title: Biochar Supported Nanoscale Iron Particles for the Efficient Removal of Methyl Orange Dye in Aqueous Solutions.
abstract: The presence of organic contaminants in industrial effluents is an environmental concern of increasing global importance. One innovative technology for treating contaminated industrial effluents is nanoscale zero-valent iron supported on biochar (nZVI/BC). Based on Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller characterizations, the nZVI was well dispersed on the biochar and aggregation was dramatically reduced. Methyl orange (MO) served as the representative organic contaminant for verifying the effectiveness of the composite. Using decolorization efficiency as an indicator of treatment effectiveness, increasing doses of nZVI/BC yielded progressively better results with 98.51% of MO decolorized by 0.6 g/L of composite at an nZVI/BC mass ratio of 1:5. The superior decolorization efficiency of the nZVI/BC was attributed to the increase in the dispersion and reactivity of nZVI while biochar increasing the contact area with contaminant and the adsorption of composites. Additionally, the buffering function of acid-washed biochar could be in favor of maintaining the reactivity of nZVI. Furthermore, the aging nZVI/BC for 30 day was able to maintain the removal efficiency indicating that the oxidation of nZVI may be delayed in the presence of biochar. Therefore, the composite of nZVI/BC could represent an effective functional material for treating wastewater containing organic dyes in the future.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: College of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
authors.forename: Shichen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Jingchun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Linbo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Mengfang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000388:Air; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D001546:Bentonite; D002606:Charcoal; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010316:Particle Size; D016062:Porosity; D013499:Surface Properties; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D001546:Bentonite; D002606:Charcoal; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007501:Iron; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C540010:biochar; C020748:ferrous sulfate; C100258:methyl orange