Soil fumigation is an important treatment in the production chain of fruit and vegetable crops, but fumigant emissions contribute to air pollution. Biochar as a soil amendment has shown the potential to reduce organic pollutants, including pesticides, in soils through adsorption and other physicochemical reactions. A laboratory column study was performed to determine the effects of soil applications of biochar for reducing emissions of the fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D). The experimental treatments comprised of unamended and amended with biochar at doses of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5% (w/w) in the top 5 cm soil layer. The unamended treatment resulted in the highest emission peak flux at 48 to 66 g m -2 s -1. Among the biochar amendment treatments, the highest peak flux (0.83 g m -2 s -1) was found in the biochar 0.5% treatment. The total emission loss was 35.7 to 40.2% of applied for the unamended treatment and 99.8% and showed total 1,3-D emission loss by >92% compared with that without biochar. The amendment of surface soil with biochar shows a great potential for reducing fumigant emissions.
