Production of biochar from squeezed liquid of fruit and vegetable waste: Impacts on soil N2O emission and microbial community

Abstract

The squeezed liquid from fruit and vegetable waste (LW) presents a unique wastewater challenge, marked by recalcitrance in treatment and amplified design risks with the application of conventional processes. Following coagulation of the squeezed liquid, the majority of particulate matter precipitates. The resulting precipitated floc (LWF) is reclaimed and subsequently utilized for the synthesis of biochar. The present study primarily explores the viability of repurposing LWF as biochar to enhance soil quality and mitigate N₂O emissions. Findings indicate that the introduction of a 2% proportion of LWFB led to a remarkable 99.5% reduction in total N₂O emissions in contrast to LWF. Concurrently, LWFB substantially enhanced nutrients content by elevating soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen levels. Utilizing high-throughput sequencing in conjunction with qPCR, the investigation unveiled that the porous structure and substantial specific surface area of LWFB potentially fostered microbial adhesion and heightened diversity within the soil microbial community. Furthermore, LWFB notably diminished the relative abundance of AOB (Nitrosospira, Nitrosomonas), and NOB (Candidatus_Nitrotoga), thereby curbing the conversion of NH₄⁺ into NO₃^-. The pronounced elevation in nosZ abundance implies that LWFB holds the potential to mitigate N₂O emissions through a conversion to N₂.

Keywords: Biochar; Functional gene; Microbial community structure; N(2)O emissions; Squeezed liquid from fruit and vegetable waste.