Unveiling the roles of dissolved organic matters derived from different biochar in biochar/persulfate system: Mechanism and toxicity

Xuerong Zhou; Cui Lai; Eydhah Almatrafi; Shiyu Liu; Huchuan Yan; Shixian Qian; Hanxi Li; Lei Qin; Huan Yi; Yukui Fu; Ling Li; Mingming Zhang; Fuhang Xu; Zhuotong Zeng; Guangming Zeng

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161062

Unveiling the roles of dissolved organic matters derived from different biochar in biochar/persulfate system: Mechanism and toxicity

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Mar 15:864:161062. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161062. Epub 2022 Dec 21.

Authors

Xuerong Zhou¹, Cui Lai¹, Eydhah Almatrafi², Shiyu Liu³, Huchuan Yan³, Shixian Qian³, Hanxi Li³, Lei Qin³, Huan Yi³, Yukui Fu³, Ling Li³, Mingming Zhang³, Fuhang Xu³, Zhuotong Zeng⁴, Guangming Zeng⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, PR China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China; Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Power Systems, Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
² Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Power Systems, Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
³ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China.
⁴ Department of Dermatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, PR China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China; Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Power Systems, Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: zengzhuotong@csu.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Dermatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, PR China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China; Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Power Systems, Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: zgming@hnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 36565867
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161062

Abstract

Biochar has been frequently used as a persulfate (PS) activator due to its attractive properties, but dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from the non‑carbonized part of biochar has received less attention, not to mention its specific role and impact in biochar/PS systems. In this study, wheat straw, municipal sludge, and swine bone were selected as the representative feed stocks of biochar. Subsequently, these three types of biochar were adopted to explore the roles of DOM in biochar/PS systems. Although the composition and amount of DOM derived from different biochar were discrepant, they exhibited similar effect in biochar/PS systems. To be specific, the pore-clogging effect of DOM on biochar suppressed the adsorption capacity and catalytic performance of the three biochar. Furthermore, the removal of DOM decreased the environmental risk of these biochar/PS systems and enhanced the stability of the involved biochar. With respect to the variation in degradation mechanism, the removal of DOM increased the proportion of electron transfer pathway in unison, but the diminution in the roles of O₂^•¯ and ¹O₂ was more remarkable in bone-derived-biochar/PS systems. Additionally, the toxicity test illustrated that the leakage and accumulation of DOM were toxic to Chlorella sp., and the DOM from sludge-derived-biochar presented the highest toxicity. Overall, this study analyzes the roles of DOM derived from different biochar in biochar/PS systems and evaluates their environmental risk, which contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the fate of DOM derived from biochar.

Keywords: Biochar; Catalysis; Dissolved organic matter; Persulfate activation; Toxicity assessment.

MeSH terms

Charcoal
Chlorella*
Dissolved Organic Matter*
Sewage

Substances

biochar
Dissolved Organic Matter
Sewage
Charcoal