Impact of activated charcoal on the mineralisation of 14C-phenanthrene in soils

Use of natural sorbents for accelerated bioremediation of grey forest soil contaminated with crude oil

Due to the extensive oil extraction and transportation that occurs in oil-producing countries, many lands remain contaminated because of accidental leakages. Despite its low cost and environmentally safe nature, bioremediation technology is not always successful, mainly because of the soil toxicity to the degrading microbial populations and plants. Here we report a three-year microfield experiment on the influence of natural sorbents of mineral (zeolite, kaolinite, vermiculite, diatomite), organic (peat), carbonaceous (biochar) origin, and a mixed sorbent ACD (composed of granular activated carbon and diatomite) on the bioremediation of grey forest soil contaminated with weathered crude oil (40.1 g total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) kg^-1). Optimal doses of the sorbents significantly accelerated bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil through bioaugmentation followed by phytoremediation. The main reason for the influence of the sorbent amendments relied upon the creation of optimal conditions for the activation of hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria and plant growth due to the reduction of soil toxicity, as well as maintaining an optimal pH and water-air regime in the soil. That happened because of reducing the soil hydrophobicity, increasing porosity and water holding capacity. The content of the TPH in the best samples (2% biochar or ACD) reduced to their local permissible concentration accepted for remediated soils in the Russian Federation (≤5 g kg^-1) after two warm seasons compared to that after three warm seasons in the other samples. Although some sorbents decelerated biodegradation of highly condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, including benzo(a)pyrene) in the soil, the overall risk from the residual contaminants present in the remediated soil and plants was minimized. The final total content of the main PAHs in the sorbent-amended soils did not exceed the maximal permissible levels that are accepted in most EU countries (1000-40,000 μg kg^-1), and they did not accumulate in the aboveground phytomass of grasses in dangerous concentrations.

Biochar as environmental armour and its diverse role towards protecting soil, water and air

Biochar has been of considerable importance for various environmental applications in recent years. It has exhibited substantial advantages like favourable structural and surface properties, easy process of preparation and widely available feedstocks. These set of exceptional properties make it an efficient, cost-effective and environment friendly source for diversified elimination of pollutants. The heterogeneity of physico-chemical properties offers a possibility for biochar to optimize its efficacy for targeted applications. This review aims to highlight the critical role that biochar plays in various environmental applications, be it in soil, water or air. In particular the article offers a comprehensive review of the recent research findings and updates related to the diversified role of biochar. Also, the interaction of pollutants with biochar functional groups and the impact of variation of parameters on biochar attribute relevant to specific pollutant removal, modifications, mechanisms involved and competence for such removal has been discussed. Different technologies for production of biochar have also been summarized with an emphasis on post treatment of biochar, such as modification and doping. In addition to this, the underlying gaps in the studies carried out so far and recommendations for future research areas in biochar have also been deliberated.

Sorption of benzo[a]pyrene by Chernozem and carbonaceous sorbents: comparison of kinetics and interaction mechanisms

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, highly persistent and toxic and a widespread environmental pollutant. Although various technologies have been developed to remove BaP from the environment, its sorption through solid matrixes has received increasing attention due to cost-effectiveness. The present research compares the adsorption capacity of Haplic Chernozem, granular activated carbon and biochar in relation to BaP from water solution. Laboratory experiments with different initial BaP concentrations in the liquid phase and different ratios of the solid and liquid phases show that Freundlich model describes well the adsorption isotherms of BaP by the soil and both sorbents. Moreover, the BaP isotherm sorption by the Haplic Chernozem is better illustrated by the Freundlich model than the Langmuir equation. The results reveal that the sorption capacity of the carbonaceous adsorbents at a ratio 1:20 (solid to liquid phases) is orders of magnitude higher (13 368 ng mL^-1 of activated carbon and 3 578 ng mL^-1 of biochar) compared to the soil (57.8 ng mL^-1). At the ratio of 0.5:20, the adsorption capacity of the carbonaceous sorbents was 17-45 times higher than that of the soil. This is due to the higher pore volume and specific surface area of the carbonaceous sorbents than soil particles, assessed through scanning electron microscopy. The sorption kinetic of BaP by Chernozem was compared with the adsorption kinetics by the carbonaceous sorbents. Results indicate that the adsorption dynamic involves two steps. The first one is associated with a fast BaP adsorption on the large available surface and inside macro- and meso-pores of the sorbent particles of the granular activated carbon and biochar. Then, the adsorption is followed by a slower process of BaP penetration into the microporous space and/or redistribution into a hydrophobic fraction. The effectiveness of the sorption process depends on both the sorbent properties and the solvent competition. Overall, the granular activated carbon and biochar are highly effective adsorbents for BaP, whereas the Haplic Chernozem has a rather limited capacity to remove BaP from contaminated solutions.

