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Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation
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Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 17263

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yunhui Zhang

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Guest Editor
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 200092 Shanghai, China
Interests: soil/sediment remediation; permeable reactive barrier; adsorption; biochar; stabilization/solidification
Prof. Dr. Fan Yang

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor
School of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: biochar; soil remediation; heavy metal; efficient utilization of soil nutrients; adsorption; humus
Dr. Xiao Yang

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100864 Beijing, China
Interests: engineered biochar; soil remediation; sustainable waste management; geochemistry; wastewater treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil pollution has emerged as a severe problem in most countries and regions worldwide. Effective and economically affordable techniques based on sustainable natural resources are urgently needed. Biochar is a carbon-rich product of pyrolysis when heating biomass in the absence of oxygen. It is a feature of highly stable and porous structures and diverse surface functional groups and is recognized as a new type of renewable material. The application of biochar in soil remediation is considered a green and sustainable approach and has become increasingly popular. However, a range of research gaps have not been filled. Over the past few decades, research focus has been on physical/chemical functionalized biochar-based amendments for decontamination/immobilization of soil pollutants to achieve mutual benefits, such as waste valorization and environmental remediation, rather than on conventional production by changing pyrolysis temperature or feedstocks. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on the current state of knowledge on the application of biochar or its derivates in soil remediation. New research papers, reviews, case reports, and conference papers are welcome to this issue. Papers dealing with new approaches to apply novel biochar in soil remediation, remediation mechanisms and influencing factors, risk assessment, and management are also welcome. Other manuscript types accepted include methodological papers, position papers, brief reports, and commentaries.

Here are some examples of topics that could be addressed in this Special Issue:

  1. Contaminants in soils: microorganisms, natural contaminants, anthropogenic chemicals, emerging organic pollutants, etc.;
  2. Production of novel biochar and its related materials;
  3. Advancements in the design and modification of biochar products;
  4. Interactions between biochar related materials and contaminants in soil;
  5. Application of biochar alone or together with other materials or techniques in in situ and ex situ soil remediation, including laboratory and field studies;
  6. Lifecycle and technoeconomic assessment of proposed biochar techniques;
  7. Risk assessment associated with contaminated soil after remediation with biochar-related materials.

Dr. Yunhui Zhang
Prof. Dr. Fan Yang
Dr. Xiao Yang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biochar
  • land remediation
  • soil pollution
  • green and sustainable remediation
  • pollution control
  • heavy metals
  • organic pollutants
  • adsorption
  • amendment
  • long-term effectiveness

