Effect of biochar aging and co-existence of diethyl phthalate on the mono-sorption of cadmium and zinc to biochar-treated soils

Tianhong Nie; Xing Yang; Hanbo Chen; Karin Müller; Sabry M Shaheen; Jörg Rinklebe; Hocheol Song; Song Xu; Fengchang Wu; Hailong Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124850

Effect of biochar aging and co-existence of diethyl phthalate on the mono-sorption of cadmium and zinc to biochar-treated soils

J Hazard Mater. 2021 Apr 15:408:124850. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124850. Epub 2020 Dec 15.

Authors

Tianhong Nie¹, Xing Yang², Hanbo Chen³, Karin Müller⁴, Sabry M Shaheen⁵, Jörg Rinklebe⁶, Hocheol Song⁷, Song Xu⁸, Fengchang Wu⁹, Hailong Wang¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China; Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, China.
² Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China; University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany.
³ Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China; Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.
⁴ The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag, 3123 Hamilton, New Zealand.
⁵ University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany; King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment, and Arid Land Agriculture, Department of Arid Land Agriculture, 21589 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; University of Kafrelsheikh, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil and Water Sciences, 33 516 Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.
⁶ University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany; University of Sejong, Department of Environment, Energy and Geoinformatics, 98 Gunja-Dong, Guangjin-Gu, Seoul, South Korea.
⁷ Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, South Korea.
⁸ Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China.
⁹ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
¹⁰ Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China; Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, China. Electronic address: hailong.wang@fosu.edu.cn.

PMID: 33385726
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124850

Abstract

In this study, the influence of the aging process of pig-(PB) and P. orientalis-(POB) derived biochars on the sorption capacity of the biochar-treated soils for cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) with and without the co-existence of diethyl phthalate (DEP) was investigated. Additionally, the surface and internal characteristics of biochars were determined before and after their aging in soils. The PB-treated soil had a higher sorption capacity for Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ than the POB-treated soil. The sorption capacity of the biochar-treated soils for Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ increased with biochar application rates. After aging, the abundance of oxygen-containing functional groups on the biochar surface, and the pH and organic carbon content of the biochar-treated soils significantly increased, thereby improving the sorption capacity for Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺. The sorption capacities of biochar-treated soils for Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ followed the order of 1-month aging > 6-month aging > fresh. The co-existence of DEP enhanced the sorption capacity of the fresh biochar-treated soils for Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺, whereas this enhancing effect disappeared for the aged biochar treatments. Our findings provide insights into the interactions between mixed contaminants in biochar-amended soils and the long-term efficacy of biochar treatments on metal sorption to soils.

Keywords: Heavy metals; Phthalate; Pollution; Soil contamination; Sorption isotherms.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cadmium*
Charcoal
Phthalic Acids
Soil
Soil Pollutants* / analysis
Swine
Zinc / analysis

Substances

Phthalic Acids
Soil
Soil Pollutants
biochar
Cadmium
Charcoal
Zinc
diethyl phthalate