Sterilized plum pomace biochar as a low-cost effective sorbent of environmental contaminants

Abstract

The removal of environmental pollutants is significant because of their harmful effects on living organisms. Biochar is favorable as a natural adsorbent of environmental pollutants due to its advantages, such as environmental acceptability and economic profitability. This study evaluated the potential of pyrolyzed plum pomace (PyrPP) as an adsorbent for environmental pollutants: Pb2+ ions, pesticides (chlorpyrifos and malathion), as well as organic pollutants BTEX. In order to ameliorate the adsorption capacity of PyrPP, modification by gamma irradiation was performed. Irradiated plum pomace biochar (IrPyrPP) has been shown to be an effective adsorbent, and the material is also sterilized by irradiation, which makes this material potentially sterile adsorbents of the most environmental pollutants from water. The irradiated biochar showed better adsorption performances for the removal of Pb2+ ions, BTEX, and chlorpyrifos. Maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) of PyrPP for Pb2+, BTEX, chlorpyrifos, and malathion adsorption was 157.0, 17.6, 0.219, and 1.067 mg g−1, while Qmax of IrPyrPP for Pb2+, BTEX, chlorpyrifos and malathion was 271.0, 48.0, 0.428 and 0.593 mg g−1, respectively. The results obtained during this research suggest that biomass pyrolysis and modification of this biomass by irradiation is a promising way to produce efficient natural sterile sorbents for wastewater treatment.