Evaluation of biochar as a potential filter media for the roadside stormwater runoff

Roadway construction can result in reduced soil porosity, reduced soil infiltration rate and increased water runoff. Based on biochar’s porous structure and physicochemical properties, its use as a roadside soil amendment can hold a variety of benefits for erosion control, flood mitigation, and increased saturated hydraulic conductivity. Other benefits of biochar may include metal and contaminant removal, increased retention, and improved soil structure. This study seeks to evaluate the cost-effective use of biochar for maximal stormwater infiltration and runoff quality in amended soils and assess its ability to provide social and ecological co-benefits from healthy landscapes.