Abstract
Background.Recent studies have explored the potential for using biochar as a soil amendment in agriculture. However, it can also be used as a gentle remediation option for contaminant reduction. Biochar is a by-product obtained from the pyrolysis of biomass (organic matter). It is known for its long-lasting chemical properties, wide surface area values, and carbon-richness, which make it an efficient method for the immobilization of organic and inorganic contaminants such as heavy metals.Objective.The aim of the present study was to analyze the efficiency of biochar, obtained from the gasification of corncob, for the immobilization of lead in contaminated soils.Methods.In the present study, biochar from corncob was used as an amendment for soil contaminated with lead (extracted from the municipality of Malambo, Colombia) in order to estimate its ability to immobilize leaching lead. A comparison laboratory test applied a modified biochar produced with a 10% hydrogen peroxide chemical treatment. In addition, a pot experiment was done with both biochar by sowing seeds of Pennisetum clandestinum for 33 days. During this period, plant growth was measured for the different amendments of biochar concentrations.Results.Laboratory tests indicated that unmodified biochar obtained a maximum retention of 61.46% of lead, while the modified biochar obtained only 44.53% retention. In the pot experiments, the modified biochar indicated high germination and growth of seeds (up to 89.8%).Conclusions.Although the lead immobilization in soil was positive for both cases, the use of soil with high concentrations of lead (167.62 g/kg) does not indicate biochar's effectiveness for purposes of comparison with the current United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) limit value (400 ppm for bare soil in urban play areas). Therefore, further studies are recommended using soil with lower lead concentration levels.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing financial interests. One author is an employee of Pure Earth.
Highlights
Contamination of soils by both organic and inorganic pollutants is an issue worldwide, and environmentally friendly alternatives for addressing this problem are being investigated.[1]
The aim of the present study was to analyze the efficiency of biochar, obtained from the gasification of corncob, for the immobilization of lead in contaminated soils
The lead immobilization in soil was positive for both cases, the use of soil with high concentrations of lead (167.62 g/kg) does not indicate biochar’s effectiveness for purposes of comparison with the current United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) limit value (400 ppm for bare soil in urban play areas)
Summary
Contamination of soils by both organic and inorganic pollutants is an issue worldwide, and environmentally friendly alternatives for addressing this problem are being investigated.[1]. J Health Pollution 23: (190907) 2019 © Pure Earth palm, cottonseed husk, orange peel, bamboo, and various organic wastes under anaerobic conditions.[4,5,6,7,8] The application of biochar as a means of remediation and soil strengthening has been studied over the last decade due to its efficiency and cost effectiveness These days, over one thousand studies around biochar and soil enhancement are published each year, and scientific interest is growing.[9,10,11,12] Biochar’s physicochemical properties, such as porosity, surface area, pH, conductivity, and structure are determining factors in its impact and interaction with soil that help to increase crop yields and carbon sequestration, reduce soil greenhouse gases, and favor the immobilization of organic and inorganic (including metallic) pollutants.[3,4,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21]
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