Article
Agricultural Engineering
Arvind Singh, Dan Bahadur Pal, Akbar Mohammad, Alaa Alhazmi, Shafiul Haque, Taeho Yoon, Neha Srivastava, Vijai Kumar Gupta
Summary: Biologically based techniques offer effective and environmentally friendly solutions to wastewater contaminated with dyes and heavy metals, with ongoing advancements and potential to further revolutionize water purification applications in the future.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
R. Sivaranjanee, P. Senthil Kumar, Gayathri Rangasamy
Summary: Water contamination is a major environmental concern, and there is growing interest in using biochar produced from slow pyrolysis of biomass to remove contaminants from wastewater. Hydrochars, produced through hydrothermal processes, have shown promise as adsorbents for wastewater treatment due to their high efficiency and ability to regenerate. This review focuses on the formation, activation, identification, and applications of biochar and hydrochar, highlighting their distinct physiochemical properties and potential uses in pollution remediation, soil improvement, greenhouse gas emission, and carbon sequestration.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Tariq Alsawy, Emanne Rashad, Mohamed El-Qelish, Ramy H. Mohammed
Summary: This article comprehensively reviews the effectiveness and challenges of chemical regeneration of biochar contaminated with organic and inorganic pollutants, and proposes future research directions to support the sustainable application of biochar in wastewater treatment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eliasu Issaka, Funmilayo Omotoyosi Fapohunda, Jesse Nii Okai Amu-Darko, Linda Yeboah, Salome Yakubu, Sunita Varjani, Nisar Ali, Muhammad Bilal
Summary: Pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, pesticides, and dyes are major environmental contaminants that have significant impacts on land and aquatic ecosystems. Biochar and biochar-based composites offer a reliable and sustainable approach to mitigating a wide range of toxic organic and inorganic pollutants from contaminated environments. The effectiveness of biochars in remediating pollutants is attributed to their large surface area, surface functional groups, pore size distribution, and high sorption capability in water and soil. Factors such as application conditions, biochar feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, and precursor materials influence the capacity and functionality of biochar in adsorbing pollutants. This paper provides an overview of current strategies, operational conditions, and performance of biochar and its composites in remediating agrochemical and heavy metal pollution in soil and water environments.
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Yongchang Sun, Tingting Wang, Xiaoyin Sun, Lu Bai, Caohui Han, Pengfei Zhang
Summary: Research on the potential of biochar and lignin in wastewater treatment, enhancement of their adsorption efficiency, analysis of adsorption mechanisms, and discussion on their potential and challenges in pollution remediation and industrial application are necessary for further advancements.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhiwei Wang, Qi Nie, Zhongfang Lei, Zhenya Zhang, Kazuya Shimizu, Tian Yuan
Summary: This study investigated the adsorption performance of co-pyrolysis biochar derived from sewage sludge and gypsum (CaSO4) on Pb(II) removal. The maximum Pb(II) adsorption capacity of co-pyrolysis biochar was significantly improved compared to single sewage sludge biochar. Model analysis showed that monolayer sorption, chemisorption, intraparticle diffusion, and endothermic processes were involved in the adsorption process. Fe2+ and NH4+ were found to be the main interfering ions. Mineral precipitation and ion exchange were calculated as the major adsorption mechanisms for Pb(II) removal. The co-pyrolysis biochar demonstrated good reusability for Pb(II) removal. These findings provide fundamental references for the sustainable utilization of solid wastes for heavy metals removal.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Amrutashree Hota, S. Gopal Krishna Patro, Ahmed J. Obaid, Satish Khatak, Raghvendra Kumar
Summary: In recent years, Constructed Wetlands (CWs) have been used as a green and sustainable method for treating wastewater from industrial sources in smart cities. Particularly for small villages and isolated areas, CWs provide an energy- and land-efficient alternative to traditional treatment systems. This study aims to offer sustainable options for the effectiveness and use of CWs by evaluating their application and recent developments in their design and operation. The study also emphasizes the importance of future research in improving the sustainability and stability of CWs.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yu Wang, Guangwei Yu, Shengyu Xie, Ruqing Jiang, Changjiang Li, Zhenjiao Xing
