Removal performance, mechanisms, and influencing factors of biochar for air pollutants: a critical review

Zhao, Zhikai; Wang, Bing; Theng, B. K. G.; Lee, Xinqing; Zhang, Xueyang; Chen, Miao; Peng, Xianghe

doi:10.1007/s42773-022-00156-z

Cited by 49 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 212 publications

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“…Biochar (BC), the by-product of the pyrolysis of organic materials (often wood) for bioenergy production, is now attracting considerable attention, from an environmental perspective, as a strategy to stabilize PTEs in soils [ 27 , 28 , 29 ], thereby enabling their remediation [ 30 ]; as a tool for filtering contaminated water and air [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]; and as a sustainable strategy for agricultural purposes [ 34 , 35 ]. Despite these diverse applications, the potential of BC for environmental biomonitoring has been surprisingly underexplored.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accumulation and Release of Cadmium Ions in the Lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. and Wood-Derived Biochar: Implication for the Use of Biochar for Environmental Biomonitoring

Vannini,

Pagano,

Bartoli

et al. 2024

Toxics

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Biochar (BC) boasts diverse environmental applications. However, its potential for environmental biomonitoring has, surprisingly, remained largely unexplored. This study presents a preliminary analysis of BC’s potential as a biomonitor for the environmental availability of ionic Cd, utilizing the lichen Evernia prunastri L. (Ach.) as a reference organism. For this purpose, the lichen E. prunastri and two types of wood-derived biochar, biochar 1 (BC1) and biochar 2 (BC2), obtained from two anonymous producers, were investigated for their ability to accumulate, or sequester and subsequently release, Cd when exposed to Cd-depleted conditions. Samples of lichen and biochar (fractions between 2 and 4 mm) were soaked for 1 h in a solution containing deionized water (control), 10 µM, and 100 µM Cd2+ (accumulation phase). Then, 50% of the treated samples were soaked for 24 h in deionized water (depuration phase). The lichen showed a very good ability to adsorb ionic Cd, higher than the two biochar samples (more than 46.5%), and a weak ability to release the metal (ca. 6%). As compared to the lichen, BC2 showed a lower capacity for Cd accumulation (−48%) and release (ca. 3%). BC1, on the other hand, showed a slightly higher Cd accumulation capacity than BC2 (+3.6%), but a release capacity similar to that of the lichen (ca. 5%). The surface area and the cation exchange capacity of the organism and the tested materials seem to play a key role in their ability to accumulate and sequester Cd, respectively. This study suggests the potential use of BC as a (bio)monitor for the presence of PTEs in atmospheric depositions and, perhaps, water bodies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accumulation and Release of Cadmium Ions in the Lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. and Wood-Derived Biochar: Implication for the Use of Biochar for Environmental Biomonitoring

Vannini,

Pagano,

Bartoli

et al. 2024

Toxics

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“…46 Studies of the performance of biochar on removing volatile and intermediate/semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs and I/SVOCs) emitted from asphalt are not extensive, and there are limited studies on the removal of these typical air pollutants from sources other than asphalt and bituminous composites. 13 Asphalt and asphalt binder (bitumen�the sticky, black, highly viscous liquid derived from petroleum) are among the noncombustion sources of VOCs and I/SVOCs whose emissions are totally dependent on the temperature. 47−50 These chemical compounds could be precursors to the formation of fine particulate matter, ozone, and other secondary atmospheric pollutants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biochar is a solid carbon-rich byproduct of a thermal conversion process of waste biomass . Biochar has been extensively used as a key material for several environmental applications: carbon capture and storage, − removal of heavy-metal ions, − and removal of atmospheric pollutants. − Biochar is a promising candidate for remediation of soil, water, and air because it has several unique features: a variety of polar functional groups, extensive porosity and specific surface area, ease of preparation and low cost, and the availability of a wide range of feedstocks for biochar fabrication.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Zhou et al have also shown the ability of biochar derived from straw, waste wood, and SM to remove some asphalt emissions such as alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and sulfide . Studies of the performance of biochar on removing volatile and intermediate/semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs and I/SVOCs) emitted from asphalt are not extensive, and there are limited studies on the removal of these typical air pollutants from sources other than asphalt and bituminous composites . Asphalt and asphalt binder (bitumenthe sticky, black, highly viscous liquid derived from petroleum) are among the non-combustion sources of VOCs and I/SVOCs whose emissions are totally dependent on the temperature. − These chemical compounds could be precursors to the formation of fine particulate matter, ozone, and other secondary atmospheric pollutants. , Asphalt emissions include thousands of individual chemicals with varying aerodynamic diameters (from nm to μm) and different toxicological properties that are potential hazards for human health .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Iron-Rich Biochar to Adsorb Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted from Asphalt-Surfaced Areas