Anaerobic bacterial responses to carbonaceous materials and implications for contaminant transformation: Cellular, metabolic, and community level findings

Carbonaceous materials (CM) enhance the abundance and activity of bacteria capable of persistent organic (micro)pollutant (POP) degradation. This review synthesizes anaerobic bacterial responses to minimally modified CM in non-fuel cell bioremediation applications at three stages: attachment, metabolism, and biofilm genetic composition. Established relationships between biological behavior and CM surface properties are identified, but temporal relationships are not well understood, making it difficult to connect substratum properties and "pioneer" bacteria with mature microorganism-CM systems. Stark differences in laboratory methodology at each temporal stage results in observational, but not causative, linkages as system complexity increases. This review is the first to critically examine relationships between material and cellular properties with respect to time. The work highlights critical knowledge gaps that must be addressed to accurately predict microorganism-CM behavior and to tailor CM properties for optimized microbial activity, critical frontiers in establishing this approach as an effective bioremediation strategy.

Responses of phenanthrene degradation to the changes in bioavailability and microbial community structure in soils amended with biochars pyrolyzed at low and high temperatures

This study investigated the impact of wheat straw biochars pyrolyzed at temperatures of 100-700 ℃ (BC100-BC700) on biodegradation of phenanthrene in soils. During a 42-day experiment, biochar amendment reduced the biodegradation ratio of phenanthrene in soils by no change-77.0%. The biodegradation ratio decreased with the increase of pyrolysis temperature from 100 to 400 ℃ and then increased with the increase of pyrolysis temperature from 400 to 700 ℃, exhibiting a U-shape. Meanwhile, desorbing fraction of phenanthrene extracted by n-butanol declined with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Biochar-derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC) obviously influenced the soil DOC contents which were negatively correlated with the total relative abundances of dominant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degraders. These results indicated that in soils amended with biochars pyrolyzed at low temperatures (i.e. 100-400 ℃), both the reduced bioavailability of phenanthrene and the reduced PAH-degrader abundance resulted in decreasing phenanthrene degradation with pyrolysis temperature. In soils amended with biochars pyrolyzed at high temperatures (i.e. 500-700 ℃; HT-biochars), two possible reasons contribute to increasing phenanthrene degradation with pyrolysis temperature: (1) high sorbed-phenanthrene concentration due to large specific surface area and high aromaticity of the biochars, and (2) the increased dominant PAH-degrader abundance for the removal of sorbed-phenanthrene due to the impact of HT-biochars on soil properties (mainly on DOC content).

Contribution of phenanthrene in different binding sites to its biodegradation in biochar-amended soils

Biochars can strongly sorb hydrophobic organic contaminants in soils. However, contribution of contaminants in different binding sites to their biodegradation in biochar-amended soils is not clear. In this work, wheat straw biochars were prepared at pyrolysis temperatures of 400 °C (BC400) and 700 °C (BC700). During a 42-day experiment, degradation rate constant of phenanthrene in soils was in the order of treatment without biochar (1.64 × 10-2 d-1) > treatment with BC700 (0.96 × 10-2 d-1) > treatment with BC400 (0.30 × 10-2 d-1). At the beginning, amendment of BC400 and BC700 reduced the rapidly desorbing fraction of phenanthrene in soils by 44.8% and 92.5%, respectively. At the end, both phenanthrene and microbial biomass highly concentrated on the biochar separated from soils. The results of a coupled model of desorption and biodegradation revealed that only phenanthrene in rapidly desorbing sites was degraded in BC400-amended soils, whereas degradation of phenanthrene in both rapidly and slowly desorbing sites occurred in BC700-amended soils, contributing 24.4% and 75.6% of the degradation, respectively. High fraction (>95%) of biodegradable phenanthrene in slowly desorbing sites was the key reason for higher biodegradation rate of phenanthrene in soils with BC700 than in soils with BC400.

The addition of biochar as a sustainable strategy for the remediation of PAH-contaminated sediments

The contamination of sediments by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been widely spread for years due to human activities, imposing the research and development of effective remediation technologies for achieving efficient treatment and reuse of sediments. In this context, the amendment of biochar in PAH-contaminated sediments has been lately proposed as an innovative and sustainable technology. This review provides detailed information about the mechanisms and impacts associated with the supplementation of biochar to sediments polluted by PAHs. The properties of biochar employed in these applications have been thoroughly examined. Sorption onto biochar is the main mechanism involved in PAH removal from sediments. Sorption efficiency can be significantly improved even in the presence of a low remediation time (i.e. 30 d) when a multi-PAH system is used and biochar is provided with a high dosage (i.e. by 5% in a mass ratio with the sediment) and a specific surface area of approximately 360 m² g^-1. The use of biochar results in a decrease (i.e. up to 20%) of the PAH degradation during bioaugmentation and phytoremediation of sediments, as a consequence of the reduction of PAH bioavailability and an increase of water and nutrient retention. In contrast, PAH degradation has been reported to increase up to 54% when nitrate is used as electron acceptor in low-temperature biochar-amended sediments. Finally, biochar is effective in co-application with Fe²⁺ for the persulfate degradation of PAHs (i.e. up to 80%), mainly when a high catalyst dose and an acidic pH are used.

