VIDEOGRAPHY
The Dutton Institute has a professional videographer to assist you! We offer a variety of services related to video and audio production available at no additional cost to all EMS instructors. Our videographer and learning designers work in close contact at every phase of the process to identify your needs, discuss the learning goals of your project, and produce technically sound videos. No matter the media challenge you’re facing, we’ll help you create a high-quality piece that will be effective for learners and a showcase element of your course.
Watch some examples and then contact us to get started!
So, why don't we use one octant of that? Like so. This plane, if I draw in two dimensions, is going to look like a triangle and it's going to have lattice point at each of the corners, right. So, that's going to be one, two, three. So, at lattice point one, two, three. Of course we can find that out but because we know that the mole fraction should add up to one. So, in this stream, the output stream, we have XB which is getting enriched. This has 30 percent, right? And XT is not specifically given. So, this is what it is. What we can calculate because these two should add up to 100. These two should add up to 100 percent. So, we can calculate those. So now, can we solve this equation? If we are given N1, N2, N3, right? N1, N2, N3. We can solve the entire problem here. Okay, it's okay if the anions push apart a little bit that's why there's ranges and not fixed numbers on these. But I don't want to lose the cation anion contact.
So, why don't we use one octant of that? Like so. This plane, if I draw in two dimensions, is going to look like a triangle and it's going to have lattice point at each of the corners, right. So, that's going to be one, two, three. So, at lattice point one, two, three. Of course we can find that out but because we know that the mole fraction should add up to one. So, in this stream, the output stream, we have XB which is getting enriched. This has 30 percent, right? And XT is not specifically given. So, this is what it is. What we can calculate because these two should add up to 100. These two should add up to 100 percent. So, we can calculate those. So now, can we solve this equation? If we are given N1, N2, N3, right? N1, N2, N3. We can solve the entire problem here. Okay, it's okay if the anions push apart a little bit that's why there's ranges and not fixed numbers on these. But I don't want to lose the cation anion contact.
Explain Complex Equations and Diagrams on a Lightboard
The lightboard is a fun and creative way to support student learning when discussing complex equations or information that requires detailed explanations with visuals. Prepare your notes and write on the board as you normally would, and the technology will flip the image and give students a view that allows them to follow your explanations with ease.
Demonstrations
Recorded demonstrations allow you to visually display a tool or process, show the use of software, or share the navigation of a website. Utilize video demonstrations to intentionally break down learning material into meaningful pieces for learners.
Inside this metal device, this is actually a magnet. So, inside the magnet, here. Right there, we see the neodymium YAG crystal. The actual laser crystal. The laser crystal, the neodymium YAG crystal is at a magnetic field, which causes rotation of the polarization, And that's used in order to make sure the light travels in only one direction. So, the pump light comes in. The 1064 nanometer light comes out of the neodymium YAG crystal, bounces off this mirror, travels through here, comes to the second harmonic generation crystal, or doubling crystal, which doubles the 1064 to 532 green light. So, now we're looking from the other side of the laser, looking at the second harmonic generation crystal, at the end there, sitting on top a thermal of a thermoelectric cooler. And then this large metal object is the heat sink, takes the heat away from the thermoelectric cooler. And these wires drive the cooler and measure the temperature to keep that crystal at a constant temperature. So, 1064 comes in 532 comes out, along with a little bit of 1064. So, that combined beam comes out here, strikes this mirror. The 532 continues on. It goes out to the aperture. It leaves as the output of the laser the 1064 reflects off this mirror and passes through this element, which helps suppress the backward traveling beam, goes back into the crystal and continues the constant, continuous wave, CW. So, we have a loop instead of a linear cavity we have a loop cavity. This is a photodiode which measures the light output which feeds it over into the control system.
Inside this metal device, this is actually a magnet. So, inside the magnet, here. Right there, we see the neodymium YAG crystal. The actual laser crystal. The laser crystal, the neodymium YAG crystal is at a magnetic field, which causes rotation of the polarization, And that's used in order to make sure the light travels in only one direction. So, the pump light comes in. The 1064 nanometer light comes out of the neodymium YAG crystal, bounces off this mirror, travels through here, comes to the second harmonic generation crystal, or doubling crystal, which doubles the 1064 to 532 green light. So, now we're looking from the other side of the laser, looking at the second harmonic generation crystal, at the end there, sitting on top a thermal of a thermoelectric cooler. And then this large metal object is the heat sink, takes the heat away from the thermoelectric cooler. And these wires drive the cooler and measure the temperature to keep that crystal at a constant temperature. So, 1064 comes in 532 comes out, along with a little bit of 1064. So, that combined beam comes out here, strikes this mirror. The 532 continues on. It goes out to the aperture. It leaves as the output of the laser the 1064 reflects off this mirror and passes through this element, which helps suppress the backward traveling beam, goes back into the crystal and continues the constant, continuous wave, CW. So, we have a loop instead of a linear cavity we have a loop cavity. This is a photodiode which measures the light output which feeds it over into the control system.