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2596 KiB  
Article
Amelioration of Coastal Salt-Affected Soils with Biochar, Acid Modified Biochar and Wood Vinegar: Enhanced Nutrient Availability and Bacterial Community Modulation
by Zhangjun Wang, Xin Pan, Shaoping Kuang, Chao Chen, Xiufen Wang, Jie Xu, Xianxin Li, Hui Li, Quanfeng Zhuang, Feng Zhang and Xiao Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7282; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19127282 - 14 Jun 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2574
Abstract
As an important part of the ecological environment, degraded coastal soils urgently require efficient and eco-friendly soil amendment. Biochar and wood vinegar have been proved to be effective soil amendments, and acid-modified biochar has great potential in ameliorating the degraded coastal saline–alkali soil. [...] Read more.
As an important part of the ecological environment, degraded coastal soils urgently require efficient and eco-friendly soil amendment. Biochar and wood vinegar have been proved to be effective soil amendments, and acid-modified biochar has great potential in ameliorating the degraded coastal saline–alkali soil. However, the effects of individual or combined application of biochar (BC), acid-modified biochar (ABC), and wood vinegar (WV) on coastal saline–alkali soil are unknown. Hence, biochar, wood vinegar, and acid-modified biochar were prepared by pyrolysis of poplar wood. The properties of biochar were characterized, and soil incubation experiments were conducted. The results showed that ABC decreased the soil alkalinity by acid-base neutralization and improved the soil fertility by increasing the nutrients (C, N, P). ABC provided a more suitable environment and changed the abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms. ABC increased the relative contents of specific families (e.g., Pseudomonadaceae and Sphingomonadaceae), which had strong ecological linkages in the C, N, and P cycles and organic matter degradation. The results indicated that WV had little effect on coastal saline–alkali soil, whereas individual and combined application of biochar (especially ABC) showed an efficient remediation effect. Our preliminary study demonstrated that the ABC could be a suitable solution for ameliorating degraded coastal saline–alkali soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation)
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14 pages, 3088 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Removal of Malachite Green Using Calcium-Functionalized Magnetic Biochar
by Pengjie Wang, Wei Chen, Rui Zhang and Yanfeng Xing
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3247; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19063247 - 10 Mar 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 1969
Abstract
To efficiently remove malachite green (MG), a novel calcium-functionalized magnetic biochar (Ca/MBC) was fabricated via a two-step pyrolysis method. Iron-containing oxides endowed the target complexes with magnetic properties, especially the chemotactic binding ability with MG, and the addition of calcium significantly changed the [...] Read more.
To efficiently remove malachite green (MG), a novel calcium-functionalized magnetic biochar (Ca/MBC) was fabricated via a two-step pyrolysis method. Iron-containing oxides endowed the target complexes with magnetic properties, especially the chemotactic binding ability with MG, and the addition of calcium significantly changed the morphology of the material and improved its adsorption performance, especially the chemotactic binding ability with MG, which could be confirmed through FTIR, XPS, and adsorption experiments. Electrostatic adsorption, ligand exchange, and hydrogen bonding acted as essential drivers for an enhanced adsorption process, and the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity was up to 12,187.57 mg/g. Ca/MBC maintained a higher adsorption capacity at pH = 4–12, and after five adsorption–desorption cycles, the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of MG remained at 1424.2 mg/g and 71.21%, highlighting the advantages of Ca/MBC on adsorbing MG. This study suggests that biochar can be modified by a green synthesis approach to produce calcium-functionalized magnetic biochar with excellent MG removal capacity. The synthetic material can not only remove pollutants from water but also provide an efficient way for soil remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation)
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14 pages, 1480 KiB  
Article
Impact of Biochar on Rhizosphere Bacterial Diversity Restoration Following Chloropicrin Fumigation of Planted Soil
by Jun Li, Yan Chen, Xiangyang Qin, Aocheng Cao and Anxiang Lu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2126; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19042126 - 14 Feb 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1662
Abstract
Chloropicrin (CP) can effectively combat soil-borne diseases but has significant side effects on nontarget microorganisms. The rhizosphere microflora play a crucial role in promoting plant growth and protecting plants from infection by soil-borne pathogens. We conducted a laboratory pot experiment to evaluate the [...] Read more.