Impact of digestate and its fractions on mineralization of 14C-phenanthrene in aged soil

The impact of whole digestate (WD) and its fractions (solid [SD] and liquid [LD]) on ¹⁴C-phenanthrene mineralization in soil over 90 d contact time was investigated. The ¹⁴C-phenanthrene spiked soil was aged for 1, 30, 60 and 90 d. Analysis of water-soluble nitrogen, phosphorus, total (organic and inorganic) carbon, and quantitative bacterial count were conducted at each time point to assess their impact on mineralization of ¹⁴C-phenanthrene in soils. Indigenous catabolic activity (total extents, maximum rates and lag phases) of ¹⁴C-phenanthrene mineralization were measured using respirometric soil slurry assay. The soil amended with WD outperformed the SD and LD fractions as well as showed a shorter lag phase, higher rate and extent of mineralization throughout the study. The digestates improved (P < 0.05) the microbial population and nutritive content of the soil. However, findings showed that spiking soil with phenanthrene generally reduced the growth of microbial populations from 1 to 90 d and gave a lower nutritive content in comparison with the non-spiked soil. Also, soil fertility and bacteria count were major factors driving ¹⁴C-phenanthrene mineralization. Particularly, the non-phenanthrene degraders positively influenced the cumulative mineralization of ¹⁴C-phenanthrene after 60 d incubation. Therefore, the digestates (residue from anaerobic digestion) especially WD, which enhanced ¹⁴C-phenanthrene mineralization of the soil without minimal basal salts medium nor additional degraders should be further exploited for sustainable bioremediation of PAHs contaminated soil.

A critical review of different factors governing the fate of pesticides in soil under biochar application

Pesticides are extensively used in the modern agricultural system. The inefficient and extensive use of pesticides during the last 5 to 6 decades inadvertently led to serious deterioration of environmental quality with health risk to living organisms, including humans. It is important to use some environmentally-friendly and sustainable approaches to remediate, restore and maintain soil quality. Biochar has gained considerable attention globally as a promising soil amendment because it has the ability to adsorb and as such minimize the bioavailability of pesticides in soils. This review emphasizes the recent trends and implications of biochar in pesticide-contaminated soils, as well as highlights need of the pesticides use and associated environmental issues in context of the biochar application. The overarching aim of this review is to signify the role of biochar on primary processes such as effect of biochar on the persistence, mineralization, leaching and efficacy of pesticides in soil. Notably, the effects of biochar on pesticide adsorption-desorption, degradation and bioavailability under various operating/production conditions are critically discussed. This review delineates the indirect impact of biochar on pesticides persistence in soils and proposes key recommendations for future research which are essential for the remediation and restoration of pesticides-impacted soils.

Phytoremediation and Bioremediation of Pesticide-Contaminated Soil

Management and destruction of obsolete pesticides and the remediation of pesticide-contaminated soil are significant global issues with importance in agriculture, environmental health and quality of life. Pesticide use and management have a history of problems because of insufficient knowledge of proper planning, storage, and use. This manuscript reviews recent literature with an emphasis on the management of obsolete pesticides and remediation of pesticide-contaminated soil. The rhizosphere of plants is a zone of active remediation. Plants also take up contaminated water and remove pesticides from soil. The beneficial effects of growing plants in pesticide-contaminated soil include pesticide transformation by both plant and microbial enzymes. This review addresses recent advances in the remediation of pesticide-contaminated soil with an emphasis on processes that are simple and can be applied widely in any country.

The Charosphere Promotes Mineralization of 13C-Phenanthrene by Psychrotrophic Microorganisms in Greenland Soils

When soil is frozen, biochar promotes petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) degradation, yet we still do not understand why. To investigate microbial biodegradation activity under frozen conditions, we placed 60-μm mesh bags containing 6% (v/v) biochar created from fishmeal, bonemeal, bone chip, or wood into PHC-contaminated soil, which was then frozen to -5°C. This created three soil niches: biochar particles, the charosphere (biochar-contiguous soil), and bulk soil outside of the bags. After 90 d, C-phenanthrene mineralization reached 55% in bonemeal biochar and 84% in bone chip biochar charosphere soil, compared with only 43% in bulk soil and 13% in bone chip biochar particles. Soil pH remained near neutral in bone chip and bonemeal biochar treatments, unlike wood biochar, which increased alkalinity and likely made phosphate unavailable for microorganisms. Generally, charosphere soil had higher aromatic degradative gene abundances than bulk soil, but gene abundance was not directly linked to C-phenanthrene mineralization. In bone chip biochar-amended soils, phosphate successfully predicted microbial community composition, and abundances of and increased in charosphere soil. Biochar effects on charosphere soil were dependent on feedstock material and suggest that optimizing the charosphere in bone-derived biochars may increase remediation success in northern regions.

