Effects of aging on surface properties and endogenous copper and zinc leachability of swine manure biochar and its composite with alkali-fused fly ash

A systematic review of biochar aging and the potential eco-environmental risk in heavy metal contaminated soil

Biochar is widely accepted as a green and effective amendment for remediating heavy metals (HMs) contaminated soil, but its long-term efficiency and safety changes with biochar aging in fields. Currently, some reviews have qualitatively summarized biochar aging methods and mechanisms, aging-induced changes in biochar properties, and often ignored the potential eco-environmental risk during biochar aging process. Therefore, this review systematically summarizes the study methods of biochar aging, quantitatively compares the effects of different biochar aging process on its properties, and discusses the potential eco-environmental risk due to biochar aging in HMs contaminated soil. At present, various artificial aging methods (physical aging, chemical aging and biological aging) rather than natural field aging have been applied to study the changes of biochar's properties. Generally, biochar aging increases specific surface area (SSA), pore volume (PV), surface oxygen-containing functional group (OFGs) and O content, while decreases pH, ash, H, C and N content. Chemical aging method has a greater effect on the properties of biochar than other aging methods. In addition, biochar aging may lead to HMs remobilization and produce new types of pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) and colloidal/nano biochar particles, which consequently bring secondary eco-environmental risk. Finally, future research directions are suggested to establish a more accurate assessment method and model on biochar aging behavior and evaluate the environmental safety of aged biochar, in order to promote its wider application for remediating HMs contaminated soil.

Co-pyrolysis of alkali-fused fly ash and corn stover to synthesize biochar composites for remediating lead-contaminated soil

Fly ash (FA) is mainly composed of silica, alumina, and other metal oxide components, and has a positive stabilizing effect on soil heavy metals. Biochar composites produced from FA and corn stover (CS) can improve its remediation performance. Therefore, a batch of biochar composites (alkali-fused FA-CS biochars, ABs), synthesized via co-pyrolysis of CS and alkali-fused FA (AFFA) at different temperatures of 300, 500, and 700 °C (AB300-1, AB500-1, and AB700-1) and CS to AFFA mass ratios of 10:1, 10:2, and 10:5 (AB500-1, AB500-2, and AB500-5), was used to remediate lead (Pb)-contaminated soil. Compared with pristine biochars (BCs), ABs were enriched with oxygen-containing functional groups (Si-O-Si and Si-O) and aromatic structures. The ABs prepared at lower pyrolytic temperature (≤500 °C) and lower ratio of CS to AFFA (10:1) showed higher yield and stability. The contents of Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP)-extractable Pb and DTPA-CaCl2-triethanolamine (DTPA)-extractable Pb were generally lower in the soils amended with ABs than BCs. Compared with other ABs such as AB300-1, AB500-2, AB500-5, and AB700-1, the soil amended with AB500-1 had lower contents of TCLP and DTPA-extractable Pb (24% reduction), exhibiting superior performance in stabilizing Pb in the soil. The gradual decrease of DTPA-extractable Pb content in the soil with increasing dosage of AB500-1 amendments suggests that AB500-1 facilitated the conversion of bioavailable Pb to the stable and less toxic residual fractions. Specifically, the highest percentage of residual fraction of Pb in soil amended with AB500-1 was 14%. Correlation analyses showed that the soil DTPA-extractable Pb content decreased with the increase of soil pH and cation-exchange capacity (CEC) value. ABs stabilize Pb in the soils mainly via electrostatic attraction, precipitation, cation-π interaction, cation exchange, and complexation. These findings provide insights for producing functionalized biochar composites from industrial waste like FA and biomass waste for remediating the soils polluted by heavy metals.

A critical review of biochar as an environmental functional material in soil ecosystems for migration and transformation mechanisms and ecological risk assessment

