Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marzena Kwapinska, Italo Pisano, James J. Leahy
Summary: The disposal of waste-activated sludge from milk processing companies is an increasing concern due to nutrient loss and soil contamination. This study proposes the recovery of nutrients through biochar obtained from the slow pyrolysis of the waste. The properties of the biochar were examined, and it was found that most biochars meet the specified limits for nutrients and contaminants required for organic-mineral fertilizer. However, a minimum solid content of 30% in the waste is necessary for energetically sustainable biochar production.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xin Qi, Minghan Zhu, Yibo Yuan, Zhi Dang, Hua Yin
Summary: This study investigated the use of biochar-assisted microbial remediation for eliminating environmental pollutants and the effect of biochar and inoculant on soil microbiomes. The results showed that the combined application of biochar and inoculant was more effective in reducing heavy metal availability and degrading organic pollutants than inoculant alone. Additionally, biochar played a crucial role in promoting the colonization of inoculant and enhancing microbial interactions and functions.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiaxing Li, Hongli Li, Haomiao Xu, Qinyuan Hong, Leipeng Ji, Zhisong Liu, Yixiang Qiu, Wenjun Huang, Naiqiang Yan, Zan Qu
Summary: In this study, biomass with regulated adsorption sites for gaseous Hg-0 uptake was fabricated using a chelated coupled pyrolysis strategy. Manganese clusters anchored on biochar were found to act as highly active and durable adsorbents for Hg-0 immobilization, increasing its adsorption efficiency by up to 50%. Shrimp- and crab-based biochar adsorbents showed excellent Hg-0 removal due to their chitosan-like structure.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Vera Analise Schommer, Ana Paula Vanin, Mateus Torres Nazari, Valdecir Ferrari, Aline Dettmer, Luciane Maria Colla, Jeferson Steffanello Piccin
Summary: Heavy metals contamination poses risks to ecosystems and human health. Bioremediation using biochar as a carrier for immobilized bacteria has emerged as an alternative to improve efficiency in environments with high concentrations of heavy metals. Bacillus spp. strains immobilized on biochar can reduce the toxicity and bioavailability of metals through biomineralization, biosorption, bioreduction, bioaccumulation, and adsorption mechanisms. This strategy promotes the reduction of toxicity and accumulation of metals in plants, enhances microbial and enzymatic activity in soil, but may also lead to competition and reduction of microbial diversity, as well as toxic characteristics of biochar. Further studies are needed to optimize this technology and understand its impacts, especially in field-scale applications.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chengyi Hong, Zhiqiang Dong, Jichen Zhang, Ling Zhu, Lei Che, Fuzhi Mao, Yuping Qiu
Summary: A novel biochar composite ABF-4 has been developed in this study, which shows excellent adsorption performance for both cationic Pb(II)/Cd(II) and anionic As(III). The adsorption capacity of ABF-4 is significantly higher than that of pure biochar, and is enhanced by increasing the surface area and micropores.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sungyup Jung, Jung-Hun Kim, Dong-Jun Lee, Kun-Yi Andrew Lin, Yiu Fai Tsang, Min-Ho Yoon, Eilhann E. Kwon
Summary: This study demonstrated the valorization of dairy cattle manure through pyrolysis using CO2 as a co-feedstock, leading to the conversion of manure into value-added chemicals in a sustainable way. The biochar derived from the manure was found to enhance syngas formation during pyrolysis and promoted gas phase reactions, resulting in higher H-2 and CO formations compared to non-catalytic pyrolysis. The use of DCM biochar was shown to be more economically viable and environmentally benign for syngas generation compared to metal catalysts.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
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
Environmental Sciences
Seung-Hee Hong, Myung-Chul Shin, Jechan Lee, Chang-Gu Lee, Dae-Sung Song, Byung-Hwan Um, Seong-Jik Park
Summary: The study investigated the use of bottom ash generated from the combustion of cattle manure as an adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The results showed that the adsorption of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Ni(II) onto the bottom ash followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and was well-described by the Freundlich isotherm model. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the adsorption onto the bottom ash was endothermic, and the presence of cations such as Na+, Ca2+, and Al3+ reduced the amount of metals adsorbed onto the BA-CCM.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Shuo Yang, Qinxue Wen, Zhiqiang Chen
Summary: This study found that adding biochar and KH2PO4-modified biochar during anaerobic digestion can reduce the ecological risks of heavy metals in swine manure, but special attention should be paid to the presence of arsenic.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiang An, Ningjie Jin, Shuman Deng, Bin Zhao, Meng Liu, Binbin Ran, Laisheng Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the removal ability of strain L1 and its immobilized system on PBC for heavy metals and nitrate in mix wastewater. The results showed that the immobilized system had a higher removal efficiency for Ni(II), followed by Cu(II), while the removal efficiency for Cr(VI) was the lowest. SEM, XRD, and FTIR analyses indicated the formation of crystals on the surface of the immobilized system, with various functional groups participating in the removal process. In the Sequential Batch Reactor, the removal efficiency of pollutants by the immobilized system was higher than that of the free strain L1.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dongdong Liu, Zhengkai Hao, Dengqian Chen, Lipeng Jiang, Tianqi Li, Bing Tian, Cuiping Yan, Yuan Luo, Guang Chen, Hongfu Ai
Summary: In this study, Ca-modified biochar adsorbents (CEA) were prepared using eggshell and Eupatorium adenophorum. The CEA-2 sample prepared with a 1:2 mass ratio showed a maximum Pb adsorption capacity and exhibited monolayer adsorption characteristics, mainly through chemical precipitation mechanism.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yonggang Xu, Wei Qu, Baoyi Sun, Kai Peng, Xingzhou Zhang, Jianming Xu, Fan Gao, Yubo Yan, Tianxia Bai
Summary: The study found that adding Ca-based additives during pyrolysis treatment of animal manure can improve the quality of biochar and promote the immobilization of heavy metals (Cu and Zn), reducing their potential environmental risks.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jing Ma, Ziyi Hua, Sana Noreen, Zaffar Malik, Muhammad Riaz, Muhamamd Kamran, Shafaqat Ali, Mohamed S. Elshikh, Fu Chen
Summary: In recent years, industrial revolution and natural weathering processes have increased lead contamination in agricultural soils. This study shows that the application of chemically S-modified biochar (CSB) at a rate of 2% can significantly improve tomato growth by reducing the bioavailability of lead in Pb-contaminated soil.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Majeed Ali, Talaat Ahmed, Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh, Mohammad A. Al-Ghouti
Summary: The study found that using municipal class A biosolids as organic fertilizer greatly enhanced the overall growth of tomato plants, but the fruits contained toxic levels of trace heavy metals.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Huabin Wang, Ran Duan, Xinquan Zhou, Jia Wang, Ying Liu, Rui Xu, Zhuwei Liao
Summary: In this study, hydrothermally carbonized steel slag (HCSS) was synthesized using low-cost steel slag as a fabricant, and it showed good adsorption capacity for heavy metal removal in wastewater treatment. The mechanism studies revealed that the modification of steel slag on bio-adsorbents and the oxygen-containing functional groups in HCSS contributed to the adsorption capacity. This study suggests a promising approach for resource recovery and heavy metal remediation using solid waste-derived environmentally functional materials.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
