THE POTENTIAL FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN RECLAIMED MINE SOIL

Abstract

Mining sector has been the central attention of the business and public policy sustainable development scheme for several years. Reclamation territories are with potential carbon sequestration capacity in degraded mining areas and can be an impeccable option for achieving sustainable development goal-13. This paper made an investigation about the presence of heavy metals in reclaimed area possibilities to improve reclaimed soils with biochar with idea to enhance ecosystem carbon pool and atmospheric CO2 sequestration capacity to offset CO2 emission and soil organic carbon losses. The results show that the carbon content in biochar is 46.6 % and would be classified in class 2 according to the International Biochar Initiative. H/C and O/C atomic ratios could be useful for restoration of degraded poor mine soils through enhanced carbon sequestration. O/C ratio is 0.085 mol mol–1 and half-life of biochar is 2795.65 years, which confirm the biochar stability. For each kilogram of biochar incorporated into the soil, 144 g of carbon were sequestrated 52,8 % CO2 emission reduction. Hence, the biochar developed in this study can be used in carbon-deficient soils with the added benefit of long-term carbon storage.