Conference on Environmental Science and Technology

Optimizing biochar production from Washingtonian palm tree municipal waste presents a sustainable approach to mitigate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cattle farms, advancing the principles of the 4Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover. Key pyrolysis parameters, including temperature, nitrogen flow rate, and scalability, were systematically investigated to enhance the biochar’s adsorption efficiency. Pyrolysis temperatures were evaluated in a wide range (350-750 oC) at the laboratory scale, with 550 oC identified as the optimal temperature, producing biochar with high adsorptive capacity and structural stability. At this temperature, the biochar exhibited enhanced surface area, optimal pore volume, and suitable pore size, all of which are crucial for effective VOC adsorption and odor mitigation. Nitrogen flow rates were varied between 100 and 1600 mL/min, with 100 mL/min proving optimal. This flow rate enhanced thermal decomposition efficiency, enabling a reduction in pyrolysis temperature. Under these conditions, VOCs, including odorous compounds like indole, p-Cresol, skatole, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), and dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), commonly associated with cattle manure emissions, were reduced by over 95%. The process was successfully scaled up to a semi-pilot kiln, demonstrating the feasibility of translating laboratory results to larger-scale production while maintaining product consistency. Comprehensive characterization confirmed the biochar's structural integrity, thermal stability, and enhanced adsorption potential. These findings position biochar derived from municipal woody waste as a sustainable, scalable solution for mitigating manure-associated VOC emissions, with potential for further enhancement through Mediterranean feedstocks and advanced activation techniques.