Abstract
Metal(loid) soil pollution is an important issue in Europe, as it induces health and environmental problems. Phytoremediation processes have been put into place in order to rehabilitate these sites and limit their negative impacts. However, for phytoremediation to be efficient, plants need to be established on the site, which can be difficult due to the harsh soil conditions. Therefore, amendments need to be applied to improve soil conditions. One amendment gathering attention is biochar, which is the product of biomass pyrolysis. Biochar was shown to reduce soil acidity, increase organic matter and nutrient contents and immobilize metal(loid)s, thereby improving plant growth. The positive effects of biochar can be further ameliorated by biochar functionalization that is, the modification of its surface, or its association with other amendments such as compost, which is rich in nutrients, or iron-based amendments, which are efficient for anion pollutants such as As. This chapter will focus on the use of biochar in the phytoremediation of metal(loid) polluted soils.
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