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Ball-milled biochar (BMBC) is a typical engineering material that has promising application prospects in remediating contaminated soil and water. It is fundamental to rate the transport behaviors of BMBC in the underground environment before extensive use. In this study, the effects of the ubiquitous cations (Na+, Mg2+, and Al3+) and model organic matter (humic acid) on the transport of BMBC were investigated using laboratory column experiments. The results demonstrated the facilitated effect of HA on the transport of BMBC due to the negatively charged surface and steric effect under neutral conditions. HA and ionic strength manifested an antagonistic effect on the transport of BMBC, where the presence of one could weaken the effect from the other. We also found the charge reversal of the BMBC surface in the presence of Mg2+, thus enhancing the deposition of BMBC onto the medium surface. On the other hand, the charge reversal from Al3+-coupled acid conditions led to the restabilization and transport of BMBC in porous media. Therefore, the rational usage of BMBC is indispensable and more attention should be paid to the composition and change in underground water that might facilitate the transport of BMBC and thus lead to negative environmental implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cd(II) adsorption of kiwi biochar functionalized with Mg-Fe (3:1) layered double hydroxides (LDH) was studied. And the biochar was got via liquid-phase deposition, by incorporating Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide (Mg-Fe LDH) particles into kiwi biochar (KB/LDH). The batch of sorption experiments were studied, including adsorption kinetics and isotherm and the effects of pH, ion strength (IS) and co-existing ions. The KB/LDH composite showed a strong sorption ability to Cd(II) in aqueous solutions with the adsorption capacity of 25.6 mg g−1, compared with pristine biochar of 1.78 mg g−1. The adsorption of Cd(II) on KB/LDH composite increased with the decreasing of IS, decreased first and then grew larger with the increase of pH and was observed irrespective of the co-existence of K+, Cl− and NO3−. To sum up, the KB/LDH can be potentially used as an alternative adsorbent to amend the water and soil contaminated by Cd(II). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to its characteristics, biochar originating originating from biomass is accepted as a multifunctional carbon material that supports a wide range of applications. With the successfully used in reducing nitrate and adsorbing ammonium, the mechanism of biochar for nitrogen fixation in long-term brought increasing attention. However, there is a lack of analysis of the NH4+-N adsorption capacity of biochar after aging treatments. In this study, four kinds of acid and oxidation treatments were used to simulate biochar aging conditions to determine the adsorption of NH4+-N by biochar under acidic aging conditions. According to the results, acid-aged biochar demonstrated an enhanced maximum NH4+-N adsorption capacity of peanut shell biochar (PBC) from 24.58 to 123.28 mg·g−1 after a H2O2 modification. After the characteristic analysis, the acid aging treatments, unlike normal chemical modification methods, did not significantly change the chemical properties of the biochar, and the functional groups and chemical bonds on the biochar surface were quite similar before and after the acid aging process. The increased NH4+-N sorption ability was mainly related to physical property changes, such as increasing surface area and porosity. During the NH4+ sorption process, the N-containing functional groups on the biochar surface changed from pyrrolic nitrogen to pyridinic nitrogen, which showed that the adsorption on the surface of the aged biochar was mainly chemical adsorption due to the combination of π-π bonds in the sp2 hybrid orbital and a hydrogen bonding effect. Therefore, this research establishes a theoretical basis for the agricultural use of aged biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-doping is one of the most promising strategies to improve the adsorption capacity and selectivity of carbon adsorbents. Herein, synthesis, characterization and dye adsorption of a novel N-doped microporous biochar derived from direct annealing of crop straws under NH 3 is presented. The resultant products exhibit high microporosity (71.5%), atomic percentage of nitrogen (8.81%), and adsorption capacity to dyes, which is about 15–20 times higher than that of original biochar. Specifically, for the sample NBC800-3 pyrolyzed at 800 °C in NH 3 for 3 h, its adsorption for acid orange 7 (AO7, anionic) and methyl blue (MB, cationic) is up to 292 mg g −1 and 436 mg g −1 , respectively, which is among the highest ever reported for carbonaceous adsorbents. The influences of N-doping and porous structure on dye adsorption of the synthesized carbons are also discussed, where electrostatic attraction, π–π electron donor-accepter interaction, and Lewis acid-base interaction mainly contribute to AO7 adsorption, and surface area (especially pore-filling) dominates MB adsorption. The N-doped biochar can be effectively regenerated and reused through direct combustion and desorption approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of ball milling technology and biochar materials provides new prospects for environmentally friendly and sustainable environmental pollution control technologies, but comes with opportunities and risks. In this study, column experiments were used to evaluate the environmental behavior of ball‑milled biochar (BMBC). The results of the column experiments showed that BMBC transport increased with a high flow velocity, large medium size, high pH, and low ionic strength. Owing to the strong adsorption of Cd2+ by BMBC, the presence of BMBC in the medium led to a decrease in effluent Cd2+. The presence of Cd2+ in the solution slightly inhibited the transport of BMBC. The transport of Cd2+ was facilitated by BMBC due to the high affinity. Therefore, attention should be paid to favorable conditions for BMBC transport. This study provides a perspective to assess the behavior of BMBC in the environment and whether its interaction with Cd2+ will introduce new environmental hazards. [Display omitted] • Micro/nano-biochar was prepared by ball milling. • BMBC had a strong Cd2+ adsorption capacity. • BMBC conformed to the characteristics of colloids and had strong mobility. • Presence of BMBC or Cd2+ blocked the transport of the counterpart. • BMBC could facilitate the transport of Cd2+ in saturated porous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, biochar based hydrogel microspheres were fabricated successfully to develop pH and ion strength dual-stimuli responsively controlled-release system for hydrophilic pesticide. Herein, gentian violet (GV) was selected as model hydrophilic pesticide. Taking advantage of the cross-linking reaction, GV was incorporated into biochar and the 3D network-structured hydrogel, guaranteeing a satisfying encapsulation efficiency and sustained release of pesticide. The leaching behavior of pesticide in simulated soil column at different pHs and ion strength was in accordance with the corresponding release performance, and bulk of pesticide was retarded on the surface. In addition, the pesticide carrier had nearly no toxic effect on the cell proliferation and zebrafish embryo, displaying a good biosafety. The work provides a promising strategy with a low-cost and simple procedure that could regulate pesticide release behavior, decrease leaching loss, and improve the utilization efficiency of pesticide. A pH and ion strength responsive system was fabricated to control the release, decrease leaching loss, and improve utilization efficiency of hydrophilic pesticide. Unlabelled Image • A pH and ion strength dual-stimuli responsive system was fabricated. • The system exhibited a controlled release performance. • The system could decrease the leaching loss of hydrophilic pesticide. • The pesticide carrier had little toxic effect on cell proliferation and zebrafish embryo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]