Biochar Nanocomposite As an Inexpensive and Highly Efficient Carbonaceous Adsorbent for Hexavalent Chromium Removal

Overview

Journal Materials (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Date 2022 Sep 9

PMID 36079435

Authors

Soroosh Mortazavian

Simona E Hunyadi Murph

Jaeyun Moon

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Biochar is commonly used for soil amendment, due to its excellent water-holding capacity. The Cr(VI) contamination of water is a current environmental issue in industrial regions. Here, we evaluated the effects of two-step modifications on boosting biochar's performance in terms of the removal of aqueous hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), along with investigating the alterations to its surface properties. The first modification step was heat treatment under air at 300 °C, producing hydrophilic biochar (HBC). The resulting HBC was then impregnated with zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI), creating an HBC/nZVI composite, adding a chemical reduction capability to the physical sorption mechanism. Unmodified biochar (BC), HBC, and HBC/nZVI were characterized for their physicochemical properties, including surface morphology and elemental composition, by SEM/EDS, while functional groups were ascertained by FTIR and surface charge by zeta potential. Cr(VI) removal kinetic studies revealed the four-time greater sorption capacity of HBC than BC. Although unmodified BC showed faster initial Cr(VI) uptake, it rapidly worsened and started desorption. After nZVI impregnation, the Cr(VI) removal rate of HBC increased by a factor of 10. FTIR analysis of biochars after Cr(VI) adsorption showed the presence of Cr(III) oxide only on the used HBC/nZVI and demonstrated that the carbonyl and carboxyl groups were the main groups involved in Cr(VI) sorption. Modified biochars could be considered an economical substitute for conventional methods.

Citing Articles

Speciation of Hexavalent Chromium in Aqueous Solutions Using a Magnetic Silica-Coated Amino-Modified Glycidyl Methacrylate Polymer Nanocomposite.

Surucic L, Janjic G, Markovic B, Tadic T, Vukovic Z, Nastasovic A Materials (Basel). 2023; 16(6).

PMID: 36984113 PMC: 10052201. DOI: 10.3390/ma16062233.

Mn-Doped Spinel for Removing Cr(VI) from Aqueous Solutions: Adsorption Characteristics and Mechanisms.

Lu M, Su Z, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Wang J, Li Q Materials (Basel). 2023; 16(4).

PMID: 36837183 PMC: 9961004. DOI: 10.3390/ma16041553.

Selective Removal of Hexavalent Chromium by Novel Nitrogen and Sulfur Containing Cellulose Composite: Role of Counter Anions.

Peng X, Liu S, Luo Z, Yu X, Liang W Materials (Basel). 2023; 16(1).

PMID: 36614522 PMC: 9821927. DOI: 10.3390/ma16010184.

Engineered Nanoparticles, Natural Nanoclay and Biochar, as Carriers of Plant-Growth Promoting Bacteria.

Pavlicevic M, Abdelraheem W, Zuverza-Mena N, OKeefe T, Mukhtar S, Ridge G Nanomaterials (Basel). 2022; 12(24).

PMID: 36558327 PMC: 9783841. DOI: 10.3390/nano12244474.

References

Agrafioti E, Kalderis D, Diamadopoulos E . Ca and Fe modified biochars as adsorbents of arsenic and chromium in aqueous solutions. J Environ Manage. 2014; 146:444-450. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.07.029. View

Ma Y, Liu W, Zhang N, Li Y, Jiang H, Sheng G . Polyethylenimine modified biochar adsorbent for hexavalent chromium removal from the aqueous solution. Bioresour Technol. 2014; 169:403-408. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.07.014. View

Qian L, Shang X, Zhang B, Zhang W, Su A, Chen Y . Enhanced removal of Cr(VI) by silicon rich biochar-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron. Chemosphere. 2018; 215:739-745. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.10.030. View

Chen T, Zhou Z, Xu S, Wang H, Lu W . Adsorption behavior comparison of trivalent and hexavalent chromium on biochar derived from municipal sludge. Bioresour Technol. 2015; 190:388-94. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.04.115. View

Dong H, Deng J, Xie Y, Zhang C, Jiang Z, Cheng Y . Stabilization of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) with modified biochar for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solution. J Hazard Mater. 2017; 332:79-86. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.03.002. View

Agrafioti E, Kalderis D, Diamadopoulos E . Arsenic and chromium removal from water using biochars derived from rice husk, organic solid wastes and sewage sludge. J Environ Manage. 2014; 133:309-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.12.007. View

Saber A, Tafazzoli M, Mortazavian S, James D . Investigation of kinetics and absorption isotherm models for hydroponic phytoremediation of waters contaminated with sulfate. J Environ Manage. 2017; 207:276-291. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.11.039. View

Mohamed A, Mahmoud M . Nanoscale Pisum sativum pods biochar encapsulated starch hydrogel: A novel nanosorbent for efficient chromium (VI) ions and naproxen drug removal. Bioresour Technol. 2020; 308:123263. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123263. View

Dong X, Ma L, Li Y . Characteristics and mechanisms of hexavalent chromium removal by biochar from sugar beet tailing. J Hazard Mater. 2011; 190(1-3):909-15. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.04.008. View

10.

Wu L, Liao L, Lv G, Qin F, He Y, Wang X . Micro-electrolysis of Cr (VI) in the nanoscale zero-valent iron loaded activated carbon. J Hazard Mater. 2013; 254-255:277-283. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.03.009. View

11.

Mohan D, Pittman Jr C . Activated carbons and low cost adsorbents for remediation of tri- and hexavalent chromium from water. J Hazard Mater. 2006; 137(2):762-811. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.06.060. View

12.

Zhang S, Lyu H, Tang J, Song B, Zhen M, Liu X . A novel biochar supported CMC stabilized nano zero-valent iron composite for hexavalent chromium removal from water. Chemosphere. 2018; 217:686-694. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.11.040. View

13.

Shang J, Zong M, Yu Y, Kong X, Du Q, Liao Q . Removal of chromium (VI) from water using nanoscale zerovalent iron particles supported on herb-residue biochar. J Environ Manage. 2017; 197:331-337. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.03.085. View

14.

Lv X, Xu J, Jiang G, Xu X . Removal of chromium(VI) from wastewater by nanoscale zero-valent iron particles supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Chemosphere. 2011; 85(7):1204-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.09.005. View

15.

Su H, Fang Z, Tsang P, Zheng L, Cheng W, Fang J . Remediation of hexavalent chromium contaminated soil by biochar-supported zero-valent iron nanoparticles. J Hazard Mater. 2016; 318:533-540. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.07.039. View

16.

Wang S, Zhao M, Zhou M, Li Y, Wang J, Gao B . Biochar-supported nZVI (nZVI/BC) for contaminant removal from soil and water: A critical review. J Hazard Mater. 2019; 373:820-834. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.03.080. View

17.

Mohan D, Rajput S, Singh V, Steele P, Pittman Jr C . Modeling and evaluation of chromium remediation from water using low cost bio-char, a green adsorbent. J Hazard Mater. 2011; 188(1-3):319-33. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.01.127. View

18.

Yin Z, Xu S, Liu S, Xu S, Li J, Zhang Y . A novel magnetic biochar prepared by KFeO-promoted oxidative pyrolysis of pomelo peel for adsorption of hexavalent chromium. Bioresour Technol. 2020; 300:122680. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122680. View

19.

Fito J, Kefeni K, Nkambule T . The potential of biochar-photocatalytic nanocomposites for removal of organic micropollutants from wastewater. Sci Total Environ. 2022; 829:154648. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154648. View