New Ontario based research on the carbon dioxide sequestering power of Wollastonite

Canadian Wollastonite is a partner in this project lead by Emily Chiang in the School of Environment at the University of Guelph. The potential of Canadian Wollastonite to have a positive impact on our environment and improve agricultural crop quality is fascinating and we look forward to supporting this research as it moves forward.

Carbon-sequestering fertilizers for augmented carbon storage capacity of agricultural soils

Abbreviated summary:

The weathering of basic silicate minerals and subsequent precipitation of stable Ca- and Mg-carbonates is the main geological process removing CO2 and controlling its concentration in the atmosphere. Enhanced weathering can sequester CO2 at an accelerated pace, by exposing milled minerals to CO2 in the air and within soils. Sequestration capacity is proportional to mineral application rate and land area coverage. To achieve the sequestration of meaningful amounts of CO2, while keeping costs low and logistics simple, agricultural lands will be targeted for implementation. Agricultural activities require extensive areas and regularly apply large quantities of materials to the land. Hence, existing infrastructure for fertilizer application can be used to spread the novel fertilizer blends developed by this project, enabling widespread contact for CO2 sequestration.

This project will formulate fertilizer blends that include basic minerals as carbon-sinks, test these fertilizers in laboratory and field trials, and validate enhanced weathering as a means to increase the fixed carbon content of agricultural soils. The fertilizer blends will be tested to determine weathering rates, carbon sequestration capacity, and effects on nutrient uptake, plant growth and toxicity. Detection and accounting of sequestered carbon will aid the development of cap-and-trade carbon-credits policy.

The end result of this project will be the delivery of a new environmental protection tool for the agricultural sector in Ontario, the formation of new partnerships with regional industries and rural communities, and advancement of the state-of-knowledge on climate change mitigation.

Full summary: LCIF Summary – Emily Chiang.pdf

First publication from this project: Co-Benefits of Wollastonite Weathering in Agriculture.pdf