Gerhard Soja

Gerhard Soja is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Process and Energy Engineering within the Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). His research integrates thermochemical waste conversion with soil science, focusing on biochar applications for environmental remediation and climate change mitigation. Based at Muthgasse 107, Vienna, he maintains active collaborations across BOKU's Institutes of Soil Research, Environmental Biotechnology, and Physical Soil Science.

Soja's research centers on biochar engineering for soil health restoration and contaminant remediation. His work demonstrates how pyrogenic carbon materials stabilize organic matter, recycle nutrients from waste streams (sewage sludge, abattoir residues), and remediate chlorinated ethenes in groundwater. Recent projects investigate biochar's role in the '4 per 1000' soil carbon initiative, copper stabilization in vineyards, and radiocesium adsorption. His methodology combines isotopic fingerprinting, engineered biochar modification, and field-scale validation of circular economy solutions.

Analysis of his 213 publications reveals dominant trends in groundwater remediation (32% of recent work), waste-derived biochar (28%), and soil-climate interactions (25%). His 2023-2025 papers increasingly integrate stable isotope analysis with microbial community profiling to quantify biogeochemical processes. Key breakthroughs include developing bone char-based nitrogen fertilizers from slaughterhouse waste and sewage sludge biochar for green roof substrates.

Soja actively supervises graduate research, with 25 theses completed since 2016 on topics ranging from pesticide transport to copper-contaminated soil remediation. His grant portfolio includes EU-funded projects (TORFFREI, EXCALIBUR), national industry collaborations, and Austrian Ministry of Agriculture initiatives focused on sustainable viticulture and circular bioeconomy. Media engagement includes features in Der Standard on peat-free horticulture and climate-positive biochar.