[Music]
Bronwen Powell, Associate Profession of Geography, African Studies, and Anthropology: I have a background in nutrition, and I came to geography because I felt that nutrition wasn't able to deal with those bigger structural things that are shaping what people are choosing to eat. And whether that's sustainable. And how that impacts the environment and justice and things like that.
North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center
Narrator 1: In 2011, we did the renewable energy solar panels and then in 2015 we did the energy efficient upgrades through USDA.
Narrator 2: That's when we put more fans because the integrator that I worked for said that I needed them. We had to put tighter doors on our houses and then we went with the computer system in the houses to make it more efficient for us.
Narrator 1: He's had to learn a lot about how to deal with the computer-based system of it. But I think it's been a friendly thing.
Narrator 2: I don't mind trying things. I do like to read about modern technology to make things better and my goal is, I like to work smarter and not harder.
Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy Policy and Economics
: Oftentimes, economists will use a number called the multiplier to describe just how much those investment dollars are recirculating. And so, the multiplier is usually calculated as the ratio of the direct, indirect, and induced economic impact. So, the direct dollars spent by the company and then, how those dollars recirculate, right?
[Music]
Bronwen Powell, Associate Profession of Geography, African Studies, and Anthropology: I have a background in nutrition, and I came to geography because I felt that nutrition wasn't able to deal with those bigger structural things that are shaping what people are choosing to eat. And whether that's sustainable. And how that impacts the environment and justice and things like that.
North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center
Narrator 1: In 2011, we did the renewable energy solar panels and then in 2015 we did the energy efficient upgrades through USDA.
Narrator 2: That's when we put more fans because the integrator that I worked for said that I needed them. We had to put tighter doors on our houses and then we went with the computer system in the houses to make it more efficient for us.
Narrator 1: He's had to learn a lot about how to deal with the computer-based system of it. But I think it's been a friendly thing.
Narrator 2: I don't mind trying things. I do like to read about modern technology to make things better and my goal is, I like to work smarter and not harder.
Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy Policy and Economics
: Oftentimes, economists will use a number called the multiplier to describe just how much those investment dollars are recirculating. And so, the multiplier is usually calculated as the ratio of the direct, indirect, and induced economic impact. So, the direct dollars spent by the company and then, how those dollars recirculate, right?
Interviews
Advance the idea of a learning community made up of students, instructors, and field experts. Expert interviews can bring real-world connections to your course and can highlight practical applications of material.
Content Introductions
Content Introduction videos can be used to build enthusiasm for upcoming subject matter. They can capture teacher expertise, empathy, and persona, all of which help students engage.
I'm Ryan Baxter. A professor for the Penn State course Environmental Applications of GIS. If you're interested in the natural world and how people interact with it and how we might use GIS to study it, then I really recommend you take this class. I imagine that the word environmental means different things to different people. So, we'll have discussions about what exactly environmental GIS is and work through exercises that approach the environment from a variety of angles. For example, sewage treatment plants produce a great deal of solid waste, and it has to go somewhere. So, we'll use GIS to create a map of groundwater vulnerability so the waste can be disposed of in areas where it won't impact sources of drinking water. Or maybe we know that a certain species of bird prefers habitat just along the edges of forests. We'll use GIS to measure the amount of forest edge that's created or lost by deforestation to identify critical areas.
There are lots of ways GIS can be used to help us interact with the natural world in an informed way. So, in these and other topics, we'll discuss the kinds of data we need, where to get it, and the GIS tools that are best suited to help us answer these questions.
This course is a lot of fun and it'll challenge you to deploy GIS in ways that perhaps you hadn't before. After taking it, you'll be well equipped to develop databases and GIS workflows in your own application areas and also help you think about how best to communicate your results to what is very likely a diverse and complex group of stakeholders. I really look forward to seeing you in class.