Changes in the pattern of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil treated with biochar from a multiyear field experiment

The influence of biochar added to an agricultural soil on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels, PAH diagnostic ratios and soil properties was investigated in a five-year field experiment. The experiment was carried out in an Italian vineyard and included two biochar treatments: 16.5 t ha^-1 of biochar applied in 2009 (soil B); 16.5 t ha^-1 in 2009 and further 16.5 t ha^-1 in 2010 (soil BB). A set of 75 samples that included five replicates and a control soil (untreated) was characterized in terms of organic carbon, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), bulk density and concentration of PAHs. Biochar addition to soil caused an increase in organic carbon, pH and CEC, and a decrease of bulk density. After almost two years the first application of biochar, PAH concentrations were higher in soil B (56 ng g^-1) and BB (153 ng g^-1) in comparison to control soil (24 ng g^-1). Thereafter, PAH concentrations decreased significantly, but the original PAHs levels were reached only in soil B after five years. The naphthalene/(naphthalene + phenanthrene) ratios were higher in the treated soils in accordance to the dominance of naphthalene in the original biochar. The cross plots naphthalene/(naphthalene + phenanthrene) vs. fluoranthene/(fluoranthene + pyrene) enabled to trace the signature of biochar PAHs up to five years after its first application. Diagnostic ratios can be a useful tool to study the persistence of PAHs introduced in soil by biochar when the pattern of these contaminants in biochar and original soil are different.

Influence of biochars on the accessibility of organochlorine pesticides and microbial community in contaminated soils

Biochar can be used as a promising potential substance to reduce the availability of toxic elements and compounds in contaminated soils but its effects on the accessibility of pesticides and microbiological interactions still remain unclear. Here, 65 day incubation experiments were conducted to investigate the efficacy of biochars on the accessibility of 21 different organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and also to evaluate their influence on soil microbial community. The tested soil was collected from an agricultural field, containing loamy sand texture, and historically contaminated with high concentrations of OCPs. The soil was amended with four different kinds of biochars: sewage sludge biochar (SSBC), peanut shells biochar (PNBC), rice straw biochar (RSBC), and soybean straw biochar (SBBC). The results indicated that biochar-amendments had strong effects upon OCP accessibility over time and can act as super sorbent. Despite greater persistence of OCPs in soil, the application of selected biochars significantly (p < 0.01) reduced the accessibility of ∑OCPs in the amended soil in the order of SSBC (8-69%), PNBC (11-75%), RSBC (6-67%), and SBBC (14-86%), as compared to the control soil during 0-65 d incubation period. Moreover, the findings from total phospholipid acid (PLFA) and Illumina next-generation sequencing revealed that the incorporation of biochar have altered the soil microbial community structure over time. Higher abundances of Proteobacteria, firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Actinobacteria were found in biochar amendments. However, the relative abundances of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi decreased, following biochar addition. The findings of these experiments suggest that biochar addition to soil at the rate of 3% (w/w) could be advantageous for decreasing accessibility of OCPs, enhancing the soil microbial communities, and their subsequent risk to environment and food chain contamination.

Co-application of sewage sludge with biochar increases disappearance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from fertilized soil in long term field experiment

The application of sewage sludge with biochar as fertilizer may be a new method improves soil properties. Biochar increases of the crops productivity and reduction of bioavailability of contaminants. In the present study the persistence of sum of 16 (Σ16) PAHs (US EPA 16 PAHs) in a sewage sludge-amended soil (11t/h) and in a sewage sludge-amended soil with the addition of biochar (at a rate of 2.5, 5 or 10% of sewage sludge (dry weight basis)) was determined. This study was carried out as a plot experiment over a period of 18months. Samples for analysis were taken at the beginning of the study and after 6, 12 and 18months from the beginning of the experiment. Application of sewage sludge as a soil amendment did not cause a significant change (P≥0.05) in the soil content of Σ16 PAHs. In turn, the addition of biochar with sewage sludge to the soil, regardless of the contribution of biochar in the sewage sludge, resulted in a significant decrease in PAH content already at the beginning of the experiment. Throughout the experiment, in all treatments the PAH content varied, predominantly showing a decreasing trend. Ultimately, after 18months the content of Σ16 PAHs decreased by 19% in the experiment with sewage sludge alone and by 45, 35 and 28% in the experiment with sewage sludge and the 2.5%, 5.0% and 10% biochar rates, respectively. After 18months of the study, the largest losses in the sewage sludge-amended soil were observed for 2- and 3-ring PAHs. In the sewage sludge- and biochar-amended soil, compared to the beginning of the study and the sewage sludge-amended soil, the highest losses were found for 5- and 6-ring PAHs (2.5 and 5.0% rates) as well as for 5- and 2-ring PAHs (10% rate).

