NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 1 Create Way, Create Tower #15-02, Singapore 138602, Singapore.
Research & Horticulture Department, Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953, Singapore.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 Feb 25;757:143820. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143820. Epub 2020 Nov 19.
Biochar, produced as a by-product of pyrolysis/gasification of waste biomass, shows great potential to reduce the environment impact, address the climate change issue, and establish a circular economy model. Despite the promising outlook, the research on the benefits of biochar remains highly debated. This has been attributed to the heterogeneity of biochar itself, with its inherent physical, chemical and biological properties highly influenced by production variables such as feedstock types and treating conditions. Hence, to enable meaningful comparison of results, establishment of an agreed international standard to govern the production of biochar for specific uses is necessary. In this study, we analyzed four key uses of biochar: 1) in agriculture and horticulture, 2) as construction material, 3) as activated carbon, and 4) in anaerobic digestion. Then the guidelines for the properties of biochar, especially for the concentrations of toxic heavy metals, for its environmental friendly application were proposed in the context of Singapore. The international status of the biochar industry code of practice, feedback from Singapore local industry and government agencies, as well as future perspectives for the biochar industry were explained.
生物炭是由废物生物质热解/气化产生的副产品，具有减少环境影响、应对气候变化问题和建立循环经济模式的巨大潜力。尽管前景广阔，但生物炭的研究仍存在很大争议。这归因于生物炭本身的异质性，其固有物理、化学和生物特性受到原料类型和处理条件等生产变量的高度影响。因此，为了能够对结果进行有意义的比较，有必要制定一项国际商定标准来规范特定用途的生物炭生产。在本研究中，我们分析了生物炭的四个关键用途：1）在农业和园艺中的应用，2）作为建筑材料，3）作为活性炭，以及 4）在厌氧消化中的应用。然后，在新加坡的背景下，提出了生物炭环境友好应用的特性指南，特别是针对有毒重金属浓度的指南。解释了生物炭行业实践准则的国际现状、新加坡本地工业和政府机构的反馈以及生物炭行业的未来展望。