I'm Ryan Baxter. A professor for the Penn State course Environmental Applications of GIS. If you're interested in the natural world and how people interact with it and how we might use GIS to study it, then I really recommend you take this class. I imagine that the word environmental means different things to different people. So, we'll have discussions about what exactly environmental GIS is and work through exercises that approach the environment from a variety of angles. For example, sewage treatment plants produce a great deal of solid waste, and it has to go somewhere. So, we'll use GIS to create a map of groundwater vulnerability so the waste can be disposed of in areas where it won't impact sources of drinking water. Or maybe we know that a certain species of bird prefers habitat just along the edges of forests. We'll use GIS to measure the amount of forest edge that's created or lost by deforestation to identify critical areas.
There are lots of ways GIS can be used to help us interact with the natural world in an informed way. So, in these and other topics, we'll discuss the kinds of data we need, where to get it, and the GIS tools that are best suited to help us answer these questions.
This course is a lot of fun and it'll challenge you to deploy GIS in ways that perhaps you hadn't before. After taking it, you'll be well equipped to develop databases and GIS workflows in your own application areas and also help you think about how best to communicate your results to what is very likely a diverse and complex group of stakeholders. I really look forward to seeing you in class.
Sridhar Anandakrishnan: And if that ice sheet gets big enough, then even though it's a solid chunk of ice, it can flow, forming these glaciers and that flow brings that ice back to the ocean where it melts, breaks up in these icebergs, returns to the ocean, and the cycle continues again.
Narrator: So, with those slip lines, that is actually deformation of the material. Those are what we're going to find out when we start getting into crystalline structures, is that's dislocations moving through. Those are defects moving out of the material.
And so, this tells us a lot about what's going on. It also tells us why we need to have a certain distance between materials, because this material has been plastically deformed. This is in that strain hardening range. So, if we get these indents too close to each other, the first indent will impact the hardness measurements on the next one.
So there's certain guidelines within the ASTM specification.
Jenni L. Evans: So, what you see here are animations of, on the right hand side, what happens when a Hurricane's coming ashore and the ocean is responding to the very strong winds as that storm moves ashore. On the left, you can see what happens in terms of wind damage.
Sridhar Anandakrishnan: And if that ice sheet gets big enough, then even though it's a solid chunk of ice, it can flow, forming these glaciers and that flow brings that ice back to the ocean where it melts, breaks up in these icebergs, returns to the ocean, and the cycle continues again.
Narrator: So, with those slip lines, that is actually deformation of the material. Those are what we're going to find out when we start getting into crystalline structures, is that's dislocations moving through. Those are defects moving out of the material.
And so, this tells us a lot about what's going on. It also tells us why we need to have a certain distance between materials, because this material has been plastically deformed. This is in that strain hardening range. So, if we get these indents too close to each other, the first indent will impact the hardness measurements on the next one.
So there's certain guidelines within the ASTM specification.
Jenni L. Evans: So, what you see here are animations of, on the right hand side, what happens when a Hurricane's coming ashore and the ocean is responding to the very strong winds as that storm moves ashore. On the left, you can see what happens in terms of wind damage.
Presentations
Presenting a dynamic lecture in the studio produces a polished and professional resource that can be used in a variety of ways. Pre-record a presentation for a conference, a video to advertise a new initiative for the college, or a lecture for students that can be reviewed as often as needed to ensure the comprehension of important information.
Enhanced Self-Made Videos
Can’t make it into the faculty studio? Increasingly, instructors are delivering their content from across the globe. Videographer Kay DiMarco can work to enhance your self-recorded videos so that you can communicate effectively with your learners with the footage you provide. She also can advise on lighting and tools to optimize your self-made videos and can provide post-production editing to give your videos a professional polish.
G'day everyone! My name's James O'Brien. and I come to you from my small farm here in Australia, on the outskirts of the capital Canberra. I came to GIS about 20 years ago via a Computing Science background. I worked in it for a few years. And then, I completed a PhD in geography at Penn State in 2004. I've been teaching programming classes in the program, pretty much, ever since. And my current day job is the chief geospatial scientist of an Australian natural hazards risk modeling company. In my spare time I race cars. I race bikes. And a member of our local volunteer emergency firefighting and other emergency response organizations. I look forward to seeing you all in class.