Enhanced biodegradation of PAHs in historically contaminated soil by M. gilvum inoculated biochar

The inoculation of rice straw biochar with PAH-degrading Mycobacterium gilvum (1.27 × 10¹¹ ± 1.24 × 10¹⁰ cell g^-1), and the subsequent amendment of this composite material to PAHs contaminated (677 mg kg^-1) coke plant soil, was conducted in order to investigate if would enhance PAHs biodegradation in soils. The microbe-biochar composite showed superior degradation capacity for phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene. Phenanthrene loss in the microbe-biochar composite, free cell alone and biochar alone treatments was, respectively, 62.6 ± 3.2%, 47.3 ± 4.1% and non-significant (P > 0.05); whereas for fluoranthene loss it was 52.1 ± 2.3%; non-significant (P > 0.05) and non-significant (P > 0.05); and for pyrene loss it was 62.1 ± 0.9%; 19.7 ± 6.5% and 13.5 ± 2.8%. It was hypothesized that the improved remediation was underpinned by i) biochar enhanced mass transfer of PAHs from the soil to the carbonaceous biochar "sink", and ii) the subsequent degradation of the PAHs by the immobilized M. gilvum. To test this mechanism, a surfactant (Brij 30; 20 mg g^-1 soil), was added to impede PAHs mass transfer to biochar and sorption. The surfactant increased solution phase PAH concentrations and significantly (P < 0.05) reduced PAH degradation in the biochar immobilized M. gilvum treatments; indicating the enhanced degradation occurred between the immobilized M. gilvum and biochar sorbed PAHs.

Exposure of agricultural crops to nanoparticle CeO2 in biochar-amended soil

Biochar is seeing increased usage as an amendment in agricultural soils but the significance of nanoscale interactions between this additive and engineered nanoparticles (ENP) remains unknown. Corn, lettuce, soybean and zucchini were grown for 28 d in two different soils (agricultural, residential) amended with 0-2000 mg engineered nanoparticle (ENP) CeO2 kg-1 and biochar (350 °C or 600 °C) at application rates of 0-5% (w/w). At harvest, plants were analyzed for biomass, Ce content, chlorophyll and lipid peroxidation. Biomass from the four species grown in residential soil varied with species and biochar type. However, biomass in the agricultural soil amended with biochar 600 °C was largely unaffected. Biochar co-exposure had minimal impact on Ce accumulation, with reduced or increased Ce content occurring at the highest (5%) biochar level. Soil-specific and biochar-specific effects on Ce accumulation were observed in the four species. For example, zucchini grown in agricultural soil with 2000 mg CeO2 kg-1 and 350 °C biochar (0.5-5%) accumulated greater Ce than the control. However, for the 600 °C biochar, the opposite effect was evident, with decreased Ce content as biochar increased. A principal component analysis showed that biochar type accounted for 56-99% of the variance in chlorophyll and lipid peroxidation across the plants. SEM and μ-XRF showed Ce association with specific biochar and soil components, while μ-XANES analysis confirmed that after 28 d in soil, the Ce remained largely as CeO2. The current study demonstrates that biochar synthesis conditions significantly impact interactions with ENP, with subsequent effects on particle fate and effects.

Combination of biochar amendment and phytoremediation for hydrocarbon removal in petroleum-contaminated soil

Remediation of soils contaminated with petroleum is a challenging task. Four different bioremediation strategies, including natural attenuation, biochar amendment, phytoremediation with ryegrass, and a combination of biochar and ryegrass, were investigated with greenhouse pot experiments over a 90-day period. The results showed that planting ryegrass in soil can significantly improve the removal rate of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and the number of microorganisms. Within TPHs, the removal rate of total n-alkanes (45.83 %) was higher than that of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (30.34 %). The amendment of biochar did not result in significant improvement of TPH removal. In contrast, it showed a clear negative impact on the growth of ryegrass and the removal of TPHs by ryegrass. The removal rate of TPHs was significantly lower after the amendment of biochar. The results indicated that planting ryegrass is an effective remediation strategy, while the amendment of biochar may not be suitable for the phytoremediation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons.

Persistence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biochar-amended soil

In the present study the persistence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) applied with biochar to acidic soil (loamy sand) was studied in two and half year field experiment. An experiment was carried out in three experimental plots (15 m(2) each). The biochar was introduced in the following doses: soil without fertilization - control (C-BC00), soil with 30 t ha(-1) (B-BC30) and soil with 45 t ha(-1) (A-BC45) of biochar. Biochar addition to soils resulted in an increase in the PAHs content from 0.239 μg g(-1) in control soil to 0.526 μg g(-1) and 1.310 μg g(-1) in 30 and 45 t ha(-1) biochar-amended soil respectively. However during the experimental period the PAHs content decreased to a level characteristic for the control soil. The highest losses of PAHs were observed during the first 105 days of the experiment. Three and four rings PAHs were the most susceptible for degradation and leaching. Migration of PAHs from 0-10 cm to 10-20 cm soil horizon was also observed.

