Abstract
Bone char is the product of a thermochemical conversion of defatted bones. This chapter summarizes the state of the art in the technical pyrolysis process, resulting physicochemical properties and other characteristics of bone chars and possible applications. Special emphasis is put on the solubility of P compounds, which in general characterize bone chars as potentially slow-release P fertilizers. The P release into soil can be improved by an “internal activation” through adsorption of reduced S compounds. Other agronomically relevant properties originate from the porosity that promotes water retention and the habitat function for soil microorganisms. Bone char effects on crop yields are summarized, giving the impression that field crops with long vegetation period and intensive rooting systems benefit most from this material. In conclusion, the carbonization by pyrolysis and formulation of bone char-based products is a reasonable approach in the recycling of P-rich bones from slaughterhouses. However, longer-term agronomic trials are required to fully evaluate the fertilizer potential of bone chars.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Acksel A, Kappenberg A, Kühn P, Leinweber P (2017) Human activity formed deep, dark topsoils around the Baltic Sea. Geoderma Reg 10:93–101
Aue WP, Roufosse AH, Glimcher MJ, Griffin RG (1984) Solid-state phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance studies of synthetic solid phases of calcium phosphate: potential models of bone mineral. Biochemistry 23:6110–6114
Babu BV (2008) Biomass pyrolysis: a state-of-the-art review. Biofuels Bioprod Biorefin 2(5):393–414
Chen SB, Zhu YG, Ma YB, McKay G (2006) Effect of bone char application on Pb bioavailability in a Pb-contaminated soil. Environ Pollut 139(3):433–439
Cheung CW, Chan CK, Porter JF, McKay G (2001) Combined diffusion model for the sorption of cadmium, copper, and zinc ions onto bone char. Environ Sci Technol 35(7):1511–1522
Cheung CW, Porter JF, McKay G (2002) Removal of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions by sorption onto bone char using batch agitation. Langmuir 18(3):650–656
van Dijk KC, Lesschen JP, Oenema O (2016) Phosphorus flows and balances of the European Union Member States. Sci Total Environ 542:1078–1093
Etok SE, Valsami-Jones E, Wess TJ, Hiller JC, Maxwell CA, Rogers KD, Manning DAC, White ML, Lopez-Capel E, Collins MJ, Buckley M, Penkman KEH, Woodgate SL (2007) Structural and chemical changes of thermally treated bone apatite. J Mater Sci 42:9807–9816
Figueiredo M, Fernando A, Martins G, Freitas J, Judas F, Figueiredo H (2010) Effect of the calcination temperature on the composition and microstructure of hydroxyapatite derived from human and animal bone. Ceram Int 36(8):2383–2393
Flores-Cano JV, Leyva-Ramos R, Carrasco-Marin F, Aragón-Piña A, Salazar-Rabago JJ, Leyva-Ramos S (2016) Adsorption mechanism of Chromium (III) from water solution on bone char: effect of operating conditions. Adsorption 22(3):297–308
Fuller CC, Bargar JR, Davis JA (2003) Molecular-scale characterization of uranium sorption by bone apatite materials for a permeable reactive barrier demonstration. Environ Sci Technol 37(20):4642–4649
Glaser B, Haumaier L, Guggenberger G, Zech W (2001) The ‘Terra Preta’ phenomenon: a model for sustainable agriculture in the humid tropics. Naturwissenschaften 88:37–41
Hagemann P, Kebelmann L (2017) Klärschlammpyrolyse mit dem EREKA Bio-Reaktor. In: Sauermann U, Klätte M (Eds) Thermopolyphos Steinbeis Edition Stuttgart, p 49–57
Hornung A, Apfelbacher A, Sagi S (2011) Intermediate pyrolysis: a sustainable biomass-to-energy concept – biothermal valorisation of biomass (BtVB) process. J Sci Ind Res 70:664–667
Iriarte-Velasco U, Sierra I, Zudaire L, Ayastuy JL (2016) Preparation of a porous biochar from the acid activation of pork bones. Food Bioprod Process 98:341–353
