University of Arkansas Researchers Tackle Water Pollution with Biochar

FAYETTEVILLE, AR. - A researcher at the University of Arkansas has received a grant of almost $1.9 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This funding will support a study on how a special material called biochar (BI-oh-char) can help improve water quality in local rivers and lakes.

Dr. Shannon Speir, an assistant professor at the University, will lead the research. Her team will investigate whether adding biochar to poultry litter - a common fertilizer made from chicken waste - can stop harmful nutrients from flowing into nearby waterways.

"Arkansas is a major poultry-producing state, meaning we have a lot of chicken waste. This presents both a challenge and a great opportunity to find solutions," Dr. Speir explained.

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance created by heating organic materials, such as farm waste, in a low-oxygen environment. It's known for its ability to improve soil by helping it hold water and nutrients better, and making it more resistant to dry conditions.

The research team will test if mixing biochar with poultry litter can reduce nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from washing off farm fields during rain. When too many of these nutrients enter streams, rivers, and lakes, they can cause problems like harmful algal blooms, which hurt aquatic life and water quality.

The three-year project will start with lab tests to see how different biochar mixtures affect nutrient retention. Later, the team will move to actual farms in the Brush Creek watershed, near Springdale and Fayetteville, which is part of the Beaver Lake area. Farmers will volunteer their land as "Discovery Farms" for this long-term study.

Researchers hope that using biochar could reduce nitrate losses by 15% to 25% and phosphorus losses by 5% to 10% compared to fields where it's not used. The project will also involve teaching more farmers about biochar's benefits.

"When farmers share successful new practices with each other, it really speeds up how quickly those solutions are adopted," Dr. Speir noted, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in protecting our drinking water sources.