The influence of various biochars on the bioaccessibility and bioaccumulation of PAHs and potentially toxic elements to turnips (Brassica rapa L.)

The influence of amending a contaminated soil with different dry-pyrolyzed biochars on the bioaccessibility and biouptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and potentially toxic elements (PTE) in turnip (Brassica rapa L.,) was investigated. This is the first study to examine the influence of biochar amendments on turnips grown in a contaminated soil. The biochars came from different local feedstocks, including sewage sludge biochar (SSBC), soybean straw biochar (SBBC), rice straw biochar (RSBC) and peanut shell biochar (PNBC). The biochars were applied to soil at 2% and 5% amendments, and the resulting influence on various soil and porewater properties were quantified. The bioaccessible concentrations of PAHs in soil and their bioaccumulation in B. rapa L. significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in the biochar amended soils. Biochar additions significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced the bioaccumulation of PTEs (As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in B. rapa L, though not as much as for PAHs. The most effective biochar at reducing both PAHs and PTEs was PNBC (P ≤ 0.05). Amendments of 5% biochar were more effective at reducing contaminant bioaccessibility than amendments at 2% (P < 0.05). Crop yield, however, increased the most for the 2% biochar amendments, in particular for SSBC (with a 49% increase in crop yield compared to the non-amended soil). Therefore, which biochar would be the most advantageous in this system would require a cost-benefit analysis between increasing crop yield (best achieved with 2% SSBC amendments) and decreasing the PAH and PTE uptake (best achieved with 5% PNBC amendments).

The impact of carbon nanomaterials on the development of phenanthrene catabolism in soil

This study investigates the impact of different types of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) namely C60, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and fullerene soot on the catabolism of (14)C-phenanthrene in soil by indigenous microorganisms. Different concentrations (0%, 0.01%, 0.1% and 1%) of the different CNMs were blended with soil spiked with 50 mg kg(-1) of (12)C-phenanthrene, and aged for 1, 25, 50 and 100 days. An increase in the concentration of MWCNT- and FS-amended soils showed a significant difference (P = 0.014) in the lag phase, maximum rates and overall extent of (14)C-phenanthrene mineralisation. Microbial cell numbers did not show an obvious trend, but it was observed that control soils had the highest population of heterotrophic and phenanthrene degrading bacteria at all time points.

Impact of activated carbon on the catabolism of (14)C-phenanthrene in soil

Activated carbon amendment to contaminated soil has been proposed as an alternative remediation strategy to the management of persistent organic pollutant in soils and sediments. The impact of varying concentrations (0%, 0.01%, 0.1% and 1.0%) of different types of AC on the development of phenanthrene catabolism in soil was investigated. Mineralisation of (14)C-phenanthrene was measured using respirometric assays. The increase in concentration of CB4, AQ5000 or CP1 in soil led to an increase in the length of the lag phases. Statistical analyses showed that the addition of increasing concentrations of AC to the soil significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the extent of (14)C-phenanthrene mineralisation. For example, for CB4-, AQ5000- and CP1-amended soils, the overall extent of (14)C-phenanthrene mineralisation reduced from 43.1% to 3.28%, 36.9% to 0.81% and 39.6% to 0.96%, respectively, after 120 days incubation. This study shows that the properties of AC, such as surface area, pore volume and particle size, are important factors in controlling the kinetics of (14)C-phenanthrene mineralisation in soil.

The impact of biochar on the bioaccessibility of (14)C-phenanthrene in aged soil

Biochar is a carbon rich product from the incomplete combustion of biomass and it has been shown to reduce bioavailability of organic contaminants through adsorption. This study investigated the influence of 0%, 1%, 5% and 10% of two different particle sized wood biochars (≤2 mm and 3-7 mm) on the bioaccessibility of (14)C-phenanthrene (10 mg kg(-1)) in aged soil. The extent of (14)C-phenanthrene mineralisation by phenanthrene-degrading Pseudomonas sp. inoculum was monitored over a 14 day period in respirometric assays and compared to hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) aqueous extraction. Notably, biochar amendments showed significant reduction in extents of mineralisation and HPCD extraction. Linear correlations between HPCD extractability and the total amount mineralised revealed good correlations, with 2 mm biochar showing a best fit (r(2) = 0.97, slope = 1.11, intercept = 1.72). Biochar reduced HPCD extractability and bioaccessibility of (14)C-phenanthrene to microorganisms in a similar manner. Biochar can aid risk reduction to phenanthrene exposure to biota in soil and HPCD can serve as a useful tool to assess the extent of exposure in biochar-amended soils.

