Identification of thermal signature and quantification of charcoal in soil using differential scanning calorimetry and benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) markers

Summary

This methodological study evaluated differential scanning calorimetry as a tool for identifying and quantifying black carbon in soil from pre-industrial charcoal kiln sites in Belgium and Germany. The authors demonstrated that charcoal exhibits distinct thermal stability and exothermic combustion patterns compared to uncharred soil organic matter, though decomposition temperatures overlap considerably. DSC-derived charcoal-C estimates strongly correlated with BPCA measurements (R² = 0.97), though the relationship highlights that operationally defined BC quantification requires controlled recovery rates for absolute accuracy.

UK applicability

The findings are relevant to UK soil science and carbon accounting, particularly for sites with historical charcoal production or land-use change. The methodological advances in BC quantification could inform UK soil monitoring programmes and carbon sequestration assessments, though applicability depends on validation across UK soil types and land-use contexts.

Key measures

Charcoal-C content (mg/g soil) via DSC; BC content via BPCA markers; thermal decomposition signatures (exothermic peaks); sample analysis from 45 soil samples

Outcomes reported

The study compared differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and benzene polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) methods for quantifying charcoal carbon in soil samples from pre-industrial kiln sites. DSC and BPCA measurements showed strong correlation (R² = 0.97), though BPCA-derived carbon represented approximately one-fifth of DSC-derived charcoal carbon.

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