Summary: The current study investigated the pyrolytic properties of food waste digestate residue (DR), including product formation mechanisms, biochar properties, and heavy metal (HMs) safety. It was found that DR pyrolysis proceeded in five stages, with different reaction kinetic models for each stage. Through analysis, it was determined that the volatile components in DR pyrolysis were mainly produced by various reactions, while the pyrolysis oil contained six main components. The biochar obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 700 degrees C exhibited appropriate aromatic properties and a high specific surface area. The HMs in the biochar were mainly in the oxidizable and residual fractions, indicating a high safety profile. This research provides valuable insights into the formation process, properties, and safety of biochar, fostering its application and promoting resource utilization of DR.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Sirui Tong, Shuping Zhang, Haoxin Yin, Jiaxing Wang, Minzi Chen
Summary: This study evaluated the co-hydrothermal treatment combined with pyrolysis of rice straw and sewage sludge to produce biochar, aiming to reasonably dispose of sewage sludge as a resource and avoid secondary pollution. Results showed a synergy between rice straw and sewage sludge during the co-HTP process, leading to slightly higher biochar yield than predicted values. The co-HTP process also promoted the increase of aromaticity and stability of biochar, with a significant increase in specific surface area. Additionally, the process decreased the total concentrations of heavy metals in biochar and helped immobilize heavy metals to reduce environmental risks.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chunxing Li, Jie Li, Shengyu Xie, Guangyi Zhang, Lanjia Pan, Ruming Wang, Gang Wang, Xiaofang Pan, Yin Wang, Irini Angelidaki
Summary: In this study, a combination of hydrothermal treatment and alkaline hydrothermal treatment with pyrolysis was used to immobilize heavy metals in sewage sludge. The results showed that the heavy metals mainly remained in the hydrochar and biochar, and alkaline hydrothermal treatment combined with pyrolysis was particularly effective for immobilizing zinc and nickel. Additionally, the potential ecological risk of heavy metals in the sewage sludge-based biochar significantly decreased after treatment.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Stuti Jha, Rama Gaur, Syed Shahabuddin, Inderjeet Tyagi
Summary: The current water crisis requires the development of new materials for wastewater treatment. Biochar derived from biowaste is a potential candidate for resolving the problem of water pollution.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Abdul Ahad Khan, Jawad Gul, Salman Raza Naqvi, Imtiaz Ali, Wasif Farooq, Rabia Liaqat, Hamad AlMohamadi, Libor Stepanec, Dagmar Juchelkova
Summary: This article reviews the recent progress in the development of an economically viable and eco-friendly approach for textile industry wastewater using algae biomass-derived absorbents. Algae biomass has unique surface functional groups and cations, which can effectively adsorb organic pollutants and heavy metals. The study also discusses different methods for preparing algal biochar and its adsorption capacity for dyes and heavy metals.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Abhishek Kumar, Tanushree Bhattacharya
Summary: Biochar has emerged as a viable option to tackle heavy metal pollution, with its impressive adsorption capacity and eco-friendly properties. It also helps address issues like climate change, making it a versatile material for sustainable solutions.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mahrous Awad, Mahmuod M. El-Sayed, Xiang Li, Zhongzhen Liu, Syed Khalid Mustafa, Allah Ditta, Kamel Hessini
Summary: The study found that the application of garden waste biochar can significantly reduce the measurable soluble fraction of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu in the soil, while increasing the organic matter bound fraction, altering the availability of these metals. Therefore, the appropriate use of pyrolyzed biochar may help reduce heavy metal risks.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jechan Lee, Seonho Lee, Kun-Yi Andrew Lin, Sungyup Jung, Eilhann E. Kwon
Summary: Odor is a critical environmental problem that affects people's quality of life. Biochar can be used to reduce odor emissions from wastewater treatment plants and contribute to carbon neutrality.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mawaheb Mouftahi, Nawel Tlili, Nejib Hidouri, Pietro Bartocci, Francesco Fantozzi
