Effects of Soil-Amended Bottom Ash on Decomposition Rates of Organic Matter as Investigated by an Enforced-Aeration Respirometer
2012
Jung, S.H., Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea | Chung, D.Y., Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea | Han, G.H., Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
Disposal of high amount of coal combustion by-products, such as fly ash and bottom ash, is of a great concern to the country, due to the huge treatment cost and land requirement. On the other hand, those coal-ash wastes are considered to have desirable characteristics that may improve physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils. Especially, compared with fly ash, bottom ash has a larger particle size, porous surface area, and usable amount of micronutrients. In the present study, we examined bottom as a soil amendment for mitigating CO₂ emission and enhancing carbon sequestration in soils fertilized with organic matter (hairy vetch, green barely, and oil cake fertilizer). Through laboratory incubation, CO₂ released from the soil was quantitatively and periodically monitored with an enforced-aeration and high-temperature respirometer. We observed that amendment of bottom ash led to a marked reduction in CO₂ emission rate and cumulative amount of CO₂ released, which was generally proportional to the amount of bottom ash applied. We also found that the temporal patterns of CO₂ emission and C sequestration effects were partially dependent on the relative of proportion labile carbon and C/N ratio of the organic matter. Our results strongly suggest that amendment of bottom ash has potential benefits for fixing labile carbon as more stable soil organic matter, unless the bottom ash contains toxic levels of heavy metals or other contaminants.
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