Evaluation of biochar application for removal of emerging contaminants in wasterwater

Abstract

One of the most serious problems affecting the environment is the contamination caused by chemical, organic and inorganic compounds. In recent decades, several adsorbents have been developed to remove these wastewater contaminants such as clay, chitosan, lignin, algae, among others. However, often these adsorbents are not economically feasible and its removal effectiveness is limited to only one organic contaminant, making it infeasible in practice. It is therefore desirable to develop an inexpensive adsorbent that can remove multiple types of contaminants simultaneously effectively. In this context, this project is based on the evaluation of the performance of biochar and magnetic biochar adsorbent material for removal of emerging contaminants (bisphenol A and triclosan) in wastewater. To achieve this goal, biochars be prepared from pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse at different temperatures (300, 400, 500 and 600°C). The characterization of the obtained biochars be performed using different analytical techniques such as, Py-GC/MS, MEV, EDS, DRX and RMN. The adsorption process will be assessed in terms of pH, contact time, concentration of the adsorbent/adsorbate, desorption capacity and thermodynamic factors. The concentration of organic contaminants will be done by GC-MS. Thus, this project aims to open a new perspective for reuse of agricultural waste and remediation of water contaminated by elements and substances that pose risks to the environment and public health, using biochar. (AU)