Summary: Tunisia faces a shortage of conventional energy resources and a growing volume of organic wastes. This study explores the potential of anaerobic digestion to utilize bio-wastes for energy production and mitigate environmental issues. Experimental results demonstrate a net yield of biomethane of 0.384 Nm(3)/kg VS and a biodegradability of 66.89%. The Gompertz model showed the best fit for predicting the anaerobic digestion process.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wang Lu, Pietro Bartocci, Alberto Abad, Arturo Cabello, Margarita de Las Obras Loscertales, Teresa Mendiara, Liang Wang, Qi Chen, Yingquan Chen, Xianhua Wang, Haiping Yang, Hanping Chen, Mauro Zampilli, Francesco Fantozzi
Summary: Coupling a Chemical Looping Combustor fed with biofuels with a turbo expander is a promising Negative Emissions Technology (NET) to realize climate neutral targets in China and Europe. A Eulerian-Lagrangian hybrid model is developed to predict the performance of a Fuel Reactor under different pressures, and the results show that the increase in pressure promotes the conversion of CO and inhibits the conversion of H2.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bin Cao, Shuanhu Hu, Kai Zhu, Cheng Pan, Fatma Marrakchi, Jun Ni, Chuan Yuan, Lili Qian, Hao Chen, Jianping Yuan, Abdelfatah Abomohra, Pietro Bartocci, Francesco Fantozzi, Shuang Wang
Summary: The effects of biochemical components and processing variables on the product yields and biofuel quality during fast hydrothermal liquefaction of CO2-tolerant microalgae were investigated. Results showed that the maximum bio-oil yield was obtained at specific conditions, and ethanol concentration had the highest impact on bio-oil yield. Furthermore, the increase of ethanol concentration improved the bio-oil quality by reducing carboxylic acids and nitrogen-containing compounds while enhancing the esters content. Fast hydrothermal liquefaction is a promising approach to produce high-quality biofuels from microalgae.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Isam Qasem, Ahmed A. Hussien, Khalideh A. Alrawashdeh, Pramodkumar S. Kataraki, Ayub Ahmed Janvekar
Summary: One of the most challenging tasks in machining hard materials is to achieve super high precision with excellent surface finish. Abrasive water jet (AWJ) machining is proven technology for generating high precision components. This study aimed to showcase the technical parameters and their impact on kerf taper and surface roughness. Experimental data showed that variations in traverse speed, water pressure, and abrasive feed rate greatly influenced the kerf taper and surface roughness. ANOVA analysis using MINITAB 19 was conducted to study the behavior of the kerf taper angle.
ANNALES DE CHIMIE-SCIENCE DES MATERIAUX
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Eid Gul, Giorgio Baldinelli, Azharuddin Farooqui, Pietro Bartocci, Tariq Shamim
Summary: The objective of this research is to develop an advanced hydrogen-integrated renewable energy system to meet the energy demand of a distributed community and produce green hydrogen from excess/curtailed renewable energy. The study results show that the system can produce a significant amount of clean energy at the lowest levelized cost and achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Said Jereis Al Rabadi, Kamel Al-Zboon, Khalideh Albkoor Alrawashdeh, La'aly AL-Samrraie
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate air quality in industrial areas and neighboring residential areas. Gaseous emissions from industrial sectors were assessed by measuring concentrations of various pollutants over different time intervals and comparing them with regional and international standards. The results showed significant spatial and temporal variations in the contaminants, with exceedances of standard concentrations observed. However, the distribution of monitoring stations and effective policies implemented by authorities helped reduce these exceedances over the years, ensuring the accumulation of gaseous emissions remained within acceptable limits for public health and the environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Gabor Varhegyi, Liang Wang, Oyvind Skreiberg
Summary: The gasification kinetics of chars derived from biomass materials with chemical and physical heterogeneities and irregularities were studied. Empirical f(X) functions were determined using a method proposed four years ago, and the parameters of the models were obtained by the method of least squares. The reliability of the results was tested by reevaluating thermogravimetric experiments, and common kinetic features were found. The determined models accurately described the gasification of chars formed from different woods under various temperature programs and thermal pretreatments.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Eid Gul, Giorgio Baldinelli, Pietro Bartocci, Tariq Shamim, Piergiovanni Domenighini, Franco Cotana, Jinwen Wang, Francesco Fantozzi, Francesco Bianchi
