Activated carbon pellets can be a significant asset to agricultural operations. These multi-purpose, non-toxic pellets can improve the soil, regulate moisture, protect seeds from chemicals, and remove toxins like pesticides and herbicides.
How Activated Carbon Works
Manufacturers create activated carbon by burning carbon-rich substances like coal and biomass without oxygen. The resulting “char” is treated chemically or physically to expand its surface area and form a highly porous structure.
Activated carbon traps organic toxins in vapor, liquid, and soil. The structure of each pellet allows chemicals to adsorb, clinging to the microscopic pores to facilitate toxin removal.
Uses of Activated Carbon Pellets in Agriculture
Activated carbon has well-known environmental and pharmaceutical uses but is an equally important tool in the agricultural industry. The substance has the following uses in agriculture:
Removes Soil Toxins
Chemical residue, particularly pesticide residue, can contaminate soil for decades. Dioxin is a substance of particular concern because it has a wide range of effects on human and animal health. For example, environmental dioxin can disrupt hormones, cause fertility problems, and cause cancer. A Michigan State University study found that activated carbon could draw dioxin from the soil.
Regulates Soil Moisture
When added to soil, activated carbon created from wood reduces density and improves water capacity. It also helps the soil become more porous and permeable.
Improves Seed Germination
Activated carbon hydrogels improve the germination percentage, root and stem length, and weight when added to seeds.
Increases Crop Yields
Since activated carbon improves soil quality, it also increases crop yields. It helps the soil retain water while allowing proper drainage and creates better adsorption for vital nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
Other Uses of Activated Carbon
Activated carbon helps multiple industries:
Pharmaceutical
Activated carbon’s porosity and ability to adsorb toxins work in the body. Activated carbon is a well-known treatment for accidental poisoning in humans and animals.
Industrial
Activated carbon has many industrial applications, including precious metal recovery. It is beneficial for recovering gold from mining byproducts.
Environmental
The substance helps to clear toxins from air, water, and soil, enabling industrial plants to remove some of their operations’ byproducts before they enter the environment.
Oil and Gas
Activated carbon can also purify petroleum products by removing toxic substances such as sulfur compounds, nitrogen compounds, and heavy metals.
The porous structure of activated carbon allows these impurities to adsorb onto its surface, effectively removing them from the petroleum products. After purification using activated carbon, petroleum products like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel burn cleaner and more efficiently, reducing harmful emissions and improving combustion performance.
This carbon filtration process not only enhances the quality of the fuel but also extends the lifespan of engines and machinery that utilize these purified petroleum products, making it an important step in the refining process.
Food and Beverage
The compound removes unwanted tastes and odors from many beverages and oils, including soft drinks, tea, coffee, and alcohol.
Enriching Your Agricultural Project
Science points to a great many agricultural uses for activated carbon. Whether you need to increase crop yields, improve soil quality, or remove toxins, an activated carbon product can help. If you need to purchase activated carbon for your agricultural company, find a qualified manufacturer who will answer your questions and provide the highest quality products.
Puragen provides diverse activated carbon solutions for agricultural, pharmaceutical, industrial, and environmental applications. The company can customize activated carbon products to meet individual needs. Call Puragen at 561-725-3671 to speak to our experts.