Mousavi

Aldagari

Crocker

et al. 2023

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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This study introduces iron-rich biochar to selectively adsorb some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from asphalt-surfaced areas. Adsorption and retention of VOCs can improve the air quality while reducing asphalt’s mass loss which compromises asphalt’s durability. The iron-rich biochar was made from a hybrid feedstock of Cyanidioschyzon merolae (CM) algae and swine manure (SM) with a blend of 20:80 CM/SM, showing the highest biochar yield of 27 wt % and the highest metal content of Fe (21.8 g kg–1). Comparison of VOC adsorption of iron-rich biochar and low-iron biochar shows the significant role of Fe content in adsorption of VOCs. When the iron-rich biochar was introduced to asphalt, a total emission reduction of 76% was observed; this number was only 59% when low-iron biochar was used. The superiority of iron-rich biochar over low-iron biochar in adsorbing volatiles is observed for some specific volatiles such as non-polar aromatics in our experiment. The dominant contribution of lightweight cyclic aromatics and alkanes in bitumen emissions indicates that minimizing the VOC emissions from saturate and aromatic fractions of bitumen could be a key factor in reducing the VOCs from asphalt. The hybrid biomass feedstock used here is also a nitrogen-rich substance containing abundant N sites to coordinate with Fe to form −C–N–Fe bonds. To understand the role of N–Fe functionals in the higher efficacy of Fe-rich biochar, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed on three O-containing compounds (benzoic acid, benzofuran, and hexanal) and three S-containing compounds (dibenzothiophene, 3-pentylthiophene, and hexanethiol). Based on DFT results, the adsorption energies of VOCs on active sites of Fe–biochar (containing −N–Fe functionals) are 8 to 10 times higher than those for pristine biochar (containing just N groups). It was also found that the presence of iron stimulates the catalytic performance of biochar, as evidenced by our DFT results, indicating degradation of dibenzothiophene and hexanethiol on the N–Fe active zones of iron-rich biochar. Application of iron-rich biochar can suppress the volatiles emitted from asphalt-surfaced areas; this in turn can improve the air quality and extend the service life of roadway infrastructures. Therefore, the study outcomes can promote built environment’ sustainability and public health.

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“…Among them, the adsorption method is widely used in the field of VOC removal due to the advantages of reusability and high recovery rate. The commonly used VOC adsorbents mainly include zeolite molecular sieves, 10,11 activated carbon, 12 super cross-linked polymerization resin, etc. 13 In recent years, porous metal−organic frameworks with rich porous structures have received much attention.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and Simulation Studies of the Adsorption of Methylbenzene by Fe(III)-Doped NU-1000 (Zr)

Yang

Gao

Wang

et al. 2022

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials, NU-1000(Zr) and Fe(III)-doped NU-1000(Zr), were prepared through the hydrothermal method and used to remove methylbenzene in this work. The pore structure, crystal structure, adsorption capacity, adsorption heat, and adsorption density of Fe(III)-doped NU-1000(Zr) were analyzed based on the experimental and Giant Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation methods. The results show that Fe3+ has a uniform distribution and a stable structure after NU-1000(Zr) was modified with Fe3+. The adsorption–penetration experiments of NU-1000 doped with different concentrations of Fe3+ have shown that the adsorption capacity of methylbenzene on the material surface is up to 231 mg g–1 at Fe/Zr = 0.1, which is due to the less doping of Fe elements and more defective sites in the structure. The GCMC simulation shows that NU-1000(Zr) and Fe(III)-NU-1000(Zr) adsorbed methylbenzene through π–π interaction, and the adsorption effect is good and close to the experimental result. The conclusions of this paper provide important support for the modification of MOF materials and the removal of methylbenzene.

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Removal performance, mechanisms, and influencing factors of biochar for air pollutants: a critical review

Cited by 49 publications

References 212 publications

Accumulation and Release of Cadmium Ions in the Lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. and Wood-Derived Biochar: Implication for the Use of Biochar for Environmental Biomonitoring

Accumulation and Release of Cadmium Ions in the Lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. and Wood-Derived Biochar: Implication for the Use of Biochar for Environmental Biomonitoring

Iron-Rich Biochar to Adsorb Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted from Asphalt-Surfaced Areas

Experimental and Simulation Studies of the Adsorption of Methylbenzene by Fe(III)-Doped NU-1000 (Zr)

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