G'day everyone! My name's James O'Brien. and I come to you from my small farm here in Australia, on the outskirts of the capital Canberra. I came to GIS about 20 years ago via a Computing Science background. I worked in it for a few years. And then, I completed a PhD in geography at Penn State in 2004. I've been teaching programming classes in the program, pretty much, ever since. And my current day job is the chief geospatial scientist of an Australian natural hazards risk modeling company. In my spare time I race cars. I race bikes. And a member of our local volunteer emergency firefighting and other emergency response organizations. I look forward to seeing you all in class.
[Acoustic guitar music]
Narrator: Healthy soils are the backbone of our food supply. Yet in many urban gardens, these soils are tainted with a heavy metal called lead. A serious danger, especially for children. The Soils Research Cluster Lab at Penn State is working on a solution that utilizes biochar to reduce the risks of lead contamination.
Text On Screen: Biochar and Lead Adsorption
Cara Bintrim, M.S. Student, Soil Research Cluster Lab, Penn State University: My name is Kara Bentram. I'm a graduate student at the Soil Research Cluster Lab at Penn State University. I'm working with biochar, which is a specific type of charcoal that's been used since ancient times but has recently gained popularity in the field of soil science. In our lab, we are working on functionalizing biochar or modifying its properties by heating it in the presence of oxygen. I grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, which is in the middle of the Rust Belt. I have seen soil contamination all around me my whole life. I was drawn to this project because biochar seems like a promising amendment to help remediate such contamination.
[Upbeat music]
Text on Screen: What is Biochar? How is it made?
Narrator: Biochar, similar to charcoal, is a carbon -based material produced by heating plant or animal residues in a low-oxygen environment. This is a process called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is not burning, as combustion does not actually take place. It is more like baking, but with the absence of oxygen. In contrast to charcoal, biochar is heated to much higher temperatures so that volatile organic compounds are released. Here in Pennsylvania, Metzler Forest Products separates and burns the volatiles from their biochar production process to provide heat for the treatment of firewood.
Patrick Sherren, New Product Development, Metzler Forest Products, LLC: So, some number of years ago, we had an opportunity to enter the packaged firewood business, which requires that you heat treat the wood to kill pests for transportation. Before this biochar machine showed up, it was being operated on propane. So, we have displaced several thousand gallons of propane every year for the firewood process with the heat from the biochar machine.
[Orchestra music]
Text On Screen: How does biochar improve soil?
Narrator: Biochar has unique properties that make it valuable for soil health. First, it is highly stable carbon that resists microbial decomposition. It can store carbon in soil for hundreds of years. Second, its porous structure acts like a sponge, holding water and nutrients. Third, its alkaline pH can reduce soil acidity and act as a liming agent. Finally, biochar is reactive towards soil contaminants, including lead, helping to immobilize them in the soil.
Biochar can be made from a variety of materials, which are known as feedstocks. Each has advantages. Manure biochar contributes valuable nutrients such as phosphorus and calcium. Crop residue biochar is an economical choice. And wood biochar offers the greatest potential for high surface area.
Patrick Sherren: Our feedstocks are mixed hardwood chips that could come from a sawmill or could be made from material just like this and then sawdust from our firewood manufacturing process. The feedstock runs through the oxidizer where the volatiles are released and that material drops down into the rotary kiln, sloshes around in the kiln for about 30 minutes at 725 degrees Celsius. When it gets to the end of the rotary kiln, we hit it with water to quench that process so that the material doesn't continue to process and turn into ash. And then, we also believe that the water hitting material at 725 degrees Celsius produces steam and kind of expands and increases the surface area.
[Upbeat music]
Text On Screen: How does biochar remediate lead contamination?
Cara Bintrim: Lead immobilization by biochar is achieved through several mechanisms. 1. The biochar can trap lead ions in its pores. 2. Biochar can bind ions to its functional groups. 3. Biochar can precipitate lead with minerals such as phosphates. 4. Biochar can exchange other cations for lead cations. These mechanisms should all help to reduce the bio accessibility of lead to people, therefore lowering exposure risks. Scientists have developed several techniques to improve this binding of lead by chemically treating the biochar. We can add functional groups using chemical oxidation or impregnate the biochar surface with iron or manganese oxides to enhance lead absorption.
[Upbeat music]
Text On Screen: What is functionalized biochar research?
Cara Bintrim: At the Soil Research Cluster Lab at Penn State, we are demonstrating the effectiveness of using just heat and oxygen to modify biochar. Biochar is produced in a low oxygen or no oxygen environment, so by heating it in the presence of oxygen, we are able to add functional groups to the surface of the biochar, therefore increasing its sorption
of lead.