Chloropicrin (CP) can effectively combat soil-borne diseases but has significant side effects on nontarget microorganisms. The rhizosphere microflora play a crucial role in promoting plant growth and protecting plants from infection by soil-borne pathogens. We conducted a laboratory pot experiment to evaluate the effect of CP on the rhizosphere soil bacterial flora and the effect of biochar amendments on the reconstruction of microbial communities. Our results show that CP fumigation and biochar additions promoted the growth of cucumber plants in the later stage of the pot experiment. CP significantly inhibited the rhizobacterial diversity and changed the community composition. Biochar amendments after CP fumigation shortened the time for the rhizobacterial diversity to recover to unfumigated levels. Biochar amendments promoted the transplantation of new populations to empty microbiome niches that were caused by CP and, in particular, stimulated many beneficial microorganisms to become the predominant flora. The relative abundances of many functional taxa related to plant-disease suppressiveness and pollutant bioremediation increased, including Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Bacillus, Massilia, Acinetobacter, Delftia, Micromonospora, Cytophagaceae, and Flavisolibacter. These changes stimulated by biochar amendments would promote multifunctionality in the soil rhizosphere and benefit plant growth and disease resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation)
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17 pages, 4579 KiB  
Article
Mechanism of Oxytetracycline Removal by Coconut Shell Biochar Loaded with Nano-Zero-Valent Iron
by Qi Li, Siyu Zhao and Yuhang Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13107; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182413107 - 12 Dec 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3352
Abstract
In this paper, coconut shell biochar (BC), pickling biochar (HBC), and nano-zero-valent iron-loaded biochar (nZVI-HBC) were prepared; these were used to remove oxytetracycline (OTC), and the removal mechanism and degradation product were analyzed. These biochars were characterized using SEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS. [...] Read more.
In this paper, coconut shell biochar (BC), pickling biochar (HBC), and nano-zero-valent iron-loaded biochar (nZVI-HBC) were prepared; these were used to remove oxytetracycline (OTC), and the removal mechanism and degradation product were analyzed. These biochars were characterized using SEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS. The effects of biochar addition amount, pH, ion type, and ion concentration on OTC adsorption were studied by a batch adsorption experiment. Under the optimal conditions, the equilibrium adsorption capacity of nZVI-HBC to OTC was 196.70 mg·g−1. The adsorption process can be described by Langmuir isothermal adsorption equations, conforming to the pseudo-second-order dynamics model, indicating that adsorption is dominated by single-molecule chemical adsorption, and a spontaneous process of increasing heat absorption entropy. Mass spectrometry showed that the OTC removal process of nZVI-HBC included not only adsorption but also degradation. These results provide a practical and potentially valuable material for the removal of OTC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation)
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15 pages, 3819 KiB  
Article
Effects of Human Activities on the Spatial Distribution, Ecological Risk and Sources of PTEs in Coastal Sediments
by Weili Wang, Cai Lin, Lingqing Wang, Ronggen Jiang, Yang Liu, Hui Lin and Jinmin Chen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(23), 12476; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182312476 - 26 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1362
Abstract
Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) have attracted substantial attention because of their widespread sources, long residue time and easy accumulation. PTEs in the surface sediments of inshore waters are strongly affected by human activities because these waters are a zone of interaction between the [...] Read more.
Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) have attracted substantial attention because of their widespread sources, long residue time and easy accumulation. PTEs in the surface sediments of inshore waters are strongly affected by human activities because these waters are a zone of interaction between the ocean and land. In the present study, to explore the environmental geochemical behaviour and source of PTEs in the surface sediments of coastal waters, the contents and spatial distributions of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) in different regions of Xiamen Bay were investigated. The data were processed by multivariate statistical methods, and the distribution characteristics of PTEs in the surface sediments of Xiamen Bay were analysed. In addition, the pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and potential ecological index(RI) were used to evaluate the pollution degree and potential risk in the surface sediments of Xiamen Bay, and the positive matrix factorisation (PMF) model was used to analyse the source. The results show that Zn had the highest mean concentration, followed by Pb, Cr, Cu, As, Cd and Hg, among the seven PTEs. The mean contents of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu and Hg, and especially Hg and Cd, were higher than the corresponding environmental background values. The average PLI value indicated that the Xiamen Bay sediment was moderately contaminated by PTEs. The Igeo results showed that Xiamen Bay was moderately to strongly polluted by Cd and Hg. The proportions of samples with low, medium and strong risk levels were 11.63%, 74.42%, and 13.95% in surface sediments, respectively. PMF models showed that the input of chemical fertilizer and medication, anthropogenic atmospheric components and terrestrial detritus were the main sources of PTEs in the surface sediment of Xiamen Bay. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation)