Impact of soil amendments and the plant rhizosphere on PAH behaviour in soil

Carbonaceous amendments reduce PAH dissolved concentrations (Cfree), limiting their uptake and toxicity. A soil contaminated with PAHs was mixed with activated carbon (AC), charcoal or compost and planted with radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and Cfree, chemical activities and diffusive uptake of the PAHs measured over 2 months. For AC, Cfree and diffusive uptake were decreased by up to 94% compared to the unamended soil within one week. In addition, the sum chemical activity of the PAHs remained below the threshold for baseline toxicity. In contrast, charcoal and compost only led to modest reductions in Cfree and diffusive uptake, with sum chemical activities that could potentially result in baseline toxicity being observed. Furthermore, both Cfree and diffusive uptake were lower in the planted compared to unplanted soils. Therefore, only AC successfully reduced PAH acute toxicity in the soil, but plant-promoted microbial degradation may also play an important role in PAH attenuation.

Impact of Zn and Cu on the development of phenanthrene catabolism in soil

Mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals are of major concern in contaminated soil. Biodegradation of PAHs in metal-contaminated soils is complicated because metals are toxic and cannot be degraded by biological processes. This investigation considered the effects of Zn and Cu (50, 100, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg) on (14)C-phenanthrene biodegradation in soil over 60-day contact time. The presence of Zn at all concentrations and low concentrations of Cu (50 and 100 mg/kg) had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the development of phenanthrene catabolism; however, at higher Cu concentrations, the development of phenanthrene catabolism and bacterial cell numbers were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). This suggests that Cu is more toxic than Zn to soil microbial PAH catabolic activity. Metal/PAH-contaminated soils represent one of the most difficult remedial challenges and insights into PAH biodegradation in the presence of metals is necessary in order to assess the potential for bioremediation.

Influence of biochar on isoproturon partitioning and bioaccessibility in soil

The influence of biochar (5%) on the loss, partitioning and bioaccessibility of (14)C-isoproturon ((14)C-IPU) was evaluated. Results indicated that biochar had a dramatic effect upon (14)C-IPU partitioning: (14)C-IPU extractability (0.01 M CaCl2) in biochar-amended treatments was reduced to <2% while, (14)C-IPU extractability in biochar free treatments decreased with ageing from 90% to 40%. A partitioning model was constructed to derive an effective partition coefficient for biochar:water (KBW of 7.82 × 10(4) L kg(-1)). This was two orders of magnitude greater than the apparent Kfoc value of the soil organic carbon:water (631 L kg(-1)). (14)C-radiorespirometry assays indicated high competence of microorganisms to mineralise (14)C-IPU in the absence of biochar (40.3 ± 0.9%). Where biochar was present (14)C-IPU mineralisation never exceeded 2%. These results indicate reduced herbicide bioaccessibility. Increasing IPU application to ×10 its recommended dose was ineffective at redressing IPU sequestration and its low bioaccessibility.

Impact of activated carbon, biochar and compost on the desorption and mineralization of phenanthrene in soil

Sorption of PAHs to carbonaceous soil amendments reduces their dissolved concentrations, limiting toxicity but also potentially biodegradation. Therefore, the maximum abiotic desorption of freshly sorbed phenanthrene (≤5 mg kg(-1)) was measured in three soils amended with activated carbon (AC), biochar or compost. Total amounts of phenanthrene desorbed were similar between the different soils, but the amendment type had a large influence. Complete desorption was observed in the unamended and compost amended soils, but this reduced for biochar (41% desorbed) and AC (8% desorbed). Cumulative amounts mineralized were 28% for the unamended control, 19% for compost, 13% for biochar and 4% for AC. Therefore, the effects of the amendments in soil in reducing desorption were also reflected in the extents of mineralization. Modeling was used to analyze key processes, indicating that for the AC and charcoal treatments bacterial activity did not limit mineralization, but rather desorption into the dissolved phase.

Comparing the desorption and biodegradation of low concentrations of phenanthrene sorbed to activated carbon, biochar and compost

Carbonaceous soil amendments are applied to contaminated soils and sediments to strongly sorb hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) and reduce their freely dissolved concentrations. This limits biouptake and toxicity, but also biodegradation. To investigate whether HOCs sorbed to such amendments can be degraded at all, the desorption and biodegradation of low concentrations of (14)C-labelled phenanthrene (≤5 μg L(-1)) freshly sorbed to suspensions of the pure soil amendments activated carbon (AC), biochar (charcoal) and compost were compared. Firstly, the maximum abiotic desorption of phenanthrene from soil amendment suspensions in water, minimal salts medium (MSM) or tryptic soy broth (TSB) into a dominating silicone sink were measured. Highest fractions remained sorbed to AC (84±2.3%, 87±4.1%, and 53±1.2% for water, MSM and TSB, respectively), followed by charcoal (35±2.2%, 32±1.7%, and 12±0.3%, respectively) and compost (1.3±0.21%, similar for all media). Secondly, the mineralization of phenanthrene sorbed to AC, charcoal and compost by Sphingomonas sp. 10-1 (DSM 12247) was determined. In contrast to the amounts desorbed, phenanthrene mineralization was similar for all the soil amendments at about 56±11% of the initially applied radioactivity. Furthermore, HPLC analyses showed only minor amounts (<5%) of residual phenanthrene remaining in the suspensions, indicating almost complete biodegradation. Fitting the data to a coupled desorption and biodegradation model revealed that desorption did not limit biodegradation for any of the amendments, and that degradation could proceed due to the high numbers of bacteria and/or the production of biosurfactants or biofilms. Therefore, reduced desorption of phenanthrene from AC or charcoal did not inhibit its biodegradation, which implies that under the experimental conditions these amendments can reduce freely dissolved concentration without hindering biodegradation. In contrast, phenanthrene sorbed to compost was fully desorbed and biodegraded.

