Effects of tall fescue biochar on the adsorption behavior of desethyl-atrazine in different types of soil

Abstract

Desethyl-atrazine (DEA) is a metabolite of atrazine that exerts a considerable influence on the environment. In this study, tall fescue biochar was prepared by pyrolysis at 500 °C, and batch experiments were conducted to explore its effect on the adsorption behavior of DEA in red soil, brown soil, and black soil. The addition of biochar increased the equilibrium amount of DEA adsorption for the three soil types. A pseudo-second-order kinetic model most closely fit the DEA adsorption kinetics of the three soils with and without biochar, with a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.962 to 0.999. The isothermal DEA adsorption process of soils with and without biochar was optimally described by the Freundlich and Langmuir isothermal adsorption models with R2 values of 0.98 and above. The DEA adsorption process in the pristine soil involved an exothermic reaction, which became an endothermic reaction after the addition of biochar. Partitioning was dominant throughout the entire DEA adsorption process of the three pristine soils. Conversely, in soils with biochar, surface adsorption represented a greater contribution toward DEA adsorption under conditions of low equilibrium concentration. The overall results revealed that the tall fescue biochar was an effective adsorbent for DEA polluted soil.