Summary: Clean energy technologies are crucial for energy transition, achieving Net-Zero emission goals, and meeting growing energy demands. This study presents a state-of-the-art energy system model that increases the penetration of renewable energies in Perugia, Italy, by integrating and optimizing hydro, solar, and biomass sources. The model maximizes power generation based on cost-effectiveness and balances load demand with combined dispatch strategies. The results show significant clean energy production (33.2 GWh/year) at a low Levelized Cost of Energy (0.067 euro/kWh) and a high renewable energy coverage (78%), resulting in a yearly reduction of 13,452 tons of CO2 emissions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Robert L. Johnson, Kyle Castillo, Christian Castillo, Liang Wang, Oyvind Skreiberg, Scott Q. Turn
Summary: The slow pyrolysis of woody materials under elevated pressure leads to the formation of transient plastic phase biochar (TPPB), which exhibits macroscopic morphology changes. Hydrolysis-induced molten phase plays a key role in the formation of TPPB, while elevated pressure keeps water in the condensed phase. Despite minimal impact on material chemistry, significant differences in mechanical properties were observed between TPPB and standard biochar. The utility of TPPB was demonstrated by its superior tensile and compression strengths, as well as density, compared to carbon pellets produced from non-TPPB materials.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Robert L. Johnson, Kyle Castillo, Christian Castillo, Quang-Vu Bach, Cassidy Hihara, Liang Wang, Oyvind Skreiberg, Scott Q. Turn
Summary: Studies on transient plastic phase biochar (TPPB) show that plasticized biochar has better mechanical properties compared to non-plasticized biochar. Increasing the water content and reducing the reaction time can improve the performance of plasticized biochar.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jane Moore, Anjali Jayakumar, Sylvia Soldatou, Ondrej Masek, Linda A. Lawton, Christine Edwards
Summary: Climate change and eutrophication of freshwater sources are causing toxic cyanobacterial blooms in drinking water supplies. Conventional water treatment struggles to eliminate cyanobacteria and their toxins. This study presents a sustainable and scalable solution using biochar derived from waste coconut shells, which effectively removes cyanotoxins and reduces cyanobacterial cell numbers through enhanced microbial diversity and degradation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dimitra C. Banti, Petros Samaras, Eleni Kostopoulou, Vassiliki Tsioni, Themistoklis Sfetsas
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the effect of commercial K1 biocarriers and 3D-printed biocarriers made from 13X and Halloysite on the efficiency and fouling rate of MBBR-MBR unit. It was observed that membrane filtration improved in the MBBR-MBR K1 unit, while total fouling occurred earlier in the MBBR-MBR 13X-H and control MBBR-MBR units. The production of soluble microbial products (SMP) and biofilm formation played a significant role in the fouling process.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Dimitra C. Banti, Petros Samaras, Afroditi G. Chioti, Anastasios Mitsopoulos, Michail Tsangas, Antonis Zorpas, Themistoklis Sfetsas
Summary: The performance of a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was investigated with the addition of 3D-printed biocarriers fabricated with 13X and bentonite (MBBR 3D), using K1 commercial biocarriers (MBBR K1), and without any biocarriers at all (control MBBR). Physicochemical parameters were measured to evaluate MBBR efficiency, while biofilm extracted from the biocarriers was evaluated. The findings show that MBBR 3D had improved nitrification and denitrification processes compared to the control MBBR and MBBR K1, with a larger dry mass of biofilm in the 3D-printed biocarriers compared to the K1 biocarriers.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Guanshuai Zhang, Shanjian Liu, Dongmei Bi, Zhisen He, Jia Liu, Yinjiao Liu
Summary: Hydrogen peroxide pretreatment was applied for fast pyrolysis of corn stalks, and it was found that the pretreatment effectively promoted lignin depolymerization and decreased the reaction activation energy. The pretreatment also increased the cellulose content and removed alkali and alkaline earth metals from the biomass. The pH of the hydrogen peroxide solution affected the removal of lignin and ash by the pretreatment, and the composition of bio-oil changed significantly, with a significant increase in the relative content of levoglucosan after pretreatment.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2024)