Crop-Derived Biochar for Removal of Alachlor from Water

Abstract

The presence of various pesticides in natural streams and wastewater is a significant environmental issue due to their high toxicity, which causes harmful consequences even at low quantities. One cost-effective method to remove these pollutants from water could be through adsorption using an inexpensive, easily obtained adsorbent—biochar. The presented research demonstrates the efficacy of applying biochar obtained from wheat grains to eliminate alachlor from water. The sorption properties of the biochar and the likely removal mechanisms are defined. The study found that the biochar removed 76–94% of alachlor, depending on the initial concentration of the pesticide in water. The maximum removal of alachlor (94%) using biochar occurred at an initial pesticide content of 1 mg/L. Both the pseudo-second-order kinetic (R2 = 0.999) and the Langmuir isotherm models (R2 = 0.996) effectively characterized the elimination of alachlor by wheat grain biochar. The biochar’s maximum adsorption capacity for alachlor was 1.94 mg/g. The analyzed biochar, with its micropores and various surface functional groups, was able to effectively adsorb alachlor and trap it within its structure.