For the modification process, we load wood biochar into cast iron trays, spreading about three cups in a thin, even layer. Trays go in a furnace at 300 degrees Celsius for about three hours. The heat-treated biochar is placed in a desiccator to prevent the adsorption of moisture from the air as it cools. After heat treatment, we compare the pH of treated biochar to the original biochar. We do this because pH is an indirect indicator of the presence of acidic functional groups on the surface of the biochar which should help bind lead. To test the sorption of lead to biochar, we add a solution of lead nitrate to 0.1 grams of biochar and allow it to incubate on a shaker overnight. The next day, the mixture is filtered through filter paper and then through a 0.45 micron syringe filter to remove any solids.
Next, we need to determine how much lead is left in the solution. For this, we use X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. We first prepare a sample cup which has transparent film under the sample so that the instrument can detect the elemental composition. We pipette 3 milliliters of sample into the cup.
Finally, we load our samples into the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to obtain lead measurements. From these measurements, we can calculate the amount of lead that was taken up by the biochar and compare the adsorption capacities of untreated and treated biochars.
Our results have shown a clear difference between heated and unheated biochar's physical and chemical properties, as well as an increased sorption of lead in heated biochar. The next step will be adding the biochar to the soil to see how this reaction plays out in the soil environment.
Another consideration is the upscaling of this modification technique. We asked Metzler how a biochar facility like theirs could add a heat treatment to the manufacturing process.
Patrick Sherren: You could take the process, heat, and put that into a dryer of some kind and control the temperature to whatever you want, run the biochar back through, so it would be like a bolt-on process.
[Light music]
Text On Screen: What is next?
Narrator: Biochar is both an ancient and modern tool. From traditional methods to high-tech facilities, biochar offers a sustainable way to improve soils, store carbon, and potentially immobilize contaminants like lead.
Cara Bintrim: We hope that this project inspires new conversations, new experiments, and new collaborations in the growing field of biochar research.
[Light music]
Text on the screen:
Soil Research Cluster Lab. SRCL supports researchers with advanced soil and environmental analysis.
Visit the SRCL website.
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, College of Agriculture, Penn State, University Park
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, under subaward number GNE24-327.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Additional Footage and photos provided by Lancaster Farming, RED Gardens, Ireland, Penn State Community Garden.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
[Acoustic guitar music]
Narrator: Healthy soils are the backbone of our food supply. Yet in many urban gardens, these soils are tainted with a heavy metal called lead. A serious danger, especially for children. The Soils Research Cluster Lab at Penn State is working on a solution that utilizes biochar to reduce the risks of lead contamination.
Text On Screen: Biochar and Lead Adsorption
Cara Bintrim, M.S. Student, Soil Research Cluster Lab, Penn State University: My name is Kara Bentram. I'm a graduate student at the Soil Research Cluster Lab at Penn State University. I'm working with biochar, which is a specific type of charcoal that's been used since ancient times but has recently gained popularity in the field of soil science. In our lab, we are working on functionalizing biochar or modifying its properties by heating it in the presence of oxygen. I grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, which is in the middle of the Rust Belt. I have seen soil contamination all around me my whole life. I was drawn to this project because biochar seems like a promising amendment to help remediate such contamination.
[Upbeat music]
Text on Screen: What is Biochar? How is it made?
Narrator: Biochar, similar to charcoal, is a carbon -based material produced by heating plant or animal residues in a low-oxygen environment. This is a process called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is not burning, as combustion does not actually take place. It is more like baking, but with the absence of oxygen. In contrast to charcoal, biochar is heated to much higher temperatures so that volatile organic compounds are released. Here in Pennsylvania, Metzler Forest Products separates and burns the volatiles from their biochar production process to provide heat for the treatment of firewood.
Patrick Sherren, New Product Development, Metzler Forest Products, LLC: So, some number of years ago, we had an opportunity to enter the packaged firewood business, which requires that you heat treat the wood to kill pests for transportation. Before this biochar machine showed up, it was being operated on propane. So, we have displaced several thousand gallons of propane every year for the firewood process with the heat from the biochar machine.
[Orchestra music]
Text On Screen: How does biochar improve soil?
