Insights into the influences of biochar on the fate and transport of pesticides in the soil environment: a critical review

Abstract

Pesticide misuse and overuse severely pollute agricultural soils, water, and crop yields, harming people and animals. This situation raises serious concerns about environmental pollution on a global scale. As an eco-friendly material for soil remediation, biochar can efficiently immobilize pesticides in the soil. Several studies have focused on the feasibility of biochar in remediating polluted soil. However, its influences during the remediation of pesticide-polluted soils remain indistinct. The present review illuminates the positive and negative influences of biochar on the dissemination of pesticides, the underlying mechanisms, the regulating factors, and critical considerations in the ongoing development of biochar for pesticide use. It also delineates the positive and negative impacts of biochar on pesticides in the soil, evaluates potential pitfalls based on recent research, and offers suggestions for prospective biochar applications crucial for remediating contaminated soil. This review reveals that the fate and types of pesticides, along with the physicochemical properties of soil and biochar types, can significantly influence the remediation of pesticide-polluted soil using biochar. Biochar has the potential to enhance the abundance of certain bacteria and the colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, both of which play crucial roles in soil remediation. Biochar can also modify soil moisture, microbial communities, and other factors that impact the rate of pesticide degradation while simultaneously reducing other types of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. This review underscores the importance of thoroughly understanding the properties of biochar before its application to polluted soils. This review can serve as a basis for subsequent studies on the biochar-mediated remediation of contaminated soils. Graphical Abstract

Liming potential and characteristics of biochar produced from woody and non-woody biomass at different pyrolysis temperatures

“…Henceforward, eggplant biochars have the potential to serve as an excellent soil additive for potassium and might potentially replace traditional sources of potassium. The cation exchange capacity values of biochar derived from non-woody feedstock are higher than those of biochar derived from woody biomass 75 , 77 . The present study revealed that Acacia nilotica bark exhibited a reduced cation exchange capacity in comparison to eggplant biochar.…”

A Critical Review of the Effectiveness of Biochar Coupled with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Soil Cadmium Immobilization

“…Biochar is a carbon-rich material created through the process of biomass pyrolysis. It possesses unique structural and physicochemical characteristics [ 25 , 26 , 27 ], considerably enhancing soil characteristics [ 27 ]. This increases nutrient content and regulates the water-holding capacity of the soil [ 28 , 29 ].…”

“…This increases nutrient content and regulates the water-holding capacity of the soil [ 28 , 29 ]. Biochar can also elevate biomass and alleviate stress damage to the plant [ 27 , 30 ]. In addition, it is also widely used as a passivator, which has a noticeable effect on passivating soil cadmium [ 31 ].…”