Effect of clay and iron sulphate on volatile and water-extractable organic compounds in bamboo biochars

Improved plant disease resistance, seed germination and plant productivity have recently been associated with mineral-enhanced biochars. This has generated interest in characterizing those biochar organic compounds which may contribute to their favorable properties. This study builds on recent physico-chemical characterization of a series of mineral-enhanced bamboo biochars produced between 350 and 550 °C. Here, these biochars are subjected to aqueous extraction followed by liquid chromatography organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) and thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). These techniques provide a structural insight into their more bio-available organic compounds and how they vary with pyrolysis temperature. In comparison to neat biochar, their mineral-enhanced composites produce at least three times the water-extractable organic carbon, nitrogen and VOCs, and this increase is further amplified at pyrolysis higher temperatures. However, the biochar carbon fraction that is mobile is low, with total TD-GC/MS compatible VOCs reporting approximately 0.2% and LC-OCD solubles approximately 1–2%. Prior mineral impregnation of bamboo enhances the release of oxygenated compounds including humics and phenolics from its biochars. This increase in mobile oxygenates occurs at higher pyrolysis temperatures despite these minerals catalyzing lignocellulose condensation and carbonization. This anomaly is explained by oxygenates relatively small contribution and the self inerting batch pyrolysis conditions producing different biochar surface and bulk molecular properties. By describing the impact of mineral amendments on the yield and structure of mobile organic compounds that may be released from biochar, this work contributes to our understanding of biochar efficacy in soils

Identification of modifiable factors associated with owner-reported equine laminitis in Britain using a web-based cohort study approach

Equine laminitis is a complex disease that manifests as pain and lameness in the feet, often with debilitating consequences. There is a paucity of data that accounts for the multifactorial nature of laminitis and considers time-varying covariates that may be associated with disease development; particularly those that are modifiable and present potential interventions. A previous case-control study identified a number of novel, modifiable factors associated with laminitis which warranted further investigation and corroboration. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with equine laminitis in horses/ponies in Great Britain (GB) using a prospective, web-based cohort study design, with particular interest in evaluating modifiable factors previously identified in the case-control study