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Palansooriya KN, Yoon IH, Kim SM, Wang CH, Kwon H, Lee SH, Igalavithana AD, Mukhopadhyay R, Sarkar B, Ok YS. Designer biochar with enhanced functionality for efficient removal of radioactive cesium and strontium from water. Environ Res 2022; 214:114072. [PMID: 35987372 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive elements released into the environment by accidental discharge constitute serious health hazards to humans and other organisms. In this study, three gasified biochars prepared from feedstock mixtures of wood, chicken manure, and food waste, and a KOH-activated biochar (40% food waste + 60% wood biochar (WFWK)) were used to remove cesium (Cs+) and strontium (Sr2+) ions from water. The physicochemical properties of the biochars before and after adsorbing Cs+ and Sr2+ were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, extended X-Ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The WFWK exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for Cs+ (62.7 mg/g) and Sr2+ (43.0 mg/g) among the biochars tested herein. The removal of radioactive 137Cs and 90Sr exceeded 80% and 47%, respectively, in the presence of competing ions like Na+ and Ca2+. The functional groups present in biochar, including -OH, -NH2, and -COOH, facilitated the adsorption of Cs+ and Sr2+. The Cs K-edge EXAFS spectra revealed that a single coordination shell was assigned to the Cs-O bonding at 3.11 Å, corresponding to an outer-sphere complex formed between Cs and the biochar. The designer biochar WFWK may be used as an effective adsorbent to treat radioactive 137Cs- and 90Sr-contaminated water generated during the operation of nuclear power plants and/or unintentional release, owing to the enrichment effect of the functional groups in biochar via alkaline activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumuduni Niroshika Palansooriya
- Korea Biochar Research Center, APRU Sustainable Waste Management & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - In-Ho Yoon
- Decontamination Technology Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon, 34057, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Man Kim
- Decontamination Technology Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon, 34057, Republic of Korea
| | - Chi-Hwa Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Hyeonjin Kwon
- Decontamination Technology Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon, 34057, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Ho Lee
- Disposal Performance Demonstration Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon, 34057, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Raj Mukhopadhyay
- Division of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India
| | - Binoy Sarkar
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
| | - Yong Sik Ok
- Korea Biochar Research Center, APRU Sustainable Waste Management & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea.
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