Characterization and risk assessment of different-origin biochars applied in agricultural experimentsCharacterization and risk assessment of different-origin biochars applied in agricultural experiments Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication Δημοσίευση σε Περιοδικό με Κριτές 2025-02-272023enThis study aimed to assess the impacts of biochar amendments derived from different feedstocks (sewage sludge (SS), olive-mill waste (OMW), compost, and sawdust) in land applications. Tomatoes were used as a test crop in four experiments both under greenhouse and field conditions. SS, OMW, and compost biochar treatments presented 17% to 178.5% higher tomato productivity than control, verifying that biochar behaves as a plant-growth bio-stimulant. This impact is related to the raw material since sawdust biochar did not present results as positive as the other types of biochars. The physicochemical characterization of biochars and their comparison with international and European standards confirmed the safety of their use. A risk-assessment analysis of tomato consumption was conducted in order to explore unfavorable effects on human health. The estimation of cumulative non-carcinogenic risk, found to be between 8.25 × 10−3 and 4.23 × 10−2, and cancer risk for Cr(VI), found to be between 6.56 × 10−6 and 5.2 × 10−5, suggested no risk of potential chronic exposure due to tomato consumption cultivated in biochar-amended soils. This study may be used as a recommendation for farmers and agriculturists for maximizing the yield of agricultural crops in the Mediterranean region, improving soil health, and contributing to the sustainable management of agroecosystems.This work was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 818308 (WaysTUP! Project), https://waystup.eu/ (accessed on 1 September 2019).http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Sustainability1511Lilli_et_al_Sustainability_15(11)_2023.pdfChania [Greece]Library of TUC2025-02-27application/pdf676.3 kBfree Lilli Maria Λιλλη Μαρια Paranychianakis Nikolaos Παρανυχιανακης Νικολαος Lionoudakis Konstantinos Saru Maria-Liliana Saru Maria-Liliana Voutsadaki Styliani Βουτσαδακη Στυλιανη Kritikaki Anna Κρητικακη Αννα Komnitsas Konstantinos Κομνιτσας Κωνσταντινος Nikolaidis Nikolaos Νικολαιδης Νικολαος MDPI Sewage-sludge biochar Olive-mill-waste biochar Compost biochar Sawdust biochar Tomato cultivation Field experiments Greenhouse experiments Bio-stimulant Risk assessment