Fullerene-enhanced accumulation of p,p'-DDE in agricultural crop species

The effect of C(60) fullerene exposure on the accumulation of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE; DDT metabolite) by Cucurbita pepo L. (zucchini), Glycine max L. (soybean), and Solanum lycopersicum L. (tomato) was determined. The plants were grown in 125 mL jars of vermiculite amended with 0 or 40 mg of C(60) fullerenes. Prior to planting, the jars were amended with 40 mL solution containing 100 ng/mL of p,p'-DDE with 0 or 100 mg/L humic acid. During three weeks of growth, plants were watered with the same p,p'-DDE containing solutions. Total shoot p,p'-DDE levels in nonfullerene exposed tomato, soybean, and zucchini were 26.9, 131, and 675 ng, respectively; total root DDE content for the three plants was 402, 5970, and 5830 ng, respectively. Fullerenes increased the shoot p,p'-DDE content of zucchini by 29%; contaminant levels in soybean shoots were decreased by 48% but tomato shoot content was unaffected. The root and total plant p,p'-DDE content of all three species was significantly increased by fullerene exposure; enhanced contaminant uptake ranged from 30 to 65%. Humic acid, regardless of fullerene presence or plant type, significantly decreased the p,p'-DDE uptake. Fullerenes were detected in the roots of all plants but were not detected in plant shoots in the initial study. In a follow up study with zucchini designed to maximize biomass for extraction, over half the analyzed stems contained fullerenes at 60.5 to 4490 ng/g. These findings show that the carbon-based nanomaterials may significantly alter the accumulation and potentially the toxicity of cocontaminants in agricultural systems.

Release of pentachlorophenol from black carbon-inclusive sediments under different environmental conditions

To investigate the feasibility of using black carbon (BC) in the control of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in sediment, we added BCs from various sources (rice straw charcoal (RC), fly ash (FC) and soot (SC)) to sediment to create different BC-inclusive sediments and studied the release of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the sediments under different condition. Different pH values had no obvious effect on the release of PCP in BC-inclusive sediment, but solid/liquid ratio, temperature, salinity and dissolved organic matter (DOM) content had significant influences on the release of PCP in all sediments except the RC-inclusive sediment. Adding 2% RC to sediment resulted in a 90% decrease in PCP release, which was a greater decrease than observed with FC- and SC-inclusive sediments. Therefore, from the standpoint of HOC release, the application of RC is feasible for organic pollution control in the water environment.

A review of biochars' potential role in the remediation, revegetation and restoration of contaminated soils

Biochars are biological residues combusted under low oxygen conditions, resulting in a porous, low density carbon rich material. Their large surface areas and cation exchange capacities, determined to a large extent by source materials and pyrolysis temperatures, enables enhanced sorption of both organic and inorganic contaminants to their surfaces, reducing pollutant mobility when amending contaminated soils. Liming effects or release of carbon into soil solution may increase arsenic mobility, whilst low capital but enhanced retention of plant nutrients can restrict revegetation on degraded soils amended only with biochars; the combination of composts, manures and other amendments with biochars could be their most effective deployment to soils requiring stabilisation by revegetation. Specific mechanisms of contaminant-biochar retention and release over time and the environmental impact of biochar amendments on soil organisms remain somewhat unclear but must be investigated to ensure that the management of environmental pollution coincides with ecological sustainability.

Impact of black carbon originated from fly ash and soot on the toxicity of pentachlorophenol in sediment

The widely existing fly ash and soot produced during the process of combustion, which are often known as waste but also an important source of black carbon (BC) in the environment, were treated by HCl and HF solution for this study, and recorded as FC and SC, respectively. A series of experiments were carried out to investigate the toxicity of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in sediment, influence of various BCs in sediment with different contents (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 5% and 10%) on the extractability and toxicity of PCP (50mg/kg), and toxicity of various BC in sediment. The results demonstrated that the PCP exposure to wheat seed exhibited a dose-dependent behavior, and the extractability and toxicity of PCP decreased with the increasing content of BC in sediment. The PCP extractable rate was significantly (P<0.01) influenced by the higher content of BCs. Noticeably, each BC had no toxic but stimulative effect on root elongation and early seedling growth. Furthermore, it was found that the inhibitive effect on the extractability and toxicity of PCP and the stimulative effect on root elongation and early seedling growth caused by SC were more evident than FC.