The Sustainability Institute (SI) awarded two separate research grants to Brittany Multer Hopkins, PhD candidate in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, to help advance her research in discovering carbon sequestration capabilities in soil. That research was recently published in the journal, Science of the Total Environment.
Multer Hopkins, who also serves as the Council of Graduate Students' Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility Committee Chair, worked with a team of driven researchers, including her graduate advisor, Rattan Lal, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and Laureate of 2019 Japan Prize, 2020 World Food Prize, and 2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, to publish their peer-reviewed article, “Carbon capture potential and environmental impact of concrete weathering in soil.” The innovative research investigated whether the carbonation of concrete in soil can be used to capture and sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide.
“During chemical weathering, concrete erodes in soil and reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide which can be stored as dissolved inorganic carbon or, in some environments, form carbonates,” said Multer Hopkins. “Our research aimed to understand if this is a feasible method to capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide in soil. With cement production accounting for over 8% of global carbon emissions, our findings show that chemical weathering is a viable path to offsetting some of those emissions.”
Testing a Feasible Climate Change Solution
With the impacts of climate change becoming increasingly severe, the development of feasible atmospheric carbon dioxide removal options will be a key solution. Scientists are working to speed up the process of chemical weathering to capture more atmospheric carbon dioxide at a faster rate, known as enhanced weathering. Concrete is an ideal material for enhanced weathering opportunities because of its chemical properties, global abundance as the most used manufactured material in the world, and recyclability. In the long-run, enhanced weathering efforts may decarbonize the atmosphere more effectively than other carbon sequestration efforts because the type of carbon stored, inorganic carbon, can be more stable compared to organic carbon capture.
Multer Hopkins utilized the support from SI to fund the necessary tests and supplies to conduct the five-month long experiment, which found that adding concrete in soil speeds weathering, thus enhancing its carbon dioxide capture capabilities. The study did not find any severe damage done to the soil after adding concrete.
“By funding this project, SI invested directly in the fight against climate change. This support positions Ohio State as a leader in resource efficiency and recycling research,” noted Multer Hopkins. “The findings from this experiment can be scaled up to enhance decarbonization techniques around the world. It can also help Ohio State partner with other institutions and government agencies to further implement carbon sequestration within the soil throughout central Ohio, including on Ohio State’s campus.”
Campus Living Lab for Climate and Waste Mitigation
The findings from that research paved the way for Multer Hopkins to conduct another related study with the help of a second SI grant. Through a field experiment, Multer Hopkins is confirming the sequestration potential of concrete carbonation while monitoring the environmental impacts of adding concrete to soil. This project also explored beneficial reuses of concrete waste, including as an alternative liming material as a tool to combat soil acidification.
“Multer Hopkins’ unique research can create great strides in mitigating the impacts of climate change,” affirmed Lal. “She is engaging the construction industry to make construction and cement production more environmental-friendly while developing concrete weathering methods to enhance the soil’s ability to act as a carbon sink.”
“This research can be the basis for a living lab at the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Center, engaging Ohio State students and Columbus community members on innovative carbon capture and storage methods,” said Multer Hopkins. “Developing concrete weathering techniques can set Ohio State apart from other research institutions, divert waste from landfills, and reduce the impacts of climate change.”
Published Research & 2025 Student Grant Opportunity
Read Multer Hopkins’ published article on concrete weathering’s potential to enhance soil carbon sequestration.
SI is now accepting Student Sustainability Grant applications through March 14, 2025 for student-led research and implementation projects.
Story by Christine Andreeva, SI Student Communications Assistant.
Photo Courtesy of Brittany Multer Hopkins.