Experimental Analysis and Remediation Rate of Copper and Nickel Contaminated Industrial Site Soil Using Biochar

Abstract

Abstract: The most crucial element for construction purposes is healthy and good soil. Through the incorrect disposal of carcinogenic compounds, which seeps into the earth and degrades soil quality, heavy metals and metalloids can contaminate soil. The goal of this project is to turn biomass into biochar and re-apply it to the soil in order to disrupt the source-receptor pathway, which will lead to heavy metal-free soil and an improvement in soil characteristics. Biochar is a material made of waste biomass that is highly porous, carbon-rich, and fine-grained. Pyrolysis is a process in which biomass is subjected to thermochemical conversion without oxygen. Rice husk biomass was pyrolyzed in a muffle furnace at temperatures between 500 and 700 °C to create the biochar that was employed in this experiment. Through physical adsorption or an ion exchange mechanism, biochar has the ability to remove heavy metal ions like copper and nickel. The soil used in this study was gathered from the Kurumbapalayam, Coimbatore, electroplating factory. AAS was used to evaluate soil samples in order to measure the amount of heavy metals present. A method that is useful for calculating the amounts of trace elements contained in the soil sample is the use of an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). In order to determine the presence of metal oxide X-Ray Diffraction was done and to know the connection between the biochar and the soil, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was done. Using a direct shear test, the shear strength of soil treated with various amounts of biochar was evaluated. Additionally evaluated were the soil's compaction characteristics and pH fluctuation in response to the addition of various biochar percentages. The outcome shown that adding biochar to the soil neutralises heavy metals and enhances the characteristics of the soil.