Biomass Plants Resources, Opportunities, and Constraints Resources Soil & Water Quality Improvement Health Benefits Potential Resources TAREK ALSHAAL

Biofuels First-generation biofuels: 'First-generation' or conventional biofuels are made from sugar, starch, or vegetable oil. Second-generation (advanced) biofuels: Second-generation biofuels are produced from sustainable feedstock. Many second-generation biofuels are under development such as Cellulosic ethanol, Algae fuel, biohydrogen and biomethanol

What is BIOMASS? Biomass is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms. In the context of biomass for energy this is often used to mean plant based material, but biomass can equally apply to both animal and vegetable derived material.

Categories of biomass materials There are five basic categories of material:  Virgin wood, from forestry, arboricultural activities or from wood processing  Energy crops: high yield crops grown specifically for energy applications; - Short rotation energy crops - Grasses and non-woody energy crops - Agricultural energy crops - Aquatics (hydroponics)  Agricultural residues: residues from agriculture harvesting or processing  Food waste, from food and drink manufacture, preparation and processing, and post-consumer waste  Industrial waste and co-products from manufacturing and industrial processes.

Advantages of Agriculturally-based Biomass Resources Energy utilization of sustainable resources – sustainable energy balance Environmental decreased CO 2, SO x, and mercury emissions improved localized air quality improved water quality potential for carbon sequestration Economic improvement of foreign trade balance Security decreased petroleum dependence

Environmental Advantages of Energy Crops Rainfall and wind soil erosion reduction Herbaceous energy crops provide excellent continuous cover significantly reducing surface rainfall impact and wind forces Surface runoff reduction Herbaceous energy crops have extensive root systems allowing for greater infiltration (decreased risk of flooding) Nitrogen and agricultural chemical mitigation Herbaceous energy crops use less nitrogen, phosphorus, and agricultural chemicals than conventional commodity crops Increased soil organic carbon Extensive root system of switchgrass allows for carbon sequestration Switchgrass for renewable energy purposes provides a “psuedo closed-carbon” loop → significant reduction in the greenhouse gas CO 2 Restoration of marginal lands Topsoil Completely Eroded from Rainfall Erosion Marginal Lands in Need of Restoration

Perennial Biomass Plants Many factors that disqualify land for annual cropping may not apply to perennial crops! Environmental Advantages of Perennial Biomass Production Exposure to wind and water erosion occurs primarily during establishment of annual crops is minimized with perennials Perennials can provide N fixation, decrease in rainfall erosion impact, and provide windbreaks Perennial Biomasses could reduce NPS pollution while also providing a return to the landowner through alternative energy production (double-benefit) Energetic Advantages of Perennial Biomass Production Since the living plant, instead of the processing plant, adds the energy benefit, the energy ratio (ER) will be higher Castor (SW KS & TX) Chinese Tallow Tree Giant reedMiscanthus

Constraints Agricultural Biomass Resource & Production Issues Land Resource arable versus non-arable – crops & production competing uses and cost/benefit Environmental Concerns production versus soil quality (soil erosion) water quality water resource soil tilth & carbon cycle Quantity of Sustainable Resource Others?

Potential Renewable Energy and Environmental/Pollution Credit Markets for Agriculturally-based Biomass Resources Renewable Energy Credits and Environmental/Pollution Trading Markets Sale of end-use energies derived from bioenergy Air emission credits for CO 2, SO x, NO x, mercury Water quality/pollution trading (sediment, nutrient and chemical savings)

Nutrient status of soil before planting biomass crops and 20 months later Nguyen et al., 2000:Workshop-seminar "Making better use of local feed resources" SAREC-UAF, January, 2000

Switchgrass grown for bioenergy: Soil carbon storage in 5 years: 0-30 cm

Phytoremediation Phytoremediation is the use of plants, trees and herbaceous species to eliminate or degrade contaminants or reduce their bioavailability in both water and soil. Many chemical species that can be treated with phytoremediation techniques, which comprise –heavy metals –organic compounds such as pesticides, solvents, and other persistent pollutants (PCB´s)

PHYTOEXTRACTION OF HEAVY METALS The most common heavy metals are: Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, Zn Are often very toxic to living organisms over a certain concentration threshold

HYPERACCUMULATOR SPECIES Represent <0,2% of all angiosperms ~400 species are hyperaccumulators HYPERACCUMULATION THRESHOLDS: Zn, Mn: mG/KG Co, Cu, Ni, Se: mG/KG Cd: 100 mG/KG These thresholds are 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than in normal plant species WHICH PLANT SPECIES FOR PHYTOEXTRACTION?

Alyssum serpyllifolium Brassica juncea Liriodendron tulipifera Pteris vittata Thlaspi caerulescens HYPERACCUMULATOR SPECIES & PHYTOREMEDIATION PLANTS Pteris vittata

* nd : Nt Determine Soils ID Cd Pb BeforeNem Autok.Autoc.BeforeNem Autok.Autok. DGS0,120,060,044,500,600,66 DAS0,120,000,043,860,640,70 KNS0,220,040,061,460,560,50 KCS0,180,000,041,060,360,38 KIS0,280,060,083,440,520,44 KNS+KISnd0,060,02nd0,360,38 Available concentrations of soil heavy metals after Arundo donax planting (mg/kg) Soil Soils ID Fe Ni BeforeNem Autok.Autok.BeforeNem Autok.Autok. DGS58,007,827,381,840,400,50 DAS32,006,703,921,080,42 KNS52,009,846,981,200,460,32 KCS36,008,328,400,840,280,22 KIS74,0014,149,900,500,320,26 KNS+KISnd10,088,06nd0,380,30

Advantages of Phytoremediation Cost effective when compared to other more conventional methods. “nature” method, more aesthetically pleasing. minimal land disturbance. reduces potential for transport of contaminants by wind, reduces soil erosion hyperaccumulaters of contaminants mean a much smaller volume of toxic waste. multiple contaminants can be removed with the same plant.

Economic potential Based on Kruger et al., 1997, non-bio- based remediation technology cost: in situ: $10 to $100 / m 3 ex situ: $30 to $300 / m 3 Specialized techniques such as in situ vitrification can easily surpass $1000/m3.

* * * * * * * * * Raskin and Ensley, 2000

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