Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 May 10;15(5):956.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15050956.

Biochar from Biosolids Pyrolysis: A Review

Jorge Paz-Ferreiro  1 , Aurora Nieto  2 , Ana Méndez  3 , Matthew Peter James Askeland  4 , Gabriel Gascó  5
Affiliations
Review

Biochar from Biosolids Pyrolysis: A Review

Jorge Paz-Ferreiro et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Ever increasing volumes of biosolids (treated sewage sludge) are being produced by municipal wastewater facilities. This is a consequence of the continued expansion of urban areas, which in turn require the commissioning of new treatment plants or upgrades to existing facilities. Biosolids contain nutrients and energy which can be used in agriculture or waste-to-energy processes. Biosolids have been disposed of in landfills, but there is an increasing pressure from regulators to phase out landfilling. This article performs a critical review on options for the management of biosolids with a focus on pyrolysis and the application of the solid fraction of pyrolysis (biochar) into soil.

Keywords: biochar; biosolids; soil amelioration.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Directive C. Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the Landfill of Waste. Off. J. Eur. Comm. 1999;182:1–19.
    1. European Communities . Disposal and Recycling Routes for Sewage Sludge Part 3—Scientific and Technical Report. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities; Luxembourg: 2001. p. 70.
    1. Kelessidis A., Stasinakis A.S. Comparative study of the methods used for the treatment and final disposal of sewage sludge in European countries. Waste Manag. 2012;32:1186–1195. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2012.01.012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Khomjakov D.M. Modern Possibilities of Recycling and the Use of Sewage Sludge to Restore the Fertility of Agricultural Lands. Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow, Russia: 2009. p. 7.
    1. Fytili D., Zabaniotou A. Utilization of sewage sludge in EU application of old and new methods—A review. Renew. Sust. Energy Rev. 2008;12:116–140. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2006.05.014. - DOI

Publication types