IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v258y2026ics0960148125026199.html

Biochar-mediated regulation of carbon-nitrogen dynamics in aerobic composting of biogas residue

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang, Xinchen
  • Che, Yuchen
  • Zhang, Yafei
  • Qi, Xiaopei
  • Wang, Fuxin
  • Qu, Jingbo

Abstract

To clarify the migration and transformation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) during biochar-assisted biogas residue aerobic composting and improve compost quality, this study established five treatment groups with biochar addition ratios of 0 % (CK), 2.5 % (T1), 5.0 % (T2), 7.5 % (T3), and 10.0 % (T4). The findings demonstrated that the addition of biochar decreased the cumulative emission of CO2, CH4, NH3, and N2O by 12.14–30.60 %, 29.48–42.65 %, 21.49–44.83 %, and 17.41–34.15 %, respectively, in comparison to CK. The addition of biochar can decrease the amount of nitrogen lost during the composting process and increase the amount of nitrogen present in the form of ammonium salt, which will decrease the mineralization of organic nitrogen and facilitate the conversion of NH4+-N to NO3−-N. The addition of biochar can successfully lower the nitrogen loss by 23.61–41.08 % and the carbon loss by 15.06–30.57 %. Among all treatments, the 10 % biochar addition group exhibited the most significant effects, achieving the highest efficiency in C and N retention and the strongest mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. These findings demonstrated that biochar addition is an effective strategy to optimize biogas residue composting by reducing nutrient loss and gaseous pollution.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Xinchen & Che, Yuchen & Zhang, Yafei & Qi, Xiaopei & Wang, Fuxin & Qu, Jingbo, 2026. "Biochar-mediated regulation of carbon-nitrogen dynamics in aerobic composting of biogas residue," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:258:y:2026:i:c:s0960148125026199
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.124955
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148125026199
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2025.124955?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. He, Wei & Xu, Lei & Cao, Yongna & Shang, Hongru & Yu, Yanling, 2025. "Aerobic fermentation of corn straw for clean heat utilization: an evaluation model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    2. Mohd Noor, Nurfarhana Nabila & Kim, Kyunghoi, 2025. "Boosting bioelectricity performance in sediment microbial fuel cells with raw bamboo biochar as a sustainable energy source," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    3. Jia, Yuan-Long & Hu, Wen & Tang, Cong-Cong & Zhou, Ai-Juan & Liu, Wenzong & Chen, Zhaobo & Ren, Yong-Xiang & He, Zhang-Wei, 2025. "Biochar derived from straw regulate anaerobic digestion: Insights into the roles of vegetative organs," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    4. Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar & Duan, Yumin & Awasthi, Sanjeev Kumar & Liu, Tao & Zhang, Zengqiang & Kim, Sang-Hyoun & Pandey, Ashok, 2020. "Effect of biochar on emission, maturity and bacterial dynamics during sheep manure compositing," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 421-429.
    5. Ivanović, Milica & Stefanović, Gordana & Stanković, Sandra & Milutinović, Biljana, 2024. "Co-composting a grape marc: An influence of grape stalks and different biowastes presence on the physical - chemical parameters of the mixture," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    6. Xiong, Chuhao & Wu, Jin & Ji, Zhengang & Wu, Ye & Liu, Dong, 2024. "Unraveling the role of alkali metal in the biochar for enhancing the chemical looping ammonia generation efficiency," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    7. Durango Padilla, Elias Ricardo & Hansted, Felipe Augusto Santiago & Luna, Carlos Manuel Romero & de Campos, Cristiane Inácio & Yamaji, Fabio Minoru, 2024. "Biochar derived from agricultural waste and its application as energy source in blast furnace," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    8. Liu, Zhiyuan & Li, Yan & Sun, Yong & Feng, Fang & Tagawa, Kotaro, 2023. "Preparation of biochar-based photothermal superhydrophobic coating based on corn straw biogas residue and blade anti-icing performance by wind tunnel test," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 618-626.
    9. Brands, Marvin B. & Beuel, Patrick & Torres-Rivera, Felipe & Beckmüller, Robin & Ayoub, Mazloum Sheikh & Stenzel, Peter, 2025. "Optimization of biomethane production from purified biowaste pyrolysis gas: A comparative techno-economic assessment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mohd Noor, Nurfarhana Nabila & Kim, Kyunghoi, 2025. "Boosting bioelectricity performance in sediment microbial fuel cells with raw bamboo biochar as a sustainable energy source," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    2. Xu Yao & Xin Wang & Shengyang Zheng & Haitao Zhao & Jing Ju & Chenzhe Wang, 2024. "Research on Composting of Garden Waste and Its Application in Cultivation Substrates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Chen, Miao & Liu, Shujun & Yuan, Xufeng & Li, Qing X. & Wang, Fengzhong & Xin, Fengjiao & Wen, Boting, 2021. "Methane production and characteristics of the microbial community in the co-digestion of potato pulp waste and dairy manure amended with biochar," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 357-367.
    4. Chaudhuri, Pratik & Pande, Rohan & Baraiya, Nikhil A., 2025. "From char to flame: Evaluating bamboo bio-char combustion via cone calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    5. Ivanović, Milica & Stefanović, Gordana & Stanković, Sandra & Milutinović, Biljana, 2024. "Co-composting a grape marc: An influence of grape stalks and different biowastes presence on the physical - chemical parameters of the mixture," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    6. Ge, Lichao & Zhao, Can & Wang, Ziqian & Zuo, Mingjin & Yao, Lei & Wu, Kefeng & Wang, Yang & Xu, Chang, 2025. "A new method for the preparation of biomass-based solid fuels: Pyrolysis-impregnation-cobaking," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    7. Khoshnevisan, Benyamin & Duan, Na & Tsapekos, Panagiotis & Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar & Liu, Zhidan & Mohammadi, Ali & Angelidaki, Irini & Tsang, Daniel CW. & Zhang, Zengqiang & Pan, Junting & Ma, Lin & Ag, 2021. "A critical review on livestock manure biorefinery technologies: Sustainability, challenges, and future perspectives," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    8. Haiyan Duan & Minghua Ji & Yukang Xie & Jiping Shi & Li Liu & Baoguo Zhang & Junsong Sun, 2021. "Exploring the Microbial Dynamics of Organic Matter Degradation and Humification during Co-Composting of Cow Manure and Bedding Material Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, November.
    9. He, Wei & Xu, Lei & Cao, Yongna & Shang, Hongru & Yu, Yanling, 2025. "Aerobic fermentation of corn straw for clean heat utilization: an evaluation model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    10. Yadav, Nidhi & Yadav, Gaurav & Ahmaruzzaman, Md., 2024. "Selective synthesis of oxygenated fuel derivative from microwave assisted acetalization of glycerol: Optimization and mechanistic investigations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    11. Wu, Yan & Yu, Yue & Zhu, Ailing & Fu, Junjie & Xia, Yaping & Lan, Guoxing & Fu, Chuan & Ma, Zhicheng & Xue, Jianfu & Tao, Lin & Xie, Xinrui, 2024. "Effect of different digestate biochars as promoters via sludge anaerobic digestion on subsequent pyrolysis products: Focusing on the nitrogen, sulfur, and chlorine releasing characteristics," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    12. Zhang, Lidong & Zhao, Yuze & Guo, Yunfeng & Hu, Tianyu & Xu, Xiandong & Zhang, Duanmei & Song, Changpeng & Guo, Yuanjun & Ma, Yuanchi, 2024. "Research on wind turbine icing prediction data processing and accuracy of machine learning algorithm," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(PB).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:258:y:2026:i:c:s0960148125026199. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.