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Sorption of ammonium and phosphate from aqueous solution by biochar derived from phytoremediation plants

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Abstract

The study on biochar derived from plant biomass for environmental applications is attracting more and more attention. Twelve sets of biochar were obtained by treating four phytoremediation plants, Salix rosthornii Seemen, Thalia dealbata, Vetiveria zizanioides, and Phragmites sp., sequentially through pyrolysis at 500 °C in a N2 environment, and under different temperatures (500, 600, and 700 °C) in a CO2 environment. The cation exchange capacity and specific surface area of biochar varied with both plant species and pyrolysis temperature. The magnesium (Mg) content of biochar derived from T. dealbata (TC) was obviously higher than that of the other plant biochars. This biochar also had the highest sorption capacity for phosphate and ammonium. In terms of biomass yields, adsorption capacity, and energy cost, T. dealbata biochar produced at 600 °C (TC600) is the most promising sorbent for removing contaminants (N and P) from aqueous solution. Therefore, T. dealbata appears to be the best candidate for phytoremediation application as its biomass can make a good biochar for environmental cleaning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Zheng Zeng, Ting-qiang Li, Feng-liang Zhao, He-ping Zhao, Xiao-e Yang, Jing Zhao & Muhammad Tariq Rafiq

  2. Ningbo Raw Water Group Co., Ltd., Ningbo, 315100, China

    Song-da Zhang

  3. Indian River Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL, 34945, USA

    Zhen-li He

  4. School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin’an, 311300, China

    Hai-long Wang

Authors
  1. Zheng Zeng
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  2. Song-da Zhang
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  3. Ting-qiang Li
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  4. Feng-liang Zhao
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  5. Zhen-li He
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  6. He-ping Zhao
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  7. Xiao-e Yang
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  8. Hai-long Wang
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  9. Jing Zhao
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  10. Muhammad Tariq Rafiq
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to He-ping Zhao or Xiao-e Yang.

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The two authors contributed equally to this work

Project supported by the International Cooperative Project from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2010DFB33960), the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (No. 2012BAC17B02), the Zhejiang Youth Creative Program (No. 2012QNA6004), and the Key Project from Zhejiang Science and Technology Bureau (No. 2011C13015), China

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Zeng, Z., Zhang, Sd., Li, Tq. et al. Sorption of ammonium and phosphate from aqueous solution by biochar derived from phytoremediation plants. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B 14, 1152–1161 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1300102

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1300102

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