Capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide in soils
Funding Year: 2022
Research Areas: Climate
Soils contain the largest reservoir of carbon at the Earth’s surface. Soil respiration, or decomposition of soil carbon by microorganisms and respiration by roots, releases carbon dioxide at a rate about 7-8 times greater than fossil fuel burning. Soil-based carbon mitigation strategies have focused on reducing rates of decomposition or increasing soil acidity or alkalinity. However, the concentrations of carbon dioxide in soil pores is typically 45-50 times greater than atmospheric levels. This project aims to design a strategy for soil carbon dioxide capture using low-cost, environmentally friendly sorbent materials. The researchers will assess common sorbent materials for carbon dioxide sorption under typical soil gas mixtures, determine long-term stability of sorbed carbon dioxide, and develop a model framework for assessment and verification.
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Principal Investigators:
Kate Maher (Environmental Earth System Science)
Zhenan Bao (Chemical Engineering)