title: Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water: a review.
abstract: Biochar is a stable carbon-rich by-product synthesized through pyrolysis/carbonization of plant- and animal-based biomass. An increasing interest in the beneficial application of biochar has opened up multidisciplinary areas for science and engineering. The potential biochar applications include carbon sequestration, soil fertility improvement, pollution remediation, and agricultural by-product/waste recycling. The key parameters controlling its properties include pyrolysis temperature, residence time, heat transfer rate, and feedstock type. The efficacy of biochar in contaminant management depends on its surface area, pore size distribution and ion-exchange capacity. Physical architecture and molecular composition of biochar could be critical for practical application to soil and water. Relatively high pyrolysis temperatures generally produce biochars that are effective in the sorption of organic contaminants by increasing surface area, microporosity, and hydrophobicity; whereas the biochars obtained at low temperatures are more suitable for removing inorganic/polar organic contaminants by oxygen-containing functional groups, electrostatic attraction, and precipitation. However, due to complexity of soil-water system in nature, the effectiveness of biochars on remediation of various organic/inorganic contaminants is still uncertain. In this review, a succinct overview of current biochar use as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water is summarized and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea; University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mahtab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Anushka Upamali
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Rajapaksha
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, PR China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Nanthi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bolan
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Environmental Systems Modeling Research Group, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Meththika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vithanage
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Korea Biochar Research Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea; Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, PR China; Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: soilok@kangwon.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yong Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ok
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014873:Water Pollutants; C540010:biochar; D002606:Charcoal
keywords: Activated carbon; Amendment; Bioavailability; Black carbon; Charcoal; Slow pyrolysis