SORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF IMIDACLOPRID ON BIOCHAR

The sorption characteristics of Imidacloprid (ICP), an insecticide, were investigated on three different sizes of biochar, and on a mixture of the same biochar with soil at room temperature. The biochar was prepared from the pyrolysis of hardwood chunks in a burn barrel. This biochar was then size reduced to particle size <500µm, 2mm, and 4mm. The biochars were then thoroughly mixed with soil to achieve 1, 5, and 10% by weight. The partitioning coefficient of ICP was measured experimentally for both free biochar and biochar with soil samples at equilibrium. The results obtained indicate the uptake of ICP on the biochar is practically none at room temperature. Also, the biochar samples were analyzed with a microprobe (JEOL JXA-8530F, Field Emission Electron Probe Microanalyzer) both qualitatively and quantitatively for ICP. The biochar with ICP samples were compared with the control of biochar alone. The results indicate that biochar did not take up any ICP, if it is present it is under the detection limit.