At present, biochar has a large application potential in soil amelioration, pollution remediation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction, and research on the effect of biochar on soil ecology and environment has made positive progress. However, under natural and anthropogenic perturbations, biochar may undergo a series of environmental behaviors such as migratory transformation, mineralization and decomposition, and synergistic transport, thus posing certain potential risks. This paper outlines the multi-interfacial migration pathway of biochar in "air-soil-plant-animal-water", and analyzes the migration process and mechanism at different interfaces during the preparation, transportation and application of biochar. The two stages of the biochar mineralization process (mineralization of easily degradable aliphatic carbon components in the early stage and mineralization of relatively stable aromatic carbon components in the later stage) were described, the self-influencing factors and external environmental factors of biochar mineralization were analyzed, and the mineral stabilization mechanism and positive/negative excitation effects of biochar into the soil were elucidated. The proximity between field natural and artificially simulated aging of biochar were analyzed, and the change of its properties showed a trend of biological aging > chemical aging > physical aging > natural aging, and in order to improve the simulation and prediction, the artificially simulated aging party needs to be changed from a qualitative method to a quantitative method. The technical advantages, application scope and potential drawbacks of different biochar modification methods were compared, and biological modification can create new materials with enhanced environmental application. The stability performance of modified biochar was compared, indicating that raw materials, pyrolysis temperature and modification method were the key factors affecting the stability of biochar. The potential risks to the soil environment from different pollutants carried by biochar were summarized, the levels of pollutants released from biochar in the soil environment were highlighted, and a comprehensive selection of ecological risk assessment methods was suggested in terms of evaluation requirements, data acquisition and operation difficulty. Dynamic tracing of migration decomposition behavior, long-term assessment of pollution remediation effects, and directional design of modified composite biochar materials were proposed as scientific issues worthy of focused attention. The results can provide a certain reference basis for the theoretical research and technological development of biochar.

New insights into the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the spectroscopy properties of dissolved organic matter in manure-based biochar

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from biochar takes a crucial role in transport and bioavailability toward contaminants; hence, it is undeniable that a thorough analysis of its properties is important. So far, the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the functional groups, components, and evolutionary sequence of manure-based biochar DOM has not been adequately investigated. Here, DOM was released from two typical livestock manures (cow and pig) at five pyrolysis temperatures (300 ~ 700°C), and it was explored in depth with the aid of moving window 2D correlation spectroscopy (MW-2D-COS) and heterogeneous 2D correlation spectroscopy (hetero-2D-COS). The results demonstrated that the concentration, aromaticity, and hydrophobicity of DOM were greater at high temperatures, and more DOM was liberated from cow manure-based biochar at identical temperature. Protein-like compounds dominated at high temperatures. The pyrolysis temperatures of final configuration transformation points of the fulvic acid-like component and the aromatic ring C=C in DOM were 400°C and 500°C, respectively. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with two-dimensional correlation analysis indicated that the functional group evolution of DOM depends on the pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type. The study provides a new perspective on manure management and environmental applications of biochar.

Biochar application for the remediation of soil contaminated with potentially toxic elements: Current situation and challenges

Recently, biochar has garnered extensive attention in the remediation of soils contaminated with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) owing to its exceptional adsorption properties and straightforward operation. Most researchers have primarily concentrated on the effects, mechanisms, impact factors, and risks of biochar in remediation of PTEs. However, concerns about the long-term safety and impact of biochar have restricted its application. This review aims to establish a basis for the large-scale popularization of biochar for remediating PTEs-contaminated soil based on a review of interactive mechanisms between soil, PTEs and biochar, as well as the current situation of biochar for remediation in PTEs scenarios. Biochar can directly interact with PTEs or indirectly with soil components, influencing the bioavailability, mobility, and toxicity of PTEs. The efficacy of biochar in remediation varies depending on biomass feedstock, pyrolysis temperature, type of PTEs, and application rate. Compared to pristine biochar, modified biochar offers feasible solutions for tailoring specialized biochar suited to specific PTEs-contaminated soil. Main challenges limiting the applications of biochar are overdose and potential risks. The used biochar is separated from the soil that not only actually removes PTEs, but also mitigates the negative long-term effects of biochar. A sustainable remediation technology is advocated that enables the recovery and regeneration (95.0-95.6%) of biochar from the soil and the removal of PTEs (the removal rate of Cd is more than 20%) from the soil. Finally, future research directions are suggested to augment the environmental safety of biochar and promote its wider application.

Synthesizing sulfhydryl-functionalized biochar for effectively removing mercury ions from contaminated water

Biochar is regarded as an effective adsorbent for heavy metal pollution treatment, and functional optimization is still needed to improve its performance. We created raw biochar (BC and BP) from corn straw and pine sawdust, which were modified to produce sulfhydryl-modified biochar (MBC and MBP). Isothermal adsorption experiments and adsorption kinetics experiments as well as the related model fitting were performed to evaluate the adsorption performance of biochar on Hg(II). According to the results of the Langmuir model fitting, the maximum adsorption capacities of sulfhydryl-modified biochar were 193.05 mg/g (MBC) and 178.04 mg/g (MBP), respectively, which were approximately 1.6 times higher than the raw biochar. The results showed that adding sulfhydryl groups to biochar can improve its adsorption performance. The prompt effect resulted from the sulfhydryl modification providing additional functional groups and enhanced chemisorption and physical adsorption properties.