Narrator: Biochar has unique properties that make it valuable for soil health. First, it is highly stable carbon that resists microbial decomposition. It can store carbon in soil for hundreds of years. Second, its porous structure acts like a sponge, holding water and nutrients. Third, its alkaline pH can reduce soil acidity and act as a liming agent. Finally, biochar is reactive towards soil contaminants, including lead, helping to immobilize them in the soil.
Biochar can be made from a variety of materials, which are known as feedstocks. Each has advantages. Manure biochar contributes valuable nutrients such as phosphorus and calcium. Crop residue biochar is an economical choice. And wood biochar offers the greatest potential for high surface area.
Patrick Sherren: Our feedstocks are mixed hardwood chips that could come from a sawmill or could be made from material just like this and then sawdust from our firewood manufacturing process. The feedstock runs through the oxidizer where the volatiles are released and that material drops down into the rotary kiln, sloshes around in the kiln for about 30 minutes at 725 degrees Celsius. When it gets to the end of the rotary kiln, we hit it with water to quench that process so that the material doesn't continue to process and turn into ash. And then, we also believe that the water hitting material at 725 degrees Celsius produces steam and kind of expands and increases the surface area.
[Upbeat music]
Text On Screen: How does biochar remediate lead contamination?
Cara Bintrim: Lead immobilization by biochar is achieved through several mechanisms. 1. The biochar can trap lead ions in its pores. 2. Biochar can bind ions to its functional groups. 3. Biochar can precipitate lead with minerals such as phosphates. 4. Biochar can exchange other cations for lead cations. These mechanisms should all help to reduce the bio accessibility of lead to people, therefore lowering exposure risks. Scientists have developed several techniques to improve this binding of lead by chemically treating the biochar. We can add functional groups using chemical oxidation or impregnate the biochar surface with iron or manganese oxides to enhance lead absorption.
[Upbeat music]
Text On Screen: What is functionalized biochar research?
Cara Bintrim: At the Soil Research Cluster Lab at Penn State, we are demonstrating the effectiveness of using just heat and oxygen to modify biochar. Biochar is produced in a low oxygen or no oxygen environment, so by heating it in the presence of oxygen, we are able to add functional groups to the surface of the biochar, therefore increasing its sorptionof lead.
For the modification process, we load wood biochar into cast iron trays, spreading about three cups in a thin, even layer. Trays go in a furnace at 300 degrees Celsius for about three hours. The heat-treated biochar is placed in a desiccator to prevent the adsorption of moisture from the air as it cools. After heat treatment, we compare the pH of treated biochar to the original biochar. We do this because pH is an indirect indicator of the presence of acidic functional groups on the surface of the biochar which should help bind lead. To test the sorption of lead to biochar, we add a solution of lead nitrate to 0.1 grams of biochar and allow it to incubate on a shaker overnight. The next day, the mixture is filtered through filter paper and then through a 0.45 micron syringe filter to remove any solids.
Next, we need to determine how much lead is left in the solution. For this, we use X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. We first prepare a sample cup which has transparent film under the sample so that the instrument can detect the elemental composition. We pipette 3 milliliters of sample into the cup.
Finally, we load our samples into the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to obtain lead measurements. From these measurements, we can calculate the amount of lead that was taken up by the biochar and compare the adsorption capacities of untreated and treated biochars.
Our results have shown a clear difference between heated and unheated biochar's physical and chemical properties, as well as an increased sorption of lead in heated biochar. The next step will be adding the biochar to the soil to see how this reaction plays out in the soil environment.
Another consideration is the upscaling of this modification technique. We asked Metzler how a biochar facility like theirs could add a heat treatment to the manufacturing process.
Patrick Sherren: You could take the process, heat, and put that into a dryer of some kind and control the temperature to whatever you want, run the biochar back through, so it would be like a bolt-on process.
[Light music]
Text On Screen: What is next?
Narrator: Biochar is both an ancient and modern tool. From traditional methods to high-tech facilities, biochar offers a sustainable way to improve soils, store carbon, and potentially immobilize contaminants like lead.
Cara Bintrim: We hope that this project inspires new conversations, new experiments, and new collaborations in the growing field of biochar research.
[Light music]
Text on the screen:Soil Research Cluster Lab. SRCL supports researchers with advanced soil and environmental analysis.
Visit the SRCL website.
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, College of Agriculture, Penn State, University Park
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, under subaward number GNE24-327.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Additional Footage and photos provided by Lancaster Farming, RED Gardens, Ireland, Penn State Community Garden.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Research Dissemination
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