Abstract
In the present study, Acrostichum aureum Linn. (AAL) was proved as an accumulator of iron and a potential candidate to remove iron pollutants from groundwater. The iron-loaded biochar converted from the iron-contaminated AAL plants was determined the characterization and photocatalytic activity to demonstrate the potential for reusing the AAL biomass enriched with iron. In a 47-day hydroponic experiment, AAL plants could steadily grow in 20.0 mg L−1 Fe(NO3)3 solutions and pH ranging from 6.0 to 7.0. The total amount of iron introduced into the phytoremediation system is 240 mg iron, of which the AAL plants accumulate about 70%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the iron-enriched biochar (named Fe-Bio-C) mainly consists of α-Fe2O3, and the Fe content determined by EDX is around 23 wt%. BET results revealed that the iron-enriched biochar possesses a higher specific surface area, around 266.9 m2 g−1, compared to the original biochar, around 18.2 m2 g−1. The photocatalytic performance of the Fe-Bio-C was studied in the discoloration of methyl orange (MO), with a maximum MO removal capacity of 18.8 mg g−1. These findings show the phytoaccumulation of Acrostichum aureum Linn. plants to remove iron pollutants from groundwater and the potential application of the iron-accumulated biomass.
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This work is supported by Basic Science Research Programs through the National Research Foundation (NRF) Korea, funded by the Ministry of Education (2021R11A1A01051246).
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Nguyen, L.T.T., Vo, K.T.M., Nguyen, T.A. et al. Characterization and photocatalytic activity of the biochar converted from the Acrostichum aureum Linn. biomass. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 20, 2929–2938 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04195-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04195-8