Black carbons such as biochar and activated carbon (AC) are considered environmentally recalcitrant. However this notion is being challenged, as some degradation must take place in order that global production and stocks match. Environmental factors such as variable water regime, temperature and microbial degradation can slowly alter the nature of the black carbon.  Here we expose a corn stover biochar and a bitumen AC with and without soil to (a) biological incubation with nutrients and microbes, (b) chemical aging at 60 and 110 �C, (c) physical aging via freeze thaw cycles and (d) field-aging for 2 years.  Following aging, the sorption of 13C pyrene to the physically and chemically characterised materials will be quantified and compared to unaged samples. Sorption isotherms will be constructed utilizing passive samplers. Results will be related to three simultaneous field tests on AC amendment in soils and sediments.

Sorption of pyrene to biologically, chemically and physically altered black carbons with and without soil

240th National Meeting (2010)

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