Larsen MJ, Pearce EIF, Ravnholt G (1994) The effectiveness of bone char in the defluoridation of water in relation to its crystallinity, carbon content and dissolution pattern. Archs Oral Bid 39(9):807–816
Lehmann J, Rillig MC, Thies J, Masiello CA, Hockaday WC, Crowley D (2011) Biochar effects on soil biota – a review. Soil Biol Biochem 3(9):1812–1836
Leinweber P (2017) Pyrolyse von Schlachtknochen – ein attraktiver Ansatz im Phosphorrecycling. In: U. Sauermann, M. Klätte (Eds) Thermopolyphos Steinbeis Edition Stuttgart, p 59–65
Leinweber P, Jandl G, Eckhardt K-U, Schlichting A, Hofmann D, Schulten H-R (2009) Analytical pyrolysis and soft-ionization mass spectrometry. In: Senesi N, Xing B, Huang PM (eds) Biophysico-chemical processes involving natural nonliving organic matter in environmental systems. Wiley, New York, pp 539–588
Little NG, Mohler CL, Ketterings QM, DiTommaso A (2015) Effects of organic nutrient amendments on weed and crop growth. Weed Sci 63(3):710–722
Medellín-Castillo NA, Leyva-Ramos R, Ocampo-Pérez R, García de la Cruz RF, Aragón-Piña A, Martínez-Rosales JM, Guerrero-Coronado RM, Fuentes-Rubio L (2007) Adsorption of fluoride from water solution on bone char. Ind Eng Chem Res 46:9205–9212
Medellin-Castillo NA, Leyva-Ramos R, Padilla-Ortega E, Perez RO, Flores-Cano JV, Berber-Mendoza MS (2014) Adsorption capacity of bone char for removing fluoride from water solution. Role of hydroxyapatite content, adsorption mechanism and competing anions. J Ind Eng Chem 20(6):4014–4021
Mkukuma LD, Skakle JMS, Gibson IR, Imrie CT, Aspden RM, Hukins DWL (2004) Effect of the proportion of organic material in bone on thermal decomposition of bone mineral: an investigation of a variety of bones from different species using thermogravimetric analysis coupled to mass spectrometry, high-temperature X-ray diffraction, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Calcif Tissue Int 75(4):321–328
Morshedizad M, Leinweber P (2017) Mobilization and leaching of phosphorus and cadmium in soils amended with different bone chars. Clean – Soil Air Water 45:1600635. https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.201600635
Morshedizad M, Zimmer D, Leinweber P (2016) Effect of bone chars on phosphorus-cadmium-interactions evaluated by three extraction procedures. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 179:388–398
Morshedizad M, Klysubun W, Panten K, Leinweber P (2018) Alteration of bone chars and amended soils as revealed by sequential fractionation and XANES spectroscopy. SOIL 4:23–35. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-4-23-2018
Novotny EH, Auccaise R, Velloso MHR, Corrêa JC, Higarashi MM, Abreu VMN, Rocha JD, Kwapinski W (2012) Characterization of phosphate structures in biochar from swine bones. Pesq Agropec Bras 47:672–676
Ooi CY, Hamdi M, Ramesh S (2007) Properties of hydroxyapatite produced by annealing of bovine bone. Ceram Int 33:1171–1177
Pan H, Darvell BW (2010) Effect of carbonate on hydroxyapatite solubility. Cryst Growth Des 10:845–850
Panwar NL, Kothari R, Tyagi VV (2012) Thermo chemical conversion of biomass – eco friendly energy routes. Renew Sust Energ Rev 16(4):1801–1816
Patel S, Han J, Qiu W, Gao W (2015) Synthesis and characterisation of mesoporous bone char obtained by pyrolysis of animal bones, for environmental application. J Environ Chem Eng 3(4):2368–2377
Postma J, Clematis F, Nijhuis EH, Someus E (2013) Efficacy of four phosphate-mobilizing bacteria applied with an animal bone charcoal formulation in controlling Pythium aphanidermatum and Fusariumoxysporum f. sp. radicis lycopersici in tomato. Biol Control 67(2):284–291
Qian K, Kumar A, Zhang H, Bellmer D, Huhnke R (2015) Recent advances in utilization of biochar. Renew Sust Energ Rev 42:1055–1064
Rajendran J, Gialanella S, Aswath PB (2013) XANES analysis of dried and calcined bones. Mater Sci Eng C 33(7):3968–3979
Reidsma FH, van Hoesel A, van Os BJH, Megens L, Braadbaart F (2016) Charred bone: physical and chemical changes during laboratory simulated heating under reducing conditions and its relevance for the study of fire use in archaeology. J Archaeol Sci Rep 10:282–292
