STUDY OF MIXTURES OF SANDY SOIL WITH PRUNING BIOCHAR FOR USE IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BARRIERS

• Grant number: 23/08744-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Environmental Sanitation
• Principal Investigator: Valéria Guimarães Silvestre Rodrigues
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda de Souza Ferreira
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities, such as mining and the use of fertilizers in agricultural areas, are identified as the main responsible for the contamination of the environment by potentially toxic metals. Potentially toxic metal, especially lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn), offer a risk to ecosystems and human health, since, while contaminating the soil, they can infiltrate and contaminate groundwater, highlighting the importance of applying environmental protection barriers in order to remedy contamination from potentially toxic metals. Thus, the mixture of sandy soils with biochar presents itself as an alternative for sealing barriers, yet, the importance of using local materials to reduce costs is evident. In addition, the mixture with pruning biochar aims to reuse waste and stimulate the circular economy. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the characteristics of soil that are not suitable for use in barriers, through physical and chemical characterizations, as well as tests of adsorption of Pb, Cd, and Zn, with the purpose of performing mixtures with different proportions of pruning biochar, seeking to evaluate which mixture is the most viable.