Impact of Bio-Char on Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere

A review.A study of Terra Preta do Indio and bio-char was conducted to determine the technical feasibility of their use in sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide as a summer undergraduate project for Dr. Tom R. Marrero.Properties of new and old Terra Preta were used.Literature of the last 40 years, including the electronic database SciFinder, was used .The educational component of this project included an assessment of different analytical methods to determine physical and chemical properties of bio-char.Lab tests of the bio-char include determination particle size distribution and elemental composition.The results obtained from literature for the carbon cycle mass balance indicates that 25-50% of carbon dioxide captured in biomass can be converted to solid bio-char or Terra Preta.The processes of converting bio-char to Terra Preta generate more energy than required for the process involved in making Terra Preta.This review indicates that sequestration of carbon dioxide is technically possible.