Lee et al. (2026): Quantitative estimation on carbon sequestration potential of agricultural by-products biochar using chemical oxidation

Eun-Ji Lee, Won-Gune Jeong, Ga-Been Lee and Kitae Baek, IN: Bioresource Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2026.135464

To accurately evaluate biochar’s carbon sequestration potential, it is essential to quantify the unstable carbon in biochar that soil microbes can mineralize. Chemical oxidation has been used in most studies as a rapid method to estimate the unstable carbon in biochar. However, it remains unclear whether the unstable carbon fraction obtained by chemical oxidation corresponds to the mineralized carbon in soil. This study aimed to establish a chemical oxidation method that matches the chemically oxidized carbon to the fraction mineralized in soil, thereby enabling an accurate assessment of the carbon sequestration potential of biochar. By comparing oxidants and doses, the chemical oxidation method was optimized, and a condition of 30 mmol K₂Cr₂O₇/30 mmol H₂SO₄/g biochar was proposed.

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