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Biography
My name is Nura Garba, am also from Nigeria. I had BSc. in Chemistry and MSc. in Energy, Water and Environmental Management from Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom. Am currently pursuing my PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. My research team are; Prof. Colin E. Snape, Associate Prof. William Meredith and Dr Clement Uguna.
Expertise Summary
-Low Carbon Energy and Resources Technologies (LCECT).
Teaching Summary
I have been teaching for a couple of years at the university. I taught many environmental and energy-related courses. I have also published many journals on issues relating to energy and the… read more
Research Summary
Biochar is a carbon-based or organic material that is produced through the pyrolysis of biomass and is sometimes termed soil conditioner (Verheijen et al. 2010). Despite various materials being… read more
Current Research
Biochar is a carbon-based or organic material that is produced through the pyrolysis of biomass and is sometimes termed soil conditioner (Verheijen et al. 2010). Despite various materials being proposed such as wood and wood material, crop residues, manures, and municipal and industrial waste as feedstock to biochar production. For its suitability to be used as a soil conditioner depends on several factors such as chemical, physical, environmental and economic (Verheijen et al. 2010).
Biochar application to soil is also another means of carbon sequestration as well as improving the soil quality and fertility most especially the soil for agricultural purposes. Biochar from biomass pyrolysis process at zero or limited oxygen is known as charcoal (Cheng, et al. 2017). Biochar is a product obtained through the thermochemical conversion of biomass in a zero or very limited oxygen condition. It has received global research attention because of its agronomical and environmental benefits, especially in agroecosystems (Ping et al. 2019).
It has been found that biochar could be used as in-situ material for the remediation of heavy metals contaminated soil. But, the probable mechanism effects of using biochar depend on the alkaline on it (Cheng, et al. 2017). The adsorption of heavy metals onto the permeable microstructure of biochar could negatively be charged at the surface as well as the functional group at the surface, this phenomenon can affect the phyto-availability of heavy metals (Ping et al. 2019).
Although, the application of biochar can help adjust the soil pH and can lead to the precipitation and immobilization of heavy metals. Biochar application to the soil can help improve the uptake of nutrient elements in crops such as N, P, K and other elements, thus increasing the fertility of the soil (Ping et al. 2019).
As biochar research continues, the actual dosage to be applied to different soil be understood. For instance, soil contaminated by mining activities, soil contaminated by gas works or petroleum and salty or alkaline soil (Garcia-Nunez, et al. 2017). These types of soils need specific biochar prepared for suitable application. In this case, the properties of biochar, and pyrolysis conditions, like the feedstock type used in the production of biochar, temperature and residence time all play a significant role in the choice of application to certain contaminated soils (Yaashikaa et al. 2020).
Past Research
-Sustainable Energy Policy for Africa: A Comparative Study from Europe.
-Phytochemical Analysis of Hollarrhena Floribunda.
Future Research
Catalytic Upgrading of Bio-oil through Hydrodeoxygenation Process (HDO).