Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water: A review
Mahtab Ahmada b, Anushka Upamali Rajapakshaa, Jung Eun Lima, Ming Zhangc, Nanthi Sirangie Boland, Dinesh Mohane, Meththika Suharshini Vithanagef, Sang Soo Leea, Yong Sik Oka c g h✉
- aKorea Biochar Research Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea
- bUniversity Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
- cDepartment of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, PR China
- dCentre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
- eSchool of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
- fChemical and Environmental Systems Modeling Research Group, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka
- gDepartment of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: soilok@kangwon.ac.kr
- hDepartment of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Biochar is a stable carbon-rich by-product synthesized through pyrolysis/carbonization of plant- and animal-based biomass. An increasing interest in the beneficial application of biochar has opened up multidisciplinary areas for science and engineering. The potential biochar applications include carbon sequestration, soil fertility improvement, pollution remediation, and agricultural by-product/waste recycling. The key parameters controlling its properties include pyrolysis temperature, residence time, heat transfer rate, and feedstock type. The efficacy of biochar in contaminant management depends on its surface area, pore size distribution and ion-exchange capacity. Physical architecture and molecular composition of biochar could be critical for practical application to soil and water. Relatively high pyrolysis temperatures generally produce biochars that are effective in the sorption of organic contaminants by increasing surface area, microporosity, and hydrophobicity; whereas the biochars obtained at low temperatures are more suitable for removing inorganic/polar organic contaminants by oxygen-containing functional groups, electrostatic attraction, and precipitation. However, due to complexity of soil-water system in nature, the effectiveness of biochars on remediation of various organic/inorganic contaminants is still uncertain. In this review, a succinct overview of current biochar use as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water is summarized and discussed.
TL;DRDue to complexity of soil-water system in nature, the effectiveness of biochars on remediation of various organic/inorganic contaminants is still uncertain. (Semantic Scholar)