Effects of Biochar on Leaching of Dimethyl Tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA).

Herbicides are commonly used to control weeds in agricultural fields, but many of them pose a major threat as groundwater contaminants. It is a major source of agricultural pollution in the southeastern United States, where water tables are shallow and soils have high sand content. Biochar, a soil amendment made from anaerobic burning (pyrolysis) of organic matter, is being recognized for its adsorption/holding capacities of environmental contaminants. However, this capacity of biochar has been tested on few herbicides. We propose to examine the efficacy of different levels of biochar in filtering the herbicide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA) from leachate, which has been found in groundwater sources and is recognized as a potential health hazard. We hypothesize that biochar will significantly reduce the leaching of DCPA. The study is being conducted in a laboratory setting at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA. The herbicide is applied in sand- biochar mix and the leachates are collected periodically to test herbicide levels. Herbicide content in leachate samples are analyzed via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The study will be completed during the fall of 2017.

INDEX WORDS: herbicide, leaching, groundwater contamination, biochar