Effects of physical aging processes on the bioavailability of heavy metals in contaminated site soil amended with chicken manure and wheat straw biochars

The physicochemical properties of biochars undergo slow changes in soils due to the natural aging processes, which influences their interaction with heavy metals. The effects of aging on immobilization of co-existing heavy metals in contaminated soils amended with fecal and plant biochars possessing contrasting properties remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of wet-dry and freeze-thaw aging on the bioavailability (extractable by 0.01 M CaCl₂) and chemical fractionation of Cd and Pb in a contaminated site soil amended with 2.5% (w/w) chicken manure (CM) biochar and wheat straw (WS) biochar. Compared to that in the unamended soil, the contents of bioavailable Cd and Pb in CM biochar-amended soil decreased by 18.0% and 30.8%, respectively, after 60 wet-dry cycles, and by 16.9% and 52.5%, respectively, after 60 freeze-thaw cycles. CM biochar, which contained significant levels of phosphates and carbonates, effectively reduced the bioavailability of Cd and Pb and transformed them from the labile chemical fractions to the more stable ones in the soil during the accelerated aging processes, mainly through precipitation and complexation. In contrast, WS biochar failed to immobilize Cd in the co-contaminated soil in both aging regimes, and was only effective at immobilizing Pb under freeze-thaw aging. The changes in the immobilization of co-existing Cd and Pb in the contaminated soil resulted from aging-induced increase in oxygenated functional groups on biochar surface, destruction of the biochar's porous structure, and release of dissolved organic carbon from the aged biochar and soil. These findings could help guide the selection of suitable biochars for simultaneous immobilization of multiple heavy metals in co-contaminated soil under changing environmental conditions (e.g., rainfall, and freezing and thawing of soils).

Effect of ageing on biochar properties and pollutant management

Biochar is a carbon-rich pyrogenic material for multifunctional environmental applications such as carbon sequestration, soil amendment, and pollutant management, etc. Owing to long-term existing in the soil, biochar would inevitably suffer from natural geochemical weathering. Such ageing process could pose nonnegligible impacts on the physicochemical property and functionality of biochar. For an object-oriented design of biochar under different application ageing conditions, the latest research progress on ageing methods, biochar properties, and pollutant sorption performance needs to be fully understood. Specifically, the effect of soil components on biochar ageing is critically reviewed, which is of importance but not fully explored so far. The decrease of ash in aged biochar can inhibit the adsorption of heavy metals. The loss of aromatic components and the formation of three-dimensional water clusters during the ageing process have a negative impact on high-temperature biochar (>500° C) for organic pollutants adsorption. For long-term soil remediation, these results remind us to carefully use high-ash biochar for heavy metals and high-temperature biochar for organic pollutants. The interaction between soil minerals and biochar can form organometallic complexes and change functional groups to enhance the oxidation resistance of biochar. In the present review, the current research on biochar ageing are critical reviewed, and the further researches are prospected including developing advanced artificial ageing methods, exploring the impact of soil components on biochar ageing, and clarifying the long-term environmental behavior of modified biochar.

Functional utilization of biochar derived from Tenebrio molitor feces for CO2 capture and supercapacitor applications

Biochar has attracted great interest in both CO2 capture and supercapacitor applications due to its unique physicochemical properties and low cost.

Application of co-pyrolysis biochar for the adsorption and immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated environmental substrates

Heavy metal pollution has been considered as a serious threat to the environment and human in the past decades due to its toxic and unbiodegradable properties. Recently, extensive studies have been carried out on the removal of heavy metals, and various adsorption materials have been successfully developed. Among, biochar is a promising option because of its advantages of various biomass sources, abundant microporous channels and surface functional groups, as well as its attractive economic feasibility. However, the application of pristine biochar is limited by its low adsorption capacity and nonregenerative property. Co-pyrolysis biochar, produced from the pyrolysis of biomass with the addition of another biomass or non-biomass precursor, is potential in overcoming the limitation of pristine biochar and achieving superior performance for heavy metal adsorption and immobilization. Therefore, this article summarizes the recent advances in development and applications of co-pyrolysis biochar for adsorption and immobilization of various heavy metals in contaminated environmental substrates. In details, the production, characteristics and advantages of co-pyrolysis biochar are initially presented. Subsequently, the adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of different heavy metals (including Hg, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, As, etc.) in flue gas and wastewater by co-pyrolysis biochar are reviewed, as well as factors influencing their adsorption capacities. Meanwhile, the immobilization of heavy metals in both biochar itself and contaminated soils by co-pyrolysis biochar is discussed. Finally, the limitations of current studies and future prospects are proposed. It aims at providing a guideline for the exploitation and application of cost-effective and environmental-friendly co-pyrolysis biochar in the decontamination of environmental substrates.