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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #319066
Title: Sorption of lincomycin by manure-derived biochars from water

Author
item LIU, CHENG-HUA - Michigan State University
item CHUANG, YA-HUI - Michigan State University
item LI, HUI - Michigan State University
item TEPPEN, BRIAN - Michigan State University
item BOYD, STEPHEN - Michigan State University
item Gonzalez, Javier
item JOHNSTON, CLIFF - Purdue University
item LEHMANN, JOHANNES - Cornell University
item ZHANG, WEI - Michigan State University

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2015
Publication Date: 3/1/2016
Citation: Liu, C., Chuang, Y., Li, H., Teppen, B.J., Boyd, S.A., Gonzalez, J.M., Johnston, C.T., Lehmann, J., Zhang, W. 2016. Sorption of lincomycin by manure-derived biochars from water. Journal of Environmental Quality. 45:519–527.

Interpretive Summary: The presence of antibiotics in the environment raises serious concerns about the propagation of antibiotic resistant bacteria and potentially effecting human health. Biochar, a charcoal-like byproduct from the pyrolysis of biomass, especially those produced from manures, may be a win-win strategy for innovative manure management and antibiotics reduction. In this study, the sorption of the antibiotic lincomycin by manure-derived biochars was examined in the laboratory. Lincomycin sorption was characterized by two-step process, a fast sorption process reaching almost equilibrium in the first two days, followed by slow sorption over 180 days. The fast sorption was primarily attributed to surface adsorption, whereas the long-term slow sorption was attributed to slow diffusion of lincomycin into biochar pores. Two-day sorption experiments were performed to explore effects of biochar particle size, biochar-water ratio, solution pH, and salt concentration. Lincomycin sorption to biochars was greater at solution with neutral pH than at alkaline pH. The enhanced lincomycin sorption at neutral pH likely resulted from the attraction between the positively charged lincomycin and the negatively charged biochar surfaces. This was corroborated by the observation that lincomycin sorption decreased with increasing salt concentration at neutral pH, but remained constant at alkaline pH. However, the long-term lincomycin sorption by biochars was largely due to pore diffusion probably independent of solution pH and salt composition. Therefore, manure-derived biochars had lasting lincomycin sorption capacity, implying that biochar soil amendment could significantly affect the distribution, transport, and bioavailability of lincomycin in the environment.

Technical Abstract: The presence of antibiotics in agroecosystems raises serious concerns about the proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria and potential adverse effects to human health. Soil amendment with biochars pyrolyzed from manures may be a win-win strategy for novel manure management and antibiotics abatement. In this study, lincomycin sorption by manure-derived biochars was examined using batch sorption experiments. Lincomycin sorption was characterized by two-stage kinetics with fast sorption reaching quasi-equilibrium in the first two days, followed by slow sorption over 180 days. The fast sorption was primarily attributed to surface adsorption, whereas the long-term slow sorption was controlled by slow diffusion of lincomycin into biochar pore structures. Two-day sorption experiments were performed to explore effects of biochar particle size, solid-water ratio, solution pH, and ionic strength. Lincomycin sorption to biochars was greater at solution pH (6.0–7.5) below the pKa of lincomycin (7.6) than at pH (9.9–10.4) above its pKa. The enhanced lincomycin sorption at lower pH likely resulted from electrostatic attraction between the positively charged lincomycin and the negatively charged biochar surfaces. This was corroborated by the observation that lincomycin sorption decreased with increasing ionic strength at lower pH (e.g., 6.7), but remained constant at higher pH (e.g., 10). Nonetheless, the long-term lincomycin sequestration by biochars was largely due to pore diffusion plausibly independent of solution pH and ionic composition. Therefore, manure-derived biochars had lasting lincomycin sequestration capacity, implying that biochar soil amendment could significantly impact the distribution, transport and bioavailability of lincomycin in the agroecosystems.