Robinson S, Baumann K, Kebelmann L, Hagemann P, Hu Y, Leinweber P (2018) Phosphorus transformations in plant- and bio-waste feedstocks induced by pyrolysis: implications for fertilizer replacement potential. Ambio 47(Suppl. 1):73–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-0990-y
Rogers KD, Daniels P (2002) An X-ray diffraction study of the effects of heat treatment on bone mineral microstructure. Biomaterials 23(12):2577–2585
Rojas-Mayorga CK, Silvestre-Albero J, Aguayo-Villarreal IA, Mendoza-Castillo DI, Bonilla-Petriciolet A (2015) A new synthesis route for bone chars using CO2 atmosphereand their application as fluoride adsorbents. Micropor Mesopor Mater 209:38–44
Rothwell WPJ, Waugh S, Yesinowski JP (1980) High-resolution variable-temperature phosphorus-31 NMR of solid calcium phosphates. J Am Chem Soc 102(8):2637–2643
Schmidt MWI, Skjemstad JO, Gehrt E, Kögel-Knabner I (1999) Charred organic carbon in German chernozemic soils. Eur J Soil Sci 50:351–365
Siebers N, Leinweber P (2013) Bone char – a clean and renewable fertilizer with cadmium immobilizing capacity. J Environ Qual 42:405–411
Siebers N, Godlinski F, Leinweber P (2012) Utilization of bone char phosphorus for potato, wheat, and onion production. Landbauforschung – vTI Agric Forest Res 62:59–64
Siebers N, Godlinski F, Leinweber P (2014) Bone char as phosphorus fertilizer involved in Cd immobilization in lettuce, wheat, and potato cropping. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 177:75–83
Vassilev N, Martos E, Mendes G, Martos V, Vassileva M (2013) Biochar of animal origin: a sustainable solution to the global problem of high-grade rock phosphate scarcity? J Sci Food Agric 93:1799–1804
Warchol G, Kebelmann L (2012) Screw and method for producing same. Patent WO 2012/126574
Warren GP, Robinson JS, Someus E (2009) Dissolution of phosphorus from animal bone char in 12 soils. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 84:167–178
Wilson JA, Pulford ID, Thomas S (2003) Sorption of Cu and Zn by bone charcoal. Environ Geochem Health 25:51–56
Wopenka B, Pasteris JD (2005) A mineralogical perspective on the apatite in bone. Mater Sci Eng C 25:131–143
Wu Y, Ackerman JL, Strawich ES, Rey C, Kim H-M, Glimcher MJ (2003) Phosphate ions in bone: identification of a calcium–organic phosphate complex by 31P solid-state NMR spectroscopy at early stages of mineralization. Calcif Tissue Int 72(5):610–626
Zwetsloot MJ, Lehmann J, Solomon D (2015) Recycling slaughterhouse waste into fertilizer: how do pyrolysis temperature and biomass additions affect phosphorus availability and chemistry? J Sci Food Agric 95:281–288
Zwetsloot MJ, Lehmann J, Bauerle T, Vanek S, Hestrin R, Nigussie A (2016) Phosphorus availability from bone char in a P-fixing soil influenced by root-mycorrhizae-biochar interactions. Plant Soil 408(1):95–105
Acknowledgements
Parts of this work have been performed within the InnoSoilPhos project (http://www.innosoilphos.de/default.aspx), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the frame of the BonaRes-program (No. 031A558). Mohsen Morshedizad acknowledges a PhD grant from the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. This research was conducted within the scope of the Leibniz ScienceCampus Phosphorus Research Rostock.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Leinweber, P., Hagemann, P., Kebelmann, L., Kebelmann, K., Morshedizad, M. (2019). Bone Char As a Novel Phosphorus Fertilizer. In: Ohtake, H., Tsuneda, S. (eds) Phosphorus Recovery and Recycling . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8031-9_29
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8031-9_29
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-8030-2
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-8031-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)