can also increase the emission of carbon dioxide from soils in a short time. The results of the experiments showed that it is necessary to precisely control the conditions of pyrolysis and carefully select the material for pyrochar in order to obtain the products with most favourable amounts of lipid fraction and PAHs content.