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17 pages, 2852 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Biochars Produced by Co-Pyrolysis of Hami Melon (Cantaloupes) Straw Mixed with Polypropylene and Their Adsorption Properties of Cadmium
by Changheng Li, Qing Huang, Haixiang Zhang, Qingqing Wang, Rixin Xue, Genmao Guo, Jie Hu, Tinghang Li, Junfeng Wang and Shan Hu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11413; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182111413 - 29 Oct 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2487
Abstract
Reuse of waste from Hami melon (cantaloupes) straws (HS) mingled with polypropylene (PP) ropes is necessary and beneficial to mitigate environmental pollution. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics and mechanisms of Cd2+ adsorption on biochars produced by co-pyrolysis [...] Read more.
Reuse of waste from Hami melon (cantaloupes) straws (HS) mingled with polypropylene (PP) ropes is necessary and beneficial to mitigate environmental pollution. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics and mechanisms of Cd2+ adsorption on biochars produced by co-pyrolysis of HS-PP with various mixing ratios. N2-sorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravity, and differential thermal gravity (TG/DTG) were applied to evaluate the physicochemical properties of materials. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out for investigating the effects of initial pH, Cd2+ concentration, and adsorption time. It was found that the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models fitted best for the experimental data, indicating the dominant adsorption of co-pyrolysis biochars is via monolayer adsorption. Biochar derived at 4/1 mixing ratio of HS/PP by weight percentage had the highest adsorption capacity of 108.91 mg·g−1. Based on adsorption isotherm and kinetic analysis in combined with EDS, FTIR, and XRD analysis, it was concluded that the main adsorption mechanism of co-pyrolysis biochar involved the surface adsorption, cation exchange, complexation of Cd2+ with surface functional groups, and chemical precipitation. This study also demonstrates that agricultural wastes to biochar is a sustainable way to circular economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation)
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19 pages, 2045 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Waste Cement on the Bioavailability, Mobility, and Leaching of Cadmium in Soil
by Xiuming Ding, Junfeng Wang, Qing Huang, Shan Hu, Yuejun Wu and Luya Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8885; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18168885 - 23 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2172
Abstract
Waste cement is a construction and demolition waste produced from old buildings’ demolition and transformation. In recent years, the recycling of recycled concrete is limited to the use of recycled aggregate, and the research on the utilization of waste cement in waste concrete [...] Read more.
Waste cement is a construction and demolition waste produced from old buildings’ demolition and transformation. In recent years, the recycling of recycled concrete is limited to the use of recycled aggregate, and the research on the utilization of waste cement in waste concrete is scarce. This study explored the effective application of waste cement for the adsorption of cadmium (Cd2+) from an aqueous solution and the bioavailability and immobility of Cd2+ in soil. Results showed that the maximum adsorption capacities of ordinary Portland cement(OPC) paste, fly ash cement (FAC) paste, and zeolite cement (ZEC) paste for Cd2+ were calculated to be 10.97, 9.47, 4.63 mg·g−1, respectively. The possible mechanisms for Cd2+ adsorption in the solution by waste cement mainly involve precipitation by forming insoluble Cd2+ compounds in alkaline conditions, and ion exchange for Cd2+ with the exchangeable calcium ions in waste cement, which were confirmed by XRD and SEM. Results from diethylene triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) extraction and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) implied reduction of the Cd2+ mobility. DTPA-extractable Cd2+ decreased by 52, 48 and 46%, respectively, by adding 1% OPC, FAC and ZEC. TCLP-extractable Cd2+ decreased by 89.0, 80.3, and 56.0% after 1% OPC, FAC, and ZEC treatment, respectively. BCR analyses indicate that OPC, FAC, and ZEC applications increased the percentage of Cd2+ in residual fraction and induced a high reduction in the acid-soluble Cd2+ proportion. The leaching column test further confirmed a reduction in Cd2+ mobility by waste cement treated under continuous leaching of simulated acid rain (SAR). Therefore, waste cement exhibited a significant enhancement in the immobilization of Cd2+ under simulated acid rain (SAR) leaching. In summary, the application of alkaline waste cement could substantially remove Cd2+ from wastewater and reduce Cd2+ mobility and bioavailability in contaminated soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Biochar for Soil Remediation)
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