Arsenic removal from soil and water by biochar:A promising environmentally-friendly approach

Document Type : Review

Author

Professor, Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

Contamination of water and soil resources with the metalloid arsenic (As) nowadays poses a major threat to human health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is not only a carcinogenic substance in humans but also a toxic substance to plants. As removal from soils comprises a variety of physical, chemical, and biological methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Biochar is produced through thermochemical treatment of agricultural residues, urban solid waste, and livestock manure. As one promising solution to As contamination, biochar is generally used to achieve the four major goals of enhanced soil fertility, elevated carbon sequestration in soil, restoration of degraded lands, and soil and water pollution management. Little has been reported in the literature on data-based studies concerning As immobilization in soils; however, the newly emerging areas of interest include investigation of biochar impact mechanisms  on water and contaminated soils as well as industrial-scale applications of research findings. The present study begins with a brief description of the metalloid arsenic chemistry in soil and water to proceed with a review of research findings on biochar and arsenic interactions. In this regard, the initial biomass type and pyrolysis conditions are discussed as the determining factors in such interactions. It is argued that arsenic speciation contained in water and soil may influence its mobility, bioavailability, and transfer in the presence of biochar due to soil chemistry variability, which is largely an under-investigated area in the literature. This specifically stresses the need for studies to explore biochar interactions with soil microbes in immobilizing toxic arsenic species. Another gap detected in the studies concerns the cost-benefit analysis of biochar application as a water and soil decontamination method.

Keywords

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