Paper · 2025 · Waste Management

Assessment of food waste hydrochar as a soil amendment: Effects on soil properties, plant growth and stress response

E. Suarez; L. Martinez-Sanchez; M.A. de la Rubia; et al.

12
claims
17
verbatim quotes
6
citations
3
research areas
✓
Open access · cc-by-nc

Abstract

Thermochemical processing of biowaste generates renewable carbon-rich materials with potential agronomic uses, contributing to waste valorization. This study evaluates the application of hydrochar obtained from hydrothermal carbonization of food waste, those obtained by different post-treatments (washing, aging, and thermal treatment), as well as biochar obtained by pyrolysis as soil amendments. For this purpose, the effect of char addition (1 - 10 wt% d.b.) on a marginal agricultural soil on germination and growth of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants was assessed. All the hydrochars exhibited a chemical composition suitable for agronomic use, characterized by high nutrient content, abundant organic matter, and low concentration of phytotoxic metals. In contrast, biochar exceeded the permissible limits for Cr, Cu, and Ni concentrations rendering it unsuitable for application to agronomic crops. The high temperature of thermal post-treatment and pyrolysis favored mineral and heavy metal concentration while washing significantly reduced nutrient content (N, S, P, K, Mg) along with the electrical conductivity. The addition of biochar or both washed and thermally post-treated hydrochar negatively affected tomato growth. Reduced chlorophyll content was associated with the decreased expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in antioxidant metabolism. This led to photosynthetic membrane damage, as evidenced by chlorophyll fluorescence-related parameters. Conversely, the addition of aged (≤ 5 wt%) and fresh (1 - 10 wt%) hydrochars increased both germination and plant growth compared to unamended soil, indicating that hydrochar from food waste does not require additional post-treatments to be used as a soil amendment.

Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by-nc. Read at the source ↗

The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.

Claims 12

Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

All hydrochars had high nutrients and organic matter and low phytotoxic metal concentrations suitable for agronomic use.

Outcome
chemical composition suitable for agronomic usee0

Not reportedTaxon

Verbatim

e0

“All the hydrochars exhibited a chemical composition suitable for agronomic use, characterized by high nutrient content, abundant organic matter, and low concentration of phytotoxic metals.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 575–763 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Biochar exceeded permitted chromium, copper and nickel limits and was unsuitable for crops.

Outcome
permissible limits for Cr, Cu, and Ni concentrationse0
Direction
exceedede0

Not reportedTaxon

Verbatim

e0

“biochar exceeded the permissible limits for Cr, Cu, and Ni concentrations rendering it unsuitable for application to agronomic crops.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 777–910 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Thermal post-treatment and pyrolysis concentrated minerals and heavy metals.

Treatment
thermal post-treatment and pyrolysise0
Outcome
mineral and heavy metal concentratione0
Direction
favorede0

Not reportedTaxonComparator

Verbatim

e0

“The high temperature of thermal post-treatment and pyrolysis favored mineral and heavy metal concentration”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 911–1017 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultsignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Washing reduced nutrient content and electrical conductivity.

Treatment
washinge0
Outcome
nutrient content (N, S, P, K, Mg) along with the electrical conductivitye0
Direction
reducede0

Not reportedTaxonComparator

Verbatim

e0

“while washing significantly reduced nutrient content (N, S, P, K, Mg) along with the electrical conductivity.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1018–1127 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

biochar negatively affected tomato growth.

Treatment
biochare0
Outcome
tomato growthe0
Direction
negatively affectede0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“The addition of biochar or both washed and thermally post-treated hydrochar negatively affected tomato growth.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1128–1238 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

washed negatively affected tomato growth.

Treatment
washede0
Outcome
tomato growthe0
Direction
negatively affectede0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“The addition of biochar or both washed and thermally post-treated hydrochar negatively affected tomato growth.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1128–1238 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

thermally post-treated hydrochar negatively affected tomato growth.

Treatment
thermally post-treated hydrochare0
Outcome
tomato growthe0
Direction
negatively affectede0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“The addition of biochar or both washed and thermally post-treated hydrochar negatively affected tomato growth.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1128–1238 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Reduced chlorophyll content was associated with lower expression of antioxidant metabolism enzyme genes.

Gene
genes encoding enzymes involved in antioxidant metabolisme0
Outcome
chlorophyll contente0
Direction
Reducede0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Reduced chlorophyll content was associated with the decreased expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in antioxidant metabolism.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1239–1373 · show in text ↑
t0

“Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 524–560 · show in text ↑
Mechanismauthor interpretationoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The authors linked lower chlorophyll and gene expression to photosynthetic membrane damage.

Outcome
photosynthetic membrane damagee0
Qualifier
chlorophyll fluorescence-related parameterse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“This led to photosynthetic membrane damage, as evidenced by chlorophyll fluorescence-related parameters.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1374–1478 · show in text ↑
t0

“Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 524–560 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

aged (≤ 5 wt%) hydrochar increased tomato germination and growth compared with unamended soil.

Treatment
aged (≤ 5 wt%)e0
Outcome
germination and plant growthe0
Direction
increasede0
Comparator
unamended soile0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Conversely, the addition of aged (≤ 5 wt%) and fresh (1 - 10 wt%) hydrochars increased both germination and plant growth compared to unamended soil, indicating that hydrochar from food waste does not require additional post-treatments to be used as a soil amendment.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1479–1745 · show in text ↑
t0

“Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 524–560 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

fresh (1 - 10 wt%) hydrochar increased tomato germination and growth compared with unamended soil.

Treatment
fresh (1 - 10 wt%)e0
Outcome
germination and plant growthe0
Direction
increasede0
Comparator
unamended soile0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Conversely, the addition of aged (≤ 5 wt%) and fresh (1 - 10 wt%) hydrochars increased both germination and plant growth compared to unamended soil, indicating that hydrochar from food waste does not require additional post-treatments to be used as a soil amendment.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1479–1745 · show in text ↑
t0

“Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 524–560 · show in text ↑
Recommendationauthor interpretationoriginal resultbasis n/a

Claim · model-written summary

The authors conclude that food waste hydrochar needs no additional post-treatment for soil amendment use.

Outcome
does not require additional post-treatments to be used as a soil amendmente0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Conversely, the addition of aged (≤ 5 wt%) and fresh (1 - 10 wt%) hydrochars increased both germination and plant growth compared to unamended soil, indicating that hydrochar from food waste does not require additional post-treatments to be used as a soil amendment.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1479–1745 · show in text ↑
t0

“Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 524–560 · show in text ↑

biochar · growth · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Results differ

80 papers: 71 positive, 9 negative or no effect

8 papers in the same direction as this paper · 71 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive

76 papers more in this group

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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.